# verses

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This is the record of the family names of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, a descendant of Abraham:


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After Israel was carried away to Babylon, Jehoiachin fathered Shealtiel; Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel;


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There was a total of 14 generations from the time of Abraham until David's time. There were 14 generations from the time of David until Israel was carried away to Babylon. And there were 14 generations from the time when Israel was carried away to Babylon until the time of the Messiah.


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This is how the birth of Jesus Christ occurred: Mary, the mother of Jesus, was engaged to be married to Joseph but before they were married, it was discovered that she was pregnant (by the Holy Spirit)!


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However, Joseph, her husband-to-be, was a fair man; he did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to quietly call off the marriage.


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He was thinking deeply upon these things when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, descendant of David, don't be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her comes from the Holy Spirit.


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She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.


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'Listen! The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son. They will name him Emmanuel (which means, God is with us).'"


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When Joseph woke up from sleeping, he did as the angel of the Lord had ordered him to do; he took Mary to be his wife.


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Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a town in Judea, during the time of King Herod the Great. Some wise men from the east traveled to Jerusalem.


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They asked, "Where is the one who was born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and we came to worship him."


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He gathered all of the most important priests and teachers of the law from the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.


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'And you, Bethlehem, in the region of Judea, though small among the rulers, you are surely not the least, because a Leader will come out from you. He will shepherd my people, Israel.'"


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Then in secret, Herod called for the wise men. From them he added up the exact time when the star appeared.


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And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go, search very carefully for information about the child. When you find him, report to me so that I too may come to worship him."


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After they had listened to the king, they left. Suddenly the star which they had seen in the east was leading them. It finally stopped above the place where the child was.


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They went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother. They bowed down to worship him. They opened their treasures and brought him gifts - gold, perfume, and precious spices.


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But God used a dream to warn them that they should not return to Herod. So they returned to their country by a different road.


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After they had gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I speak to you again. Herod is about to begin searching for the child to kill him."


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He stayed there until Herod died, to make what the Lord God had said through the prophet come true: "I called My Son out of Egypt."


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When Herod realized that the wise men had made a fool out of him, he was very angry. He ordered his men to kill all the little boys in and around the town of Bethlehem - the boys who were two years old or younger (the time which Herod had figured out from the wise men).


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"A sound was heard in the town of Ramah, crying and loud screaming. Rachel is crying for her children; she will not let anyone comfort her because the children are dead."


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The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. The people who were trying to kill the child have died."


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Joseph heard that Herod Archelaus was ruling Judea instead of his father, Herod the Great. Joseph was afraid to go back there but, in a dream, God told him to leave for the region of the Galilee.


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So he went and lived in a town called Nazareth so that what God had said through the prophets would come true: "He will be called a Nazarene."


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During those days, John (the one who immersed people) was preaching in the desert in the region of Judea.


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This is the man whom God talked about through the prophet Isaiah: "There is a voice crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the Lord's way. Make His paths straight.'"


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John always wore clothes made of camel hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers and wild honey.


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People from Jerusalem and all over the region of Judea and all the area around the Jordan River continued coming to John.


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When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was immersing, he said to them, "You are like poisonous snakes! Who told you to run away from God's punishment which is coming?


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"Don't think this to yourselves: 'Abraham is our father!' I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from these rocks here.


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The ax is now ready to cut the trees down. Every tree which does not produce good fruit is being cut down and thrown into fire.


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"Whenever you change your hearts, I will immerse you in water. But there is one coming later who is more important than I am. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire!


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He will come ready to clean the grain. He will separate the good grain from the straw. He will put the good part of the grain into his barn. Then he will burn the straw with a fire which cannot be put out."


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Then Jesus traveled from the Galilee to the Jordan River where John was, so that John could immerse him


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Jesus answered him, "Allow this for now because this is the proper way for us to fulfill being made right. " Then John did so.


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After Jesus was immersed, he came up from the water immediately. Suddenly, the sky was opened for him. He saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.


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Suddenly a Voice came from heaven and said, "This is My son, and I give Myself to him, for his good, expecting nothing in return. I am very pleased with him!"


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The devil came and said to Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, command these rocks to become food."


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Jesus answered, "It is written: 'A person does not live on food alone. Instead, he lives on every word which comes from the mouth of God.'"


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Then the devil took Jesus into the holy city Jerusalem, and put him on the highest point of the temple.


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He said to Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, jump off! Because it is written: 'God will command His angels to take care of you.' and, 'Their hands will catch you so that you will not hit your foot against a rock.'"


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Suddenly, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory which was in them.


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The devil said to Jesus, "I will give you all of these things if you will only bow down to worship me."


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Then Jesus said to the devil, "Go away, Satan, because it is written: 'You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only Him.'"


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After leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, beside Lake Galilee, in the Zebulun and Naphtali area.


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"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, the way to the Mediterranean Sea along the Jordan River, the Galilee of the non-Jews.


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The people who live in darkness have seen a great light. The light has dawned upon the people who live in that area; in the fear of death."


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From then on, Jesus began to teach: "Change your way of thinking because the kingdom of heaven is very near!"


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While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers. They were Simon (called Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were fishermen and they were throwing their nets into the lake.


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Jesus went farther and saw two more men. They were brothers - Jacob and John - sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with Zebedee, their father, preparing their nets. Jesus called them also.


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Jesus was going all around the Galilee, teaching the Good News of the kingdom in their houses of worship. Jesus was also healing people of all types of diseases and sicknesses.


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The news about Jesus went all over the land of Syria. They brought him all the people who were sick. These people had all kinds of diseases; they were suffering with much pain. Some of them had demons inside them. Some were epileptics and some were paralyzed. Jesus healed them all.


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Large crowds followed him, coming from the Galilee, from the area of the Ten Towns, from Jerusalem, from Judea, and from the area across the Jordan River.


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"How blest are the people who are persecuted because they are doing right because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.


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"How blest are you when people insult you, persecute you, and tell all kinds of lies against you because of me.


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Be full of joy and be very glad because you will have great rewards in heaven. This was the way your ancestors persecuted the prophets before you.


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"You are the earth's salt, but if the salt loses its salty taste, then it is no good. You cannot make it salty again. It is good for nothing. It is thrown outside where people walk on it.


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No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, the lamp is put on a table, and it shines for everyone in the house.


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So let your light shine for people so that they will see the good things you do. Then they will give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.


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"Do not think I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy them. I have come to complete them.


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I am telling you the truth: so long as heaven and earth stand, not even a single dot or a comma can be changed in the law until everything is completed.


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Anyone who disobeys even one of the smallest commands and teaches this action to others will not be important in the kingdom of heaven. But anyone who obeys and teaches the right action will be important in the kingdom of heaven.


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For I tell you, if your 'good action' is no better than that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.


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"You have heard that this was said to the people long ago: 'Do not murder. Anyone who commits murder will be punished.'


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But I tell you, anyone who is angry with his brother will be condemned. Anyone who says, 'You idiot!' to his brother must answer to the Jewish Council. Anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be punished in hell fire.


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Suppose you are bringing your gift to God at the altar. While there, you remember that your brother has something against you.


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Leave your gift right there in front of the altar. The important thing is to go and make friends with your brother. When you come back, offer your gift to God.


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"When someone is trying to sue you, settle things out of court quickly. Do this while you are still with him on the way to court, or he might give you to the judge. And the judge might give you to the officer and then you might be thrown into jail.


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I am telling you the truth: you may never get out of there, until you pay the last penny of what you owe.


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But I am telling you that when any man continues looking at a woman because he wants her sexually, he has already, in his heart, committed unlawful sexual intercourse with her.


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"If your right eye is making you sin, take it out and throw it away! You would be better off to destroy one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.


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Or, if your right hand is making you sin, cut it off and throw it away! You would be better off to destroy one member of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.


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But I am telling you, unless the reason is her unlawful sexual intercourse, any man who divorces his wife causes her to commit unlawful sexual intercourse, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits unlawful sexual intercourse, too.


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"Again, you have heard that this was said to the people long ago: 'Do not break your vow by God; do what you promised!'


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But I am telling you this: do not make vows by God! Don't make a vow by heaven because heaven is God's throne.


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Don't do it by the earth because the earth is God's footstool. Don't do it by Jerusalem because that is the city of the great king.


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Your yes answer should mean 'yes' and your no answer should mean 'no'. Saying any more than this is bad.


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But I am telling you this: do not fight back against evil. Instead, if a person hits you on the right side of your face, turn the other side to him also!


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You have heard that this was said: 'Give yourself to your friend, for his good, expecting nothing in return, and hate your enemy.'


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But I say this to you: give yourself to your enemies, for their good, expecting nothing in return! Pray for those who are cruel to you


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so that you will become sons of your Father, who is in heaven. God's sun shines upon good people and bad people. It rains upon the people who do right and upon those who do wrong.


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If you give yourself, expecting something in return, to those who give themselves to you for their good, expecting something in return, then you are not any better than anyone else. Even tax collectors do the same thing!


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If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing? Even people without God do the same thing!


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"Be careful not to do your good deeds in front of people so that they will notice you. If you do that, you will not receive a reward from your Father who is in heaven.


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When you help poor people, don't sound a trumpet before you. The hypocrites act like that in the houses of worship and on the streets so that people will praise them. I am telling you the truth: they have received their reward.


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Instead, when you are helping poor people, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing


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"And when you pray, don't be like the two-faced people. They love to stand praying in the houses of worship and on the street corners so that other people will see them. I am telling you the truth: they have received their reward.


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Instead, when you pray, go into your private room and close the door. Then pray secretly to your heavenly Father. He sees this in secret; He will repay you.


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When you pray, don't use words without thinking, as people of the world do. They think that by saying many words they will be listened to.


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'Keep us away from temptation. Rescue us from the evil one. ‘For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'


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"If you forgive people of the things they have done wrong to you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.


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However, if you do not forgive people, then your Father will not forgive the wrong things which you have done.


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"And when you fast, do not wear a sad face as the hypocrites do. They make their faces look serious so that people will realize that they are fasting. I am telling you the truth: they are receiving their reward.


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so that people will not realize that you are fasting. Your heavenly Father sees it in secret; He will repay you openly.


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"Do not store your treasures on the earth where moths and rust destroy and where robbers dig through to steal.


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Instead, store your treasures in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy and where robbers cannot dig through to steal.


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"Your eye is like a lamp for the body. If your eye can see clearly, then the whole body is made bright.


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But if your eye is dark with sin, then your whole body is made dark. If the light in you becomes dark, how great is that darkness!


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"No slave can serve two masters at the same time. The slave will give himself to one, for his good, expecting nothing in return, over the other. Or, he will be more loyal to one and look down on the other. You cannot be a slave for God and Money at the same time.


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Because of this, I am telling you, you should not worry about what you will eat to stay alive. Don't worry about what clothes you will wear. Living is more important than eating, and the body is more important than clothes.


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Look at the wild birds of the sky. Birds do not plant seeds or harvest them or gather them into barns, but your heavenly Father takes care of them. Are you not worth much more than birds? Of course!


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And why worry about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work hard or make threads for clothes.


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I tell you, even Solomon, with all his beautiful clothes, was not dressed as well as one of these flowers.


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Look how well God clothes the grass in the fields! But the grass is here today and thrown into the oven tomorrow to be burned. Will not God dress you much better? Oh, you have such little faith!


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"So, don't worry, thinking to yourself, 'What will we eat?' or, 'What will we drink?' or, 'What will we wear?'


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People without God put all these things first. Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.


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Don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will have its own worries. There is enough trouble in just one day.


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You will be judged by the standard which you use to judge others. You will be measured by the measure you use to measure others.


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Why do you see the small speck which is in your brother's eye, but you don't notice the wooden beam which is in your own eye?


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Or, how can you say this to your brother: 'Let me take that little speck out of your eye!'? When, look, there is a wooden beam in your own eye!


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You are a hypocrite! First, take the beam out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly how to take the speck out of your brother's eye.


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"Don't give what is holy to dogs. Don't throw your pearls in front of pigs. They might walk on them, then turn and attack you!


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"So I tell you, continue asking, and it will be given to you. Keep on searching and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you.


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You will receive, if you will always ask. You will find, if you continue looking. And the door will open for you, if you continue knocking.


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Do any of you have a son? What would you do if your son asked you for bread? Would you give him a rock?


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You are evil people, and yet you know how to give good gifts to your children. Surely your heavenly Father knows how to give good things to those people who ask Him.


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"Do for other people all the things which you would like them to do for you. This is the meaning of the law and the prophets.


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Go through the narrow gate which leads to eternal life. The gate is wide and the road is broad which leads to destruction. Many people are entering through it.


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"Be careful of false prophets. They come to you wearing clothes to make them look like sheep, but they are actually fierce wolves.


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They can be recognized by the things they produce. Do people get grapes from thorn bushes? Do they gather figs from thorny weeds?


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"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only the person who does what my heavenly Father wants him to do will enter it.


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On that Day, many people will say this to me: 'Lord! Lord! Isn't it true that we have prophesied, using your name? And by your name, we performed many miracles.'


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But then, I will say this openly to them: 'You people who are doing wrong, go away from me because I never knew you!'


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"Every person who listens to my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house upon rock.


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It rained and the river overflowed. The winds blew hard against that house, but the house did not fall because it was built upon rock!


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However, every person who listens to my words and does not obey them is like a foolish man; he built his house upon sand.


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The rain came down and the river overflowed. The winds blew hard against that house and it fell down. It was a terrible fall!"


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Then a man with leprosy came to him. He bowed down in front of Jesus. The leper said, "Lord, you can heal me if you want to."


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Jesus said, "I do want to heal you - be healed!" Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man. Immediately the man's leprosy was healed.


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Jesus said to him, "Don't tell anyone what happened. Go show yourself to the priest. Then give a gift to God because you have been healed. This is what the law of Moses commands. It will prove to the priests that you are healed."


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The army officer answered, "Lord, you don't need to come into my house. I am not good enough to be with you. You only need to give the order and my boy will be healed.


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I am a person under authority too. And there are soldiers below me whom I command. I can say to one, 'Go!' and he goes. I can say to another man, 'Come!' and he will come. Or, if I say to my slave, 'Do this!' he will do it."


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When Jesus heard this, he was surprised. Jesus turned to the people who were following him and he said, "I am telling you the truth: I have not found this much faith anywhere - not even in Israel!


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I tell you, many people will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.


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Those who were sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. In that place there will be screaming and grinding of teeth."


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Then Jesus said to the army officer, "Go, it will happen for you as you believed." The boy was healed in that same hour.


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When it was late, they brought many people with demons to Jesus. With one word, he cast out the spirits. He healed all the people who were sick,


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so that what God had said through the prophet Isaiah would come true: "He took our sicknesses and carried away our diseases."


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Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes to live in. The wild birds have nests in which to live, but I have no place where I can rest my head."


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Soon there was such a big storm on the lake that the waves were breaking into the boat, but Jesus was asleep.


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Then Jesus said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Oh, you have such little faith !" Then Jesus got up and gave an order to the wind and the waves of the lake. The lake became very calm.


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Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake in the area of the Gadarene people. Two men met him. They had demons in them. These men came out of the tombs. They were so fierce that no one could pass by on that road.


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They yelled, "What do you want with us, Jesus, you Son of God? Did you come here to punish us ahead of time?"


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Jesus said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the pigs. Suddenly the whole herd ran down the steep hill and into the lake. They drowned.


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Some men had been taking care of these pigs. They ran away. When they came into the town, they told the whole story about the two men with demons.


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There was a man who was paralyzed. He was lying on a small bed and some men were carrying him. When Jesus saw that these men believed, he said to the paralyzed man, "Be strong, friend; your sins are forgiven."


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I will prove to you that, on earth, I have the authority to forgive sins." Then Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Stand up! Pick up your bed and go home!"


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When the crowds saw this, they had awesome respect for Jesus; they praised God for giving such power to men.


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As Jesus was leaving that place, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" Matthew got up and followed him.


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While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinful people came and joined Jesus and his students for dinner.


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Some Pharisees saw this. They asked Jesus' students, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinful people?"


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Go and learn what this means: 'I want mercy more than I want animal sacrifices.' I came to invite sinners to change their hearts, not people made 'right'."


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Then the students of John came to Jesus, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your students do not fast?"


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Jesus asked them,"Would it be right for the friends of the groom to be sad while he is still with them? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then his friends will fast.


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"No one sews a piece of cloth, which hasn't been washed, into an old garment because it would shrink and tear away and the hole would become worse.


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No one puts new wine into old wine skins. If they did, the old wine skins would break open, the wine would spill out, and the wine skins would be ruined. Instead, people put new wine into new wine skins and both are preserved."


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While Jesus was talking to them, suddenly a ruler of the house of worship came near and began to bow down in front of Jesus. The man said, "My daughter has just died! But if you come and put your hand on her, she will come back to life."


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But there was a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She went behind Jesus and touched the edge of his robe.


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But Jesus turned around and saw her. He said, "Be strong, dear woman, you are made well because you believed." And from that moment on the woman was made well.


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As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him. They were shouting, "Son of David! Please help us!"


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After Jesus had gone into a house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord."


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While they were leaving the house, a man was brought to Jesus. The man could not talk. He had a demon in him.


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After the demon had been thrown out, the man who had not been able to talk began to talk. The crowds were amazed. They said, "No one has ever seen anything like this happen in Israel!"


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However, the Pharisees continued to say, "Jesus makes demons go away by using the power of the ruler of the demons!"


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Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their houses of worship and preaching the Good News about the kingdom. He was healing all kinds of sicknesses and diseases.


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When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless, like sheep that didn't have a shepherd.


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Jesus called his twelve special students. He gave them the authority to throw out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness.


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These are the names of the twelve delegates: first, there was Simon (called Peter), Andrew (Peter's brother), Jacob (the son of Zebedee), John (Jacob's brother),


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Jesus sent out these twelve men with these orders: “Don't go off into any non-Jewish area. Don't go into any Samaritan town.


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"Heal sick people. Raise people from death. Make lepers well. Throw out demons. You received freely; give freely.


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Don't take a bag for the trip, an extra suit of clothes, shoes, or a walking cane. A worker should be given his pay.


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When you enter a town or a village, find someone there who is worthy. Stay there until it is time to leave.


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If the household is worthy, let your greeting of peace be upon it. However, if the household is not worthy, let your greeting of peace come back to you.


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Whenever someone does not welcome you or listen to your words, go outside that town or house and shake the dust off your feet.


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I tell you the truth: on the Judgment Day, God will punish the people of that town more than He will punish the people of Sodom and Gomorrah!


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"Listen! I am sending you like sheep into a pack of wolves. Be wise like snakes, yet as gentle as doves.


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Watch out for some people! They will betray you to the local courts. They will whip you in their houses of worship.


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Men will take you to be judged before governors and kings because you are associated with me. You can tell them and the nations of the world all of the things you have seen me do.


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When they turn against you, don't worry about what or how you will speak. At that time what you should say will be given to you.


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You will not be doing the talking; it will be the Spirit of your heavenly Father who will be speaking through you.


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"A brother will hand over his own brother - to have him put to death! A father will do the same thing to his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.


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When they persecute you in one town, quickly go to another town. I am telling you the truth: I will come before you finish teaching in the towns of Israel.


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The student should be satisfied to become like his teacher. The slave should be satisfied to become like his master. Since they called the owner of the house 'Beelzebub', they will call the members of the owner's family by names which are even worse.


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Don't be afraid of people because everything which is hidden will be found out and everything which is secret will be made known.


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What I am telling you in the dark, you must tell in the light. What you hear whispered, you must announce from the top of the houses.


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"Don't be afraid of people. People can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. Instead, you should be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.


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Two sparrows are sold for only a small coin and yet, not one sparrow falls to the ground without your heavenly Father knowing it.


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"If anyone confesses in front of other people that he believes in me, then I will speak for him in front of my Father in heaven.


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But if anyone is ashamed of me in front of people, then I will be ashamed of him in front of my Father in heaven.


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a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. The enemies of a person will be the members of his own family.'


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"The person who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. The person who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.


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The person who finds his life will lose it, but the person who gives his life to others because of me will find it.


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"The person who welcomes you welcomes me. The person who is welcoming me is welcoming the One who sent me.


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The person, who welcomes a prophet as a true prophet, will receive a prophet's reward. A person who receives a good man as a truly good man will receive a good man's reward.


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If anyone gives one of these precious little ones a drink of cold water because he is my student, I tell you the truth, that person will certainly not lose his reward."


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When Jesus finished giving these orders to his twelve students he left there to teach and to preach among their towns in the Galilee.


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John was in prison. He heard about the thing which the Messiah was doing. So he sent his students to ask Jesus this question:


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The blind people can see again. Crippled people can walk. People with leprosy are made well. The deaf can hear. Dead people are given life. And the Good News is given to the poor people.


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After these men left, Jesus began to tell the crowds about John: “What did you people go into the desert to see? A stalk of grass being blown by the wind?


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Why did you go out there? Did you go to see a man dressed in fine clothes? Listen, the people who wear fine clothes live in palaces.


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Really, what did you go out there to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, John is even more than a prophet.


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This was written about John: 'Listen! I am sending my messenger to go ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you!'


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"I am telling you the truth: John (the one who immersed people) is greater than any man ever born, but the person who is least important in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.


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From the time when John appeared until now, the kingdom of heaven is being attacked; violent men are trying to capture it.


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"Now I will compare the people of this time to something else: what are they like? The people of this time are like little children sitting in the marketplaces,


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calling to each other: 'We played a happy song, but you did not dance. We played a sad song, but you did not cry!'


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I came eating and drinking. And they say, 'Look, he eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is the friend of tax collectors and other sinful people!' True wisdom is shown to be right by the things it does."


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Then Jesus began to criticize the towns where most of his miracles had occurred. The people had not changed their hearts.


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"It will be horrible for you, O town of Chorazin! It will be horrible for you, Bethsaida! Many miracles have occurred in you. If these same miracles had occurred in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, then those people in Tyre and Sidon would have changed their hearts and actions long ago.


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And you, Capernaum, do you think you will be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to Hades! Many miracles have occurred in you. If these same miracles had occurred in Sodom, that city would still be standing today.


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At that time Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise You because You have hidden these teachings from the 'wise' and 'intelligent' people but You show Your teachings to little children.


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"My Father has given me all things. Only the Father knows who the Son is. And only the Son knows who the Father is. The only people who will know about the Father are those people whom the Son chooses to tell.


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Take the task I give you. Learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart. You will find rest for your lives.


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At that time Jesus was traveling through a field of grain on a Sabbath day. His students were hungry. They began to pick the grain and eat it.


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The Pharisees saw this and said to Jesus, "Look! Your students are doing what is not right to do on the Sabbath day."


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David went into the house of God. They ate the holy loaves of bread. The law did not permit David or his men to eat them - only the priests could eat them.


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"You have read in the law of Moses that every Sabbath day the priests in the temple courtyard disobey the laws of the Sabbath. And yet, they have no guilt.


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Have you read this: 'I want mercy more than I want animal sacrifices.'? If you had read this, you would not have condemned innocent people!


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A man with a crippled hand was there. They asked Jesus, "Is it right to heal people on the Sabbath day?" (They wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong.)


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Jesus said to them, "Suppose one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath day. Wouldn't you grab it and pull it out?


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A human being is so much more important than a sheep. So it is right to do good on the Sabbath day."


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Then Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" The man did this. His hand was made as healthy as his other hand.


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"Look at My special servant! He is the one I have chosen. I give Myself to him, for his good, expecting nothing in return, and I am very pleased with him. I will put My Spirit upon him. He will announce justice for the nations.


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He will not break the stem of a plant that has been bent. He will not even put out the flame of a wick which is barely burning until he causes justice to win.


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Then they brought a man with a demon in him to Jesus. This man was blind and he could not talk. Jesus healed him. The man was able to speak and see.


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But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man throws demons out only by using the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!"


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Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, “Every kingdom which is divided against itself will be ruined. Every town or family which is divided against itself will not hold together.


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If Satan were throwing out Satan, then he would be divided against himself. How could his kingdom stay together?


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But if I throw out demons by using the power of Beelzebul, then whose power do your own people use to throw them out? This is why your own people prove you are wrong!


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However, if it is true that I use the Spirit of God to throw out demons, then God's kingdom has come upon you!


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"How can someone go into a strong man's house and take away his possessions? He must first tie up the strong man. Then he can rob the strong man's house.


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This is why I am telling you that people may be forgiven of any sin or any evil thing said against God. But they cannot be forgiven of saying evil things against the Holy Spirit!


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If someone says something against me, he can be forgiven. However, if someone says something against the Holy Spirit, he cannot be forgiven - not in this age nor the next one.


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Either call the tree good and its fruit good, or call the tree bad and its fruit rotten. A tree can be known by its fruit.


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"You are like poisonous snakes. You are evil. How can you say good things? A person speaks what flows out of his heart.


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A good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, but an evil man brings out evil things from an evil heart.


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I tell you, sometimes people talk without thinking. On the Judgment Day they will be held responsible for every word.


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Then some of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees answered Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see you do a miracle."


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Jesus answered them, “The people living today are very evil. They are not faithful to God. They ask for proof from God, but no proof will be given to them. The only proof will be the miracle which God worked for Jonah the prophet.


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Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, I will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.


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On the Judgment Day, the men from the city of Nineveh will condemn the people of this time. “Why? Because when Jonah preached to them, they listened and changed their hearts. Listen! I am greater than Jonah.


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The Queen of Sheba will rise up on the Judgment Day with the men of this time and she will condemn them. Why? Because she came a very long way to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. Listen! I am greater than Solomon!"


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"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. If the spirit does not find a place,


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it says, 'I will go back to the house from which I came.' So it goes and finds that house empty, cleaned up, and in order.


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Then the evil spirit goes and brings seven other spirits worse than itself, and they go into that man and live there. And that man has even more trouble than he had before. The evil people of this time will be the same way."


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While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, at that time his mother and his brothers stood outside. They were wanting to speak with him.


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Someone said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with you."


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If a person does what my Father in heaven wants him to do, he is my brother, my sister, or my mother!"


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There were so many people who came to Jesus that he had to get into a boat. He sat in the boat and all the crowd stood on the shore.


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Some other seeds fell on rocky soil. There was not much soil there. The little plants grew up quickly because the soil was not deep.


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And some seeds fell on good soil. Some were producing fruit 100 times more, some were producing 60 times more, and some 30 times more.


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Jesus answered, “You have been chosen to learn the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but these secrets have not been given to others.


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The person who has something will get more. However, what will happen to the one who has almost nothing? Even what he has will be taken away from him!


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This is why I use stories when I talk with them: so that they look but do not see, and they listen but they do not understand.


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They have made Isaiah's prophecy come true: 'You will certainly hear, but you won't understand! You will certainly see, but you won't understand!


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The heart of this people has become hard. They have ears, but they do not listen. They have shut their eyes. Otherwise, they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, and then turn. I would heal them.'


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I am telling you the truth: many prophets and upright men wanted to see what you now see, but they did not see it. And they wanted to hear what you now hear, but they did not hear it."


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A person hears the message about the kingdom, but he does not understand it. Then the evil one comes and takes away what was planted in the person's heart. This is the meaning of what was planted along the road.


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What was planted on rocky soil is the person who hears the message and accepts it with gladness right away.


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However he does not have deep roots in himself; he doesn't last long. When, because of the message, trouble or persecution comes, he soon gets discouraged and gives up.


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That which was planted among the thorny weeds is the one who hears the message, but the worries of thisage and deceiving riches choke out the message. It never produces fruit.


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What was planted on good soil is the one who listens to the message and understands it. He produces fruit - some of it is 100 times more, some is 60 times more, and some is 30 times more."


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Jesus used another story. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like this: a man planted some good wheat seed in his field.


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While his men were sleeping, the man's enemy came and planted some weeds among the wheat. Then he went away.


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The slaves went to the owner and said to him, 'Lord, you planted good wheat seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?'


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The man said to them, 'An enemy did this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go out and collect the weeds?'


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He said, 'No, because while you are collecting the weeds, you might tear up the wheat which is next to the weeds.


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Let the wheat and the weeds grow together until harvest time. At that time I will tell the workers to gather up the weeds first. Then they can tie them together in bundles to burn them, but they will gather the wheat into my barn.'"


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As Jesus was talking to them, he used another story: "What is the kingdom of heaven like? It is like the seed of the mustard plant. A person plants the seed in his garden.


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It is one of the smallest seeds of all. But when it grows up, it is the largest garden plant - it becomes a tree. The wild birds build nests in its branches."


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Jesus spoke to them with another example: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman mixes into a tub of flour to make the bread rise."


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Jesus used examples to say all these things to the crowds. He always spoke to them with a comparison story.


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What God said through the prophet came true: "When I open my mouth to speak, I will use examples. I will tell things which have been hidden since the world was created."


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Then Jesus left the crowds and went back to the house. His students came to him and said, "Tell us plainly the meaning of the story about the weeds in the field."


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The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.


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The enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil. Harvest time is the end of the age. And the workers are angels.


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I will send my angels. They will collect everything which makes people sin and the people who do wrong, and put them out of his kingdom.


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The angels will throw them into a hot oven. In that place there will be screaming and grinding of teeth.


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Then the good people will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The person who has ears should use them!"


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"The kingdom of heaven is like a buried treasure. A man finds it buried in a field. He is so happy that he goes and sells everything he owns and buys that field."


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One day he found a very beautiful pearl. He went and sold everything he owned and bought that pearl."


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"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big net which is thrown into the lake. It catches every kind of fish.


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When the net is full, the men pull it onto the shore. Then they sit down and pick out the good fish. They throw the good fish on the beach but they throw the worthless fish away.


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It will be like this at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the good people from the bad people.


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The angels will throw the bad people into a hot oven. In that place there will be screaming and grinding of teeth."


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Jesus said to them, “Every teacher of the law who becomes trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is the head of his house. He brings new things and old things out of his treasure."


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He came to his own hometown. He was teaching them in their house of worship. They were greatly amazed at him. They asked, "Where did Jesus get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?


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Isn't it true that he is the son of Joseph, the craftsman, and that his mother's name is Mary? His brothers are: Jacob, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.


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They were offended at Jesus. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not accepted in his own hometown or by his own family."


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He said to his servants, "This is John (the one who immersed people)! He has come back to life! That is why these powers are working in him."


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Before this time Herod had ordered his men to arrest John, tie him up, and put him in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.


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Herod wanted to kill John but he was afraid of the crowd. (The people thought of John as a prophet.)


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When it was Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced in front of everyone. She pleased Herod.


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John's students came and carried the body away and buried it. Then they went to tell Jesus about it.


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When Jesus heard this, he left there in a boat to be all alone. He went to a place where no one lived. However, the crowds found out where Jesus had gone and on foot they followed him from the towns.


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When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd; he felt sorry for them. He healed their sick people.


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Since evening was coming, Jesus' students came to him and said, "No one lives in this place and it is already late. Tell the people to go away. They need to buy food for themselves in the villages around here."


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Jesus ordered the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and two fish. Then he looked up to heaven. He thanked God for the food and divided it. Then he began giving the loaves of bread to his students and they gave it to the people.


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Everyone ate and was full. They gathered up all the pieces of the food which were left over. They filled twelve large baskets with this food.


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Soon Jesus made his students get into the boat. He wanted them to go on ahead of him across the lake while he sent the people away.


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After Jesus sent the people away, he went up to a mountain to be alone and to pray. It was evening and Jesus was the only one there.


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The boat was already a long way from the shore. The waves were beating against the boat; they were heading into the wind.


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When Jesus' students saw him walking on the lake, they were alarmed. They shouted with fear, "It's a ghost!"


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But when Peter saw the way the wind was blowing, he was afraid. He began to sink. Peter cried out, "Lord, save me!"


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Immediately, Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him. Jesus said to him, "Oh, you have so little faith; why did you doubt?"


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The men from that place recognized Jesus. They sent people all over that area, bringing all of their sick people to Jesus.


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The people were begging him; they only wanted to touch the tassel of his robe. And all those who did touch it were made well.


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"Why are your students breaking the tradition of the elders? When your students eat, they do not wash their hands."


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God commanded, 'You must honor and obey your father and mother.' and 'The person who curses his father or mother must die.'


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But you say if anyone says to his father or mother, 'Whatever you might have gotten from me, I have given to God instead!'


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So he will never respect his father or his mother. Because of your tradition you are taking away the authority of God's teaching!


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What goes into the mouth does not make a person unholy. No, it's what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unholy."


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Then Jesus' students came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were insulted when they heard this teaching?"


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Jesus answered, "Every plant which was not planted by my heavenly Father will be pulled up by the roots.


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Leave them alone! They are blind guides. If a blind man guides another blind man, both of them will fall into a pit."


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You know that everything which goes into the mouth goes into the stomach. Then it comes out as waste.


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But the things which are coming from the mouth are really coming from the heart - these things make a person unholy.


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These things come from the heart: evil thoughts, murder, unlawful sexual intercourse, sexual sin, stealing, lying, slander.


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These are the things which make a person unholy. Eating with unwashed hands does not make a person unholy!"


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A Canaanite woman from that area came out to Jesus. She shouted, "Lord! Son of David! Please help me! My daughter has a demon inside her; she is suffering terribly!"


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But Jesus did not say a word to her. His students came begging him, "Send her away! She is always following us around, shouting."


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But the woman said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."


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Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, you have a strong faith. What you want will be done for you!" At that moment her daughter was healed.


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Many people came to him. They had their sick people with them: the lame, the blind, the crippled, the deaf, and many others. They laid them at Jesus' feet and he healed them all.


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The crowd was amazed when they saw the deaf talking, crippled people healthy, the lame walking, and blind people seeing. They praised the God of Israel.


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Jesus called his students. He said to them, "I feel sorry for the people. For three days they have stayed with me without eating anything. I don't want to send them away hungry; they might faint along the road."


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His students said to him, "Where can we get enough bread in this remote place to satisfy such a large crowd?"


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Jesus said to them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They answered, "Seven … and a few little fish."


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He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish. After he thanked God, he divided the food and began giving it to his students who then gave it to the crowd.


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Everyone ate and was full. They gathered up all the pieces of food which were left over. With this food, they filled seven small baskets.


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The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus. They were trying to make Jesus prove to them that he came from heaven.


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Jesus answered them, "When evening begins, you say, 'It will be good weather tomorrow because the sky is red.'


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And, in the morning, you say, 'Today it will be stormy because the sky is red and dark.' You can understand changes in the sky which show a change in the weather, but you cannot understand the signs of change of this time.


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The people who are living today are evil and not faithful to God. They ask for a proof from God, but no proof will be given to them except the Jonah miracle." Then Jesus left them and went away.


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They started thinking to themselves, "Jesus must have said this because we didn't bring along any bread."


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Jesus knew what was on their minds. He said, "Oh, you have so little faith! Why are you thinking to yourselves, '… that you have no bread'?


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Do you still not understand? Do you remember the five loaves of bread which fed the 5,000 men? Do you remember how many large baskets of leftovers you picked up?


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Do you remember the seven loaves of bread which fed the 4,000 men? Do you remember how many small baskets of leftovers you picked up?


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Why could you not understand what I was saying to you? When I said, 'Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees', I was not talking about bread."


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Then they understood that Jesus was not wanting them to stay away from the yeast used for bread. Instead, he wanted them to stay away from the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.


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When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he began to ask his students, "Who do people say I am?"


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They answered, "Some people say you are John (the one who immersed people). Other people say you are Elijah. And some people say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets."


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Upon this rock foundation," Jesus answered, "I will build my called out people. Death will not overpower them. You are a piece of rock.


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I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have already been bound in heaven. And whatever you loosen on earth will have already been loosened in heaven."


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From then on Jesus began to show his students that he must go away to Jerusalem; that the Jewish elders, the most important priests, and the teachers of the law would make him suffer many things; that he would be killed, yet on the third day, he would rise from death.


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Jesus turned around and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking something which might cause me to sin. You are not thinking the way that God thinks, but as man thinks."


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Then Jesus said to his students, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must carry his cross and follow me. He must say no to his own desires.


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The person who wants to save his life will lose it, but every person who gives his life to others for me will find it.


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What good is it, if a person gains the whole world, but loses his own life? What can a person use to buy back his life?


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I am ready to come with my angels in the glory of my Father. I will repay every person according to the kind of life he lived.


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I am telling you the truth: there are some people standing here who will see me coming into my kingdom."


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After six days, Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, Jacob and John. He went up on a tall mountain to be alone.


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Jesus' appearance began to change in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothes became white as light.


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Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three holy tents here; one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."


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While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud came all around them. Suddenly, a Voice spoke from the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, and I give Myself to him, for his good, expecting nothing in return. I am very pleased with him. He is the one to whom you must listen!"


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When Peter, Jacob, and John heard this, they fell to the ground and bowed. They were very frightened.


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As they were going down the mountain, Jesus gave them this command, "Don't tell anyone about this vision until after I rise from death."


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But I am telling you, Elijah has already come!They did not acknowledge him. Instead, they treated him as they wished. In the same way, I am about to suffer many things from them."


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Then the students understood that Jesus was talking to them about John (the one who immersed people).


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he said, "Lord, please help my son. He has a very bad case of seizures. Many times he falls into the fire. Often he falls into the water.


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Jesus said to them, "You are a generation of unbelieving and difficult people. How long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here to me."


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Jesus answered them, "Because you have so little faith. I am telling you the truth: if your faith were the size of the small seed of the mustard plant, then you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there!' and the mountain would move. Nothing would be impossible for you.


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They will kill me." (This made the students feel very sad.) "However, on the third day I will rise from death."


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They came to the town of Capernaum. The temple tax collectors came to Peter and said, "Your teacher pays the temple tax, doesn't he?"


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Peter said, "Yes." When Peter went into the house, before Peter could say anything, Jesus spoke, "Simon, what do you think? From whom do kings on earth take their taxes or tariffs? From their own sons or from other people?"


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However, we don't want to offend them. Go to the lake and throw in your hook. Take the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a coin. Take it and use it to pay the temple tax for you and me."


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At that time the students came to Jesus. They asked, "Who is the most important in the kingdom of heaven?"


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He said, “I am telling you the truth: if you don't change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


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The person who humbles himself like this little child is the most important one in the kingdom of heaven.


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If someone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large rock hanging around his neck and to be drowned in the deep sea.


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"It will be horrible for the world because of the things which cause people to sin. Things will surely happen which will cause people to sin. But it will be horrible for the person who causes this to happen.


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If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you! It would be better for you to enter eternal life injured or crippled than to be thrown into eternal fire with two hands or two feet.


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If your eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away from you! It would be better for you to enter eternal life with one eye than to be thrown into hell fire with two eyes.


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Don't treat one of these little ones as if they were not important. I tell you, their angels in heaven are always looking at my heavenly Father's face.


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What do you think? Suppose a man has 100 sheep, but one of them wanders away. Then he will leave the other 99 on the hillside and go out and look for the sheep that wandered away.


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I am telling you the truth: when he finds it, he will be happier about it than the 99 sheep that did not wander away.


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If your brother or sister does something wrong, go to him or her. Give that person a private warning, just between you and that person. If he or she listens to you, you have won a brother or sister.


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But if he or she will not listen to you, take one or two people along with you because: 'The testimony of two or three people is true.'


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If that person doesn't want to listen to them, then tell the called out people. And if he or she won't listen to the called out people, have nothing to do with them. Treat him like tax collectors or infidels.


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I am telling you the truth: whatever you bind on earth will have already been bound in heaven. Whatever you loosen on earth will have already been loosened in heaven.


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"Again, I am telling you, if two people on earth agree to ask God for anything, my heavenly Father will make it happen for them.


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Then Peter came to Jesus and said, "Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Seven times?"


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The man couldn't repay. So the master ordered that his wife, children, and everything he owned be sold to pay the debt.


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The slave fell down and began bowing to him. He said, 'Be patient with me! I will pay you back everything!'


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"However, the same slave went out and found another slave who owed him three months' wages. He grabbed that slave and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay me what you owe me!'


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But he wouldn't do it. Instead, he went and threw the slave in jail until he could repay what he owed.


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When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they felt very sad. They went and told the whole story to their master.


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Then the master of the first slave came to him and said, 'You evil slave! You begged me, so I cancelled your whole debt.


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The master became very angry. He handed the slave over to some men to punish him until he paid back everything he owed.


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My heavenly Father will treat you the same way if each of you does not forgive his brother or sister from his heart."


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When Jesus finished saying these words, he left the Galilee. He went to the part of Judea which is on the other side of the Jordan River.


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Some Pharisees came to Jesus. They were testing him with this question: "Is it all right for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"


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Jesus answered, "You have read this: 'In the beginning, when God created people, he made them male and female.'


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He said, 'A man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The husband and wife will become one flesh.'


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The Pharisees said to Jesus, "Then why did Moses give this command: 'A man who divorces his wife must give her divorce papers.'?"


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Jesus said to them, "Your hearts were hard so Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like that from the very beginning.


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I am telling you, unless her sexual sin is the reason, if a man divorces his wife and marries another woman, he is committing unlawful sexual intercourse."


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Jesus' students said to him, "If this is the true relationship between a husband and his wife, it would be better not to marry!"


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But Jesus said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching - only those to whom it has been given.


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There are some men who cannot have sexual relations; they were born like this. Others were made that way by man. And some did this to themselves because of the kingdom of heaven. Let the person who is able to accept it accept it."


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Then some people brought their small children to Jesus, so that he could put his hands on them and pray. But his students told the people not to do this.


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Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who are like these children."


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Jesus said to him, "Why are you asking me about goodness? God is the only One who is good. Since you want to enter eternal life, obey the commands of God."


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The man said to Jesus, "Which commands?" Jesus said, "'You must not commit murder.' 'You must not commit unlawful sexual intercourse.' 'You must not steal.' 'You must not lie.'


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'You must honor and obey your father and your mother.' 'You must give yourself to other people, for their good, expecting nothing in return, the same way you give to yourself.'"


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However, the young man said to Jesus, "But I have obeyed all these things! What do I still need to do?"


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Jesus answered him, "If you want to be all that God wants you to be, go sell everything you have and give the money to the poor people. Then you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me!"


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When the young man heard these words, he went away sad because he owned many things and he wanted to keep them.


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Jesus said this to his students, "I am telling you the truth: it will be hard for a person with lots of money to enter the kingdom of heaven!


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I am telling you again: it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."


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Jesus looked into their eyes and said, "For men, this is impossible but for God, all things are possible!"


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Then Peter answered Jesus, "Look, we have left everything and followed you! What will there be for us?"


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Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth: you have followed me. At the time when things will be made right, when I sit on my glorious throne, you will also sit on twelve thrones. You will judge the twelve tribes of Israel.


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Every person who has left his home, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or fields, because of my name, will receive many rewards and, after that person dies, he will receive eternal life with God.


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Many people who seem as if they are not important now will be important at that time. Those who seem important now will not be important then."


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"The kingdom of heaven is like the man who owned some land. He went out early in the morning to hire some workers for his vineyard.


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At about nine o'clock in the morning, he went out again and saw some men standing around in the marketplace. They were not working.


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So they went. In the same way, the owner went out about noon and again around three o'clock in the afternoon.


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About five o'clock in the afternoon, he went out and found some more men standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing around here all day long? Why weren't you working?'


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When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager. 'Call the workers and give them their pay.' He began paying the ones who had come to work last before the ones who came first.


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The men who came to work first thought they would be paid more than a silver coin, but they also received only one silver coin.


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They said, 'The men who came last worked only one hour. You are paying them the same amount as us! We did most of the work all day long - and it was hot, too!'


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But the owner said to one, 'Friend, I was not unfair to you. You agreed to work for me for one silver coin.


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Take this coin. It belongs to you. Go! I want to give to this man who came to work last the same amount that I gave to you.


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It is not wrong for me to do what I desire with what is mine! Do you have a jealous eye because I am generous?'


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The people who seem as though they are not important now will be important later. Those who seem important now will not be important then."


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Jesus was ready to go up to Jerusalem. Along the road, he took the twelve students aside. He said to them,


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"Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The most important priests and the teachers of the law will turn against me. They will condemn me to death.


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Then they will give me to non-Jewish men who will laugh at me, beat me with whips, and nail me to a stake. However, I will rise from death on the third day."


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Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Jacob and John, came to Jesus with her sons. She bowed down and asked him for something.


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Jesus said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit on thrones in your kingdom, one at your right side and one at your left side."


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Jesus answered them, "You don't know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup of suffering which I am about to drink?" They said to Jesus, "We are able."


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Jesus said to them, "Yes, you will drink from the cup of suffering which I will drink, but the privilege of sitting at my right side or my left side is not mine to give. Instead, those places belong to those for whom my Father prepared them."


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Jesus called for them and said, "You know that the rulers of the world lord it over their people. Important men use their authority over them,


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but you must not think that way. Instead, if one of you wants to be great, that person should be your servant.


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I did not come to be served. Instead, I came to serve and to give my life to pay the price for many people's sins."


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Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When these men heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, "Lord! Son of David! Please help us!"


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Some of the people told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, "Lord! Son of David! Please help us!"


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Jesus felt sorry for them so he touched their eyes. Immediately the men were able to see again. They followed Jesus.


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When they came near Jerusalem, they went into the town of Bethphage on the Hill of Olives. Then Jesus sent two of his students on ahead.


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He said to them, "Go into the village just ahead of you. You will soon find a donkey tied up. A young donkey will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me.


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"Tell this to the city of Jerusalem: 'Listen! Your King is coming to you. He is gentle; he is riding on a donkey, even upon a young donkey, born of a work animal.'"


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They brought the mother donkey and her young colt. They put their robes on top of the colt. Jesus took his seat upon the robes.


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A very large crowd spread their robes on the road for Jesus. Other people began to cut down branches from trees and to spread them on the road.


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The crowds were shouting. Some people were in front of Jesus and some were behind him. They said, "Hosanna to the son of David! Give praise to this one who is coming with the authority of the Lord God. Hosanna to God!"


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Jesus went into the courtyard of God's temple. He threw out all the people who were selling and buying things there. He turned the money-exchangers' tables upside down. He also turned over the chairs of the people who were selling pigeons.


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Jesus said to them, "It is written, 'My house will be called the place for praying.' but you have changed it into a hiding place for thieves!"


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The most important priests and teachers of the law became very angry. They saw the amazing things which Jesus did. They saw children crying out in the temple courtyard, “Hosanna to the son of David!"


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The most important priests and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus answered them, "Yes! Have you not read this: 'I will make praise complete by using the words of small children and babies.'"


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He saw a fig tree next to the road. He went to it but found no fruit on it - only leaves. Then Jesus spoke to the tree, "May no fruit ever come from you!" The fig tree soon dried up.


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When Jesus' students saw this, they were amazed. They asked, "How could the fig tree dry up so quickly?"


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Jesus answered them, "I am telling you the truth: if you have faith and don't doubt, you will be able to perform this too! You can even say to this mountain, 'Pick yourself up and throw yourself into the sea!' and it will happen.


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Jesus went into the temple courtyard. He was teaching the people. The most important priests and some of the Jewish elders came to him. They asked, "What sort of authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"


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Jesus answered them, "I will ask you a question too. If you answer me, I will tell you what sort of authority I have to do these things:


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Where did John's immersion come from? Was it from God or from man?" They began thinking to themselves: "If we say, 'From God', then he will say this to us: 'Why didn't you believe John?'


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They answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said to them, "Then I am not telling you what sort of authority I have to do these things."


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Jesus said to them "What do you think? A man had two sons. The man came to the first son and said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.'


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He answered, 'Yes sir,' but he did not go. Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing. The son answered, 'I don't want to!' but later he changed his mind and went. Which of the two sons did what their father wanted?" The Jewish leaders answered, "The second one." Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth: the tax collectors and prostitutes will go into the kingdom of God before you ever do!


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John came to you preaching the way of being made right but you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. You saw this but you did not change your mind later to believe what John was saying."


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"Listen to another story: there was a man who owned some land. He planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a lookout tower. Then he rented the land to some farmers and went away on a trip.


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But the farmers grabbed his slaves. They beat one and killed another. They threw stones at another slave until he died.


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But when the farmers saw the son, they thought to themselves, 'When the owner dies, his son will own the vineyard. Come, let us kill him and we will get his field!'


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The Jewish leaders answered Jesus, "He will kill those evil men! After that he will give the field to some other farmers who will share the fruits with him at harvest time."


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Jesus said to them, "You have read this in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders did not want will become the cornerstone. The Lord God makes this happen. It is a wonderful thing for us to see.'


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This is why I am telling you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will make it produce fruit.


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When the most important priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew that he was talking about them.


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They wanted to arrest Jesus, but they were afraid of what the crowds might do to them because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.


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The king sent his slaves to invite the guests to the wedding party, but the guests didn't want to come.


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Again, the king sent more slaves saying, 'Tell the guests, "Look, I have prepared the dinner - the steers and fattened calves have been killed - everything is ready!"'


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Then the king said to his slaves, 'The wedding party is still ready, but the guests were not worthy enough to come.


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Those slaves went out to the streets and gathered up everyone they could find, good people and bad people. Then the wedding hall was filled with guests.


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The king said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without being dressed for the wedding?' The man had nothing to say.


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Then the king said to the slaves, 'Tie his hands and feet and throw him outside in the dark. In that place there will be screaming and grinding of teeth.'


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The Pharisees sent some of their students and the students of Herod Antipas to him. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are true and you teach God's true way. It does not matter to you what people think. You don't pay attention to how important someone is.


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They answered, "Caesar's". Jesus said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's and give to God the things which belong to God."


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That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believed that no one will rise from death.) They asked Jesus,


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"Teacher, Moses said that if someone has no children and he dies, his brother must marry the widow. Then they will have children for the dead brother.


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There were seven brothers among us. The first one got married, but died. He left his wife with no children.


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In the same way the second brother, the third brother - all seven brothers - died without having children.


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'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' God is not a God of dead people; He is the God of people who are alive!"


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Jesus answered him, “'You must give yourself to the Lord your God, for His good, expecting nothing in return, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'


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The second most important command is like it: 'You must give yourself to your neighbor, for his good, expecting nothing in return, the same way you give to yourself.'


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No one was able to answer Jesus. From that time on, no one dared to ask him any more trick questions.


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Therefore, do everything they tell you. Obey them. But don't act as they do because they say one thing and do another.


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They bind heavy loads and put them on people's shoulders, but they don't want to lift a finger to help move them.


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Everything they do, they do so that people will notice them. They show off their phylacteries and they make their tassels long.


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They like to have the best seats at the dinners and the most important seats in the houses of worship.


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They like the greetings of respect which people give them in the marketplaces. They like people to call them, 'Master'.


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Every person who acts as though he is important will be made ashamed, but every person who truly humbles himself will be made important.


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"It will be horrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people's faces! You will not go in and you stop those who are trying to get in.


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It will be horrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites, because you rob widows' houses while you make long prayers for a show. You will receive greater condemnation.


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It will be horrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! You travel all over the world to make one convert. And when you convert him, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are!


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"It will be horrible for you, you blind guides who say, 'It is not important if someone makes a vow to God by the temple sanctuary. But if someone makes a vow to God by the gold in the temple sanctuary, he is guilty!'


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You are foolish and blind! What is more important? The gold or the temple sanctuary which makes the gold holy?


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You also say, 'If someone vows to God by the altar, it does not matter. But if someone vows to God by the gift on the altar, he is guilty!'


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The person who vows to God by the temple sanctuary vows by the sanctuary and by the One who dwells there.


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"It will be horrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! It is true that you give God ten percent of everything you have. You even give Him ten percent of your spices - mint, dill, and cumin. But you forget about more important things in the law: being fair to other people, giving mercy, and faith. You should always tithe, but you must remember to do the more important things too.


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"It will be horrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! You wash the outside of the cup or the bowl. But inside, there are the things you got by cheating other people and pleasing yourselves.


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Blind Pharisees! Make the inside of the cup clean first, so that the outside of it will be clean too.


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"It will be horrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! You are like tombs which have been painted white. They seem to be very beautiful outside, but inside they are full of all kinds of filth and the bones of dead people.


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You are the same way. Outside you seem good to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sin.


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"It will be horrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets. You make the graves of good people beautiful.


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You claim, 'If we had lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped them kill the prophets.'


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Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers of the law. You will kill some of them and you will nail others to crosses. You will whip some of them in your houses of worship. You will chase them from town to town.


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You will have to answer for the death of every good person who has been killed on earth. You will have to answer for all the spilled blood from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah. You murdered Zechariah between the temple sanctuary and the altar.


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O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. God sent you His men, but you stoned them to death. I have often wanted to gather up your people, as a hen gathers up her baby chicks under her wings, but you refused.


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I tell you, you will never see me again until you say, 'Praise to the one who is coming with the authority of the Lord God.'"


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Jesus left the temple courtyard. While he was walking away, his students came to him to show him the beautiful things of the temple area.


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Jesus said to them, "Do you see all these things? I am telling you the truth: everything you see here will be destroyed. No stone will stay on top of another. Everything will be completely destroyed!"


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While Jesus was sitting on Olive Hillside, his students came to him alone. They asked, "Tell us, when will these things happen? How will we know when it is the time for you to return? When will the end of the age be?"


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Many people will come to you using my name. They will say, 'I am the Messiah!' And they will fool many people.


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You will hear about wars and wars that are about to begin. Be sure that you don't get upset. These things must happen, but the end will come later.


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One country will fight against another country. Kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will not be enough food to eat. Everywhere there will be earthquakes,


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Then they will hand you over to some men for torturing. They will kill you. All people will hate you because of my name.


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Then many people will feel discouraged; they will turn against one another. They will hate each other.


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Because the influence of sin will be so strong, the giving of self to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return of many people, will grow cold.


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This Good News about the kingdom will be preached in the whole world so that all nations may hear the truth. And then the end will come.


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"When you see what God talked about through Daniel the prophet - 'The Abomination of Desolation' - standing in the holy place (let the reader note the meaning),


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The person who is on top of his house must not come down to carry things in the house away with him.


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There will be great suffering. Never has there been such suffering since the beginning of the world until the present time and there will never be such suffering in the future.


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If that period of time were to last any longer, then no one would be left alive. But those times will be cut short because of the people chosen by God.


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"At that time if someone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' don't believe him.


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False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform such great proofs and miracles to fool people - even God's chosen people, if that were possible.


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If they say this to you, 'Look, he is in the desert!' don't go out there! or, 'He is in secret rooms!' don't believe them!


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"I will return. On the day when I come, I will shine, as lightning flashes across the sky, from the east to the west.


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Soon after the trouble of those times, 'The sun will become dark. The light of the moon will not be seen The stars will fall from the sky. The powers in the universe will be moved.'


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Then my sign will appear in the sky - all men on earth will see me coming on the clouds with power and great glory; they will mourn.


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I will use a loud trumpet to send out my angels. From all directions the angels will gather together my chosen people.


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"Learn from the story about the fig tree: when its branches start to become soft and green, and new leaves begin to grow, you know that summer is near.


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In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time is very, very near.


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No one knows when that exact time will be. The angels of heaven do not know it. The Son doesn't know it. Only the heavenly Father knows.


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People were eating, drinking, getting married, giving their daughters away in marriage - even on the day when Noah entered the ark.


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The people did not know the truth until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when I come.


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Know this: if a homeowner knew what time of night a robber was coming, he would watch for the robber and not let him break into his house.


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"Who is the wise and trusted slave? Who is the slave whom the master can choose to take care of the master's family and the other slaves by giving them food at the right time?


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When the master comes and finds that slave doing the work he gave him, that slave will be very happy.


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I am telling you the truth: the master will choose that slave to take care of everything which the master owns.


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then he may begin to beat the other slaves. That slave may also eat all the food and get drunk with other men.


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Then the master of that slave will come when that slave is not ready, at a time when that slave is not expecting him.


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Then the master will punish that slave and send him away. This is what the master does to all the slaves he cannot trust. In that place there will be screaming and grinding of teeth."


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Jesus said, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins. They took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.


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But the foolish virgins said to the wise virgins, 'Give us some of your oil because our lamps have almost gone out.'


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The wise virgins answered, 'No! There would not be enough for all of us. Instead, go to the store and buy some more oil.'


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While these virgins were gone to buy some more oil, the groom came. The wise virgins, who were ready, went inside with him to the wedding party. And the door was shut.


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"The kingdom of heaven will be like a man leaving on a trip. He called his slaves and turned his property over to them.


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He gave five talents to one, two talents to one, and one talent to another. Each man received what he was able to manage. Then the man went on the trip.


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The man who had received five talents came and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you turned five talents over to me but, look, I earned five more talents!'


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His master said to him, 'Fine! You are a good and faithful slave. I see that I can trust you with small things. Therefore I will put you in charge of important things. Come and share your master's happiness.'


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The man with two talents came and said, 'Master, you turned two talents over to me but, look, I have earned two more talents!'


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Then the man who had received one talent came. He said, 'Master, I knew you were a hard man. You take money which you didn't earn and you gather food which you didn't grow.


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His master answered, 'You evil, lazy slave! You knew that I take money which I didn't earn and gather food which I didn't grow.


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Therefore you should have put my money in the bank. Then when I returned, I could have my money, with interest too.


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The person who uses what he has will get more, but the person who doesn't use what he has will have everything taken away from him.


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Throw this useless slave outside into the dark. In that place there will be screaming and grinding of teeth.'


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All the people in the world will be gathered in front of me. I will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.


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Then I will say to the people on the right side, 'You are blessed by my Father. Come, take what belongs to you - the kingdom which was prepared for you since the beginning of the world.


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I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you took me into your home.


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I had no clothes, so you gave me some clothes. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in jail and you came to visit me.'


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Then the people made right will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you? When did we feed you when you were hungry? When did we give you something to drink when you were thirsty?


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When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes? When did you need clothes and we gave you some clothes?


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I will answer them, 'I am telling you the truth: since you treated some of my so-called "unimportant" brothers this way, you did it to me!'


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"Then I will say to the people on the left side, 'Go away from me into eternal fire. You are condemned! The fire has been prepared for the devil and his angels.


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I was a stranger and you didn't take me into your homes. I had no clothes and you didn't give me any. I was sick; I was in jail, but you didn't take care of me.'


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Then they will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you? When were you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, without clothes, sick, or in jail and we didn't help you?'


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Then I will answer them, 'I am telling you the truth: since you didn't treat one of these so-called "unimportant" people with kindness, you didn't do it to me, either.'


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Then these people will go off into eternal punishment, but the people made right will go into eternal life."


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"You know that the day after tomorrow is the beginning of the Passover. I will be handed over to be nailed to a cross."


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Then the most important priests and the Jewish elders of the people gathered together at the high priest's house. His name was Caiaphas.


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but they said, "Let us not do it during the Festival, so that there will be no trouble among the people."


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A woman came to Jesus. She had an alabaster jar of some very expensive perfume. While Jesus was at the table, she poured it on his head.


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Knowing what they were saying, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a good thing to me.


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I am telling you the truth: the Good News will be preached in the whole world. Wherever they tell it, what she did will be mentioned to remember her."


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Then one of the twelve delegates, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the most important priests.


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He said, "If I were to hand Jesus over to you, what would you pay me?" They agreed with him on the price - 30 silver coins.


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On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus' students came to him. They asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?"


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Jesus answered, "Go into the city to the host. Tell him, 'The Teacher says, “My time is near. My students and I will have the Passover meal with you."'


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Jesus answered, "The person who has dipped his hand in the same dinner bowl with me will turn against me.


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I will die just as it is written about me. But how horrible it will be for that man who turns against me. It would be better if that man had never been born!"


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Judas (the one who turned against him) answered, "Master, I am not the one, am I?" Jesus answered Judas, "Yes, you are."


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While they were eating, Jesus took bread and gave thanks. He broke off some of the bread and gave it to his students. He said, "Take it and eat it. This bread is my body."


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Then he took a cup. He gave thanks to God for it and gave it to them. He said, "All of you, drink from it.


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This is my blood which I am pouring out for many people for the forgiveness of sins. It shows the new covenant which God has set up with men.


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I tell you, from now on I will never drink this fruit of the vine again until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."


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Then Jesus said to them, "Tonight all of you will be ashamed of me. This is written: 'I will strike the shepherd and the flock of sheep will be scattered.'


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Jesus said to Peter, "I tell you the truth: before the rooster crows in the morning, you will say you don't even know me three different times!"


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Peter answered him, "Even if I must die with you, I will always be loyal to you." All of Jesus' students said the same thing.


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Then Jesus and his students went to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."


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Then he said to them, "My soul is full of sorrow; I am going to die. Stay here and be watchful with me."


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Then Jesus went forward a short distance and bowed down to pray. He said, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me - but what You want is more important than what I want."


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Then Jesus came to his students. He found them sleeping. He asked Peter, "Were you not strong enough to stay awake with me for just one hour?


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Jesus went away the second time. He prayed, "My Father, if this must happen and I must drink the cup of suffering, if this is what You want, let it be."


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Then Jesus came to his students and asked them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Listen, the time has come - I am now being handed over into the hands of sinful men.


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While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve delegates, came. There was a large crowd with him. They had come from the most important priests and the elders of the Jewish people. They had sticks and swords.


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Judas went immediately to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Master!" Then Judas gave him the kiss of friendship.


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But Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you came for!" Then the men who came with Judas reached out and took hold of Jesus.


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Suddenly one of the men with Jesus reached for his sword and pulled it out. He struck the high priest's slave, cutting off his ear.


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Then Jesus said, "Put your sword back in its place! Everyone who uses violence will be violently destroyed.


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Don't you think I could call on my Father for help? He would bring more than twelve legions of angels here!


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At that moment Jesus said this to the crowd: "Why did you come out here to get me with swords and sticks? Do you think I am a criminal? I was sitting in the temple courtyard every day teaching. You did not arrest me there.


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All this happened to make the writings of the prophets come true." Then all of Jesus' students left him. They ran away.


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After they arrested Jesus, they brought him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the Jewish elders were gathered there.


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Peter was following Jesus but he did not come near Jesus. He came as far as the high priest's courtyard. Later he went inside. He was sitting with the guards. He wanted to see what would happen.


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The most important priests and the whole Jewish Council were trying to find some men who would give false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.


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They claimed, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy God's temple sanctuary and build it again in three days!'"


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The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, "Will you give no answer to what they say against you - is it true?"


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Jesus continued to be silent. The high priest said to him, "By the living God, I hereby force you: you must answer! Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God!"


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Jesus said to him, "Yes, I am. “Nevertheless, I tell you, from now on, you will see me: sitting at the right side of God. I will be coming on the clouds of the sky."


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Then the high priest ripped his clothes and he cried out, "He has said an evil thing! Why do we need any more witnesses? Listen, you have just heard him say this evil thing!


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Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came to him. She said, "You too were with Jesus, the one from the Galilee!"


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But in front of everyone Peter said that this was not true. He said, "I don't know what you're talking about!"


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Later, Peter went out to the gate. Another girl saw him. She said to the men there, "This man was with Jesus from Nazareth!"


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After a little while, the men who were standing there came to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of Jesus' community! It is clear that you have a Galilean accent!"


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Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said, "Before the rooster crows, you will say, three different times, that you don't even know me." Peter went outside and cried bitterly.


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It was early in the morning. The most important priests and the Jewish elders of the people made the decision to put Jesus to death.


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Judas, the one who turned against Jesus, saw that Jesus had been condemned. Judas changed his mind and brought back the 30 silver coins to the most important priests and the Jewish elders.


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He said, "I have done wrong! I handed over an innocent man to die!" They answered, "We don't care! That's your problem!"


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Then Judas threw the silver coins toward the temple sanctuary and left. He went off and killed himself by hanging.


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The priests picked up the coins and said, "Since this is blood money, it would not be right to put this into the treasury."


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Then what God had said through Jeremiah the prophet came true: "They took 30 silver coins. This was the value that the sons of Israel put on him.


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Jesus stood before the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Yes."


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Every year at the Passover Feast, the governor always set one prisoner free, whomever the people wanted.


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Therefore, when the people gathered, Pilate said to them, "Who do you want me to set free? Jesus Barabbas or the Jesus who is called Messiah?"


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While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him. It said, "Have nothing to do with this innocent man! Last night in a dream I suffered many things because of him!"


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The most important priests and the Jewish elders persuaded the crowds to ask Pilate for Barabbas. They wanted to destroy Jesus.


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The governor asked them, "Which of the two men do you want me to set free?" They answered, "Barabbas!"


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Pilate asked them, "What should I do with Jesus, the one who is called Messiah?" They all answered, "Nail him to a cross!"


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But Pilate asked, "Why? What crime has Jesus done?" But they continued yelling even more, "Nail him to a cross!"


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Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere - only more trouble. He took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. He said, "I am not responsible for this man's death - you are!"


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Then he set Barabbas free for them. After beating Jesus with whips, Pilate handed him over to be nailed to the cross.


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They used thorny branches to make a crown. Then they put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. They kneeled down before him and made fun of him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"


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When they finished making fun of him, they took off the long robe and dressed him with his own clothes. Then they led him away to nail him to the cross.


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As they were going out of Jerusalem, they found a man from the city of Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry Jesus' cross.


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They gave Jesus some wine. (A drug for pain was mixed with it.) When he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.


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At the top of the stake they wrote the reason for his punishment in these words: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.


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Along with Jesus, two criminals were nailed to crosses. One was on his right side; the other was on his left.


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They said, "You are the one who was going to destroy the temple sanctuary and build it again in three days! Since you are the Son of God, save yourself! Come down from the cross!"


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In the same way the most important priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders made fun of Jesus. They continued to say,


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"He saved other people but he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now! Then we will believe in him!


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Even the criminals who were nailed to the other crosses did the same thing - they kept insulting Jesus.


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At about three o'clock, Jesus shouted this loudly: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (This means: "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?")


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One of them quickly ran and got a sponge. He soaked it in some sour wine. Then he put it on the end of a long stick and gave Jesus a drink.


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The curtain in the temple sanctuary was split into two parts - from the top to the bottom. The earth shook. Large rocks broke apart.


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(Tombs were opened. After Jesus rose from the grave, many saints who had died were raised from death too. They left their tombs and went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people.)


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There was a Roman army officer and some of his men guarding Jesus. When they saw the earthquake and the other things that happened, they were very frightened. They said, "This man really was God's Son."


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There were many women there. They had helped Jesus and followed him from the Galilee. They were far away, watching.


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Some of them were: Mary (from the town of Magdal), Mary (the mother of Jacob and Joseph), the mother of the sons of Zebedee.


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Since it was getting late, a rich man named Joseph from the town of Aramathea (He was also a student of Jesus.)


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Then he put Jesus' body into his own new tomb which he had cut out of solid rock. He rolled a large stone to cover the door of the tomb. Then Joseph left.


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That day was called Preparation Day. The next day the most important priests and the Pharisees had a meeting with Pilate.


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They said, "Sir, we remember what that liar said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise from death.'


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So give an order to make the grave secure until the third day. Otherwise, his students might come, steal him, and tell the people: 'Jesus came back to life!' Then this last lie will be even worse than the first lie."


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After the Sabbath day, when the first day of the week morning was dawning, Mary (the one from Magdal) and the other Mary were on their way to look at the grave.


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Suddenly there was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. He went to the large stone and rolled it away. Then the angel sat on top of it.


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The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was nailed to the cross.


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Go quickly and tell his students: 'Jesus has been raised from death! Listen, he will go ahead of you to the Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I told you.'"


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The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, yet very happy. They ran to tell Jesus' students.


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Suddenly, Jesus met them. He gave them his greetings! They went to him, held onto his feet, and worshipped him.


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Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they must leave for the Galilee. They will see me there."


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While the women were going, some of the guards went into Jerusalem. They told the most important priests everything which had happened.


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The priests had a meeting with the Jewish elders. They decided to give the soldiers some money to lie.


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They said to the soldiers, "Say this: 'While we were sleeping, the students of Jesus came at night and stole his body.'


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So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. This rumor has spread among Jewish people until this very day.


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Therefore when you've gone out, make students for me from all nations. Immerse them by the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.


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Teach them to obey everything I commanded you. Remember, I will always be with you - even until the end of time!"


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It was like what Isaiah, the prophet, wrote: "Listen! I am sending My messenger to go ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you."


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In the desert, John was immersing people. He was preaching this message: "Change your hearts and be immersed for the forgiveness of sins!"


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Everyone in Jerusalem and from the region of Judea was going out to John. They were admitting that they had sinned. Then he was immersing them in the Jordan River.


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His message was, "There is one coming later who is more important than I am. I’m not worthy to bend down and untie his shoelace.


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At that time, Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in the Galilee; John immersed him in the Jordan River.


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Suddenly, as Jesus was coming up from the water, he saw the sky separate. The Spirit was like a dove coming down to Jesus.


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A Voice came from heaven, saying, "You are My Son, and I give Myself to you, for your good, expecting nothing in return. I am very pleased with you!"


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Satan was tempting Jesus for 40 days in the desert. Jesus was with the wild animals, but the angels were helping him.


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After John was arrested, Jesus went to the Galilee. He was preaching the Good News about the kingdom of God:


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"The time is ripe. The kingdom of God is very near! Change your hearts and believe in the Good News!"


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While Jesus was walking beside Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother. They were fishermen. They were throwing their nets into the lake.


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Jesus went a little farther and saw Jacob and his brother, John. They were in a boat preparing their nets. They were sons of Zebedee.


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Immediately Jesus invited them too. They left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired workers. And they followed Jesus


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They went into the town of Capernaum. On the Sabbath day when Jesus went into the house of worship, he began to teach the people right away.


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They were amazed at what he taught. Jesus was teaching them as one with authority — not as the teachers of the law.


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"Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!"


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The people were shocked. They started asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching? With authority, Jesus commands evil spirits and they obey him."


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When it was late, after the sun had gone down, they brought to Jesus all the sick people and people with demons.


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Jesus healed the people who had many types of diseases. He also threw out many demons. He would not allow the demons to talk because the demons knew who he was.


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While it was still dark the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to a place where people did not live. There he was praying to God.


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Jesus said to them, "We must go to other villages near here. I must preach there too. This is why I came."


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A man with leprosy came to Jesus. He bowed down and begged Jesus saying, "You can heal me if you want to."


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He felt sorry for him. So he reached out and touched the man. Jesus said to the man, "I do want to heal you — be healed!"


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"Don’t tell anyone about what happened, but go show yourself to the priest. Then give a gift to God because you have been healed. This is what the law of Moses commands. This will prove to the priests that you are healed."


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But the man went out and began to tell all about it. He spread the news so far that Jesus was no longer able to go into a town openly. Instead, Jesus stayed out in places where people did not live. From everywhere the people were coming to him.


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So many people gathered that there was no room — not even at the door. Jesus began preaching the word.


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But because of the crowd, they were not able to get to Jesus. So they went up on the roof of the house where Jesus was. They dug a hole through the roof and lowered the paralyzed man through the hole, lying on his bed.


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Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that they were thinking like this to themselves. Jesus said to them, "Why are you thinking these things in your heart?


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I will prove to you that I have the right to forgive sins on earth." So Jesus said to the paralyzed man,


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Immediately the man stood up, picked up his bed, and left in front of all of them. All the people were completely amazed. They began to praise God. They said, "We have never seen such things!"


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As Jesus was walking along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Then Levi got up and followed him.


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While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinful people joined Jesus and his students for dinner. Many of them were beginning to follow Jesus too.


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Some of the Pharisees’ teachers of the law saw that Jesus was eating with sinful people and tax collectors. These teachers continued to ask Jesus’ students, "Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinful people?"


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When Jesus heard about this, he said to them, "Healthy people don’t need the doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to invite ‘good’ people — but sinners to change their hearts!"


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The students of John and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and said to Jesus, "Why do John’s students and the students of the Pharisees fast, but your students do not fast?"


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Jesus said to them, “Would it be right for the friends of the groom to fast while the groom is still with them? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.


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"No one sews a piece of cloth, which has never been washed, onto an old robe. If he does, it will shrink and tear away from the robe. Then the hole will become worse.


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No one puts new wine into old wine skins. If they do, the old wine skins will break open. The wine will spill out and the wine skins will be ruined. Instead, people put new wine into new wine skins."


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Once on a Sabbath day, Jesus was traveling through a field of grain. His students began picking some of the grain to eat.


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Jesus said to them, "Do you remember reading about what David did when he needed something? He and his men were hungry.


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During the time when Abiathar was high priest, David went into the house of God. He took the holy loaves of bread and ate them. The law of Moses says only priests could eat them, but David gave some to his men."


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Jesus was saying this to the Pharisees, "The Sabbath was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath!


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Some Jewish leaders were waiting to see if Jesus would heal the man on the Sabbath day. They wanted to see Jesus do something wrong so that they could accuse him.


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Then Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, "I ask you, which is right on the Sabbath day — to do good or to do evil? Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?" But they wouldn’t answer.


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Jesus looked around at all of them. He was angry, but he was sad too because their hearts were hard. He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" The man stretched it out. His hand was restored.


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Jesus and his students went down to Lake Galilee. A large group followed him from the Galilee and from the region of Judea,


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from Jerusalem, from the land of Idumea, from the area across the Jordan River, and from the cities of Tyre and Sidon. They heard about the things Jesus was doing; so they came to him.


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The people were trying to get as close to Jesus as they could because he had healed many people. People with diseases wanted to touch him.


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When people with evil spirits saw Jesus, they fell down in front of him and shouted, "You are the son of God!"


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He appointed twelve and named them "delegates". He wanted them to be with him and to send them out to preach.


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Jacob, the son of Zebedee; John, Jacob’s brother (Jesus gave them the name Boanerges ? this means "sons of thunder"),


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Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Jacob (the son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Revolutionary,


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The teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "Jesus has Beelzebub. Jesus uses the prince of demons to throw out demons!"


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"No one can go into a strong man’s house to rob him, unless he ties up the strong man first. Then he will rob his house.


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But the person who says evil things against the Holy Spirit will never receive forgiveness — not ever. Instead, he is guilty of eternal sin!"


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Jesus’ mother and his brothers came. They were standing outside. They sent someone inside to Jesus to call him.


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A crowd was sitting around Jesus. They said to him, "Listen, your mother and your brothers are outside; they want to talk to you."


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Jesus looked around at the people who were surrounding him. He said, "Look, my mother and my brothers!


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Again Jesus began to teach beside Lake Galilee. A very large crowd gathered around him. So Jesus got into a boat on the lake and sat down. The whole crowd was on the shore, at the edge of the lake.


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Some seeds fell on rocks where there was not much soil. The seeds grew up fast there because the ground was not deep.


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Some more seeds fell among thorny weeds but the thorny weeds came up and killed them off later. They did not produce fruit.


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And some seeds fell on good soil. They came up, grew, and produced a crop — some 30 times more, some 60 times more, and some 100 times more."


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When Jesus was alone, the twelve delegates and some other people around Jesus asked him about the meaning of the stories.


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Jesus said, "You have been chosen to learn the secrets of the kingdom of God. All these secrets are given to outsiders in stories


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so that: ‘They will certainly see, but they won’t understand; and they will certainly hear, but they won’t understand. Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’"


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Jesus said to them, “Since you don’t understand this story, how can you understand any of the other stories?


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The message was planted like seeds along the road. When those people hear it, Satan comes quickly and takes away the message which was planted in them.


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Some people are like the seeds which were planted on rocks. When they hear the message, they accept it immediately with gladness.


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However, they don’t have deep roots in themselves; they don’t last long. When trouble comes, or persecution comes because of the message, they soon get discouraged.


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but the worries of this age, deceiving riches, and desires for other things come in and choke the message. It never produces fruit.


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Those seeds which were planted on good soil are the ones who listen to the message and accept it. They produce fruit — some of it is 30 times more, some is 60 times more, and some 100 times more."


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Jesus said to them, “Do you bring a lamp, so that you can put it under a basket or under the bed? It is supposed to go on top of a table.


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Jesus said to them, “Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give is the way God will give to you. But God will give you more than you give!


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Because the person who has something, he will get more. But this will happen to the person who has almost nothing: even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."


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The seed comes up and grows while he sleeps at night and when he gets up every day. The man doesn’t know how this happens.


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The ground produces by itself. The grass comes first, then the head, then the ripe wheat in the head.


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It is like the seed of the mustard plant which someone puts in the ground. It is one of the smallest seeds on earth.


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But after it is planted and comes up, it is one of the largest garden plants. It produces great branches. Even wild birds build nests in it and are protected from the sun."


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With many stories like these, Jesus was telling them the message — but only as much as they were able to understand.


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Jesus always spoke to them with a story. But when he was alone with his students, he would explain everything.


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Suddenly, there was a storm — a strong wind. The waves were getting into the boat; it was about to be filled with water.


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But Jesus was in the back of the boat, asleep on a pillow. They woke him up, saying, "Teacher, we are going to die; don’t you care?"


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Jesus woke up and gave an order to the wind and the waves of the lake, "Be still! Stop!" The wind stopped blowing; it was very calm.


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They were very frightened. They continued to say to one another, "What kind of a man is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"


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Jesus and his students came to the other side of the lake, the land where the Gerasene people lived.


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When Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit met him. This man came from the tombs in the caves.


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His hands and feet had been bound many times, but he would always break the chains apart and smash the shackles. No one was strong enough to tame him.


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Day and night he was always in the hills or among the tombs shouting and cutting himself with sharp stones.


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While Jesus was saying this to him, "Evil spirit, come out of this man!" the man shouted loudly, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t punish me!"


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Jesus allowed them. So the evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. (There were about 2,000 pigs.) The herd ran down the steep hill and into the lake. They drowned.


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Some men had been taking care of the pigs. They ran away. They told the story in the fields and in the town. The people came to see what had happened.


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They came to Jesus and saw the man sitting there. The man had clothes on and he was in his right mind. This man did not have a legion of evil spirits anymore. The people were afraid.


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As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who no longer had demons continued to beg Jesus; he wanted to stay with Jesus.


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But Jesus would not allow him to do this. Instead, Jesus said to him, "Go home to your family. Tell them what the Lord has done for you. He has given you mercy."


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So the man went back and began to preach what Jesus had done for him in the area of Ten Towns. Everyone was amazed.


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After Jesus went back across Lake Galilee in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered together near him. It was beside the lake.


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A man named Jairus came too. He was one of the rulers of the house of worship. When Jairus saw Jesus, he fell down at Jesus’ feet,


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asking many times. He said, "My little girl is dying. Please come and put your hand on her so that she will be all right and live!"


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She had suffered much. Many doctors had tried to help her. She had spent all the money she had but she was not getting any better — only worse.


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Immediately the source of her bleeding was dried up. In her body she felt that she had been healed of the disease.


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At once Jesus knew within himself that power had left him. He turned to the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"


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Jesus’ students said to him, "You see the crowd. The people are pressing up against you. Yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’"


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The woman was afraid; she was trembling. She knew what had happened to her. She came and bowed down to Jesus. Then she told him the whole truth.


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Jesus said to her, "Dear woman, you are made well, because you believed. Go in peace. Be healed from your disease!"


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While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of the worship ruler. They said, "Your daughter has died! Why bother the Teacher anymore?"


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When Jesus heard this message, he said to the ruler of the house of worship, "Don’t be afraid! Just believe!"


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Jesus did not allow anyone to go with him — only Peter, Jacob, and John (Jacob and John were brothers.)


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They went into the ruler’s house. Jesus saw that there was confusion. Many people were crying loudly and showing great sadness.


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Jesus went and said to them, "Why are you making so much noise and crying? The child is not dead; she is only sleeping."


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They laughed at Jesus. After he made them all leave, Jesus took the child’s father and mother along and those who were with Jesus. He went into the room where the child was.


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Jesus held the child’s hand and said to her, "Talitha, koum!" (This means "My little lamb, I tell you, get up!" in Aramaic).


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Immediately the little girl stood up and began walking around. (She was twelve years old.) They were shocked.


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Jesus gave them many strong warnings: "Don’t make this known to anyone!" Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.


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When the Sabbath day came, Jesus began to teach in the house of worship. Many people were listening; they were amazed. They said, "Where did Jesus get all these things? Who gave him this wisdom? How do such miracles happen by his hands?


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He is the one who works as a carpenter. He is the son of Mary. His brothers are: Jacob, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. His sisters are here with us too." They were ashamed of Jesus.


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Jesus said this to them: "A prophet is not accepted in his own hometown, or among his relatives, or in his own family."


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Jesus was not able to perform many miracle there. He only put his hands on a few sick people and made them well.


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He called for his twelve delegates. He began to send them out in pairs, giving them authority over evil spirits.


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Jesus ordered them: "When you travel, don’t carry anything else along — no food, no bag, no money in your belt, and only one walking stick.


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When people in one place don’t welcome you, or they won’t listen to you, leave there and shake off the dust from under your feet. This will be a warning to them."


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They were rubbing olive oil on many sick people and healing them. They were throwing out many demons.


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King Herod Antipas heard about Jesus. Jesus had become famous. People were saying, "John (the one who immersed people) has been raised from death! This is why miracles are working in him."


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Other people were saying, "He is Elijah!" Some other people were saying, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago."


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Herod had arrested John, tied him up, and put him in jail. He did this because of Herodias. Herod had married her, even though she was the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother.


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because Herod was afraid of John. He knew that John was a good holy man; therefore he protected John. When Herod heard John preach, Herod was in doubt about many things, but Herod liked to listen to John.


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One day Herodias’ opportunity came. It was on Herod’s birthday. He gave a dinner for his important government officials, army commanders, and leaders in the Galilee.


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Herodias’ daughter came in and danced. She pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask for whatever you want, and I will give it to you."


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She left and asked her mother, "What should I ask for?" Herodias said, "The head of John!" (The one who immersed people.)


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At once the girl hurried back to the king. She demanded, "I want you to give me the head of John on a plate — now!"


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Immediately the king sent a guard away with orders to bring John’s head. He left. He cut off John’s head in the prison.


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When John’s students heard about this, they came and carried away John’s body. They put it in a tomb.


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There were so many people coming and going that they didn’t even have a chance to eat. So Jesus said to them, "Let us go away to a quiet place to be alone. We can get some rest."


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but many people saw them leaving and recognized them. From all the towns, together they ran ahead on land to where Jesus and his delegates were going.


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When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd; he felt sorry for them because they were like sheep that didn’t have a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.


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Since it was already getting late, Jesus’ students came to him and said, "This is a remote place and it is already very late.


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Tell the people to go away. They need to buy something to eat for themselves in the fields and villages around here."


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Jesus answered them, "You give them something to eat!" They said to him, "Should we leave and buy 200 silver coins’ worth of food and give them something to eat?"


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Jesus said to them, "How much food do you have? Go see!" They found out that they had five loaves of bread and two fish.


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Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for the food and divided the loaves of bread. Then he began giving them to his students so that they could distribute them to all the people. Jesus also divided the two fish for everyone.


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They gathered up all the pieces of bread which were left over. They filled twelve large baskets with this bread and the fish.


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Immediately Jesus asked his students to get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side of Lake Galilee to the town of Bethsaida. Jesus was sending the crowd away.


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He saw that his students were rowing hard because the wind was against them. It was about three o’clock in the morning. Jesus came to them; he was walking on the lake. He wanted to pass them by


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they all saw him. They were afraid, but Jesus soon talked with them. He said, "Be strong! It is I. Don’t be afraid."


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People began running all over that area. Wherever they heard that Jesus was, they brought sick people on small beds.


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Jesus went into villages, towns, fields, and marketplaces — they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They were begging him to let them touch the tassel of his robe. The people who touched him were made well.


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(The Pharisees and all the Jewish people won’t eat unless they wash their hands with a ceremony. They carefully obey the tradition of the leaders"


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They won’t eat anything from the market place unless they wash it. They have received many other rules about washing cups, pots, and copper bowls which they must obey.)


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The Pharisees and the teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why are your students breaking the tradition of the elders? They are eating bread with unholy hands!"


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Jesus said to them, “How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.


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Jesus continued to speak to them, “You have a clever way of rejecting God’s command so that you may keep your traditions.


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Moses said, ‘You must honor and obey your father and mother.’ and, ‘The person who curses his father or mother must die.’


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But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘It is Corban’ (This means: ‘Whatever you might have gotten from me is a gift to God.’),


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You are taking away the authority of God’s teaching by using the traditions of men you have received. And you are doing many other things like this."


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What goes into the mouth from outside is not able to make a person unholy. No, the things which come out of the mouth make a person unholy.


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Jesus said to them, “Do you still not understand? You know that everything which goes into a person from the outside is not able to make him unholy.


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It does not go into his heart. No, it enters his stomach. Then it comes out as waste. (Here Jesus was saying that all foods are clean.)


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unlawful sexual intercourse, greed, all kinds of evil things, treachery, sensuality, jealousy, slander, bragging, foolishness.


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Jesus got up from there and went up to the area near the city of Tyre. He went into a house. (Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where he was, but it was not possible for him to hide.)


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Soon a woman heard about Jesus. Her daughter had an evil spirit. The woman came and bowed down at Jesus’ feet.


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She was not a Jew. She was born in the land of Phoenicia, an area of Syria. She kept begging Jesus to throw the demon out of her daughter.


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Jesus said to her, "Let the children eat first. It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs."


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But the woman answered Jesus, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs from the children!"


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Jesus left the area near Tyre and went through the city of Sidon to Lake Galilee and the area of Ten Towns.


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Some people brought a man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to put his hand on the man and heal him. The man was deaf. It was very hard for him to talk.


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Jesus took the man along with him to be alone, away from the crowd. Then Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, made some spit, and touched the man’s tongue.


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Looking up to heaven, Jesus sighed. He said to the man, "Ephphatha!" (This means, "Be opened!" in Aramaic)


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Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about this. But the more he warned them, the more they proclaimed it!


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The people were shocked. They said, "He has done everything well. He causes deaf people to hear and people who could not speak to speak!"


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During that time there was another large crowd. They didn’t have anything to eat. Jesus called his students and said to them,


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I don’t want to send them away hungry; they might faint on the road. Some of them have come from a long way off."


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Jesus’ students asked him, "Where could we get enough to satisfy these people in this far away place?"


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Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves of bread and thanked God. He divided it and began giving it to his students so that they could distribute it. The students did so.


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The people ate and were satisfied. They gathered up all the pieces of food which were left over. There were seven baskets full.


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The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Jesus. They were trying to make Jesus prove that he came from God.


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Jesus groaned in his spirit. He said, "Why do the people living today ask for a miracle? I am telling you the truth: no proof like that will be given to them!"


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Jesus’ students forgot to bring along loaves of bread with them in the boat. They had only one loaf of bread.


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Jesus warned them, "Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of the students of Herod Antipas."


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They began talking to one another, saying, "Jesus said this because we don’t have any loaves of bread."


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Jesus knew what was on their mind. He said, "Why are you talking about having no bread? Don’t you know yet? Do you still not understand? Do you have hard hearts?


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Do you have eyes, but don’t see clearly? Do you have ears, but do not understand? Surely you remember


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when I divided the five loaves of bread for the 5,000 men. How many large baskets full of leftovers did you pick up?" Jesus’ students answered, "Twelve."


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Jesus said, "When I divided the seven loaves of bread for the 4,000 men, how many small baskets full of leftovers did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven."


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Jesus and his students came into Bethsaida. The people were carrying a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch him.


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He held the blind man’s hand and led him outside the village. After Jesus spit into the man’s eyes, he put his hands on him. Jesus asked him, "Do you see anything?"


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Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes again. Then the man could see; his sight came back. He could see everything clearly.


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Then Jesus and his students went away to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the road Jesus asked his students this question: "Who do people say I am?"


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They answered, "Some people say John (the one who immersed people). Other people say you are Elijah, and others say you are one of the prophets."


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But Jesus continued to ask them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter answered Jesus, "You are the Messiah!"


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Jesus began to teach them, "I must suffer many things. I will be rejected by the Jewish elders, the most important priests, and the teachers of the law. I will be killed, but after three days I will be raised from death."


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Jesus was speaking this message to them very plainly. Yet, Peter came to Jesus and tried to correct him.


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Jesus turned around and looked at his students. He warned Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking the way God thinks, but the way man thinks."


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Jesus called the crowd together with his students. He said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must carry his cross and follow me. He must say ‘no’ to himself.


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The person who wants to save his life will lose it, but every person who gives his life to others for me and for the Good News will save it.


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If a person in this unfaithful, sinful generation is ashamed of me and my words, I will be ashamed of him when I come with holy angels in the glory of my Father."


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Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: there are some people standing here who will not die until they have seen God’s kingdom come with power."


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After six days, Jesus took Peter, Jacob, and John and took them up a tall mountain to be alone. Jesus’ appearance began to change in front of them.


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His clothes became shining white — as white as white could be. (No one on earth could make them so white.)


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Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. We will make three holy tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."


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A cloud came all around them and a Voice came from the cloud: "This is My Son, and I give Myself to him, for his good, expecting nothing in return. Listen to what he says!"


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As they were going down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don’t tell anyone about what you saw until I rise from death."


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They obeyed and kept it to themselves. But they began to argue among themselves about what Jesus meant when he said, "… until I rise from death."


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They began to ask Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?"


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Jesus answered, "Elijah does come first and he restores all things. Then why is it written that the Son of Man will suffer many things and be rejected?


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No, I am telling you, Elijah did come first! They treated him the way they wanted to, as it was written about him."


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When they got back to the other students, they saw a large crowd around them. The teachers of the law were arguing with them.


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One man in the crowd answered Jesus, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that stops him from talking.


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It attacks him and throws him down on the ground. He foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth. His body becomes stiff. I told your students so that they could throw out the spirit, but they were not strong enough."


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Jesus said to them, "You people are a generation with no faith! How long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here!"


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They brought the boy to Jesus. When the evil spirit saw Jesus, the boy lost control of himself. He fell down on the ground and began rolling around, foaming at the mouth.


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Jesus asked the boy’s father, "How long has he been like this?" The father said, "Since he was a child.


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This spirit wants to kill him. It often throws him into fire or into water. Take pity on us! Help us, if you are able to!"


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When Jesus saw that a crowd was coming together, he gave an order to the evil spirit, "O spirit that keeps this boy from talking and hearing, I command you — come out of him! Never go into him again!"


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The spirit screamed and again made the boy fall down and roll around on the ground. Then the spirit left. The boy looked as if he was dead. Many people said, "He’s dead!"


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After Jesus went into a house, his students began asking him questions when they were alone, "Why were we not able to throw out the spirit?"


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because he was teaching his students. This is what he was telling them: "I am being turned over to some men. They will kill me but, three days after my death, I will rise to life."


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They came to the town of Capernaum. After they had gone into a house, Jesus began to ask them questions, "What were you arguing about along the road?"


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They wouldn’t answer him because on the road they were arguing with one another about who was the most important.


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Jesus sat down and called for the twelve delegates. He said to them, "If one of you wants to be number one, he should be in last place. He should serve everyone."


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Jesus took a small child and stood him in the middle of them. He put his arms around the child and said to them,


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"The person who welcomes one of the children like this one in my name welcomes me. And when a person welcomes me, that person welcomes the One who sent me."


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John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone throwing out demons by using your name. He was not following us! We kept telling him to stop because he was not following us."


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But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him. There is no one who can perform a miracle in my name and then say something evil about me.


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"If anyone gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah, I am telling you the truth, that person will not lose his reward.


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"If someone causes one of these little ones to sin who believe in me, it would be better for him to have a large rock hanging around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.


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"If your hand makes you sin, cut it off! It would be better for you to go into eternal life injured than to go away with two hands into hell, where the fire cannot be put out.


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"If your foot makes you sin, cut it off! It would be better for you to go into eternal life crippled than to be thrown into hell having two feet,


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"If your eye makes you sin, throw it away! It would be better for you to go into the kingdom of God with only one eye than to be thrown into hell with two eyes.


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salt is a good thing but if the salt loses its salty taste, then it is no good. You cannot make it salty again. Have salt in yourselves; be at peace with one another."


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Jesus got up from there and went to the region of Judea which is on the other side of the Jordan River. Again, crowds traveled to him. Jesus was teaching them as he always did.


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Some Pharisees came to Jesus. They were testing him with this question: "Is it all right for a man to divorce his wife?"


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Jesus said to them, "If a man divorces his wife and marries another woman, he is committing unlawful sexual intercourse against her.


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If she divorces her husband and she marries another man, she is committing unlawful sexual intercourse."


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Then some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could touch them, but his students told the people to stop doing that.


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When Jesus saw this, it bothered him. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these little children.


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I am telling you the truth: you must accept God’s kingdom as a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it!"


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As Jesus was leaving, a man ran up to him and kneeled down. He asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"


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But I will answer your question. You know the commands: ‘You must not murder.’; ‘You must not commit unlawful sexual intercourse.’; ‘You must not steal.’; ‘You must not lie.’; ‘You must not cheat anyone.’; ‘You must honor and obey your father and mother.’"


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Jesus was giving himself to the man, for his good, expecting nothing in return. He looked into his eyes and said to him, "But there is still one more thing you need to do: go, sell everything you have, and give it to the poor people. Then you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, take up the cross, and follow me!"


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But when Jesus said this, the man’s face looked gloomy. He went away sad because he owned many things and wanted to keep them.


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Then Jesus looked around and said to his students, "It will be hard for people who own many things to enter the kingdom of God."


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The students were amazed at Jesus’ words. Again Jesus said to them, "My children, it is so hard for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.


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It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!"


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Jesus looked into their eyes and said, "God can do things which do not seem possible to man. God can do anything!"


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Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth: every person who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields (because of me and because of the Good News)


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will surely be rewarded 100 times more now, in this time, with houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields — and with them, persecutions! However, he will get eternal life in the next age.


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Many people who seem as though they are not important now will be important at that time. Those who seem important now will not be important then."


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They were on the road; Jesus was walking ahead of them, and going up to Jerusalem. This surprised them. Those who were following were afraid. Then Jesus took the twelve delegates aside. He began to tell them what was about to happen to him.


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"Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The most important priests and the teachers of the law will turn against me. They will condemn me to death. Then they will give me to non-Jewish men.


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Those people will laugh at me, spit on me, beat me with whips, and kill me, but I will rise from death on the third day."


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Jacob and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus. They said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do us a favor."


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They said to him, "Allow us to sit on thrones in your glory, one at your right side and one at your left side."


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Jesus said to them, "You don’t know what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup of suffering which I am drinking? Can you be immersed in the trouble in which I am being immersed?"


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They said to Jesus, "We are able!" Jesus said to them, "Yes, you will drink from the cup of suffering which I am drinking, and you will be immersed in the trouble in which I am immersed,


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but the privilege of sitting at my right side or my left side is not mine to give. No, that belongs to the people for whom it has been prepared."


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Jesus called for them and said, “You know there are rulers of the world who seem to rule over their people. Important men use their authority over them.


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because I did not come to be served. Instead, I came to serve and give my life to pay for many people’s sins."


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They went into Jericho. Jesus, his students, and a large crowd left Jericho later. There was a blind man named Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus). He was sitting beside the road. He was a beggar.


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When he heard: "It is Jesus from Nazareth!" he began to shout, "Jesus! Son of David! Please help me!"


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Some of the people told him to be quiet but he began shouting even louder, "Son of David! Please help me!"


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Jesus stopped there and said, "Call him." So they called for the blind man. They said to him, "Cheer up! Get up, Jesus is calling for you!"


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Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to Jesus, "Master, I want to see again!"


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Jesus said to him, "Go. You are made well because you believed." Immediately the man was able to see again. He began to follow Jesus on the road.


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When Jesus and his students were coming near to Jerusalem, close to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Hill of Olives, Jesus sent two of his students on ahead.


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He said to them, "Go into the village just ahead of you. As you are going in, you will soon find a young donkey tied up. No one has ridden it yet. Untie it and bring it to me.


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And if anyone says anything to you about why you are doing this, say, ‘The Lord, its owner, needs it.’ Then he will send it here immediately."


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They went away and found the young donkey out on the street tied at the door. As they were untying it,


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some of the people standing there asked them, "What are you doing? Why are you untying this young donkey?"


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Many people spread their clothes on the road. Other people cut down branches in the fields, and spread them on the road too.


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The people in front and in back were shouting, "Hosanna! Give praise to this one who is coming by the authority of the Lord God.


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Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courtyard. He looked around at everything there, but it was already late so he went away with the twelve delegates to Bethany.


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Far away he saw a fig tree with lots of leaves. So he went to it to find something to eat. But when he came to it, he found nothing — just leaves. (It was not the season for figs.)


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They came into Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple courtyard and he began driving out all the people who were buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.


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Jesus was teaching them, "It is written, ‘My house will be called a place of prayer for all nations.’ — But you have changed it into a hiding place for thieves!"


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When the most important priests and teachers of the law heard this, they continued trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of Jesus because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.


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Early the next morning, while they were walking along, they saw the same fig tree. It was dried up at the roots.


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Peter remembered what happened the day before. He said to Jesus, "Master, look at the fig tree which you spoke to! It has dried up!"


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I am telling you the truth: you could say to this mountain, ‘Pick yourself up and throw yourself into the sea!’ and it would happen for you. You must not doubt in your heart. Instead, believe that what you are saying will happen.


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"This is why I am telling you: when you are praying and asking God for something, believe that you have received it, and it will happen for you.


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And when you stand praying, if you have something against someone, forgive him. Then your heavenly Father will forgive you of the things you have done wrong.


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But if you do not forgive others, your Father, who is in heaven, will not forgive your sins, either."


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They came into Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking around in the temple courtyard, the most important priests, the teachers of the law, and some Jewish leaders came to him.


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They were asking him, "What sort of authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"


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Jesus answered them, "I will also ask you a question. Answer me and I will tell you what sort of authority I have to do these things.


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They began thinking this among themselves: "If we say ‘from God’, then he will say this to us: ‘Why didn’t you believe John?’


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But if we say ‘from man’, we are afraid of the people. All of them truly believe that John was a prophet."


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So they answered Jesus, "We don’t know!" Jesus said to them, "Then I am not telling you what sort of authority I have to do these things either."


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Then Jesus began to use examples to talk to the people — “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a lookout tower. Then he rented the land to some farmers and went away on a trip.


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At harvest time, he sent a slave to the farmers. He wanted to receive his share of the grapes in the field from the farmers.


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Again, the owner sent another slave to them. They wounded this slave in the head and made fun of him.


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But the owner still had one man — his son, to whom he gives himself, for his good, expecting nothing in return. So he sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘The farmers will show respect for my son.’


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But those farmers said to one another, ‘When the owner dies, his son will get the vineyard. Come, let us kill him and we will have his field!’


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What will the owner of the vineyard do to those farmers? He will come and kill them. After that he will give the field to some other farmers.


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"You have read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders did not want will become the cornerstone.’


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They wanted to arrest Jesus but they were afraid of the people. They knew Jesus had told this story against them. They left him and went away.


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They sent some of the Pharisees and students of Herod Antipas to Jesus. They wanted to trap him with a question.


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They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are true. It doesn’t matter to you what people think. You don’t pay attention to how important someone is. Instead, you teach God’s true way. Is it right that we should pay taxes to Caesar? Yes or no? Should we pay? Or should we not pay?"


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But Jesus knew what they were actually trying to do. He asked, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a coin so I can see it."


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They brought it. Then Jesus asked them, "Whose name and picture is on it?" They said to him, "Caesar’s."


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Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s. Give to God the things which belong to God." And they were amazed at Jesus.


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Some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no one will rise from death.) They were asking Jesus,


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"Teacher, Moses wrote this to us: ‘If a brother dies and he leaves a wife behind, but no children, his brother must marry the widow. Then they will have children for the dead brother.’


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The second brother married the widow. He died too, leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third brother.


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All seven men married her. None of the seven brothers had any children. The woman was the last of all to die. Therefore, when this woman rises from death, whose wife will she be?"


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Do people rise from death? I know you have read what it says in the book of Moses at the place about the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’


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One of the teachers of the law came to Jesus. This man had heard them arguing with Jesus. He knew that Jesus had answered them well. So he asked Jesus, "What is the most important command?"


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You must give yourself to the Lord your God, for His good, expecting nothing in return, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’


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The second most important command is this: ‘You must give yourself to other people, for their good, expecting nothing in return, the same way you give to yourself.’. There are no commands more important than these two."


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The teacher of the law said to Jesus, "Fine, Teacher, you spoke the truth. There is only one God; besides Him, there are no other gods.


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Giving yourself to God, for His good, expecting nothing in return, with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and giving yourself to other people the same way you give to yourself — these are more important than all sacrifices and offerings of animals."


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When Jesus saw that the man’s answer was very wise, he said to him, "You are not far from God’s kingdom." No one dared to ask Jesus another trick question.


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While Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard, he asked, "How can the teachers of the law claim that the Messiah is the son of David?


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By the power of the Holy Spirit, David himself said: ‘The Lord God said to my Lord, "Sit at My right side until I put your enemies under your feet.‘"


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David himself calls the Messiah ‘Lord’! So how can the Messiah be the son of David?" A large crowd was gladly listening to Jesus.


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As he was teaching, he said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law! They like to walk around wearing clothes which make them look important. They like the greetings of respect which people give them in the marketplaces.


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They always want the most important seats in the houses of worship and the best seats at the dinners.


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But they are unfair to widows: they steal their homes. Then they make themselves look good by saying long prayers. Because of all this, God will punish these men so much more."


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Jesus sat next to the temple treasury. He was watching the way the people were putting money in the box. Many people were rich; they put in a lot of money.


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Jesus called his students and said to them, "I am telling you the truth: this poor widow has put more in the box than all those rich people put there.


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The rich have plenty; they only gave what they didn’t need, but this woman gave everything she had. She needed that money to live on."


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As Jesus was leaving the temple courtyard, one of his students said to him, "Teacher, look at the great stones! Look at the great buildings!"


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Jesus said to him, "Do you see all these great buildings? Everything you see here will be destroyed. No stone will stay on top of another. It will be completely destroyed!"


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When Jesus was sitting on the Hillside of Olives across from the temple, Peter, Jacob, John, and Andrew asked him these private questions:


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"Tell us, when will these things happen? How will we know when it is the time for these things to happen?"


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Many people will come to you using my name. They will say, ‘I am the one!’ And they will fool many people.


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You will hear about wars, and wars which are about to happen. Don’t become upset. These things must happen but the end will come later.


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One country will fight against another country. Kings will fight against other kings. There won’t be enough food to eat. Everywhere there will be earthquakes. These things are only the beginning of the pain.


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"Watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to the local courts. They will beat you in their houses of worship. Men will take you to be judged before governors and kings because you are associated with me. You will tell them the truth.


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When they turn against you and arrest you, don’t worry about what you will say. Say whatever is given to you at that time. You are not doing the talking; it is the Holy Spirit.


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"A brother will betray his own brother, putting him to death. A father will do the same thing to his child. Children will rebel against their parents; they will put them to death.


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"When you see ‘The Abomination of Desolation’ standing where it must not be (let the reader note the meaning), then those people who are in the region of Judea must run away to the mountains.


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The person who is on top of his house must not come down and go inside the house to carry things out with him.


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"During those days there will be great suffering. Never has there been such suffering since the beginning of the world when God created it until the present time. And there will never be such suffering in the future.


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If that period of time lasted any longer, no one would be left alive. But those times will be cut short because of the elect people God has chosen.


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At that time if someone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’, don’t believe him.


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False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform proofs and miracles to fool people — even God’s chosen people, if that were possible.


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"After the trouble of those times, ‘The sun will become dark. The light of the moon will not be seen.


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Then I will send my angels out. They will gather together my chosen people from every place and time.


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"Learn from the story about the fig tree: when its branches start becoming soft and green, you know that summer is near.


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In the same way, when you see all of these things happening, you will know that the time is very, very near.


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No one knows when that exact time will be. The angels in heaven don’t know it. I don’t know it. Only the heavenly Father knows.


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It will be like a man who left his house for a trip. He gave his slaves authority. Each one of them had a job. He ordered the doorkeeper to watch closely.


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"So watch! You don’t know when I am coming. It might be in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at sunrise.


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It was two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The most important priests and the teachers of the law were trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They planned to use a trick to arrest him.


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They were saying this: "Let us not begin during the Passover Festival so that there will be no trouble among the people."


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Jesus was in the town of Bethany in Simon’s house. (Simon had been a leper.) While Jesus was sitting at the table, a woman opened an alabaster jar of some very expensive perfume. (It was made of pure nard.) Then she poured it on his head.


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Some of Jesus’ students were there. They were very angry, saying to one another, "Why waste this perfume?"


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This could have been sold for more than 300 silver coins and given to poor people. They yelled angry words at her.


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You will always have poor people with you. When you want to, you can give yourselves to them, but you won’t always have me!


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She did what she could. She put perfume on my body ahead of time to prepare it for when I am buried.


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I am telling you the truth: the Good News will be preached in the whole world. Wherever it is told, what she did will be mentioned to remember her."


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Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve delegates, went away to talk to the most important priests; he wanted to give Jesus to them.


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When they heard this, they were pleased. They promised to give Judas some money. Judas was waiting for the best way to give Jesus to them.


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On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they were sacrificing the Passover lambs. Jesus’ students said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover meal for you?"


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Jesus sent two of his students, saying to them, "Go into the city. And you will see a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him.


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Enter the house he enters and say this to the owner: ‘The Teacher asks that you please show us the room where the Teacher and his students may eat the Passover Feast.’


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So the students left and went into the city. Everything happened just as Jesus told them. Then they prepared the Passover meal.


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While they were sitting down and eating, Jesus said, "I am telling you the truth: one of you will turn against me. He is eating with me!"


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I will die, just as it is written about me. However, how horrible it will be for that man who turned against me. It would be better if that man had never been born!"


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While they were eating, Jesus took bread and gave thanks. He broke off some of it and gave it to them. He said, "Take it. This bread is my body."


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I am telling you the truth: I will never drink the fruit of the vine again until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."


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Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be ashamed of me. This is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’


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Jesus said to him, "I am telling you the truth: tonight — this very night — you will say you don’t even know me. You will do this three different times before the rooster crows a second time!"


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But Peter insisted, "Even if I must die with you, I will always be loyal to you." All of them were saying the same thing.


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Then they went to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to his students, "Sit here while I go pray."


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Then Jesus went ahead a short distance and fell down on the ground. He was praying that, if possible, this time might pass away from him.


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He continued to pray, "Daddy, dear Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup of suffering away from me, but what You want is more important than what I want."


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Then Jesus came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, "Are you asleep, Simon? Were you not strong enough to watch one hour?


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Once more, Jesus came and found them sleeping. Their eyes were very tired. They didn’t know what to say to him.


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Jesus came back the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? That’s enough! The time has come. Listen! I am being handed over to sinful men.


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And immediately, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve delegates, came. There was a crowd with him. They had come from the most important priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders. They had sticks and swords.


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Judas had given them a signal: "Arrest the man to whom I give the kiss of friendship; lead him away carefully."


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One of the men standing nearby pulled out his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear.


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I was teaching in the temple courtyard every day. You did not arrest me there. No, this occurred to make the Scriptures come true."


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There was a young man who was following Jesus. He was wearing only a linen cloth. Some men grabbed him too.


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They brought Jesus to the high priest. All of the important priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders came together.


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Peter followed Jesus from a distance. He came as far as the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants, warming himself by the fire.


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The most important priests in the whole Jewish Council wanted to find some men who would give evidence against Jesus so that they could kill him. But they did not find any real proof.


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"We heard this man say, ‘I will destroy this temple sanctuary built by men and build another one in three days — without human hands!’"


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The high priest stood up in the center and asked Jesus, "Aren’t you going to answer? What they are saying against you — is it true?"


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Jesus continued to be silent; he gave no answers. Again the high priest asked Jesus, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"


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Jesus said, "I am! ‘You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God.’ ‘He will be coming with the clouds of the sky!’"


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You heard the evil thing that Jesus just said. How does it look to you?" They all condemned him, saying, "He is guilty! He should be killed!"


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Some of them began to spit on Jesus. They covered his face and hit him with their fists. They said to him, "Prophesy!" And when the guards took charge of him, they started beating him.


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She saw Peter warming himself. She looked closely at him and said, "You were with Jesus from Nazareth too!"


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But Peter said this was not true, "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t understand!" Later, Peter went out to the front part of the courtyard. The rooster crowed.


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When the servant girl saw him again, she began to say to the men who were standing there, "This man is one of them!"


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Again Peter denied it. After a little while, the men who were standing there began to talk to Peter again, "Surely you are one of Jesus’ community. You are from the Galilee!"


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Then Peter began to curse and to swear. He said, "I don’t know this man. I don’t know what you’re talking about!"


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Immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will say that you don’t even know me — three different times." Then Peter broke down and began to cry.


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It was early in the morning. The most important priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders — the whole council — were soon ready. They tied up Jesus, took him, and gave him to Pilate.


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Again, Pilate asked him, "Won’t you say something? Look at how many charges they are bringing against you!"


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The most important priests made the people excited. They wanted Pilate to set Barabbas free for them instead of Jesus.


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Pilate said to them, "Why? What crime has Jesus done?" But they continued to yell even more, "Nail him to a cross!"


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Pilate wanted to please the people. So he set Barabbas free for them. After beating Jesus with whips, Pilate handed him over to be nailed to the cross.


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The soldiers took Jesus inside the courtyard of the Roman fortress. The whole group gathered around Jesus.


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They hit Jesus many times on the head with a stick and they were spitting on him. They kneeled down and acted as though they were worshipping him.


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When they finished making fun of him, they took off the purple robe and dressed him with his own clothes. Then they led him away to nail him to the cross.


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There was a man coming into the city from the fields. He was Simon, from the city of Cyrene. (He was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) They forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.


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Along with Jesus, two criminals were nailed to crosses. One was at his right side. The other was on his left


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The people who were passing by shook their heads and said terrible things to Jesus. They said, "You were the one who was going to destroy the temple sanctuary and build it again in three days!


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The most important priests, together with the teachers of the law, made fun of Jesus in the same way. They continued to say, "He saved other people, but he cannot save himself!


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He is the King of Israel, the Messiah; let him come down from the cross now so that we can see and believe." Even the men who were nailed to the other crosses were insulting Jesus.


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About three o’clock, Jesus cried out loudly, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (This means: "My God, my God, why did You abandon me?" in Aramaic.)


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Someone ran and soaked a sponge in some sour wine. Then he put it on the end of a long stick and gave Jesus a drink. Someone said, "Leave him alone! Let us see if Elijah will come down for him!"


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There was a Roman army officer standing there in front of Jesus. When he saw the way Jesus died, he said, "This man really was God’s Son!"


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Some women were there too. They were far away, watching. Some of them were: Mary (from the town of Magdal), Mary (the mother of the younger Jacob and Joses), and Salome.


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These women always followed Jesus and helped him while he was in the Galilee. Many women had come up to Jerusalem with Jesus.


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Joseph came. He was from the town of Arimathea. He was a very important member of the Jewish Council. He was expecting the kingdom of God too. He dared to go to Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus.


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Pilate was surprised that Jesus had already died. He called for the army officer to ask him whether Jesus had been dead for a long time.


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Joseph bought a sheet. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in the sheet. Then he put Jesus’ body into a tomb which he had cut out of solid rock. He rolled a stone in front of the doorway of the tomb.


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Mary (the one from the town of Magdal) and Mary (the mother of Joses) were watching where the body was placed.


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When the Sabbath day had passed, Mary (the one from Magdal), Mary (the mother of Jacob), and Salome bought some sweet-smelling spices. They wanted to rub this on Jesus’ body.


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It was now very early on the first day of the week. As the sun was coming up, they were going to the tomb,


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They walked into the tomb. They saw an angel sitting on the right side. He was wearing a long, white robe. They were stunned.


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But the angel said to them, "Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to the cross. He is not here. He has risen from death! Look at the place where they put him!


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Now go tell his students that he will go ahead of you to the Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you. Tell Peter too."


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The women left the tomb. They ran away. They were trembling. They were shocked. They didn’t say anything to anyone because they were afraid.


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When Jesus came from the grave early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary (the one from Magdal; Jesus had forced seven demons to leave her.).


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After this, while two more of them were walking to a field, Jesus used a different form to appear to them.


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Finally, Jesus appeared to the eleven delegates when they were sitting at the table. He rebuked them because their hearts were hard and they did not have faith. They did not believe those who had seen him after he came back from the grave.


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The person who believes the Good News and is immersed will be saved, but the person who doesn’t believe it will be condemned.


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These miracles will go with the ones believing: they will use my name to throw out demons. They will speak languages which are new to them.


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They could hold snakes. If they drink poison, it won’t hurt them. They will put their hands on sick people and the sick people will become well."


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After the Lord Jesus talked with them, he was lifted up into the sky. He sat down at God’s right side.


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They left and preached everywhere. And miracles went with them. The Lord used these miracles to prove that the message was true. He was working with them. Amen.


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Dear Theophilus, since many people have tried to give an account of the things which have happened among us,


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they have written the same things that we learned from others that saw those things from the beginning and preached the word.


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I too thought, after I studied everything carefully from the beginning, your Excellency, that I should write it down for you. Therefore, I put it in order in a book


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During the time when Herod the Great ruled Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He belonged to Abijah’s section. His wife came from the family of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth.


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They were truly being made right before God, doing everything which was right and everything the Lord God commanded. They were spiritually spotless,


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The other priests chose him to offer the incense; so he went into the holy place of the temple sanctuary of the Lord God.


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There was a large group of people outside. They were praying at the time the incense was being offered.


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But the angel said to him, "Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to a son. You will name him John.


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John will be a great man in the presence of the Lord God. He will never drink wine or liquor. Even at the time when he is being born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.


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John himself will go ahead of the Lord in a powerful way, like Elijah. He will have the same forceful spirit that Elijah had. He will make peace between fathers and their children. He will bring those people who are not obeying God back to the right way that people should think. He will make ready a people for the coming of the Lord."


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The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand before God. God sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news.


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Now listen! You won’t be able to talk until the day when these things occur. You will lose your speech because you didn’t believe what I told you. Nevertheless, these things will come true in their proper time."


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Outside, the people were still waiting for Zechariah. They were surprised that he was staying so long inside the temple sanctuary.


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Then he came outside, but he could not speak to them. Then the people realized that he had seen a vision inside the holy place. Zechariah couldn’t speak; he could only make signs to the people.


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Later, Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, became pregnant. So she didn’t go out of her house for five months. She said,


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"Look what the Lord God has done for me! My people were ashamed of me, but now the Lord God has taken that shame away."


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During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a virgin who lived in Nazareth, a town in the Galilee. The virgin girl was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary.


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He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Highest One. The Lord God will give him the authority of King David, his ancestor.


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The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest One will cover you. The holy baby will be called God’s Son.


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Now listen to this: you know that Elizabeth, your relative, is very old but she is already pregnant with a son. The woman who could not have a baby has been pregnant for six months!


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Mary said, "I am the slave girl of the Lord God. Let what you said happen to me!" Then the angel went away.


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When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the unborn baby kicked inside Elizabeth’s body and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.


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Then Elizabeth said with a loud voice, "Mary, you have been blessed more than any other woman. The baby to which you will give birth has also been blessed.


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You are blessed, because you believed that what the Lord God said to you would actually take place."


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Though I am not important, God has looked upon me, His slave girl. Listen! From now on, all generations will be happy for me


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Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord God had been very good to her. They rejoiced with her.


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Eight days later they came to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because this was his father’s name.


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Zechariah asked for something to write on. Then he wrote, "His name is John." All of the people were surprised.


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All of their neighbors became afraid. Throughout the hill country of Judea, people continued to talk about all these events.


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All of the people who heard about these things wondered about them. They thought, "What will this little child become when he grows up?" The people could see that the Lord God’s hand was with this child.


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Then Zechariah, John’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He told them what was going to take place:


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that He would rescue us from the control of our enemies so that we could serve Him without being afraid.


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"Now you, little boy, will be called a prophet of the Highest One. You will go ahead of the Lord to make His ways ready.


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God will help those people who don’t understand, people who dread death. He will lead us in the way which goes toward peace."


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And so the little boy was growing up and becoming stronger in spirit. John lived in the desert, away from other people, until the time when he came out to preach to Israel.


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About that time, Augustus Caesar sent out an order to everyone in the empire that everyone must register.


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So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in the Galilee. He went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This was known as David’s town. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David — a direct descendant.


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She gave birth to her first son and wrapped him with cloths. There were no rooms left in the inn. So she laid the baby in a box where cattle are fed.


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An angel of the Lord God stood in front of the shepherds. The glory of the Lord shined around them. They were very frightened.


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The angel said to them, "Don’t be afraid, because I am telling you good news. It will make all the people very happy.


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This is how you will know him: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a box where cattle are fed."


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Suddenly a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel. They were all praising God:


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The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds kept saying to each other, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this event which has occurred which the Lord God has revealed to us."


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The shepherds went back, singing to God and praising Him for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.


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When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised. Then he was named Jesus. (This name was given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary’s womb.)


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The time came for Mary and the baby to be made pure, according to the law of Moses. Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to Jerusalem so that they could present him to the Lord God.


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It is written in the law of the Lord: "When the first male in every family is born, he will be called ‘holy for the Lord God.’"


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The law of the Lord also says that the people must give a sacrifice: "You must sacrifice two young doves or two young pigeons."


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A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was a good man and very devout. Simeon was waiting for the time when God would comfort Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him.


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The Spirit led Simeon to the temple. The parents of the child went to the temple to do what the Jewish law said that they must do about the child.


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Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, the baby’s mother, "Many Jewish people will fall and many will rise because of this boy. He will be a proof from God which some people will not accept.


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The things which people think in secret will be revealed. The things which will happen will slice through your heart."


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Anna, a prophetess, was there at the temple. She was from the family of Phanuel in the Asher tribe. Anna was very old. She had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage.


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She was a widow and was 84 years old at that time. Anna was always at the temple; she never left. She worshipped God day and night by fasting and praying.


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Anna came up to them at that same moment, thanking God. She began to talk about Jesus to everyone who was waiting for God to bring safety from danger to Jerusalem.


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Joseph and Mary finished doing everything which the law of the Lord commanded. Then they returned home to Nazareth, their own town in the Galilee.


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The little boy began to grow up. He became stronger and wiser. God’s help in time of need was upon him.


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When the feast days were over, they were returning home but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t know about it.


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Joseph and Mary traveled for a whole day. They thought that Jesus was with them in the caravan. They began to look for him among their relatives and close friends,


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After three days, they found him. Jesus was sitting in the temple courtyard among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.


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When Jesus’ parents saw him, they were very surprised. His mother said to him, "Son, why did you treat us like this? Your father and I were very worried about you. We were looking everywhere for you."


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Jesus asked them, “Why did you have to look for me? You should have known that I must be where my Father’s work is!"


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Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth. He always obeyed them. His mother was still thinking about all of these things.


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While John, Zechariah’s son, was in the desert, the message of God came to him. This occurred during the 15th year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were ruling for Caesar: Pontius Pilate ruled Judea; Herod Antipas ruled the Galilee; Philip, Herod’s brother, ruled Iturea and Trachonities; Lysanias ruled Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were high priests at that time.


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John went through the whole area around the Jordan River. He was preaching to the people: "Change your hearts and be immersed for the forgiveness of sins."


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As the words in the book of Isaiah the prophet are written: "There is a voice shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the Lord’s way. Make His paths straight.


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Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Crooked roads will become straight and rough roads will become smooth.


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People were coming to be immersed by John. John said to them, "You are like poisonous snakes! Who told you to run away from God’s punishment which is coming?


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You must do the things which will show that you have really changed your hearts. Don’t start thinking this to yourselves: ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God could make children for Abraham from these rocks here.


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The ax is now ready to cut down the trees. Every tree which does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into fire."


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John answered, "If you have two shirts, share with the person who doesn’t have one. If you have food, share that too."


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Even the tax collectors came to John. They wanted to be immersed. They asked John, "Teacher, what should we do?"


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The soldiers asked John, "What about us? What should we do?" John said to them, "Don’t do violence to anyone; don’t accuse falsely. Be happy with the pay you receive."


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All of the people were hoping for the Messiah to come, and they were wondering about John. They thought, "Perhaps he is the Messiah?"


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John answered everyone, "I immerse you in water but there is one coming who is more important than I am. I am not worthy to untie his shoe. He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.


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He will come ready to clean the grain, separating the good grain from the straw. He will put the good part into his barn. Then he will burn the part which is not good. He will burn it with a fire which cannot be put out!"


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(Later John denounced Herod Antipas, the ruler, by saying, "You were wrong to marry Herodias. Herodias is your brother’s wife!" John also rebuked Herod for the many other evil things which Herod had done.


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Before John was put in prison, many of the people were immersed by him. Then Jesus came and was immersed too. While Jesus was praying, the sky opened up.


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The Holy Spirit came down upon him in a physical form, as a dove. Then a Voice came from heaven and said, "You are My Son, and I give Myself to you, for your good, expecting nothing in return. I am very pleased with you!"


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Jesus was about 30 years old when he began to teach. People thought that Jesus was Joseph’s son. Joseph was Eli’s son;


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Eli was Matthat’s son; Matthat was Levi’s son; Levi was Melchi’s son; Melchi was Jannai’s son; Jannai was Joseph’s son;


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Joseph was Mattathias’ son; Mattathias was Amos’ son; Amos was Nahum’s son; Nahum was Esli’s son; Esli was Naggai’s son;


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Naggai was Maath’s son; Maath was Mattathias’ son; Mattathias was Semein’s son; Semein was Josech’s son; Josech was Joda’s son;


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Joda was Joanan’s son; Joanan was Rhesa’s son; Rhesa was Zerubbabel’s son; Zerubbabel was Shealtiel’s son; Shealtiel was Neri’s son;


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Neri was Melchi’s son; Melchi was Addi’s son; Addi was Cosam’s son; Cosam was Elmadam’s son; Elmadam was Er’s son;


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Er was Joshua’s son; Joshua was Eliezer’s son; Eliezer was Jorim’s son; Jorim was Matthat’s son; Matthat was Levi’s son;


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Levi was Simeon’s son; Simeon was Judah’s son; Judah was Joseph’s son; Joseph was Jonam’s son; Jonam was Eliakim’s son;


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Eliakim was Melea’s son; Melea was Menna’s son; Menna was Mattatha’s son; Mattatha was Nathan’s son; Nathan was David’s son;


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David was Jesse’s son; Jesse was Obed’s son; Obed was Boaz’ son; Boaz was Salmon’s son; Salmon was Nahshon’s son;


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Nahshon was Amminadab’s son; Amminadab was Admin’s son; Admin was Arni’s son; Arni was Hezron’s son; Hezron was Perez’ son; Perez was Judah’s son;


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Judah was Jacob’s son; Jacob was Isaac’s son; Isaac was Abraham’s son; Abraham was Terah’s son; Terah was Nahor’s son;


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Nahor was Serug’s son; Serug was Reu’s son; Reu was Peleg’s son; Peleg was Eber’s son; Eber was Shelah’s son;


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Shelah was Cainan’s son; Cainan was Arphaxad’s son; Arphaxad was Shem’s son; Shem was Noah’s son; Noah was Lamech’s son;


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Lamech was Methuselah’s son; Methuselah was Enoch’s son; Enoch was Jared’s son; Jared was Mahalaleel’s son; Mahalaleel was Cainan’s son;


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Jesus returned from the Jordan River. He was full of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was leading Jesus into the wilderness.


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The devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus didn’t eat anything during that time. When those days were over, Jesus was very hungry.


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Jesus answered him, "It is written: ‘A person does not live on bread alone, but by every word of God.’"


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The devil said to him, "I will give you all of these kingdoms and all the power and glory which is in them. It has all been given to me. I may give it to anyone I want.


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Jesus answered him, "Get behind me, Satan! It is written: ‘You must worship the Lord God. Serve only Him!’"


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The devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and stood him on a very high place of the temple. He said to Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, jump off,


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Jesus went back to the Galilee with the power of the Holy Spirit. Stories about Jesus went all over the area around the Galilee.


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Jesus came to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. On the Sabbath day he went into the house of worship; that is what Jesus always did. He stood up to read.


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The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. Jesus opened the scroll and found the place where this was written:


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"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. He chose me to tell the Good News to poor people. He sent me to preach freedom to captives and to help blind people see again. He sent me to lift up broken-hearted people


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Jesus rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the keeper. Then Jesus sat down. Every person in the house of worship was watching Jesus very closely.


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Jesus began to speak to them. He said, "While you heard me reading these words just now, the words were coming true!"


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All of the people were saying good things about Jesus. They continued to be amazed at the beautiful words which were coming from his mouth. The people asked, "Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph?"


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Jesus said to them, "Surely you will tell me this old saying: ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You would like to say, ‘We have heard about some of the things you did in Capernaum. Do those things here in your own hometown too!’"


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"I am telling you the truth: during Elijah’s time it did not rain in Israel for three and one half years. There was very little food anywhere in the whole country. There were many widows in Israel during that time


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but Elijah was sent to none of those widows. He was sent only to a widow in Zarephath, a town in the land of Sidon.


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"And there were many people with leprosy living in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. However, not one of those people was healed; the only one was Naaman. And Naaman was from the country of Syria, not from Israel."


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Their town was built on a hill. They got up and forced Jesus out of town, bringing Jesus to the edge of a cliff. They wanted to throw him over,


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On the Sabbath day Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in the Galilee. Jesus was teaching the people.


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In the house of worship there was a man who had an evil spirit inside him. The man shouted with a loud voice,


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"Bah! Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are — God’s Holy One!"


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But Jesus stopped the evil spirit. Jesus said, "Stop talking and come out of the man!" The demon threw the man down on the ground in front of all the people. Then the evil spirit left the man without hurting him.


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The people were shocked. They continued to ask each other, "What does this mean? With such authority and power Jesus commands evil spirits and they come out!"


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Jesus left the house of worship. He went into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was very sick; she had a high fever. They asked Jesus to do something to help her.


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Jesus stood very close to her and commanded the fever to leave her. It left her immediately and she got up and began to serve them.


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When the sun went down, the people brought their sick friends to Jesus. They had many different kinds of sicknesses. He put his hands on every one of them and healed them.


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Demons were coming out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus wouldn’t let the demons say anything more; the demons knew that Jesus was the Messiah.


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The next day Jesus traveled to a place to be alone. The people were looking for Jesus. When they found him, they wouldn’t let him leave.


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But Jesus said to them, "I must tell the Good News about God’s kingdom to other towns too. This is why I was sent."


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Jesus stood beside Lake Gennesaret. Many people pushed to get all around him. They wanted to hear the message of God.


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Jesus climbed into the boat which belonged to Simon. He asked Simon to push away from the shore a little. Then Jesus sat down and, from the boat, continued to teach the people on the shore.


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Jesus finished speaking. He said to Simon, "Take the boat into the deep water. If all of you will drop your nets into the water, you will catch some fish."


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Simon answered, "Teacher, we worked hard all night long trying to catch fish, but we caught nothing. But you say I should lower the nets into the water so I will do it."


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The fishermen dropped their nets into the water. They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to rip.


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They called to some friends in another boat to come and help them. The friends came and both boats were filled so full of fish that they were almost sinking.


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The fishermen were shocked because of the large number of fish that they caught. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down in front of Jesus and said, "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!"


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Jacob and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too. (Jacob and John were partners with Simon.) Jesus said to Simon, "Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will catch people instead of fish!"


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Once, Jesus was in a town; there was a man who was covered with leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed down in front of Jesus and begged him, saying, "Lord, you can heal me if you want to."


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Jesus said, "I do want to heal you — be healed!" Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man. The leprosy disappeared immediately.


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Then Jesus said, "Don’t tell anyone about what happened. Instead, go show yourself to the priest. Then offer a gift to God because you have been healed. This is what the law of Moses commands. This will prove to the priests that you are healed."


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But the news about Jesus was spreading more and more. Many people were coming to listen to him and to be healed of their sicknesses.


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One day Jesus was teaching the people. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there too. They had come from every village in the Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. The Lord God was giving Jesus the power to heal people.


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There was a man who was paralyzed. Some men carried him on a small bed. The men were trying to bring him and put him down in front of Jesus


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but there were so many people that the men couldn’t find a way to get to Jesus. So the men went up on top of the roof. They lowered the crippled man on his small bed down through a hole in the roof into the room in front of Jesus.


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The teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, "Who is this man? He speaks such an evil thing! Only God can forgive sins!"


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I will prove to you that I have the authority to forgive sins on earth." So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, stand up! Pick up your bed and go home!"


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All of the people were completely amazed. They began to praise God. They were filled with awe. They said, "Today we have seen amazing things!"


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After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector sitting at the tax office. His name was Levi. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!"


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Then Levi, in his own home, gave a big feast in honor of Jesus. At the table there were many tax collectors and some other people.


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The Pharisees and those men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to the students of Jesus, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"


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I have not come to ask people being made right to change their hearts; I have come to call sinners."


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They said to Jesus, "John’s students often fast and pray, the same as the Pharisees, but your students are always eating and drinking!"


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However, the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then his friends will fast during that time."


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Jesus told this example: “No one takes cloth off a new robe to cover a hole in an old robe. If he does, the new piece of cloth will shrink and tear and not match the old cloth.


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No one puts new wine into old wine bags. If he does, the old wine bags will break open. The wine will spill out and the wine bags will be ruined.


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Once on a Sabbath day, Jesus was passing through a field of grain. His students were picking some of the grain, rubbing it in their hands, and eating it.


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Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing this? You are doing what is not right to do on the Sabbath day."


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David went into the house of God. He took the holy loaves of bread and ate them. The law says that only the priests can eat them but David gave some to his men."


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On another Sabbath day, Jesus went into the house of worship to teach the people. A man with a crippled right hand was there.


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The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were waiting to see whether Jesus would heal on the Sabbath day. They wanted to see Jesus do something wrong so that they could accuse him.


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But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Arise and stand in the middle." The man got up and stood there.


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Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is right on the Sabbath day — to do good or to do evil? Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?"


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Jesus looked around at all of them and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" The man did this; his hand was restored.


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The Pharisees and the teachers of the law became very, very angry. They started saying to each other, "What can we do to Jesus?"


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When morning came, Jesus called his students and chose twelve of them and named them "delegates". They were:


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Jesus and the delegates came down from the hillside. Jesus stood on a level place. A large group of his students were there. Also there were many, many people from all around Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon.


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They all came to listen to Jesus and to be healed of their diseases. Jesus healed those people who were troubled by evil spirits.


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All of the people were trying to touch Jesus because power was coming out of him. Jesus healed them all!


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Jesus looked up at his students and began to speak: “Poor people, be happy, because God’s kingdom belongs to you!


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You who are hungry now, be happy, because you will be satisfied. You who are crying now, be happy, because you will laugh.


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Be happy when people hate you and are cruel to you. Be happy even when they pull away from you as being evil and throw you out because you are my friend.


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At that time you should jump for joy, because you will have a great reward in heaven. Their ancestors treated the prophets the same way that these people treat you.


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"Nevertheless it will be horrible for you, you rich and selfish people, because you’ve had your comfort.


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It will be horrible for you, you people who are full now, because you will be hungry. It will be horrible for you people who are laughing now, because you will mourn and cry aloud.


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How horrible it is when everyone says good things about you; their ancestors always did that to the false prophets!


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"However, I say to you people who are listening to me, give yourselves to your enemies, for their good, expecting nothing in return. Do good to those who hate you.


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If a person hits you on one side of your face, offer the other side too. If someone takes away your robe, let him have your shirt too.


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Give to every person who asks you. When a person takes something that belongs to you, don’t ask for it back.


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If you give yourself, expecting something in return, to those who give themselves to you for their good, expecting something in return — then you are not any better than anyone else. Even tax collectors do the same thing!


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If you do good only to those who do good to you, you are no better than anyone else. Even ‘sinners’ do that!


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If you lend something to someone, always hoping to get something back, what good have you done? Even ‘sinners’ lend to other ‘sinners’ so that they may get the same amount back!


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"So give yourself to your enemies, for their good, expecting nothing in return, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything in return. God is good, even to the people who are full of sin and who are not thankful. If you do these things, you will have a great reward. You will be sons of the Highest One.


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Don’t pass judgment on other people, and you won’t be judged. Do not condemn other people, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.


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Give to others, and it will be given to you. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands, shaken, and pressed down — more than you can hold. It will be so much that it will spill over into your lap. The measure you use to measure will be used to measure back to you."


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Jesus gave them this example: "Can a blind man guide a blind man? Both of them will fall into a pit.


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A student is not higher than his teacher. However, when the student has learned, he will be like his teacher.


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"Why do you see the speck of dust which is in your brother’s eye but do not notice the wooden pole which is in your own eye?


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How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take hat speck out of your eye,’ while you still have that pole in your own eye? Can’t you see it? You hypocrite! First take the pole out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.


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Each tree can be known by its fruit. Do people gather figs from thorny weeds? Do people get grapes from bushes?


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A good man brings good out of the good treasure of his heart, but an evil man brings out evil from an evil treasure. A person speaks what flows out of his heart.


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is like a man building a house. He digs down deep and builds his house on strong rock. Then the floods come, and the water tries to wash the house away, but the flood cannot move the house because it was built well.


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However, the person who hears my words and does not obey them is like a man who does not build his house on rock. There is no solid foundation. When the floods come, the house quickly falls down, and that house is completely destroyed."


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When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask Jesus to come and save the life of his slave.


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He built the house of worship for us; he gives himself to our people, for their good, expecting nothing in return."


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So Jesus went with the men. He was coming near to the officer’s house when the officer sent friends to say, "Lord, don’t bother to come into my house. I am not worthy to be with you.


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I am a person under authority too, and I have soldiers below me whom I command. I can say to one, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. Or, if I say to my slave, ‘Do this!’ he does it.


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When Jesus heard this, he was surprised. Jesus turned to the crowd that was following him. He said, "I tell you, I have not found this much faith anywhere — not even in Israel!"


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The next day Jesus went to a town called Nain. His students and a large group of people were traveling with him.


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When Jesus came near the town gate, he saw a funeral procession. A mother had lost her only son. She was also a widow. A large crowd from the town was there with the mother while the dead son was being carried out.


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Jesus came near the coffin and touched it. The men who were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, "Young man, I tell you, get up!"


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All of the people felt much respect. They were praising God. They said, "A great prophet has come to us!" and, "God is taking care of His people."


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John sent them to the Lord Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?"


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So the men came to Jesus. They said, "John (the one who immerses people) sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the one who is coming, or should we wait for another person?’"


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At that time Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits. He gave sight to many blind people.


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Then Jesus said to John’s students, "Go tell John the things you have seen and heard. Blind people can see again. Crippled people can walk. Those with leprosy are made well. The deaf can hear; dead people are given life; and the Good News is given to the poor people.


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After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to tell the crowds about John: “What did you people go out into the wilderness to see? A stalk of grass being blown by the wind?


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Why did you go out there? Did you go to see a man dressed in fine clothes? The people who have fine, nice clothes live in palaces.


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This was written about John: ‘Listen! I am sending my messenger to go ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you.’


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"I tell you, John is greater than any man ever born. However, the person who is the least important in God’s kingdom is greater than John!"


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(All of the people and the tax collectors who heard this agreed that God’s command was good; they had allowed themselves to be immersed by John."


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But the Pharisees and teachers of the law refused to obey God’s plan; they did not allow themselves to be immersed by John.)


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The people of this time are like little children sitting in the marketplace, calling to each other, ‘We played a happy song, but you wouldn’t dance. We played a sad song, but you wouldn’t cry.’


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John (the one who immersed people) came, not eating normal food or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’


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I came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, he eats too much, and he drinks too much wine! He is the friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’


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One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the table.


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At that time there was a sinful woman in town. She knew that Jesus was having dinner at the Pharisee’s house; so the woman brought some expensive perfume.


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She stood crying at Jesus’ feet. Then she began to wash his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. She kissed his feet again and again and rubbed them with perfume.


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The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He thought to himself, "If Jesus really were a prophet, he would know that the woman who is touching him is a sinner!"


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Then Jesus said to the Pharisee, "Simon, I have something to say to you." Simon said, "Say it, teacher."


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Jesus said, "There were two men. Both men owed money to the same moneylender. One man owed him 500 silver coins. The other man owed him 50 silver coins.


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The men didn’t have any money to pay back the moneylender. So the moneylender told the men that they didn’t have to pay him. Which one of them will want to give himself to the moneylender, for his good, expecting nothing more from him?"


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Simon answered, "I think it would be the one who owed him the most money." Jesus said to him, "You are correct."


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Then Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you provided me with no water for my feet, but she washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.


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Because of her great giving to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return — I tell you, her many sins are forgiven. The person who has only a little need to be forgiven will only give himself a little to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return, when he is forgiven."


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The guests at the table began to think to themselves, "Who does Jesus think he is? How can he forgive sins?"


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Later, Jesus was traveling through each town and village. He was preaching and telling the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve delegates were with him.


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There were also some women with him. Jesus had healed these women of evil spirits and sicknesses. One of the women was Mary from a town called Magdala. Seven demons had come out of her.


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Also, there were: Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod Antipas’ business manager), Suzanna, and other women. These women used their own money to help Jesus and his delegates.


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"A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seeds fell along the road. People walked on the seeds, and the wild birds ate them up.


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Some seeds fell on rocky soil. They began to grow, but they died because they did not have any water.


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And some seeds fell on good soil. They grew and produced fruit a hundred times more." After saying these things, Jesus called out, "The person who has an ear to hear with should use it."


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And Jesus said, “You have been chosen to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. However, these secrets are given to other people in stories so that ‘They will see, but they won’t understand! They will hear, but they won’t understand!’


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Those along the road are the people who hear, but then the devil comes and takes away the message from their hearts so that those people cannot believe it and be saved.


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The seeds which fell on rocky soil are like the people who hear the message and accept it gladly, but they do not have deep roots. They believe for a while but, in time, temptation comes and they turn away from God.


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The seeds which fell among the thorny weeds are like the people who heard God’s message, but they are gradually choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of life. They never produce fruit.


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But the seeds which fell on good soil are like the people who, when they listen to the message with a good, honest heart, obey it and patiently produce fruit.’


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"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a basket or hides it underneath a bed. Instead, he puts the lamp on a table so that the people who come in will have enough light to see by.


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So be careful how you listen, because the person who has something will get more. But this will happen to the person who has almost nothing: even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him!"


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Jesus’ mother and brothers came to visit him. They could not get to him because there were so many people.


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Jesus answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those people who listen to God’s message and obey it!"


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One day Jesus and his students climbed into a boat. He said to them, "Let us go across the lake." And so they sailed.


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While they were sailing, Jesus was asleep. Then a big storm blew down on the lake. The boat began to fill with water. They were in danger.


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The students went to Jesus and woke him. They said, "Master! Master! We are going to drown!" Jesus woke up and gave an order to the wind and the waves. Everything stopped; the lake became calm.


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He asked his students, "Where is your faith?" The students were afraid and amazed. They asked each other, "What kind of man is this? Even wind and water obey him!"


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Jesus and his students sailed across the lake from the Galilee. They reached the land where the Gerasene people lived.


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When Jesus went ashore, a man from the town met him. This man was full of demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes. He was living in the tombs, not in a house.


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He had often been taken, put in jail, and tied with chains and shackles, but the man would always break the bonds and the demon inside him would force him to go out to the desert places. Then Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of this man. The man fell before Jesus and shouted, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, don’t punish me!"


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On that hill there was a large herd of pigs feeding. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs; so Jesus let them.


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Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd ran down the steep hill into the lake and drowned.


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Some men had been taking care of the pigs. When they saw what happened, they ran away. They told the story in the fields and in the town.


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People went out to see what had occurred. They came to Jesus and found the man sitting there at Jesus’ feet. The man had clothes on and he was in his right mind — the demons were gone. The people became afraid.


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The men who saw these things happen told the other people all about how Jesus had healed the man with demons.


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All the people of the surrounding Gerasene area asked Jesus to go away from them. They were all very frightened. So he climbed into a boat and went back to the Galilee.


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"Go back home and tell what God did for you." So the man went all over town telling what Jesus had done for him.


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A man named Jairus came too. He was a ruler of the house of worship. He bowed down at Jesus’ feet and kept begging him to come to his house.


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Jairus had only one daughter. She was twelve years old, and she was dying. While Jesus was going to Jairus’ house, the crowds were pressing in upon him.


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There was a woman who had a sore which had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all of her money on doctors but no one was able to heal her.


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Then Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" Everyone denied touching Jesus. Peter said, "Teacher, the people are all around you and they are pressing against you."


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When the woman saw that she could not hide, she came forward trembling. She bowed down before Jesus. While all the people listened, she told why she touched Jesus and how she was healed immediately.


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While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the worship ruler and said, "Your daughter has just died! Don’t bother the Teacher anymore."


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When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid! Just believe and your daughter will be well again."


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Jesus came to the house. He allowed only Peter, John, Jacob, and the girl’s father and mother to go with him. He did not allow anyone else inside.


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Everyone was crying and showing great sadness because of the girl. But Jesus said, "Stop crying, because she is not dead; she is only sleeping!"


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Her spirit came back into her and she stood up immediately. Jesus said, "Give her something to eat."


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Jesus called the twelve delegates together. He gave them authority over all demons and power to heal sicknesses.


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He said to them, "When you travel, don’t carry a walking staff. Also, don’t carry a bag, food, or money. Don’t even bring an extra set of clothes.


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If the people there won’t welcome you, go outside the town and shake off the dust from your feet. This will be a warning to them."


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So the delegates went out, traveling through each village. They told the Good News and healed people everywhere.


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Herod Antipas, the ruler, heard about all these things which were happening. He was confused, because some people said, "John has come back to life!"


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Others said, "Elijah has appeared!" And some others said, "One of the prophets from long ago has risen from death."


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Herod said, "I cut off John’s head. So who is this man I hear such things about?" Herod kept trying to see Jesus.


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The delegates came back. They told Jesus what they had done on their trip. Then Jesus took them away to a town called Bethsaida where they could be all alone.


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But the crowds found out where Jesus had gone and they followed him. Jesus welcomed them and began to talk with them about God’s kingdom. He healed the people who were sick.


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Late in the afternoon the twelve delegates came to Jesus and said, "No one lives here. Send the people away. They need to find food and places to sleep in the farms and small towns around here."


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But Jesus said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you want us to go buy some food for all these people?"


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(There were about 5,000 men there.) Jesus said to his students, "Have them sit down in groups of about 50."


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Then Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish. He looked up to heaven. Jesus thanked God for the food and divided it. Then he began giving the food to the students. The students gave it to the crowd.


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Everyone ate and was satisfied. They gathered up all the pieces of food which were left over. They filled twelve large baskets with them.


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One time when Jesus was all alone praying, his students came together. Jesus asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"


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The students answered, "Some people say you are John (the one who immersed people). Others say you are Elijah. And some people say you are one of the prophets from long ago who has come back to life."


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Then Jesus said to his students, "But who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are God’s Messiah."


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"I must suffer many things. I will be rejected by the Jewish elders, the most important priests, and the teachers of the law. I will be killed. However, after three days I will be raised from death."


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Jesus kept saying to all of them, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must carry his cross every day. He must say no to himself, and follow me.


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The person who wants to save his life will lose it, but every person who gives his life to others for me will save it.


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If a person is ashamed of me or my words, then I will be ashamed of him when I come with my glory and the glory of my Father and the holy angels.


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I am telling you the truth: there are some people standing here who will see the kingdom of God before they die!"


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After saying these things, about eight days later, Jesus took Peter, Jacob, and John and went up on top of a mountain to pray.


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While Jesus was praying, his appearance began to change. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.


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Moses and Elijah were shining brightly too. They were talking with Jesus about his death which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.


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Peter and the others were deep in sleep but they woke up and saw the glory of Jesus. They also saw the two men who were standing with Jesus.


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As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter said, "Teacher, it is good that we are here. We will set up three holy tents — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Peter didn’t know what he was saying.)


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While Peter was saying these things, a cloud came all around them. Peter, Jacob, and John became afraid when the cloud covered them.


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When the Voice finished, only Jesus was there. Peter, Jacob, and John said nothing. At that time they told no one about what they had seen.


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A man from the crowd cried out to Jesus, "Teacher, please come and look at my son. He is the only child I have.


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An evil spirit gets hold of my son and suddenly he shouts. He loses control of himself and he foams at the mouth. It hurts him and it will almost never leave him.


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Jesus answered, "You people are a generation with no faith. You are disobedient. How long must I be with you and put up with you?" Then Jesus said to the man, "Bring your son here."


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While the boy was coming, the demon threw him on the ground. The boy lost control of himself. Jesus gave a command to the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then Jesus gave him back to his father.


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All of the people were shocked at the great power of God. The people were still amazed about all of the things which Jesus was doing. Jesus said to his students,


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But the students did not know what Jesus meant. The meaning was hidden from them so that they couldn’t understand it, but they were afraid to ask Jesus about what he had said.


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Jesus understood what the argument was about. He knew what was in their hearts. So he took a little child and stood the child beside him.


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Then Jesus said to them, "The person who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. And when a person welcomes me, this person welcomes the One who sent me. The one who is the most humble among you is the most important person."


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John answered, "Teacher, we saw someone who was casting demons out by using your name. We kept telling him to stop because he is not one of your students as we are."


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The time was coming near when Jesus would leave and go back up to heaven. He traveled toward Jerusalem.


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Jesus sent some men ahead of him. The men went into a village in Samaria to make everything ready for Jesus.


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Jacob and John, the students of Jesus, saw this. They asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and burn up these people as Elijah did?"


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But Jesus turned and reprimanded them. Jesus answered, "You don’t know what kind of spirit that you have. The Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of men, but to save them."


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As they were all traveling along the road, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go!"


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Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes to live in. The wild birds have nests. I have no place where I may rest my head."


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Jesus said to another man, "Follow me!" But the man answered, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."


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But Jesus said to him, "Let the ‘dead’ bury their own dead! You must go and tell about the kingdom of God."


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Jesus said, "If anyone begins to plow a field but then looks back, he is not qualified for the kingdom of God."


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After this, the Lord Jesus chose 72 more men. He sent the men out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he was planning to go.


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Jesus said to them, “The harvest is great but there are not many workers. Pray that the Owner of the harvest will send more workers out into the harvest field.


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If a peaceful man lives there, your blessing of peace will stay upon him. However, if he is not peaceful, then your blessing of peace will come back upon you.


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Stay in the peaceful house. Eat and drink what the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don’t move from that house to stay in another house.


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But if you go into a town and the people don’t welcome you, then go out into the streets of that town and say:


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‘Even the dust from your town which sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But know this: the kingdom of God is very near!’"


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I tell you, on the Judgment Day, God will punish the people of that town more than He will punish the people of Sodom!


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"How horrible it will be for you, O town of Chorazin! How horrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! Many miracles have occurred in you. If these same miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, then those people in Tyre and Sidon would have changed their hearts and actions long ago.


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When a person listens to what you say, he is really listening to me. When a person rejects you, I am the one he is rejecting. When a person rejects me, he is actually rejecting the One who sent me."


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When the 72 men returned, they were very happy. They said, "Lord, when we used your name, even the demons obeyed us!"


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Listen! I have given you the authority to walk on dangerous snakes and scorpions — even more power than the enemy has. Nothing will ever hurt you!


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The evil spirits obey you. This is true, but don’t be happy for that reason. Instead, be happy because your names are written in heaven."


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In that hour the Holy Spirit made Jesus rejoice. Jesus said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise You because You have hidden these teachings from the ‘wise’ and ‘intelligent’ people, yet You reveal Your teachings to little children. Yes, Father, I praise You because this is what You really wanted to do.


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"My Father has given me all things. Only the Father knows who the Son is. And only the Son knows who the Father is. The only people who will know about the Father are those whom the Son chooses to tell."


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Then Jesus turned to his students who were there alone with him. Jesus said, "You are very blessed to see what you now see!


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I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you now see. And many prophets and kings wanted to hear what you now hear but they didn’t."


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Then a teacher of the law stood up. (He was trying to test Jesus.) He asked Jesus, "Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"


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The man answered, "‘You must give yourself to the Lord your God, for His good, expecting nothing in return, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.’ Also, ‘You must give yourself to your neighbor, for his good, expecting nothing in return, the same way you do to yourself.’"


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Jesus understood what the man meant. So Jesus said, “A man was going down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Some bandits surrounded him. They tore off his clothes and beat him up. Then they left him lying there on the ground. He was almost dead.


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By chance, a Jewish priest was going down that same road. When the priest saw the man, he just walked away.


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Next, a Levite came to the spot too. The Levite saw him but he went around him; he also walked away.


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A Samaritan man was traveling down the road. He came to the place where the man was lying. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him.


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The Samaritan went to him and poured olive oil and wine on his wounds. Then he bandaged the man’s wounds. “The Samaritan had a donkey. He put the man on his donkey and took him to an inn where he took care of him.


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The next day the Samaritan brought out two silver coins and gave them to the person who worked at the inn. The Samaritan said, ‘Take care of this man. If you spend any more money on him than this, I’ll pay you back when I return.’"


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Then Jesus said, "Which one of these three men do you think was a real neighbor to the one who was hurt by the thieves?"


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The teacher of the law answered, "The one who showed mercy to him." Jesus said to him, "Then you go and do the same thing!"


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While Jesus and his students were traveling, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him.


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Martha had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to his message but her sister Martha was doing the housework.


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Martha became angry because she had so much work to do. She went in and said, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to do all the housework? Tell her to help me!"


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But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things.


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Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice; and this will never be taken away from her."


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One time Jesus was somewhere praying. When he stopped, one of his students said to him, "John taught his students how to pray. Lord, please teach us how to pray too."


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Jesus said to them, "When you pray, pray like this: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, may Your name always be kept holy. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done in earth as in heaven.


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Forgive us of the sins we have committed because we, too, forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And don’t lead us into temptation, but rescue us from evil.’"


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Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house in the middle of the night and said to him, ‘A friend of mine has come into town to visit me but I have nothing for him to eat. Please give me three loaves of bread.’


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Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Go away! Don’t bother me! The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give it to you.’


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I tell you, perhaps friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread. However, he will surely get up to give you what you need because you are not ashamed to continue asking.


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So I tell you, continue asking and it will be given to you. Keep searching and you will find. Knock and the door will open for you.


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You will receive if you will always ask. You will find if you keep looking. And the door will open for you if you continue knocking.


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"Do any of you have a son? What would you do if your son asked you for a fish? Would any father give his son a snake? No, you would give him a fish.


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You are evil men, yet you know how to give good gifts to your children. Surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to those people who ask Him."


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One time Jesus was casting a demon out of a man who couldn’t talk. When the demon came out, the man was able to speak. The crowds were amazed.


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But some of the people said, "Jesus throws demons out by using the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of demons."


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But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, “Every kingdom which is divided against itself will be ruined. And a family that does not work together will break apart.


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So if Satan is fighting against himself, then he is divided. How could his kingdom stay together? You claim that I throw out demons by using the power of Beelzebub;


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but if I cast out demons by using the power of Beelzebub, than by whose power do your own sons cast them out? Because of this, your own people prove you are wrong.


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However, if it is true that I use the finger of God to cast out demons, then God’s kingdom has come upon you!


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But suppose a stronger man comes and defeats him. The stronger man will take away the weapons in which the first man had trusted to keep his house safe. Then the stronger man will keep the things he wants.


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"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. If the spirit does not find a place, it says, ‘I will go back to the house from which I came.’


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Then the evil spirit goes and brings seven other spirits worse than itself. They go into that man and live there. And that man has even more trouble than he had before."


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When Jesus said these things, a woman from the crowd spoke up, "Your mother, who gave birth to you and nursed you, must be very happy!"


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But Jesus said, "The people who hear the message of God and keep it are the ones who are truly happy!"


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The group of people grew larger and larger. Jesus said, “The people living today are evil. They ask for proof from God but no proof will be given to them except the Jonah miracle.


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Jonah’s coming was a warning to those people who lived in the city of Nineveh. It is the same with me. I am the warning to the people of this time.


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"The Queen of Sheba will rise up on the Judgment Day with the men of this time and she will condemn them. Why? Because she came a very long way to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, yet I am greater than Solomon!


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On the Judgment Day the men from the city of Nineveh will condemn the people of this time because when Jonah preached to them, they changed their hearts. I am greater than Jonah!


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"No one puts a light under a basket and hides it. Instead, a person puts the light on the table so that everyone who comes in may see.


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Your eye is like a lamp for the body. When your eye sees clearly, the whole body is made bright. However, if your eye is dark with sin, then your whole body is dark.


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If your whole body is bright, and none of it is dark, then you will shine brightly as lightning does."


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The Lord Jesus said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are greedy and full of evil.


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The next time you give to the poor people, give yourself (heart) too. Then you will be completely clean.


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"But it will be horrible for you, you Pharisees! It is true that you give God ten percent of everything you have. You even give Him ten percent of all the little plants in your gardens — mint, rue, or other seasoning herbs, but you forget to give to Him, for His good, expecting nothing in return, and you forget to be fair to other people. You should always tithe, but you must remember to do the more important things too.


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"It will be horrible for you, you Pharisees, because you give yourselves to things, to have the most important seats in the houses of worship. You give yourselves to feelings, to have the respect that people give you in the marketplaces.


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It will be horrible for you because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it."


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One of the teachers of the law said to Jesus, "Teacher, when you say these things about the Pharisees, you are insulting our group too."


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Jesus answered, “It will be horrible for you too, you teachers of the law! You put heavy loads on people which are hard for them to carry, but you yourselves don’t even begin to help people carry those loads.


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It will be horrible for you because you build tombs for the prophets, but these are the same prophets whom your ancestors killed!


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And now you show everyone that you agree with what your fathers did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for the prophets!


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"This is why the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send prophets and delegates to them. Some of my prophets and delegates will be killed by evil men. Others will be hunted down.’


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But you people will have to answer for the deaths of all the prophets who were killed since the beginning of the world.


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You will have to answer for everything from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah. (Zechariah was killed between the altar and the temple.)


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It will be horrible for you, you teachers of the law! You have hidden the key to learning about God. You yourselves would not learn and you also stopped others from learning."


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As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to give him a lot of trouble. They asked Jesus questions about many things.


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They hoped that Jesus would say something wrong. They were trying to trap him with something that he might say.


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Many thousands of people came together. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus began to speak to the people, he said to his students, "Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees — they act as if they are good men, but they are not.


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The things you say in the dark will be heard in the light. The things you whisper in secret rooms will be proclaimed from the tops of houses."


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"I tell you, my children, don’t be afraid of people. People can kill the body but, after that, they can do nothing more to hurt you.


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I will show you the One for whom to have awesome respect. You should have awesome respect for God who has authority over you to throw you into hell after you die. Yes, I tell you, He is the One you should have awesome respect for.


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Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.


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"I tell you, if anyone says he believes in me in front of other people, then I will speak for him in front of the angels of God.


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If a person says something against me, he may be forgiven. However, a person who says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.


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"When people bring you into the houses of worship before the leaders and other men with authority, don’t worry about how you will answer their questions. Don’t worry about what you will say.


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One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to share my father’s money with me!"


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Then Jesus said to them, "Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A person’s life is not measured by the things he owns."


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The rich man was thinking to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place in which to keep all my crops.’


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Then the rich man said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones! I will put together all of my wheat and good things in my new barns.


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Then I can say to myself, "I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate!".’


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But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So what about the things you prepared? Who will own those things now?’


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Jesus said to his students, "I say this to you because you shouldn’t worry about what you will eat to stay alive. You shouldn’t worry about what clothes you will wear.


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You shouldn’t worry, because life is more important than food. The body is more important than clothes.


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"Notice the birds: they don’t plant seeds or harvest them. Birds do not store their food in barns, yet God takes care of them. And you are worth so much more than birds.


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Notice how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you, even Solomon, with all his beautiful clothes, was not dressed as well as one of these flowers.


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Why do you have so little faith? Look at how well God clothes the grass in the fields, but the grass is here today and thrown into the oven tomorrow to be burned. Wouldn’t God dress you so much better? You are much more important than the grass in the fields. Don’t have so little faith!


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Sell the things you have and give that money to people who need it. Money does not last so don’t trust in it. Let your riches be the treasure which is in heaven where it will never be stolen or destroyed.


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Be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The slaves open the door for the master.


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Those slaves will be blessed when their master comes home because he sees that his slaves are ready for him. I am telling you the truth: the master will dress for work and tell the slaves to sit at the table. Then the master will come and serve them.


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Those slaves might have to wait all night long for their master, but they will be happy when their master comes in and finds them still waiting.


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"Pay attention to this: suppose a man has a house. If the man knew the exact time a thief would come to rob him, the man would not allow the thief to break into his house.


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The Lord Jesus said, “Well, who is the wise and trusted servant? Who is the servant whom the master can choose to take care of the master’s family and the other servants, to give out the proper amount of food at the right time?


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"But if that slave thinks that his master will not come back soon, then he will begin to beat the other slaves, both men and women. He will also eat too much and get drunk.


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Then the master of that slave will come when he is not ready, at a time when he is not expecting the master. Then the master will punish him and send him away. This is what the master does to all of the slaves he cannot trust.


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That slave knew what his master wanted him to do but he didn’t try to do it. So he will be punished with a hard whipping!


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What about the slave who didn’t know what his master wanted? Although the slave did things which deserve punishment, he will get less punishment. Any person who has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the person who has been given more.


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A father and son will be divided: the son will be against his father; the father will be against his son. A mother and her daughter will be divided: the daughter will be against her mother; the mother will be against her daughter. A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law will be divided: the daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law; the mother-in-law will be against her daughter-in-law."


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Then Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see clouds in the west growing bigger, immediately you say, ‘A rainstorm is coming.’ And soon it starts to rain.


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When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And it happens.


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You hypocrites! You can understand the weather but you don’t know the importance of what is happening now.


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"When a person is suing you, and you are going with him to court, try hard to settle it on the way to court. If you don’t, then he may take you to the judge, and the judge will throw you in jail.


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At that time some people came to Jesus. They told Jesus about what had happened to some people from the Galilee: Pilate had killed those people while they were worshipping, mixing their own blood with the blood of the animals that they were sacrificing.


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Jesus answered, "Do you think this happened to those Galileans because they were more sinful than all others from the Galilee?


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No, they were not! However, I am telling you, if all of you don’t change your hearts, then you will be destroyed as they were!


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What about those 18 people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think those people were more sinful than all others who live in Jerusalem?


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They were not! But I tell you, if all of you don’t change your hearts, then you will be destroyed too!"


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Jesus gave this example: “A man had a fig tree. He planted the tree in his field. The man came looking for some fruit on the tree but he found none.


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So the man said to his servant who took care of the field, ‘Listen, I have been looking for fruit on this fig tree for three years but I never find any. Chop it down! Why should it waste the ground?’


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But the servant answered, ‘Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some fertilizer.


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Perhaps the tree will yield fruit next year. If it still does not produce, then you can chop it down.’"


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In that house of worship there was a woman who had a spirit that made her sick for 18 years. Her back was always bent; she couldn’t stand up straight.


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The house of worship leader was angry because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day. The leader began to say to the crowds, "There are six days for work, so come to be healed on one of those days. Do not come for healing on the Sabbath day!"


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The Lord Jesus answered, "You hypocrites! All of you untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and lead them to drink water every day — even on the Sabbath day!


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This woman whom I healed is our Jewish sister but Satan has held her for 18 years. Why can’t she be untied from her sickness on the Sabbath day?"


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When Jesus said this, all the people who were opposing him felt ashamed of themselves. The whole crowd was happy. They were thanking God for the wonderful things Jesus was doing.


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God’s kingdom is like the seed of the mustard plant. A person plants this seed in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a large tree. The wild birds build nests among its branches."


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"Try hard to get through the narrow door! I tell you, many people will try to get in, but most of them won’t be strong enough to enter.


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If a man locks the door of his house, then you can stand outside and knock on the door but he won’t open it. You can say, ‘Master! Open the door for us!’ But the man will answer, ‘I don’t know where you come from!’


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Then he will say to you, ‘Where do you come from? I don’t know you. Go away from me! All of you are troublemakers!’


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You will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all of the prophets in God’s kingdom, but you won’t be allowed to come in. Then you will scream and grind your teeth.


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People will come from the east, west, north, and south. They will sit down at the table in the kingdom of God.


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Those who seem as though they are not important now will be important at that time. Those who seem important now will not be important then."


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At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Go away from here and hide! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!"


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Jesus said to them, "Go tell that fox: ‘Listen, today and tomorrow I am throwing out demons and finishing my work of healing. Then the next day the work will be finished.


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"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You killed the prophets. God sent you His men but you stoned them to death. I have often wanted to gather up your people like a hen gathers her baby chicks under her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.


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Listen! Your house is completely empty. I tell you, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Praise be to the one who is coming with the authority of the Lord God.’"


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During a Sabbath day Jesus went to the home of an important Pharisee to eat with him. The Pharisees were all watching Jesus very closely.


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Jesus asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, "Is it right or wrong to heal on the Sabbath day?"


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Jesus said to them, "If your son or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, you know that you would quickly pull him out."


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Then Jesus noticed that some of the guests were choosing the best places to sit. So Jesus gave this example:


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"When a person invites you to a wedding, don’t sit in the most important seat. He may have invited someone more important than you.


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If you do sit in the most important seat, then the one who invited you may come to you and say, ‘Give this man your seat!’ Then you will start to move down to the last place. And you will be very embarrassed.


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Instead, when a person invites you, go sit in the seat which is least important. The one who invited you will come to you and say, ‘Friend, move up here to a more important seat!’ Then all of the other guests will respect you.


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Every person who acts as if he is important will be made ashamed, but every person who truly humbles himself will be made important."


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Then Jesus said to the Pharisee who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, don’t invite only your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. They will just invite you back to eat with them. Then you will have your reward.


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Then you will be happy because these people cannot pay you back. They have nothing. However, you will be rewarded when those being made right rise from death."


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One of the men at the table with Jesus heard these things. The man said to Jesus, "A person who eats bread in God’s kingdom will be very happy!"


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When it was time to eat, the man sent his slave to tell the guests, saying, ‘Come! Dinner is ready!’


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But all the guests said they couldn’t come. Each man gave an excuse. The first man said to him, ‘I have just bought a field; I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’


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Another man said, ‘I have just bought five pair of oxen; I must go and try them out. Please excuse me.’


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"So the slave returned. He told his master what had happened. Then the master became angry and said, ‘Hurry! Go into the streets and alleys of the town. Bring me the poor people, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’


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Later, the slave said to him, ‘Master, I did what you told me to do, but we still have room for more people!’


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The master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads. Make them come. I want my house to be full!


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"If someone comes to me, yet that person prefers his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters more than he prefers me, he cannot be my student. A person must prefer me more than he prefers himself!


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"If you wanted to build a building, you would sit down first and add up how much it would cost to see if you had enough money to finish the job.


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If you didn’t do that, you might begin the work but you wouldn’t be able to finish it. Then all of the people watching you would laugh at you.


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"If a king is going to fight against another king, first he will sit down and plan. If the king has only 10,000 men, he will see if he is able to defeat the other king who is opposing him with 20,000 men.


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If he cannot defeat the other king, then he will send a group of men to ask for terms of peace from the other king while he is far away.


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In the same way all of you must first count the cost. You must give up everything you have for me. If you don’t, you cannot be my student!


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"Salt is a good thing but if the salt loses its salty taste, then it is no good. You cannot make it salty again.


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You can’t even use it for dirt or fertilizer. People just throw it away. The person who has ears to hear with should use them!"


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Then the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain, "This man welcomes sinners! He even eats with them!"


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"Suppose a man has 100 sheep but he loses one of them. He will leave the other 99 sheep in the open country, and go out and look for the lost one. The man will continue to search for the lost sheep until he finds it.


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He goes to his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I found my lost sheep!’


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I tell you, there is much joy in heaven when one sinner changes his heart. There is more joy for that one sinner than there is for 99 good people who don’t need to change their hearts.


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"Suppose a woman has ten silver coins but she loses one of them. The woman gets a light and sweeps the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it.


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And when she finds the lost coin, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin which I lost!’


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In the same way, I tell you, there will be joy before the angels of God when one sinner changes his heart."


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The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my part of all our holdings!’ So the father divided the property with his two sons.


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Not long afterward the younger son gathered up all that he had and left. He traveled far away to another country. There the son wasted his money like a fool;


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he spent everything he had. Then the land became very dry and it did not rain. There was not enough food to eat anywhere in that country. He began to starve.


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So he went and got a job with one of the important men of that country. The man sent him into the fields to feed pigs.


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The boy was so hungry that he wanted to stuff himself with the food which the pigs were eating. No one was giving him anything.


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"Finally, the boy realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food; yet here I am about to die because I have nothing to eat.


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I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him: "Father, I sinned against God and in front of you.


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So the son got up and went to his father. “While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. He felt sorry for his son. So the father ran to him. He hugged and kissed his son.


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The son said, ‘Father, I sinned against God and in front of you. I’m not worthy to be called your son anymore.’


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But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe and dress him. Put a ring on his finger and good shoes on his feet too.


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My son was dead, but now he is alive again. He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to celebrate.


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"The older son was in the field. As he came closer to the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.


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The servant said, ‘Your brother has come back. Your father killed the fattened calf for him to eat. Your father was happy because your brother came back home safely!’


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The older son was angry and wouldn’t go inside to join the party so his father went out to beg him to come in.


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But the son said to his father, ‘Look, I have served you like a slave for many years! I have obeyed every one of your commands but you never even killed a goat for me so that I could have a party with my friends.


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But this other son of yours has wasted all of your money on whores. Then he comes home and you kill the fattened calf for him!’


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We must be happy and celebrate, because your brother was dead but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found!’"


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Jesus said to his students, “Once there was a rich man who hired a manager to take care of his business. Later the rich man learned that his manager was cheating him.


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So he called in the manager and said to him, ‘I have heard some bad things about you. Give me a report of what you have done with my money. You’re fired!’


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Later, the manager thought to himself, ‘What will I do? My master is taking my job away from me! I’m not strong enough to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.


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I know what I will do! I will do something so that, when I lose my job, other people will welcome me into their homes.’ “So the manager called in each person who owed the master some money. He said to the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’


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The man answered, ‘I owe him 100 barrels of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Here is your bill; hurry, sit down and change it to 50 barrels.’


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Then the manager said to another man, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The man answered, ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat.’ Then the manager said to him, ‘Here is your bill; change it to 800 bushels.’


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The master learned about this later. The master thought the dishonest manager had done a shrewd thing. Worldly people use their knowledge about worldly things better than spiritual people do.


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"I ask you, should you make friends for yourselves with dishonest money? When the money is all gone, can they welcome you into homes which last forever?


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I tell you, if a person can be trusted with small things, he may also be trusted with big things. If a person is dishonest in little things, then he will be dishonest in big things too.


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And if you cannot be trusted with the things which belong to someone else, then no one will give you things for yourself.


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"No slave can serve two masters at the same time. The slave will give himself to one, for his good, expecting nothing in return, over the other. Or, he will be more loyal to one and look down on the other. You cannot be a slave for God and Money at the same time."


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The Pharisees were listening to all these things. They were criticizing Jesus, because they all loved money.


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Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You make yourselves look good in front of people but God knows what is really in your hearts. The things which are very important to people are worthless to God.


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"Until the time of John there was the law and the prophets. Since then, the Good News about the kingdom of God is being told. Everyone is trying hard to get into the kingdom of God.


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If a man divorces his wife and marries another woman, he is committing unlawful sexual intercourse. And the man who marries a divorced woman is also committing unlawful sexual intercourse."


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Jesus said, “There was a rich man who always dressed up in the finest clothes. He was so rich that he was able to feast and have a party every day.


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There was also a beggar named Lazarus. His body was covered with sores. He was often put at the rich man’s gate.


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Lazarus only wanted to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, the dogs came and licked his sores!


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"After a while, Lazarus died. The angels took Lazarus and placed him in the arms of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.


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He was sent to Hades and was in much pain. The rich man saw Abraham far away with Lazarus in his arms.


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He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to me so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am suffering in this fire!’


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But Abraham said, ‘My child, do you remember when you lived on earth? You had all the good things in life but all the bad things happened to Lazarus. Now he is comforted here and you are suffering.


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Also there is a great canyon set up between you and us. No one can cross over to help you; and no one can come over here from there.’


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I have five brothers. Lazarus could warn my brothers so that they won’t come to this place of pain.’


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But the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham! If only someone could come back to them from death, then they would change their hearts.’


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But Abraham said to him, ‘No! If your brothers won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, then they wouldn’t be persuaded by anyone who might come back from death!’"


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Jesus said to his students, “Things will surely occur which will cause people to sin, but it will be horrible for the person who causes this to happen.


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If he causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better for him to drown with a big rock tied to his neck.


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If your brother does something wrong to you seven times in one day, but each time he says that he is sorry, then you should forgive him."


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The Lord said, “If your faith were the size of the seed of the mustard plant, then you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Dig yourself up and plant yourself in the sea!’ and the tree would obey you."


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"Suppose one of you has a slave who has been working in the field, plowing the ground or caring for the sheep. When the slave comes in, what would you say to him? Would you say, ‘Hurry, come in! Sit down to eat!’?


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No, you would say this to your slave: ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Then get dressed up and serve me. When I finish eating and drinking, then you may eat.’


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The slave does not get any special thanks for doing his job. He is only doing what his master told him to do.


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It is the same with you too. When you do all of the things you are told to do, you should think: ‘We are not good slaves; we have only done our duty and nothing more.’"


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He came into a village. Ten men met him there. These men did not come close to Jesus because they all had leprosy.


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When Jesus saw the men, he said, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As the ten men were going to the priests, they were healed.


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When one of the men saw that he had been healed, he went back to Jesus and praised God with a loud voice.


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Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the kingdom of God come?" Jesus answered, “God’s kingdom is not coming in such a way that you will be able to watch it.


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People will not say, ‘Look, God’s kingdom is here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ No, God’s kingdom is inside of you."


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Then Jesus said to his students, “The time will come when you will want very much to re-live one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not be able to.


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People will say to you, ‘Look, there it is!’ or, ‘Look, here it is!’ Stay where you are; don’t go away and search."


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In the time of Noah, people were eating, drinking, getting married, and giving their daughters away in marriage — even on the day when Noah entered the ship. Then the flood came and killed everyone else.


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"It will be just like it was in the time of Lot. Those people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building houses.


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The people were doing these things even on the day when Lot left Sodom. Then fire and sulfur rained down from the sky and killed them all.


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On that day if a man is on his roof, he won’t have time to go inside and get his things. If a man is in the field, he must not go back home.


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The person who tries to save his life will lose it, but the person who gives his life to others will save it.


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"I tell you, when I come again, there may be two men sleeping in one room: one man will be taken and the other man will be left.


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The students asked Jesus, "Where will this be, Lord?" Jesus answered, "People can always tell where a dead body is; they can see the vultures gathering."


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"Once there was a judge in a town. He didn’t respect God. The judge didn’t care what people thought about him, either.


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In that same town there was a woman who was a widow. The woman was always coming to this judge and saying, ‘There is a man who is trying to ruin me. Give me my rights!’


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The judge didn’t want to help the woman. However, after a long time the judge thought to himself, ‘Even though I don’t respect God, and I don’t care what people think,


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this woman is beginning to bother me. If I give her what she wants, then she will leave me alone. If I don’t give her what she wants, she will keep coming back until I get sick!’"


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"God’s chosen people cry out to Him night and day. God will always give them what is right; He will not be slow to answer His people.


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I am telling you, God will soon help His people! Nevertheless, when I come again, will I find people on earth who have faith in me?


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There were some people who were sure that they were being made right on their own. They acted as if they were better than other people." Jesus gave this example to teach:


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"Once there was a Pharisee and a tax collector. They both went up into the temple courtyard one day to pray.


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The Pharisee stood there alone. He was praying like this: ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like other people. I am not like men who steal, cheat, commit unlawful sexual intercourse, or even like this tax collector.


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The tax collector stood alone too. However, when he prayed, he wouldn’t even look up to heaven. The tax collector felt very humble before God. He said, ‘O God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner!’


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I am telling you, when this man went back home, he had been made upright with God. The Pharisee was not right with God. Every person who acts as if he is important will be made ashamed, but every person who humbles himself will be made very important."


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Some people were bringing their small children to Jesus so that he could touch them. When his students saw this, they told the people not to do this.


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But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his students, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children.


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But I will answer your question. You know the commands: ‘You must not commit unlawful sexual intercourse.’, ‘You must not commit murder.’, ‘You must not steal.’, ‘You must not lie.’, ‘You must honor and obey your father and mother…’"


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When Jesus heard that, he said to the leader, "But there is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and distribute it to the poor people. Then you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me!"


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When Jesus saw that the man was very sad, he said, "It will be so hard for people with a lot of money to enter the kingdom of God!


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It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!"


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Jesus said, "I am telling you the truth: every person who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of God’s kingdom


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Then Jesus took the twelve delegates aside. He said to them, "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything which God told the prophets to write about me will take place!


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The Jewish people will turn against me and give me to the non-Jewish men. They will laugh at me and spit on me, and insult me.


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The delegates tried to understand this but they could not; the meaning was hidden from them. They did not know what Jesus was talking about.


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Jesus came near the city of Jericho. There was a blind man sitting beside the road. The man was begging people for money.


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The people who were in front leading the group told the blind man to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David! Take pity on me!"


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Jesus stopped there and said, "Bring that man to me!" When the blind man came near, Jesus asked him,


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Immediately the man was able to see again. He followed Jesus, giving glory to God. All of the people who saw this praised God for what had occurred.


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He wanted to see Jesus, but there were also many other people and Zacchaeus was too short to see over them.


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So he ran ahead to a place where he knew Jesus would pass. Then he climbed a sycamore-fig tree so that he could see Jesus.


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When Jesus came to that spot, he looked up. Jesus said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry! Come down! I must stay at your house today!"


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All of the people saw this. They began to complain, saying, "Look at the type of person Jesus stays with. Zacchaeus is a sinner!"


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Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord Jesus, "Lord, I am now giving half of my money to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I am now paying him back four times more!"


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Jesus traveled closer to Jerusalem. Some of the people thought that God’s kingdom would soon appear. Jesus knew that the people thought this so, while the people were listening to these things, he continued with a story:


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"A very important man was preparing to go to a far away country to be made a king. After that the man planned to return home and rule.


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So the man called ten of his slaves together. He gave a gold coin to each slave. The man said, ‘Do business with this money until I come back.’


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But the people in his kingdom hated the man, so the people sent a group of their own men to follow the man to the other country. There these men said, ‘We don’t want that man to rule over us!’


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"However, he did become king. When he came home, he said, ‘Call those slaves who have my money. I want to know how much more money they earned with it.’


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The king said to the slave, ‘Fine! You are a good slave. I see that I can trust you with small things. So now I will let you have authority over ten of my cities!’


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Then the next slave came in. The slave said to the king, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin. I hid it in a piece of cloth.


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I was afraid of you; you are a hard man. You take money which you didn’t earn and gather food you didn’t even grow!’


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Then the king said to the slave, ‘You evil slave! I will use your own words to condemn you. You said that I am a hard man. You said I take money which I didn’t earn and gather food I didn’t even grow.


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If this is true, then you should have put my money in the bank. Then after I came back, my money would have earned some interest.’


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"The king said to the men who were watching, ‘Take the gold coin away from this slave and give it to the slave who earned ten coins.’


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The king said, ‘The person who uses what he has will get more, but the person who doesn’t use what he has will have everything taken away from him!’


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"‘Now, where are my enemies? Where are the people who didn’t want me to rule over them? Bring my enemies here and kill them. I will watch them die!’"


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He came near to Bethphage and Bethany, villages close to the Hill of Olives. Jesus sent two of his students on ahead.


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He said, "Go into that village over there. You will find a young donkey tied there that has not been ridden. Untie it and bring it to me here.


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The students untied the donkey, but its owners came out. They asked the students, "Why are you untying our donkey?"


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Then the students brought it to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on the donkey’s back. Then they helped Jesus get on top of it.


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While Jesus was riding along the road toward Jerusalem, the students were spreading their robes on the road in front of him.


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Jesus was coming close to Jerusalem. He was already near the bottom of the Hill of Olives. The whole group of students were happy. They were very excited and they praised God for all the powerful things they had seen. They said,


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"Give praise to this king who is coming with the authority of the Lord God! Let there be peace in heaven and glory to God!"


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From the crowd some of the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell your students not to say such things!"


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But Jesus answered, "I am telling you, these things must be said. If my students don’t say them, then these very stones will shout!"


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Jesus spoke to Jerusalem, "I wish you knew today what would bring you peace but it is hidden from your eyes!


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A time is coming when your enemies will build a wall around you. Your enemies will hold you in on all sides.


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They will completely destroy you and all of your children. Not one stone will remain on top of another. All this will happen because you didn’t know the time when God came to save you."


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Jesus went into the temple courtyard. He began to throw out the people who were selling things there.


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Jesus said, "It is written, ‘My house will be a place for praying.’ But you have changed it into a hiding place for thieves!"


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Every day, Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. The most important priests, the teachers of the law, and some of the leaders of the people were trying to kill Jesus,


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but they didn’t know how they could do it because all of the people were listening closely to Jesus. The people were very interested in what Jesus had to say.


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One day Jesus was in the temple courtyard teaching the people. Jesus told them the Good News. The most important priests, teachers of the law, and Jewish elders came.


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They said to Jesus, "Tell us! What sort of authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"


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They all talked about this. They said to each other, "If we answer, ‘From God’, then Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe John?’


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But if we say, ‘It was from man’, then all of the people will stone us to death, because they believe John was a prophet."


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Then Jesus began to give this example to the people: “A man planted a vineyard. He rented the land to some farmers. Then he went away on a trip for a long time.


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At harvest time the man sent a slave to those farmers. They were supposed to give the owner of the land some of the grapes, but the farmers beat the slave and sent him away with nothing.


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So the man sent a different slave. They also beat this slave. They showed no respect for him and sent the slave away with nothing.


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The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What will I do now? I will send my son, to whom I give myself. Perhaps the farmers will show respect for him!’


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When the farmers saw the son, they began to think to themselves, ‘This is the owner’s son. If we kill him, then this field will be ours!’


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So the farmers forced the son out of the field and killed him. “What do you think the owner of this field will do to those farmers?


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He will come and destroy them! After that, he will give the field to some other farmers." The people heard this story. They said, "No! May this never happen!"


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But Jesus looked into their eyes and said, "Then what does this verse mean: ‘The stone that the builders did not want became the cornerstone.’?


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The Jewish leaders heard this. They knew that this story was about them. They wanted to arrest Jesus right then but they were afraid of what the people would do to them if they did.


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So the teachers and priests waited for the right time. They sent some men to Jesus and told them to act as if they were good men. They wanted to find something wrong with the words that Jesus said. (If they found anything wrong, then they could hand Jesus over to the high priest and the governor to be punished.)


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So the men asked Jesus, "Teacher, we know what you say and teach is right. You don’t care how important or unimportant a person is. You always teach the truth about God’s way.


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Jesus said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s. And give to God the things which belong to God."


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The men were amazed at his wise answer; they could say nothing. The men were not able to trick Jesus in front of the people.


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Some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no one will rise from death.) They asked Jesus,


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"Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a married man dies and he did not have children, his brother must marry the widow. Then they will have children for the dead brother.


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Then the second brother also married her and he died. They also had no children. The same thing happened with all the other brothers.


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Some people will be declared worthy enough to be raised from death and live again after this life. However, in that life they will not marry or be given in marriage.


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They cannot die anymore because they will be like angels. When they rise from death, they will be the children of God.


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Moses clearly showed that people are raised from death. When Moses wrote about the burning bush, he said that the Lord is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.


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This means that the Lord God is not a God of dead people; He is the God of people who are alive! To God, everyone is alive."


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"Watch out for the teachers of the law. They want to walk around wearing clothes which make them look important. They like the greetings of respect which people give them in the marketplaces. They always want the most important seats in the houses of worship and the best seats at the dinners,


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but they cheat widows and steal their homes. Then they make themselves look good by saying long prayers. Because of all this, God will punish these men so much more."


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The rich people have plenty; they only gave what they didn’t need, but this woman gave everything she had. She needed that money to live on."


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Some of the students were talking about the temple. They said, "This is a beautiful temple. It has the best stones. Look at the many good gifts which have been offered to God!" But Jesus said,


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"The time will come when everything you see here will be destroyed. Not one stone will stay on top of another. This will be completely destroyed!"


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Some students asked Jesus, "Teacher, when will these things occur? How will we know when it is the time for these things to happen?"


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Jesus said, “Be careful! Don’t be fooled. Many people will come to you using my name. They will say, ‘I am the one!’ and, ‘The right time has come near!’ But don’t believe them.


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When you hear about wars and riots, don’t be afraid. These things must happen first. The end will come later."


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Then Jesus said to them, “One country will fight against another country. Kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms.


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There will be great earthquakes, sicknesses, and other terrible things in many places. In some places there will be no food for the people. Great wonders and amazing proofs will come from heaven.


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But before all of these things happen, men will arrest you and persecute you. They will hand you over to their house of worship courts and throw you in jail. Men will lead you to kings and governors because you are associated with my name.


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I will give you the ability to speak well with much wisdom. None of your enemies will be able to show that you are wrong.


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Even your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends will turn against you. They will have some of you put to death.


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"You will see armies all around Jerusalem. Then you will know that the time for the destruction of Jerusalem is very near.


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At that time the ones in Judea should run away to the mountains. Those inside Jerusalem must leave quickly. If you are near the city, don’t go in!


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The prophets wrote many things about the time when God will punish His people. This is the time when all of these things must occur.


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"At that time it will be horrible for pregnant women and nursing mothers because very hard times will come to this land. God will be angry with the Jewish people.


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Some of the people will be killed by soldiers. Other people will be made prisoners and taken to every nation. The holy city of Jerusalem will be walked on by people of the world until their time is completed.


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Amazing things will occur with the sun, moon, and stars. On earth, people without God will feel trapped. The oceans will be upset and the people will not know why.


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Men will become so afraid that they will faint. They will be very worried about the things which will happen to the whole world. The powers in the universe will be moved.


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When these things begin to happen, don’t be afraid. Stand straight and lift up your heads! The time is near when God will save you!"


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In the same way you will see all of these amazing things occur. Then you will know that God’s kingdom is coming very soon.


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I am telling you the truth: all of these things will occur while the people of this time are still alive!


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Be careful! Otherwise your hearts will become burdened with drinking, getting drunk, and the worries of this life. That day may come suddenly when you are not ready.


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So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be strong enough to endure all of these things when they occur and to stand before me."


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During the day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. At night he went out of the city and stayed all night on the Hill of Olives.


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The most important priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a way to kill Jesus but they were afraid of the people.


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He went off and talked with the most important priests and some of the soldiers who guarded the temple. Judas talked to them about a plan he had to hand Jesus over to them.


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Judas said, "Yes." He waited for the best time to give Jesus to them — when there was no crowd around to see it.


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The day came for the Passover Feast. This was the day when the priests sacrificed the Passover lambs.


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"Listen! After you go into Jerusalem, you will see a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him. He will go into a house. Go inside with him.


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"Say this to the owner of that house: ‘The Teacher asks that you please show us the room where the Teacher and his students may eat the Passover Feast.’


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So Peter and John left. Everything happened just as Jesus had told them. Then they prepared the Passover meal.


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I tell you, I will never eat another Passover meal until it is given its true meaning in the kingdom of God."


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Then Jesus took a cup. He gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, "Take this cup and give it to everyone here.


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Then Jesus took bread and gave thanks. He broke off some of the bread and gave it to them. Then he said, "This bread is my body which I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me."


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In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, "This cup is God’s new covenant in my blood which is being poured out for you."


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But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the nations rule over their people. Men who have authority over other people are called ‘benefactors’.


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But you must not think that way. The greatest person among you should be like the younger person. Leaders should be like servants.


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Who is more important? A man who is sitting at the table or the one who is serving him? You may think it is the one sitting at the table but I am like a servant among you!


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In my kingdom you will eat and drink at my table. You will sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel."


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I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! When you come back to me, help your brothers be stronger."


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But Jesus said, "Peter, I tell you, before the rooster crows in the morning, you will say that you don’t even know me three different times!"


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Then Jesus said to the delegates, "I sent you to preach to the people without a bag, money, or extra shoes. Did you need anything?" The delegates said, "Nothing."


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Jesus said to them, "But now if you have a bag or money, carry that with you. If you don’t have a sword, sell your robe and buy one.


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The Scripture says: ‘They classed him with the criminals.’ I tell you, this verse must come true; it was written about me, and it is being fulfilled now."


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Jesus went out of Jerusalem to the Hill of Olives. His students went with him. (Jesus often went there.) He said to his students, "Pray for strength against temptation."


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"Father, if it is in Your plan, then take this cup of suffering away from me. However, what You want is more important than what I want."


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Jesus was full of deep concern; he struggled hard in prayer. Sweat dripped from his face to the ground as though he were bleeding.


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When Jesus finished praying, he went to his students. They were asleep. (Their sadness had made them very tired.)


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While Jesus was speaking, a crowd came. One of the twelve delegates was leading them. His name was Judas. He came near Jesus so that he could give him the kiss of friendship.


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The delegates of Jesus were standing there too. They saw what was going to happen. They asked him, "Lord, shall we use our swords?"


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A group came to arrest Jesus. They were the important Jewish priests, the Jewish elders, and the soldiers who guarded the temple. Jesus asked them, "Why did you come out here with swords and sticks? Do you think I am a criminal?


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I was with you every day in the temple courtyard. Why didn’t you try to arrest me there? But this is your time — the time when darkness rules."


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They arrested Jesus and took him away. They brought him into the high priest’s house. Peter was following from a distance.


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Because of the light from the fire, a servant girl saw Peter sitting there. The girl looked closely at Peter’s face. Then she said, "This man was also with Jesus!"


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After a little while, a different person saw Peter and said, "You are one of the men who follow Jesus too." But Peter said, "Sir, I am not!"


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About an hour later, another man kept insisting, "It is true! This man was with Jesus. He is from the Galilee!"


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But Peter said, "Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!" Immediately, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed.


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Then the Lord Jesus turned and looked into Peter’s eyes. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him: "Before the rooster crows in the morning, you will say that you don’t even know me three times."


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Some men were guarding Jesus. This is the way they made fun of Jesus: they covered his eyes so that he couldn’t see them. Then they hit him on the face and said, "Prophesy for us! Let God tell you which one of us hit you!"


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When morning came, the elders of the people, the most important priests, and the teachers of the law came together. They led Jesus away to the Jewish Council.


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They said, "Since you are the Messiah, tell us that you are!" Jesus said to them, "If I were to tell you I am the Messiah, you would not believe me.


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They began to accuse Jesus. They said, "We caught this man telling things which were confusing our people. He says we should stop paying taxes to Caesar. He calls himself the Messiah, a king."


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They said again and again, "But Jesus is making trouble with the people! He teaches all over Judea. He began in the Galilee and now he is here!"


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Pilate learned that Jesus was under the authority of Herod Antipas. Herod was in Jerusalem at that time so Pilate sent Jesus to him.


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When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. Herod had heard all about Jesus. For a long time, he had wanted to meet Jesus. Herod wanted to see a miracle. He was hoping that Jesus would work one.


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The important priests and teachers of the law stood there. They continued to accuse Jesus. They were very excited.


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Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at Jesus. They made fun of him by dressing him in royal clothes. Then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.


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In the past, Pilate and Herod had always been enemies, but on that day Herod and Pilate became friends.


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He said to them, "You brought this man Jesus to me. You said he was making trouble among the people. But listen, I judged him before all of you. I found nothing wrong with him. Jesus is not guilty of the things you are saying against him.


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Herod Antipas found nothing wrong with him either; he sent him back to us. Look, Jesus has done nothing wrong. He shouldn’t be killed.


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(Barabbas was a man who was thrown into prison because of a riot which took place in the city and for murder.)"


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A third time Pilate said to them, "Why? What crime has Jesus done? He is not guilty. I can find no reason to kill him. So I will set him free, after I give him a little punishment."


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But the people continued to yell. They demanded that Jesus be killed on a cross. Their yelling became so loud that


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Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. The people wanted Barabbas to go free. (Barabbas was the man who had been thrown into jail because of a riot. He was a murderer.) Pilate let Barabbas go free, but Pilate gave them Jesus to be killed. This is what the people wanted.


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The soldiers led Jesus away to be killed. At that same time there was a man coming into the city from the fields. His name was Simon. He was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross and to walk behind Jesus.


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A very large crowd was following Jesus. Some of the women were crying and mourning for Jesus. They felt so sorry for him,


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but Jesus turned and said to the women, "Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me — cry for yourselves and also for your children!


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Listen, the time is coming when people will say, ‘Happy are the women who cannot have babies! Happy are the women who have never had children to care for.’


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Then the people will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ The people will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’


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There were also two criminals led out with Jesus. Jesus and the two criminals were led to a place where they would be killed. The people called this place "The Skull". There some men nailed Jesus to his cross. They also nailed the criminals to their crosses; Jesus’ cross was between the crosses of the two criminals.


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Jesus said, "Father, forgive these people. They don’t know what they are doing." The soldiers gambled to see who would get Jesus’ clothes.


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The people stood there watching. The Jewish leaders were laughing at Jesus. They said, "Since he is God’s chosen one, the Messiah, let him save himself! He saved other people, didn’t he?"


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One of the criminals who was hanging there began to say awful things to Jesus: "Aren’t you the Messiah? Then save yourself! And save us too!"


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You and I are guilty; we should be killed because we did wrong. But this man Jesus has done nothing wrong!"


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There was no sun! The curtain hanging between the holy place and the most holy place in the temple was torn down the middle.


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The Roman army officer saw what happened. He was giving glory to God, saying, "This man was truly made right!"


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Many people had come out of the city to see this event. When the people saw it, they felt deep sorrow and left.


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The people who were close friends of Jesus were there. There were some women who had followed Jesus from the Galilee also. They all stood far away from the cross to watch.


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There was a man from Arimathea, a Judean town. His name was Joseph. He was a good, being made right man. He was looking for the kingdom of God. Joseph was a member of the Jewish Council but he did not vote when the priests decided to kill Jesus.


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So Joseph took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a sheet. Then he put Jesus’ body into a cave which was cut out of solid rock. This tomb had never been used before.


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The women who had come from the Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph. They saw the tomb. Inside they saw where the body of Jesus was placed.


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Then the women left to prepare some sweet-smelling spices to put on Jesus’ body. They rested on the Sabbath day, according to God’s command.


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Very early on the first day of the week, the women came to the tomb. They brought the sweet-smelling things they had prepared.


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The women were frightened; they bowed their heads down to the ground. The two men said to the women, "Why are you looking here for a living person? This is a place for dead people!


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Jesus said that he must be handed over to evil men, be killed on a cross, and rise from death on the third day."


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The women left the tomb and went to the eleven delegates and the other students. The women told them everything which had occurred at the tomb.


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The women were: Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Mary, the mother of Jacob, and some other women. These women told the delegates everything that had happened


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However, Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down and looked in, but he only saw the grave clothes. Peter went off by himself, wondering what had taken place.


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That same day, two of Jesus’ students were going to a village named Emmaus. (It was almost 11 kilometers from Jerusalem.)


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Jesus walked with them for a while. Then he said, "What are these things you are talking about as you walk?" They stood still. Their faces looked very sad.


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The one named Cleopas answered, "You must be the only man in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has just happened there!"


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Jesus asked them, "What are you talking about?" The men said to him, "It is about Jesus, the one from Nazareth. He was a prophet from God to all the people. He said and did many powerful things.


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Our leaders and important priests gave him away to be judged and killed. They nailed Jesus to a cross,


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but we were hoping that Jesus was about to bring safety from danger to Israel. Besides all this, it has been three days since this happened.


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And today some of our women told us some amazing things. Early this morning the women went to the tomb


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but they didn’t find Jesus’ body there. They came and told us that, in a vision, they had seen two angels. The angels said that Jesus was alive!


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Some of our group also went to the tomb. They found that it was just as the women had said, but none of us saw him."


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Then Jesus said to the two men, "You are foolish and slow to realize what is true. You should believe everything the prophets said:


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Then Jesus began to explain everything which had been written in the Scriptures about him. Jesus started with the books of Moses and then he talked about what the prophets had written about him.


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They came near the village of Emmaus, their destination, and Jesus acted as though he didn’t plan to stop there.


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Jesus sat down with them and took some bread. He gave thanks for the food and broke off some of it. Then he gave it to them.


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At that time the men were allowed to recognize Jesus. They saw who he really was, but he disappeared.


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They said to each other, "While Jesus was talking to us on the road, it felt like a fire burning in us when he explained the true meaning of the Scriptures."


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During that same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the students of Jesus meeting together. The eleven delegates and those people who were with them said, "The Lord Jesus has actually come back to life! He appeared to Simon Peter."


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Then the two men gave a report about the things which had happened on the road. They talked about how they recognized Jesus when he broke off some of the bread.


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While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them. He said to them, "Peace to you."


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Look at my hands and my feet. It is really I! Touch me. You can see that I have a living body; a ghost doesn’t have a body like this."


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They were amazed and very, very happy to see that he was alive. They still couldn’t believe it, so Jesus asked them, "Do you have any food here?"


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Jesus said to them, "Do you remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must come true — everything written in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms."


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Then Jesus explained the Scriptures. He opened their minds so they could understand the things which had been written about him.


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Then Jesus said to them, "It is written that the Messiah would be killed and come back to life on the third day.


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You saw these things happen. You must go and tell all nations that their sins can be forgiven. Tell them that they must change their hearts. You must start from Jerusalem and preach these things with my authority.


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Listen, I am sending my Father’s promise upon you but you must stay in Jerusalem until you are clothed with that power from heaven."


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Jesus led them out of Jerusalem, almost to the town of Bethany. He raised his hands and blessed them.


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He was in the world. The world was made through him, but the people of the world did not recognize him.


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Yet he gave the right to become God’s children to those who did accept him, to those who believe in his name.


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The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only son — who came from the Father, full of help in time of need and truth.


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John was telling the truth about him. John cried out, "This is the man I talked about: ‘The one, who is coming after me, has been ahead of me’ — because he was alive before I was!"


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Though the law was given through Moses, help in time of need and truth have come through Jesus Christ.


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No human being has ever seen God. The divine son, who is in the arms of the Father, has made Him known.


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This is the proof that John gave when the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to ask John this question: "Who are you?"


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They asked him, "Who are you? Are you Elijah?" John said, "No, I am not Elijah." They asked, "Are you that Prophet?" John answered, "No."


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Then they asked him, "Who are you? We must give an answer to the men who sent us here. What do you say about yourself?"


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John said, "I am ‘a voice shouting in the desert: Prepare the Lord’s highway’, just as Isaiah the prophet said."


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They asked John, "If you are not the Messiah, Elijah, or that prophet, why are you immersing people?"


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John answered them, "Yes, I immerse people in water, but there is another one who stands among you about whom you don’t know.


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The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him. He said, "Look, the Lamb of God who will take away the world’s sin!


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This is the one I was talking about: ‘The man who is preferred that is coming after me has been ahead of me, because he was alive before I was.’


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This is the proof that John gave: "I saw the Spirit coming down like a dove from the sky, resting on him.


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I didn’t know him, but the One who sent me to immerse people in water said to me, ‘When you see the Spirit coming down and staying upon someone, this is the one who immerses in the Holy Spirit.’


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Jesus turned around and saw them following him. He said to them, "What do you want?" They asked him, "Where do you live, Rabbi?" (This word means ‘Teacher’.)


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Jesus said to them, "Come and see." So they went and saw where Jesus was staying. They spent the rest of the day with him. (It was about


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The first thing that Andrew did was to find his own brother, Simon. Andrew said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" (This word means ‘Christ’.)


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Then Andrew led Peter to Jesus. When Jesus looked at Peter, he said, "You are Simon, John’s son. You will be called Cephas." (Translated into Greek, this name means ‘a stone’.)


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Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one of whom Moses wrote in the law. The prophets wrote about him too! He is Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth."


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Nathanael said to him, "Is it possible for anything good to come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see for yourself!"


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When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said this about Nathanael: "Look, here is a real man of Israel! There is nothing false about him!"


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Nathanael asked Jesus, "From where do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you to come here, I saw you under that fig tree!"


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And Nathanael answered Jesus, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of the people of Israel!"


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Jesus said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under a fig tree? You will see even greater things than this.


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I am telling you the truth: you will all see heaven open and God’s angels coming down and going up from me."


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There were six stone water jars sitting there. (Jewish people used them to make things ceremonially pure.) Each water jar could hold about 75 to 115 liters.


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Jesus said to the servants, "Now pour some of this and take it to the master of ceremonies." They did it.


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He didn’t know from where it came, but the servants who had gotten the water knew. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water which had now been changed into wine, he called for the groom.


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He said to the groom, "Everyone serves the good wine first and, when the people have had plenty to drink, he serves the cheaper wine. But you have reserved the good wine until now!"


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This was the first miraculous sign which Jesus performed. It was in the town of Cana in the Galilee. Jesus revealed his glory and his students believed in him.


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After this, Jesus, his mother, his brothers, and his students went down into the town of Capernaum. They stayed there for a few days.


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He found some men in the temple courtyard selling cattle, sheep, and pigeons. The money-exchangers were also sitting there.


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Jesus made a whip from some ropes. He forced all of them to leave the courtyard — even the cattle and the sheep. He turned the money-exchangers’ tables over and scattered their coins.


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He said to the men who were selling pigeons, "Get those things out of here! Don’t turn my Father’s house into a place of business."


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His students remembered that this verse was in the Scriptures: "The fire which I feel for Your house burns within me!"


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The Jewish leaders asked Jesus this question: "What proof do you give to show us that you have the authority to do these things?"


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Then the Jewish leaders said, "It took 46 years to build this temple — and you would build it again in three days?"


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After Jesus was raised from death, his students remembered that he used to say this. They then believed the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.)


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While Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, many believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs which he was doing.


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Jesus was not committing himself to them. Jesus knew what people were like. He didn’t need anyone to tell him about men; he always knew what was in man.


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This man came to Jesus at night. Nicodemus said to him, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. No one could do these miracles which you are performing if God were not with him."


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Jesus answered him, "I am telling you the truth: if a person is not born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God!"


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Nicodemus asked him, "When a man is already old, how can he be reborn? It is not possible for him to go inside his mother’s womb the second time and be born!"


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Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: if a person is not born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God!


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The wind blows wherever it wishes. You hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same way with everyone who has been born of the Spirit."


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I am telling you the truth: we are talking about what we know. We are telling the truth about what we have seen. But you are not accepting our truth.


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"Since I am talking to you about things on earth and you are not believing them, if I were to tell you about heavenly things, how could you believe?


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God gave Himself to the people of the world, for their good, expecting nothing in return, by giving up His one and only Son. Every person who commits himself to Jesus will not be destroyed. Instead, that person will have eternal life.


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"God did not send His Son into the world to judge it. God sent Jesus so that the people of the world could be saved through him.


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The person who commits himself to Jesus is not condemned, but the one who does not commit himself to Jesus has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.


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This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but people gave themselves to darkness instead of light because the things which they were doing were evil.


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Everyone who does evil hates the light. He does not come toward the light. He doesn’t want his evil deeds to be exposed.


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But the person who is living by the truth comes into the light. He wants his actions to become clear because he did them through God."


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After this, Jesus and his students went to the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and he was immersing some people.


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John was immersing people in the town of Aenon (which is not far from the town of Salim) because there was plenty of water there. People continued coming to be immersed.


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They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the man you have endorsed, who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, look, he is immersing people too. Everyone is coming to him!"


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You yourselves know that I told the truth when I said, ‘I am not the Messiah!’ I have been sent ahead of him.


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The groom is the one who will get the bride. The best man is the one who stands by and listens. He is glad when he hears the groom’s voice. This is my joy; it is now complete.


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The one who comes from above is greater than all things. The person who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about the earth. The one who comes from heaven is the most important.


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The Father has given Himself to the Son, for his good, expecting nothing in return, and has put everything in the Son’s control.


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The person who commits himself to the Son has eternal life, but the person who does not obey the Son will not see eternal life. Instead, God’s punishment stays on that person."


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He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar. It was near the property which Jacob had given to Joseph, his son.


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Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired because of traveling so he sat down for a while at the well. It was about noon.


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The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, "You are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink of water?" (Jewish people didn’t want to associate with Samaritans.)


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Jesus answered her, "If you knew about God’s gift and who I really am, you would ask me to give you a drink of living water!"


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The woman said to Jesus, "Sir, you don’t even have a bucket and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this living water?


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You are not greater than Jacob, our ancestor, are you? Jacob’s flocks and herds, his sons, and Jacob himself drank from this well. He gave it to us!"


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but if anyone drinks the water which I will give him, he will never be thirsty again. The water which I give him will become a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life."


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The woman said to Jesus, "My Lord, give me some of this water so that I won’t get thirsty and won’t have to come back here again and again to get water."


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Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship."


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Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.


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You Samaritans are worshipping that which you don’t understand, but we Jews are worshipping what we know. Deliverance from sin comes from the Jewish people.


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But the time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is searching for this kind of people to worship Him.


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The woman said to Jesus, "I know that Messiah (the one called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will tell us about everything."


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Just then, Jesus’ students came. They were amazed that Jesus was talking with a woman. However, not one of them asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"


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Jesus said to them, “I must obey what God wants; He sent me. I must finish His work. That is food for me!


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You say, ‘Four months more and then the time for harvest comes.’ But, listen, I am telling you to look up and see the fields. They are ready for harvest now.


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The person who gathers the harvest receives his pay; he gathers the crops for eternal life. The person who plants and the person who gathers will be happy at the same time.


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I sent you to gather the harvest for which you have not worked. Other men worked hard; you are gaining from their work."


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Many Samaritan people in that city believed in Jesus because of the woman’s word. She testified, "He told me everything I ever did!"


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When the Samaritan men came to Jesus, they were begging him to stay with them. Jesus stayed there for two days.


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They said to the woman, "We believe not only because of what you said, but also because we ourselves have heard Jesus. We know that he is truly the Savior of the world!"


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When he came to the Galilee, the people of the Galilee welcomed him. They had seen all the things he did in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival. (They also went to the feast.)


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Again Jesus went to the town of Cana in the Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. There was a government official there. He had a son who was sick in the town of Capernaum.


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This man heard that Jesus had arrived in the Galilee from the land of Judea. The man came to Jesus and begged him to go to his home and heal his son. (The son was about to die.)


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Jesus said to the man, "You people must see proofs from God and miracles or you will never believe."


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Then the man began asking them questions about the exact time when the boy got better. They answered, "The fever left him yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon."


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The father knew that this was the exact time when Jesus had said, "Your son lives!" The man and his whole family believed.


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This was the second miracle that Jesus performed, after he came to the Galilee from the land of Judea.


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Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool that is called Bethesda in Aramaic. It has five porches.


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A crowd of people used to lie around among the porches. Some of them were sick, blind, lame, or crippled.


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An angel went down at a certain time and stirs the water: whoever was the first to step into the water then was made well of whatever disease he had.


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When Jesus saw the man lying there, he knew that the man had been there a long time. Jesus asked him, "Do you want to be well?"


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The sick man answered Jesus, "Sir, I don’t have anyone to put me into the pool when the water stirs. While I am going, someone else goes ahead of me."


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Immediately the man got well. He picked up his bed and began walking around. (This happened on a Sabbath day.)


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The Jewish leaders were saying to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath day! It is not right for you to carry your bed."


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The man who was healed didn’t know who Jesus was because Jesus had slipped away in the crowd that was there.


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Later, Jesus found the man in the temple courtyard. Jesus said to him, "Look, you have been made well. Stop sinning so that something worse won’t happen to you."


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Because of this, the Jewish leaders were persecuting Jesus — he was doing these things on the Sabbath day.


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Because of this, the Jewish leaders were trying even harder to kill Jesus. They thought that Jesus was not only breaking the rules about the Sabbath day but he was also claiming that God was his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.


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So Jesus answered them, “I am telling you the truth: the Son can do nothing on his own. He can only do what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father may do, the Son will do the same thing.


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The Father loves the Son. The Father shows him everything He is doing. The Father will show him even greater deeds than these so that you will be amazed.


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Just as the Father raises dead people and makes them live again, in the same way the Son gives life to whom he wishes.


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so that everyone will honor the Son as they honor the Father. The person who does not honor the Son is not honoring the Father who sent the Son.


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I am telling you the truth: the person who listens to my teaching and believes in the One who sent me has eternal life. That person will not stand the Judgment. Instead, he has passed from death over to life.


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"I am telling you the truth: the time is coming — the time has already come — when dead people will hear the voice of the Son of God. And when they hear it, they will live again!


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Don’t be surprised at this because the time is coming when everyone in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God.


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They will come out of the graves. Those who lived right will rise to life, but those who did evil things will rise to stand the judgment.


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"I cannot do anything on my own. I judge on the basis of what I hear. Since I am not seeking my own will, my decision is fair. I am seeking the will of the One who sent me.


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But there is another man who is giving proof about me. I know that the proof he gives about me is true.


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"But I have more proof than John’s: the deeds which the Father has given me to finish. The deeds prove that the Father sent me!


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The One who sent me is the Father; He has given proof about me. You have never heard God’s voice. You have never seen His shape.


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"You are always searching the Scriptures because you think you will find eternal life in them. But the Scriptures are giving proof about me!


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but I know you — you don’t have God’s giving of Himself, expecting nothing in return, in your hearts.


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I have come with the authority of my Father and you are not accepting me. If someone else comes with his own authority, you will accept him.


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How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?


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Don’t think that I will accuse you in front of your father. Moses is the one you trust. He is accusing you before the Father!


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Jesus looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming toward him. He said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food to feed so many people?"


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Philip answered him, "200 silver coins’ worth of food would not be enough — even if each person had only a small amount!"


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"Here is a little boy who has five small loaves of barley bread and two small fish, but how long would that last among so many people?"


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Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." (There was a lot of grass in that spot.) There were about 5,000 men. They sat down.


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Then Jesus took the loaves of bread and gave thanks to God for them. He divided them among the students who divided them among those who were sitting down. He did the same thing with the fish. They had as much as they wanted.


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When they were full, Jesus said to his students, "Gather up the leftovers so that nothing will be wasted."


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So they gathered them up and filled twelve large baskets with the leftover pieces from the five small barley loaves.


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The people saw this miracle that Jesus performed. They began saying, "Truly this is that prophet we were expecting to come into the world."


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Jesus knew they were about to come and take him so that they could make him a king; therefore he left again for the mountains to be alone.


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They climbed into a boat and started across the lake, heading for the town of Capernaum. It was already dark and Jesus had not yet come to them.


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Jesus’ students had rowed between 5 to 6 kilometers when they saw Jesus. He was walking on the lake. He was coming closer to the boat. They were afraid.


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Then they were willing to take him into the boat, but the boat soon came to the shore where they were heading.


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The next day the crowd which had stayed on the other side of the lake saw that only one boat was still there. They knew that Jesus did not get into that boat with his students; they had left by themselves.


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Some more boats from Tiberias came near the place where the people had eaten the bread for which the Lord had given thanks.


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So when the crowd realized that Jesus and his students were not there, they got into some boats and went to Capernaum to look for Jesus.


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When the people found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"


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Jesus answered them, "I am telling you the truth: you are looking for me, not because of the miracles but because you ate the food and were filled!


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Don’t work for the kind of food which spoils. Instead, work for the kind of food which gives you life forever. I will give you this kind of food. God the Father puts His mark of approval on me."


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They said to him, "What miraculous sign will you do so that we may see it and commit ourselves to you? What will you do?


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Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth: Moses did not give you food from heaven. My Father is the One who gives you the true food from heaven.


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Jesus said to them, “I am the food which gives life. The person who comes to me will never be hungry. The one who commits himself to me will never be thirsty.


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"Why did I come down from heaven? It was not to do my own will but to do the will of the One who sent me.


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This is the will of the One who sent me: I must not lose anything that God has given to me. I must restore it to God on the last day.


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This is what my Father wants: every person who sees the Son and commits himself to him will have eternal life. I will restore that person on the last day."


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The Jewish leaders were complaining about Jesus because he said, "I am the food which came down from heaven."


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They said, "This is Jesus, Joseph’s son. We know his father and mother. Why is he now saying, ‘I have come down from heaven?’"


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No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. On the last day I will raise that person from death.


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One of the prophets wrote this: ‘All people will be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to me.


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I am the living food which comes down from heaven; it gives life. If anyone eats this food, he will live forever. The food which I will give is my flesh. I want the people of the world to live."


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Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: if you don’t eat my flesh and you don’t drink my blood, you do not have life in you!


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The person who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. I will raise him from death on the last day.


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"The living Father sent me. I live because of the Father. In the same way, the person who feeds on me will live because of me.


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This is the food which came down from heaven. The person who eats this food will live forever. This food is not what our ancestors ate and then died."


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The Spirit is life giving; physical things are not worth very much. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life


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but some of you don’t believe." (From the very beginning Jesus knew who didn’t believe and which one would turn against him.)


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Jesus said, "This is why I told you that no one could come to me if he were not allowed to come by my Father."


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Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas, one of the twelve students, was about to turn against Jesus.


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After this, Jesus was traveling around in the Galilee. He didn’t want to go to the land of Judea because the Jewish leaders were trying to kill him.


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Jesus’ brothers said to him, "Get away from here and go to Judea so that your students may see the works you are doing.


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If someone wants to be famous, he doesn’t hide the things he is doing. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world!"


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The people of the world cannot hate you. They hate me because I tell the truth about them — their lives are evil!


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You should go on up to the feast in Jerusalem. I am not going up to this feast just yet. The time is not yet ripe for me."


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After Jesus’ brothers went up to Jerusalem for the feast, Jesus also went up there, but Jesus did it secretly.


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The Jewish leaders were looking for him at the festival. They continued to ask, "Where is that man?"


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Many people in the crowd were arguing about Jesus. Some were saying, "He is a good man." Others were saying, "No, he fools the people!"


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The festival was already half over when Jesus came up to Jerusalem to the temple. Jesus began to teach the people.


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The Jewish leaders were amazed. They asked, "How did this man learn so much? He never went to school!"


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If anyone will do what God wants, that person will find out whether my teaching comes from God or if I am speaking on my own.


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The person who speaks on his own is trying to get glory for himself, but the person who wants glory to go to the One who sent him is honest. There is no wrong in him.


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Yet you will circumcise a child on the Sabbath day. Moses gave you circumcision! Actually, circumcision did not come from Moses, but from our ancestors.


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Since a child can receive circumcision on the Sabbath day so that the law of Moses won’t be broken, why are you so angry with me? I made a man completely well on the Sabbath day.


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Some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "This is the man whom the Jewish leaders are trying to kill.


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And look, he speaks in the open and they are saying nothing to him about it! Is it possible that the leaders know he is the Messiah?


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But we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he comes from!"


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While Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard, Jesus cried out, "Do you know me? Do you know where I come from? I have not come on my own. However, the One who sent me is true. You don’t know Him!


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Many people in the crowd believed in Jesus. They said, "When the Messiah comes, will he do more miracles than this man has done?"


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The Pharisees heard the crowd arguing these things about Jesus. The most important priests and the Pharisees sent some guards to arrest Jesus.


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Then Jesus said, "I will be with you a little while longer, but then I must go to the One who sent me.


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Then the Jewish leaders thought to themselves, "Where is he about to go so that we cannot find him? He wouldn’t go to the Jews who live in the Greek cities, would he? Would he teach non-Jewish people there? Surely not!


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What is the meaning of what he said: ‘You will search for me but you won’t find me.’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot come.’?"


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On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried out, "If you are thirsty, come to me and drink!


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The person who believes in me will be like the Scripture which says: ‘A river of fresh water will flow from his belly.’"


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(Here Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit whom the ones believing in him were about to receive. The Holy Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory.)"


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Other people said, "This man is the Messiah!" Still others said, "Shall Messiah come from the Galilee!


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The Scripture said that the coming Messiah would be from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived."


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Later, the guards came back to the most important priests and Pharisees. They asked the guards, "Why didn’t you bring back Jesus?"


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They answered Nicodemus, "Are you also from the Galilee? Search the Scriptures and you will see that no prophet comes from the Galilee."


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Early the next morning Jesus went back to the temple courtyard. All the people were coming to him. He sat down and began teaching them.


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The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus. They had caught her committing unlawful sexual intercourse. They made her stand in the center.


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They said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing unlawful sexual intercourse.


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(They were saying this to test Jesus. They wanted to get something which they could use to accuse him.) Jesus bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger."


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They continued to ask Jesus questions. Jesus stood up and said to them, "The one among you who has not sinned should throw the first stone at her!"


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When they heard this, having guilty consciences, they began to leave one by one from the oldest on down. Jesus was the only one left. The woman was still standing there too.


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She answered, "No one, Lord." Jesus said, "I am not condemning you either. Go, and from now on, don’t sin anymore!"


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Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, "I am the light for the people of the world. The person who follows me will never walk in darkness. Instead, he will have the light of life."


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Jesus answered them, “Even though I am testifying on my own behalf, my proof is still true because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don’t know where I came from or where I’m going.


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But if I were to judge, my decision would be right because I am not alone — the Father who sent me is with me too.


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The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Where is your father?" Jesus answered, "You don’t know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father."


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Jesus spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple courtyard. He was near the place where the offering boxes were placed. No one arrested Jesus because his time had not yet come.


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Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away and you will search for me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot come where I am going."


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Jesus said to them, "You come from below. I come from above. You come from this world. I do not come from this world.


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I told you that you would die in your sins. If you don’t believe that I am the one, you will die in your sins."


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There are many things I have to judge and to say about you. However, the One who sent me is true. I tell the people in the world only what I have heard from my Father."


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So Jesus said this to them: "You will know that I am the one when you raise me high. I do nothing on my own. I am only saying the things which the Father teaches me.


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The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to Him."


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Jesus was talking with the Jews who had believed in him, saying, "If you continue in my teaching, you are truly my students.


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They answered him, "We are Abraham’s descendants. We have never been slaves to any man. How can you say, ‘You will be free’?"


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"I know that you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because you cannot find room in your hearts for my teaching.


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I talk about the things which I saw while I was with the Father. You do the things which you hear from your father.


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They answered Jesus, "Abraham is our father!" Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the things that Abraham did.


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Abraham would not have done this, but now you are trying to kill me. I have told you the truth which I heard when I was with God.


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You are doing the things your father does." They said to Jesus, "The only Father we have is God; we are not illegitimate!"


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Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would give yourselves to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return. I am here now and I came from God. I didn’t come on my own — God sent me.


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You come from your father, the devil. You want to do the sinful things that your father wants. The devil was a murderer from the very beginning. He does not stand with the truth because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only talking naturally because he is a liar and the father of lies.


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"Can one of you prove that I am guilty of sin? Since I always tell the truth, why do you not believe me?


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The Jewish leaders answered, "How right we are when we say that you are a Samaritan; you have a demon!"


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I’m not looking for glory for myself, but there is One who is looking for glory for me; He is the judge.


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Then the Jewish leaders said to Jesus, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died. Yet you say, ‘If anyone obeys my teaching he will never die.’


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You are not more important than Abraham, our ancestor, are you? He died. The prophets died too. Just who do you think you are?"


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Jesus answered, “If I were trying to get glory for myself, my glory would be worth nothing. The One who is giving me glory is my Father. You are saying, ‘He is our God!’


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But you don’t know Him. I know Him. If I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be like you — a liar! But I really do know Him and I obey His teaching.


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Jesus’ students asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this person or his parents, to cause him to be born blind?"


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Jesus answered, “This person did not sin, nor did his parents sin. No, this occurred so that God’s deeds might be shown in this man’s life.


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I must do the tasks of the One who sent me while it is still daytime. Night is coming. No one can work then.


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After Jesus said these things, he spit on the ground and made some mud with it. Then he rubbed it on the blind man’s eyes.


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Jesus said to him, "Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam." (This word means ‘Sent’.) Then the blind man went away and washed himself and came back with sight!


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Then the people who used to see him before (when he was a beggar) and his neighbors were saying, "This is the man who used to sit and beg!"


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Other people were saying, "It’s him!" Still others were saying, "No, but he looks like him." But the man himself continued to say, "I’m the one!"


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The man answered, "A man called Jesus made some mud and rubbed it on my eyes. Then he told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went there and washed myself, and now I can see!"


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Again, the Pharisees kept asking the blind man how he could see. The man said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, I washed myself, and I can see."


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Some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath day!" But others were asking, "How could a sinful man perform such miracles?" They were divided among themselves.


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They asked the man again, "What do you say about Jesus? Do you believe he opened your eyes?" The man answered, "He is a prophet."


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The Jewish leaders didn’t believe that the man had really been blind and could now see until they called the man’s parents.


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The leaders asked them, "Is this man your son? Do you claim that he was born blind? How come he now sees?"


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but we don’t know how he can see now. We don’t know how he opened his eyes. Ask him. He is a grown man; he can speak for himself."


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(The man’s parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders had already agreed that if anyone said that Jesus was the Messiah, that person would be thrown out of the house of worship.


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Then a second time, the Jewish leaders told the man (who had been blind), "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner."


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The man answered, "Maybe I am a sinner. I don’t know. But one thing I do know, I was blind and now I can see."


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The man answered, "I have already told you and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his students, do you?"


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The man answered them, "That is amazing! You don’t know where Jesus comes from, and yet he opened my eyes!


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We know that God does not listen to sinners, but God will listen to anyone who worships Him and obeys His will.


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Jesus heard that the Jewish leaders had thrown the man out. Jesus found him and asked him, "Do you believe on the Son of God?"


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Jesus said, "I came into this world so that there can be a Judgment Day, so that the people who cannot see may see and those who think they can see may become blind."


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Some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard this. They said to him, "You don’t think we are blind too, do you?"


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Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would be innocent, but you are now claiming you can see so your guilt remains."


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"I am telling you the truth: if a man does not get into the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in by some other way, he is a robber and a bandit.


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The man who guards the gate opens the gate for him. The sheep know the shepherd’s voice. The shepherd calls the name of each one of his sheep and leads them out.


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After he has brought all his own sheep out, he walks ahead of them and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.


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They would never follow a stranger; they would run away from him. They would not recognize a stranger’s voice."


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I am the gate. If anyone will enter through me, he will be saved. He may come and go as he pleases and find plenty to eat.


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Why does the robber come? Only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they might have life — to the fullest!


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A man who has been hired is not really a shepherd. The sheep do not belong to him. When he sees a wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. The wolf catches them and scatters them.


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But I have some other sheep that are not in this flock. I must lead them too. They will listen to my voice. Then they will be one flock and one shepherd.


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"Do you know why my Father gives Himself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return? Because I will lay down my life so that I may take it up again.


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No one takes it away from me. I am laying it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down and I have the authority to take it up again. I received this order from my Father."


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Others were saying, "These words don’t sound like the words of a demon possessed person. Could a demon possessed man open the eyes of a blind man?"


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Some Jews gathered around him. They kept asking him, "How much longer will you make us wait? If you are the Messiah, tell us clearly!"


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Jesus answered them, “I told you, but you didn’t believe. I am doing miracles with my Father’s authority. These are telling the truth about me,


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My Father is greater than anyone. No one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. He has given me all things.


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Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which good work are you stoning me?"


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They answered him, "We are going to throw rocks at you, not for any good work, but because you said some evil things against God! You are only a man, yet you are making yourself God."


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why are you claiming I am saying evil things against God when I said, ‘I am God’s Son’. The Father set me apart and sent me into the world.


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But if I am doing them, even though you may not believe in me, believe in the evidence of the miracles. You must know, once and for all, that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."


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Jesus went back across the Jordan River to the place where John was first immersing people. Jesus stayed there.


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Many people came to him. They said, "John did not perform any miracles, but everything he said about Jesus is true."


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A man named Lazarus was sick. He and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were from the village of Bethany.


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When Jesus heard this, he said, "This sickness will not end in death. Instead, it will be for God’s glory. This will be used to give glory to the Son of God."


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Jesus’ students said to him, "But, Rabbi, the Jews were trying to stone you to death! Do you want to go there again?"


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Jesus answered, "There are twelve hours in a day. Someone who is walking in the daytime does not stumble; he sees the light in this world.


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After Jesus said these things, he told them this: "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I will go wake him up."


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(Jesus was talking about the death of Lazarus. They thought Jesus was talking about natural sleep.)"


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When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary continued to sit in the house.


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Martha said to Jesus, "I know that Lazarus will rise from death when all people are raised on the last Day."


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Jesus answered her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The person who commits himself to me will live, even though he may die.


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Martha said to him, "Yes, Lord. I still believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world."


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After Martha said these things, she went back and secretly called Mary, her sister, telling her, "The Teacher is here; he is calling for you.


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Some Jews were with Mary in the house, comforting her. When they saw Mary stand up quickly and leave, they followed her. They thought she was going to Lazarus’ grave to cry some more there.


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When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at Jesus’ feet. She said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!"


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But some of them said, "This man was able to open the blind man’s eyes. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus alive?"


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When Jesus came to the grave, again he was deeply moved in his heart. It was a cave with a large stone placed in front of it.


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Jesus said, "Take the stone away!" Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, "Lord, this is the fourth day; there is already a bad smell!"


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Then they took the stone away. Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, I am thankful that you are listening to me.


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I know that you always listen to me but I said this because of the crowd which is standing here. I want them to believe that You sent me."


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The dead man came out. Lazarus’ hands and feet were bound with pieces of cloth. His face was wrapped with a handkerchief. Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."


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The most important priests and the Pharisees called a meeting. They asked each other, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many miracles!


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If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take us away — our holy place and our nation."


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Don’t you think it would be better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?"


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(Caiaphas did not say this on his own. But since he was the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the Jewish nation.


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And not only for them but also so that all God’s scattered children might be gathered together into one people.)


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For that reason, Jesus was not moving around among the Jews openly anymore. Jesus left there for an area which was near the desert. It was a town called Ephraim. Jesus stayed there with his students for a while.


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The time for the Jewish Passover Festival was near. Many people went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover began. They wanted to make themselves pure.


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These people were standing in the temple courtyard looking for Jesus. They were asking one another, "What do you think? Will Jesus come to the festival or not?"


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The most important priests and Pharisees had given an order: "If anyone knows where Jesus is, he must tell us so that we may arrest him."


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Six days before the Passover Festival, Jesus came to the town of Bethany. Lazarus was there — the one whom Jesus had raised from death.


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Mary brought in about 0.5 liter of a very expensive perfume — pure nard. She rubbed it on Jesus’ feet. Then she dried his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the smell of perfume.


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(Judas did not say this because he cared about poor people. Judas was a thief; he was the one who was always carrying the group’s bag of money.)"


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A large crowd of Jews knew that Jesus was there. They came not only because they wanted to see Jesus, but also because of Lazarus, who had been raised from death.


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Many people were going away from the Jewish leaders because of Lazarus. They were beginning to believe in Jesus.


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The next day a large crowd came to the festival. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,


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they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet him. They were shouting, " Save us! Give praise to the king of Israel who is coming with the authority of the Lord God."


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At first Jesus’ students didn’t understand these things but later, when Jesus was raised to life in glory, they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things for him.


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There was a crowd with Jesus. They were always telling people about how Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, how he raised him from death.


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Then the Pharisees said to one another, "Look! Nothing we do does any good. Everyone is following Jesus!"


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They came to Philip, who was from the town of Bethsaida in the Galilee. They kept saying to him, "Sir, we want to meet Jesus."


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I am telling you the truth: if one grain of wheat does not fall into the ground and die, it will always be just one grain of wheat; but if the grain dies, it will produce a large cluster.


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The person who loves his own life is destroying it, but the person who does not value his life in this world will keep his life forever.


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If anyone serves me, he must follow me. My servant will be where I am. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor that person.


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"My soul is very troubled now. What should I say: ‘Father, save me from this time of suffering?’ No, the reason I came was for this time.


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Father, bring glory to Your name!" Then a Voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have brought glory to it and I will bring glory to it again."


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There was a crowd standing there. They heard the Voice too. Some of them were saying, "It thundered!" Others were saying, "An angel has spoken to him!"


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The time has come for this world to be judged. The time has come for the ruler of this world to be thrown out.


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The crowd answered him, "In the law we have heard that the Messiah will live forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be nailed to a cross? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?"


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Jesus said to them, "The light is with you only for a little while longer. Travel while you have the light so that darkness will not catch you. A person who is walking around in the dark doesn’t know where he is going.


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Believe in the light while you have the light. You must be sons of light." When Jesus had finished speaking, he went away and kept out of sight.


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The message of Isaiah the prophet has come true: "Lord, who believed our report? To whom did the Lord God show His power?"


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"Their eyes are blind because of God. Their hearts are hard because of God. Otherwise they could see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and turn. Then I could heal them."


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Many people, even some of the leaders, believed in Jesus. But they would not say that they believed because they were afraid of the Pharisees. They didn’t want to be thrown out of the houses of worship.


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They gave themselves to the praise from man, expecting something in return, more than praise from God.


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Jesus cried out, “The person who believes in me is not only believing in me, but also in the One who sent me.


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I have come as light into the world so that every person who believes in me will not stay in the darkness.


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If someone hears my words and does not obey them, I am not the one who judges him now. I came to save the world, not to judge it.


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The person who rejects me and does not accept my words has something to condemn him — the very message which I spoke. That message will condemn him on the last day.


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Just before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his time had come; He must pass from this world to the Father. Jesus had given himself to his own people in this world to the very end, for their good, expecting nothing in return. Jesus now showed them the full extent of his giving to them, for their good, expecting nothing in return.


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It was time for the evening meal. The devil had already put it in Judas’ heart to turn against Jesus. (Judas Iscariot was the son of Simon.)


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Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands. He knew that he had come from God and that he was going back to God.


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Jesus got up from the evening meal and laid his outer clothes aside. He took a towel and wrapped it around his waist.


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Then Jesus put water into a bowl. He began to wash his students’ feet. He dried their feet with the towel which was around his waist.


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Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I don’t wash you, you are not sharing with me."


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Jesus said to him, "The person who has already had a bath needs only to wash his feet when they get dirty; his whole body is clean. You are clean — but not all of you!"


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After Jesus had washed their feet, he put on his outer clothes and sat down at the table again. He asked them, “Do you know what I have just done to you?


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I am telling you the truth: a slave is not more important than his master. A messenger is not more important than the one who sent him.


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"I am not talking about all of you. I know the ones whom I have chosen. The Scripture must come true: ‘The person who was eating my food turned against me.’


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I am telling you now before it happens so that, when it does happen, you may believe that I am the Messiah.


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I am telling you the truth: if anyone accepts someone whom I send, he is accepting me too! The person who accepts me is accepting the One who sent me."


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After Jesus said these things, he was very troubled in his spirit. He told them openly, "I am telling you the truth: one of you will turn against me!"


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One of his students (the one to whom Jesus gave himself, expecting nothing in return) was sitting very close to Jesus.


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Simon Peter signaled to this student. Peter wanted him to ask Jesus, "Which one are you talking about?"


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Jesus answered, "After I dip this piece of bread in the sauce, I will give it to that person." Then Jesus dipped a piece of bread into the sauce and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.


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When this happened, Satan went into Judas. Then Jesus said to him, "Do what you plan to do quickly!"


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Since Judas kept the group’s bag of money, some were thinking that Jesus meant: "Buy what we need for the feast." or "Give something to the poor people."


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Little children, I am still with you a little while longer. Just as I said to the Jewish leaders, ‘You will look for me but where I am going you cannot come’: I am saying the same thing to you now.


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"I am giving you a new command — give yourselves to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return. You must give yourselves to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return, just as I have given myself to you, for your good, expecting nothing in return.


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"Giving yourselves to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return, is how everyone will know that you are my students."


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Simon Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "I am going where you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."


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Jesus answered, "Would you give up your life for me? I am telling you the truth: before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say that you don’t even know me. You will do it three different times!"


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There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would have told you if that were not true. I am going away to prepare a place for you.


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Since I am leaving to prepare a place for you, you can be sure that I will come back and take you with me so that you will be where I am.


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Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life! The only way anyone can come to the Father is through me!


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If you had known me, you would have known my Father. But even now, you do know Him and you have seen Him."


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Jesus asked him, “Philip, have I been with you such a long time and you have not known me? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?


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You believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, don’t you? The words which I use to speak to you are not words I use on my own. The Father performs His miracles; He stays in me.


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Believe me, I am in the Father and the Father is in me. At least, believe because of these miracles.


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"I am telling you the truth: the person who believes in me will do the same deeds that I am performing. He will do even greater things than these. I am going to the Father.


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the Spirit of truth. He will be with you forever. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him, but you know him because he stays with you — he is in you.


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A little longer and the people of the world will not see me anymore. However, you will see me. You will live because I live.


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The person who accepts my commands and obeys them is the one who truly gives himself to me. My Father will give Himself to the person who gives himself to me, and I will give myself to him, for his good and make myself known to him."


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Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said to Jesus, "Lord, what has happened that you are ready to reveal yourself to us but not to the people of the world?"


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Jesus answered him, “If anyone gives himself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return, and obeys my teaching, my Father will give Himself to him, for his good, expecting nothing in return. We will come and live in him.


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The person who does not give himself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return, will not obey my teachings. The message you are hearing is not mine; it belongs to the Father who sent me.


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The Comforter will teach you everything. He will cause you to remember everything I have told you. He is the Holy Spirit. The Father will send him with my authority.


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"I am leaving peace with you. I am giving you my peace. This peace that I am giving you is not like the type that the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or afraid.


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You have heard me say: ‘I am leaving but I will come back to you.’ If you really gave yourselves to me, for my good, you would be glad that I am traveling to the Father. My Father is greater than I am.


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I will not say many more things while I am with you. The ruler of the world is coming. He can do nothing to me.


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I must do as my Father ordered me so that the people of the world may know that I give myself to the Father, expecting nothing in return. Get up! Let us go away from here.


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My Father takes away any branch in me which is not producing fruit. My Father trims each branch which is producing fruit so that it will produce more fruit.


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Stay in me and I will stay in you. No branch can produce fruit on its own; it must stay on the vine. In the same way you cannot produce fruit unless you stay in me.


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"I am the vine; you are the branches. Who will produce much fruit? The person who stays in me and in whom I stay. You can do nothing without me!


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If someone does not stay in me, he is like a branch which is thrown away. He dries up. People gather dead branches and throw them into the fire, and they burn up.


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If you stay in me and my words stay in you, then you may ask for whatever you want and it will happen for you.


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I give myself to you, for your good, expecting nothing in return, just as the Father gives Himself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return. Remain in my giving to others, expecting nothing in return.


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I have obeyed my Father’s commands and I remain in His giving to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my giving to others.


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This is my command: give yourself to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return, as I have given myself to you, for your good, expecting nothing in return.


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Suppose someone gives up his life for his friends. No one has greater giving to others — for their good, expecting nothing in return — than this.


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I am no longer calling you ‘slaves’ because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I am calling you ‘friends’ because I have revealed to you everything which I have heard from my Father.


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You did not choose me; I chose you! I have appointed you to go and produce fruit. Your fruit will last. My Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.


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Give yourselves to others, for their good, expecting nothing in return! I am commanding you to do this!


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If you were from the world, the world would love you. I chose you from out of the world. You are not in the world anymore. That is why the people of the world hate you.


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Do you remember the lesson I taught you: ‘No slave is more important than his master.’? Since they persecuted me, they will persecute you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey your teaching.


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The people of the world will do all these things to you because of my name; they didn’t know the One who sent me.


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"If I had not come and talked to them, they would not be so guilty; but now they have no excuse for their sin.


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They would not be so guilty if I had not performed deeds among them which no one has ever done. But they have now seen the miracles. They have hated me and my Father.


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It was necessary for this verse written in their law to come true: ‘They have no reason to hate me.’


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"I will send you the Comforter from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth who is coming out from the Father. When he comes, he will tell the truth about me.


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They will throw you out of the houses of worship. The time is coming when each person who kills you will think he is offering service to God.


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But I have told you these things so when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this in the beginning because I was with you;


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But I am telling you the truth: if I leave, it is really better for you. If I don’t leave, the Comforter won’t come to you. However, if I go away, I will send him to you.


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He will prove that the people of the world are wrong about sin, wrong about what is made right, and wrong about judgment:


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When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own authority. He will say whatever he hears. He will tell you about things to come.


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Everything that belongs to my Father belongs to me too. This is why I said, ‘He will take what I am saying and tell it to you.’"


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Jesus said, "In a little while you will not see me anymore but then, after a little while, you will see me because I go to the Father!"


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Some of Jesus’ students said to one another, "What is the meaning of what he told us: ‘In a little while you will not see me anymore but then, after a little while, you will see me’, and ‘I am going to the Father’?


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Jesus knew that they were wanting to ask him a question. He said to them, “Were you arguing with one another about what I said: ‘In a little while you won’t see me anymore but then after a little while you will see me’?


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I am telling you the truth: you will cry and be sad but the people of the world will be glad. You will be full of sorrow but your sorrow will change into joy.


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"When a woman is giving birth, she has much pain. Her time has come. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering; she is so happy that a human being is born into the world.


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You may have pain now but I will see you again. Your heart will be glad. No one will be able to take your joy away from you.


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"At that time you will ask me no questions. I am telling you the truth: the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.


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Thus far you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask now and you will receive. Your joy will be complete.


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I have used symbolic examples to tell you about these things. The time is coming when I will no longer use examples like that. I will speak plainly to you. I will tell you about the Father.


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At that time you will use my name to ask for things. I am not saying that I will ask the Father for your sake.


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I did come from the Father and I have come into the world. But now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."


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Jesus’ students said, "Listen, now you are talking plainly. You are not using figurative language anymore.


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Now we know that you know everything! There is no need for anyone to ask you more questions. This is why we believe that you came from God."


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Listen, the time is coming — it’s already here — when you will all be scattered, every man for himself. You will abandon me. However, I am really not alone; the Father is with me.


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I have said these things to you so that you may have peace in me. You will have trouble in the world, but be strong; I have conquered the world."


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After Jesus said these things, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Bring glory to Your Son so that Your Son may bring glory to You.


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You have given him authority over all mankind. To each one that You have given the Son You will give eternal life.


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This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one whom You sent.


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"I have revealed Your name to men. You gave these men to me from the world. They were Your people and You gave them to me. They have obeyed Your teaching.


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I have given them the words which You gave me. They have received them. They knew I really did come from You. They believed that You sent me.


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"I am praying for them, not for the world. I am praying for those people You have given me because they belong to You.


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Everything that is mine is Yours. Everything that is Yours is mine too. In them I have received glory.


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I am not in the world anymore, but they are in the world. I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given me. May they be united as we are.


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"When I was with them, I was always keeping them in Your name, the name You have given me. I have protected them. Not one of them was lost — only the child of destruction; the Scripture must come true.


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Now I am coming to You. I am saying these things in the world so that these men may have my complete joy in them.


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I have given them Your message. The people of the world hated them because they don’t come from this world. I am not from this world either.


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May all of them be united, just as You are in me and I am in You, Father. I pray that they will be in us so that the people of the world may believe that You sent me.


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I in them and You in me. May they be completely united so that the people of the world will know that You sent me and that You have given yourself to them, for their good, expecting nothing in return, as You have given yourself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return.


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"Father, You gave Yourself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return, before the world was created. You have given me glory. I want them to see it. I want them to be with me where I will be.


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Just Father, the people of the world do not know You, but I know You. These very men know that You sent me.


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I revealed Your name to them and I will reveal it. I want them to have the same giving that You gave to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return. I want to be in them too."


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After Jesus had said these things, he and his students went across the brook Kidron to where there was a garden. They went into the garden.


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Judas (the one who turned against Jesus) also knew the place. Jesus often met there with his students.


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Then Judas took a group of soldiers and some temple guards sent by the most important priests and Pharisees. They had torches, lanterns, and weapons.


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Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. He stepped forward and said to them, "For whom are you looking?"


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They answered him, "Jesus from Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I AM the one." Judas (the one who turned against Jesus) was standing there with them.


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Jesus answered, "I told you that I am the one. Since you are looking for me, let these men go free."


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Simon Peter had a sword. He struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. (The slave’s name was Malchus.)


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Then Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its place! My Father has given me this cup of suffering. Shouldn’t I drink it?"


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The commanding officer, his group of soldiers, and the Jewish temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up.


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They brought him first to Annas who was Caiaphas’ father-in-law. Caiaphas was the high priest that year.


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(He had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be better for one man to die for all of the people.)"


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Simon Peter and another student went along behind Jesus, but the high priest knew the other student. This man went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.


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Peter stood outside at the gate. The other student, the one known to the high priest, went outside and told the gatekeeper to let Peter come in.


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The girl who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, "You are one of this man’s students, aren’t you?" Peter answered, "I am not."


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The slaves and the guards were standing around a fire because it was cold. They were warming themselves. Peter stood with them and warmed himself too.


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Jesus answered him, "I have spoken plainly to the world. I always taught where Jewish people gather — in the houses of worship and in the temple courtyard. I have said nothing secretly.


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When Jesus said this, one of the guards who was standing there struck Jesus with the palm of his hand. This man asked, "Is that the way to answer the high priest?"


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Jesus answered him, "If I said something wrong, show me what it was. If it was good, then why did you slap me?"


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Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. Then they said to him, "You are one of Jesus’ students, aren’t you?" Peter said it was not true. He said, "I am not!"


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One of the high priest’s slaves said, "I saw you with Jesus in the garden." (This man was a relative of Malchus. Peter had cut off Malchus’ ear.)


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Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman fortress. It was early in the morning. They didn’t go into the fortress. They didn’t want to be made unclean or they could not eat the Passover lamb.


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Pilate said to them, "You take him and judge him by your own law." Then the Jewish leaders said to him, "Under Roman law it is not legal for us to execute anyone."


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(The Jewish leaders said this so that what Jesus said would come true. This was showing what kind of death Jesus was about to suffer.)"


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Pilate went back into the fortress. He called for Jesus and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"


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Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? The leading priests and your own people turned you over to me. What have you done?"


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Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not come from this world. If it did, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being arrested by the Jews. My kingdom is not from here."


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Pilate said to him, "So then, you are a king!" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. The reason I was born, the reason why I have come into the world, is to give evidence for the truth. Every person who listens to my voice comes from the truth."


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Pilate asked, "What is truth?" After this, Pilate went back out to the Jews. He said to them, "I find nothing with which to charge this man.


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You have a custom that I set one prisoner free at each Passover time. You decide; should I set the King of the Jews free?"


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The soldiers made a crown out of thorny branches. They put it on Jesus’ head and put a purple robe on him.


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They kept coming up to Jesus and saying, "Hail! O King of the Jews!" They hit him many times with their hands.


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Pilate went back out and spoke to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you so that you will know that I find nothing wrong with him."


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Then Jesus came out. He was wearing the thorny crown and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Look at the man!"


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When the most important priests and the temple guards saw Jesus, they shouted, "Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!" Pilate said to them, "You take him and nail him to a cross! I find nothing wrong with him."


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But the Jewish leaders answered him, "We have a law. According to the law, he must die because he made himself God’s Son!"


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So Pilate went back into the fortress and asked Jesus, "Where do you come from?" Jesus did not give him an answer.


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Then Pilate said to him, "Aren’t you speaking to me? Surely you must know I have authority to set you free and I have authority to nail you to a cross!"


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Jesus answered Pilate, "You have no authority over me at all unless it has been given to you by God! That is why the people who gave me to you have even more guilt."


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From this time on, Pilate tried hard to set Jesus free. But the Jewish leaders continued to yell, "If you set this man free, you are not Caesar’s friend! Anyone who makes himself a king is against Caesar!"


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When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat. It was at a place called The Stone Pavement. (In the Aramaic language the name was Gabbatha.)


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They yelled, "Take him away! Take him away! Nail him to a cross!" Pilate said to them, "Should I nail your King to a cross?" The most important priests answered, "The only king we have is Caesar!"


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Jesus was carrying his own cross. He went out to a place which was called The Skull. (In Aramaic it is Golgotha.)


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This is where they nailed him to the cross, along with two other men. Jesus’ cross was between the crosses of the other two men.


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Many Jewish people read this sign. This place was near the city of Jerusalem. The sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.


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The most important Jewish priests kept saying to Pilate, "Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews’! Instead, you should write, ‘This man said, "I am the King of the Jews."‘"


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After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts — one for each soldier — but the robe remained in one piece. This robe was seamless, completely made of one piece of woven cloth.


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They said to one another, "Let’s not tear it. Let’s gamble for it, to see who will get it!" This happened to make this Scripture come true: "They divided my clothes among them. They gambled for my clothing." That is what the soldiers did.


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Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary from the town of Magdala, stood near the cross.


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Jesus saw his mother and the student to whom he had given himself, for his good, expecting nothing in return, standing there. He said to his mother, "Woman, look at your son."


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Then Jesus said to that student, "Look at your mother." From that moment on that student took her into his home.


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After this, when Jesus knew that everything was finished, he said this to make the Scripture come true: "I am thirsty."


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There was a jar full of sour wine nearby. So they soaked a sponge in it and put it on a long stick. Then they brought this to Jesus’ mouth.


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The Jewish leaders did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses during the Sabbath. This Sabbath was a very high holy one. So since it was the preparation day, they asked Pilate to hurry their death by breaking their legs. Then they could carry them away. Pilate allowed it.


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The soldiers came to the first man and broke his legs, and then to the other man who had been nailed to a cross too.


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but one of the soldiers did plunge his spear into Jesus’ side. Immediately, blood and water flowed out.


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The person who saw it has given proof. His testimony is true. He knows he is speaking the truth. You can believe too.


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After this, Joseph, a man from the town of Arimathea, asked Pilate if he could take Jesus’ body away. Joseph was a secret student of Jesus because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. Pilate allowed Joseph to do this. Then Joseph came and took Jesus’ body away.


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Nicodemus came too. (Earlier he had come to Jesus at night.) He mixed myrrh and aloes together and brought about 34 kilograms of it.


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The two men took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in sheets with the sweet-smelling spices. (This is the way Jews bury their dead.)


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The place where Jesus was nailed to the cross was next to a garden. The garden had a new tomb in it. No one had been put there yet.


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There was not much time — it was the preparation day. So because the tomb was near, they placed Jesus in it.


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It was very early morning on the first day of the week. It was still dark. Mary (the one from Magdala) came to the tomb. She saw the stone moved away from the tomb.


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Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and the other student whom Jesus loved. She said to them, "They have taken away the Lord Jesus from the tomb! We don’t know where they put him!"


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But the handkerchief, which had been on Jesus’ face, was not lying with the sheets. Instead, it was all alone, folded in one place.


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Mary was standing outside the tomb, crying while she was praying. She bent down and looked into the tomb.


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She saw two angels dressed in white. They were seated where Jesus’ body had been lying — one at the head and one at the foot.


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They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" She answered them, "They took my Lord away. I don’t know where they put him."


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After she said this, she turned around. She saw Jesus standing there but she didn’t know that it was Jesus.


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Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Thinking that Jesus was the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you carried him off, tell me where you put him and I will take him away."


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Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Jesus in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (This word means ‘My Teacher!’)


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Jesus said to her, "Don’t cling to me; I have not yet gone up to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them this: ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and to your God.’"


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Mary (the one from Magdala) went and told the students, "I have seen the Lord Jesus!" She told them that he had talked to her.


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It was evening that same first day of the week. The doors were locked where the students were gathered. They were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood in the middle of them. He said to them, "Peace be to you."


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After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the students saw the Lord Jesus, they were happy.


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If you say some people are forgiven, then they are forgiven. But if you say that the sins of some people are not forgiven, then they are not forgiven."


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Thomas, (the one called The Twin) was one of the twelve students. He was not with them when Jesus came.


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The other students continued to tell him, "We have seen the Lord Jesus!" Thomas said to them, "I will never believe it unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, unless I put my finger into the marks of the nails, unless I put my hand into his side!"


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A week later, Jesus’ students were inside again. Thomas was with them too. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood in the middle of them and said, "Peace to you."


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Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Look at my hands! Put your finger here. Bring your hand here and put it in my side. Stop doubting and start believing!"


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Jesus said to him, "You have believed because you have seen me. The blessed ones are those who have not seen me and yet who believe."


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Jesus showed many more proofs from God in front of his students but these are not written in this book.


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These proofs have been written so that you, the reader, might believe this: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life by his name.


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Later Jesus showed himself again to the students at Lake Tiberias. This is the way he showed himself:


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Simon Peter, Thomas (the one called The Twin), Nathanael (the one from the town of Cana in the Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two more students were all together.


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Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are coming with you." They went out and got into a boat. They caught nothing that night.


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It was now early in the morning. Jesus stood on the shore, but the students didn’t know that it was Jesus.


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Jesus said to them, "Young men, you haven’t caught anything, have you?" They answered, "That’s right."


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Jesus said to them, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some fish." They did so. There were so many fish that they were no longer able to pull the net into the boat.


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Then the student to whom Jesus gave himself, for his good, said to Peter, "That is the Lord Jesus!" When Simon Peter heard this, he put on his clothes (he was stripped) and he jumped into the lake.


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They were near the shore, about 90 meters away. The other students came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.


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Simon Peter got into the boat and dragged the net to shore. The net was full of big fish — 153 of them! As large as they were, the net was still not torn.


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Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast!" None of the students dared to ask Jesus, "Who are you?" They knew that he was the Lord.


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This was now the third time that Jesus showed himself to the students after he was raised from death.


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After they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you give yourself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return, more than these?" Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."


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Jesus asked Peter the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you give yourself to me, for my good, expecting nothing in return?" Peter said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Be a shepherd to my sheep."


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Jesus asked him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was sad, because the third time Jesus asked, "Do you love me?" Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!" Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.


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"I am telling you the truth, Peter, when you were young, you tied your own belt and you walked where you wanted to go. But when you get old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you. They will carry you where you don’t want to go."


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(Jesus said this to show what kind of death would be used for Peter to bring glory to God.) After Jesus said this, he said to Peter, "Follow me!"


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Peter turned and saw the student coming behind them. (This was the man to whom Jesus gave himself, for his good, expecting nothing in return, the one who had been sitting at the table very close to Jesus who asked, "Lord, who is the one who is turning against you?")


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Jesus said to him, "If I want him to stay until I come, what business is it of yours? You follow me!"


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So this rumor went out to the brothers: "That student will not die." But Jesus did not say to him that he would not die. Jesus said, "If I want him to stay until I come, what business is it of yours?"


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He is the student who wrote these things. He is the one who is giving proof about these things. We know that his testimony is true.


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There are many things which Jesus did. If each one of them were written down, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books which could be written.


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Acts of the Delegates of Jesus Dear Theophilus, The first book which I wrote was about everything that Jesus did and taught


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from the beginning until the day when he was carried up into heaven. He talked to the delegates whom he had chosen. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus told them what they must do.


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After his death he showed that he was alive. Jesus proved this by doing many convincing things. The delegates saw him several times during 40 days. Jesus was talking about the kingdom of God.


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Once, when he was together with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, "Wait here for the Father’s promise that you heard me talk about.


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The delegates were all together. They asked Jesus, "Lord, is this the time for you to rebuild the kingdom for Israel?"


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Jesus said to them, "The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide such dates and times. It is not for you to know these things.


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However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the world."


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After Jesus said these things, he was lifted up into the sky. While the delegates were watching, Jesus went into a cloud; they could not see him anymore.


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As Jesus was going away, the delegates were staring into the sky. Suddenly, two angels stood beside them. They were dressed in white clothes.


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The two angels said, "Men from the Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was carried away from you into heaven, will return in the same way that you saw him go."


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Then the delegates went back to Jerusalem from the Hill of Olives. (This hill is about 1.2 km from Jerusalem.)


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The delegates entered the city. They went to the place where they were staying; this was in an upstairs room. The delegates were: Peter, John, Jacob, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Jacob (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (known as the Revolutionary), Judas (the son of Jacob).


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They were all together. They were constantly praying with the same purpose. Jesus’ brothers, some women, and Mary (the mother of Jesus) were also there.


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During those days there was a meeting. (There were about 120 people present.) Peter stood up among them and said,


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"Brothers and sisters, the Scriptures must come true which the Holy Spirit spoke ahead of time through David’s lips. He was talking about Judas Iscariot who was one of our group; he had a part in this work. The Spirit said that Judas would guide men to arrest Jesus.


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Judas was paid money for doing this. (However, Judas fell on his head, and his body broke open in the middle. All of his intestines poured out.) His dishonest money was used to buy a field for his body.


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All of the people who lived in Jerusalem learned about this. That is why they named that field Akeldama. (In Aramaic, Akeldama means ‘Blood Land’.)


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In the book of Psalms, this is written about Judas: ‘People should not go near his property; no one should live there!’ and, ‘Let another man take his work of overseeing.’


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"So now, another man must join us and be a witness that Jesus arose from death. This man must be one of those men who was part of our group during the whole time that the Lord Jesus was among us. It is necessary that this man has been with us from the time when John started to immerse people until the day when Jesus was carried away from us to heaven."


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They found two men. One was Joseph Barsabbas. (He was also called Justus.) The other man was Matthias.


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The delegates prayed, "Lord, You know the hearts of all men. Show us which one of these two men You choose to be a delegate and to do this work. Judas turned away from it and went where he belongs."


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Then the delegates gave the two men lots. The lots showed that Matthias was the one; therefore he became a delegate like the other eleven.


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Suddenly a noise came from the sky. It sounded like a strong wind blowing. This noise filled the whole house where they were sitting.


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They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak different languages; the Spirit was giving them the power to do this.


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There were some devout Jewish men staying in Jerusalem at this time. These men were from every country in the known world.


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A large group of them came together because they heard the noise. They were confused. The delegates were speaking, and every man heard in his own language.


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The Jewish people were all amazed at this. They did not understand how the delegates could do this. They said, "Look! These men whom we hear speaking are all from the Galilee!


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Parthians, Medes, Elamites, those living in Mesopotamia, from Judea, from Cappadocia, from Pontus, from Asia,


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Cretans, Arabians. Some of us were born Jews. Others are converts to Judaism. We can hear these men in our own languages! We can all understand the wonderful things they are saying about God."


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Then Peter stood up with the other eleven delegates. He spoke loudly — “My Jewish brothers and all of you who are staying in Jerusalem, listen to me. I will tell you something you need to know. Listen carefully.


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"God says: ‘In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit upon all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will have special dreams.


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I will show amazing things in the sky above. I will do miracles on the earth below. There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke.


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The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will become red like blood. Then the great and glorious day of the Lord will come.


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"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a very special man. God clearly showed this to you. God proved this by the powerful and amazing things which He did through Jesus among you. You know this is true.


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You killed this man Jesus by handing him over to lawless men. They nailed him to a cross. But God knew ahead of time that all this would occur; it was part of His plan which He made long ago.


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Jesus suffered the pains of death, but God set him free. God raised Jesus up from death. It was impossible for death to hold him.


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"This is what David said about Jesus: ‘I always saw the Lord before me, because He is at my right side to keep me secure.


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because You won’t abandon my soul in death. You will not allow the body of Your Holy One to decay in the grave.


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"My Jewish brothers, I can tell you plainly about David, our ancestor. He died and was buried. His grave is still here with us today.


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David knew this before it took place. That is why David said this: ‘He will not be left in death. His body will not decay in the grave.’ David was talking about the Messiah rising from death.


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Jesus was lifted up to heaven. Now Jesus is with God — at His right side. The Father has now given the promise of the Holy Spirit to Jesus. So now Jesus poured out this that you see and hear.


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"David did not go up to heaven. It was Jesus. David himself said: ‘The Lord God said to my Lord. "Sit at My right side


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Therefore all the people of Israel can be sure of this one thing: God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah, this man whom you nailed to the cross!"


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When the people heard this, they felt a sharp, cutting pain in their conscience. They asked Peter and the other delegates, "What should we do, brothers?"


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Then Peter answered, “Change your hearts and each one of you must be immersed by the authority of Jesus the Messiah so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.


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This promise is for you and for your children. It is also for people who are far away, for everyone whom the Lord our God may call."


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Peter was warning them with many other words; he was encouraging them, saying, "Be saved from this wicked generation of people!"


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Then those people who accepted what Peter said were immersed. On that day about 3,000 people were added to the called out people.


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After this, they dedicated themselves to learning the teaching of the delegates, to sharing with each other, to eating the supper of the Lord, and to prayer.


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God was using the delegates to do many powerful and amazing things; every person felt great respect for God.


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They sold their property and the things they owned and they were dividing the money, giving it to anyone who needed it.


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Every day they met together with the same purpose in the temple courtyard. They ate together in their homes, eating their food with joyful hearts. They were very happy.


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They were praising God. All of the people liked them. More and more people were being saved every day; the Lord was adding them to the group of called out people.


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One day Peter and John went up to the temple courtyard. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. (This was the time for prayer.)


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A man was there who had been crippled all his life. He couldn’t walk, so some friends carried him to the temple every day. They put him beside one of the gates outside the temple. It was called Beautiful Gate. There the man begged for money from the people who were going into the temple area.


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But Peter said, "I do not have any silver or gold, but I do have something else I can give you: by the authority of Jesus the Messiah from Nazareth — walk!"


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Then Peter took hold of the man’s right hand and lifted him up. Immediately the man’s feet and legs became strong.


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He jumped up and stood on his feet and he began to walk around. He went into the temple courtyard with them. He was walking and jumping and praising God.


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All of the people recognized him. The people knew he was the beggar who always sat by the temple’s Beautiful Gate. Now they saw him walking and praising God. They were shocked and amazed. They could not understand how this could have happened.


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The man was holding onto Peter and John. All of the people were stunned. They ran to Peter and John under Solomon’s Porch.


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When Peter saw this, he said to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this? You are staring at us as though our power made this man walk. Do you think this was done because we are good?


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No! God did it! He is the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob — the same God of all our ancestors. He gave glory to Jesus, His special servant, but you handed Jesus over to evil men. You rejected him in front of Pilate after Pilate had already decided to let him go free.


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Jesus was holy and innocent but you said you did not want him. You told Pilate to give you a murderer instead of Jesus.


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And so you killed the one who gives life, but God raised him from death. We saw this with our own eyes.


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"It was the authority of Jesus which made this crippled man well. This happened because we trusted in the power of Jesus. You can see this man and you know him. He was made completely well because of trusting in Jesus. You all saw it happen!


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"My brothers, I know you did those things to Jesus because you did not know what you were doing. Your leaders did not understand either.


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God said that these things would happen. All of the prophets who spoke for God long ago said that His Messiah would suffer and die. I have told you how God made this happen.


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Then the Lord will give you times of spiritual rest. He will send you the Messiah — the one appointed —Jesus.


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"But Jesus must stay in heaven until the time when all things will be made whole again. God told about these things long ago when He spoke through His holy prophets.


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Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you who is like me. He will come from among your own people. You must obey everything he tells you.


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"You are the sons of the prophets. You have received the covenant which God set up with our ancestors. God said to Abraham, our ancestor, ‘I will bless all nations of the earth. I will use one of your descendants to do this.’


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God has raised up His special servant. God sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each one of you away from doing evil things."


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While Peter and John were speaking to the people, some men came to them. There were some Jewish priests, the officer of the temple police, and some Sadducees.


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They were upset because the two delegates were teaching the people. Peter and John were preaching that people can rise from death through the power of Jesus.


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They arrested Peter and John and put them in jail. It was already evening so they kept Peter and John in jail until the next day.


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But many of the people, who had heard Peter and John preach, believed the things that they said. There were now about 5,000 men in the called out people.


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Annas (who was the high priest), Caiaphas, John, Alexander and everyone from the high priest’s family were there.


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They made Peter and John stand in the center. The Jewish leaders asked them again and again, "How did you make this crippled man well? What name did you use? By whose authority did you do this?"


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are you questioning us today about the good thing which was done to this crippled man? Are you asking us who made him well?


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We want all of you and all the people of Israel to know that this man was made well by the authority of Jesus from Nazareth, the Messiah! Although you nailed him to the cross, God raised him from death. This man who was crippled is now well and able to stand here before you because of Jesus!


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Jesus is the only one who can save people. His authority is the only power given to the world by which we can be saved."


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The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak. They were amazed because they understood that the two men had no education or training. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus.


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When they saw the man standing there beside the two delegates — that he was healed — they could find nothing to say against the delegates.


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So the Jewish leaders ordered them to go outside. The Jewish Council wanted to talk among themselves.


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They asked, "What shall we do with them? Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows that these men have performed a great miracle! That is clear. We cannot deny it.


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However, we must make them afraid to talk to anyone about this man. Then this problem will not spread among the people."


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So the Jewish leaders called Peter and John in again. They warned the delegates not to say anything or to teach anything by the authority of Jesus.


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But Peter and John answered them, "What do you think is right? What would God want? Should we obey you or God?


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The Jewish leaders could not find a way to punish the delegates because all of the people were praising God for what had been done. (This miracle was a proof from God. The man who was healed was more than 40 years old!) So the Jewish leaders threatened them again and then let them go free.


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Peter and John left the meeting of the Jewish leaders and went to their own people. They told the group everything which the most important priests and the Jewish elders had said to them.


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When the group heard this, they prayed to God with one purpose, “Master, You are the One who made the land, the sea, the sky, and everything in the world.


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Our ancestor, David, was Your servant. With the help of the Holy Spirit he wrote these words: ‘Why were the nations so mad? Why did the people of the world plan things against God? That is hopeless!


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These words came true when Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate, the nations of the world, and the Jewish people all ‘came together’ against Jesus here in Jerusalem. Jesus is Your holy servant, the one You made Messiah.


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These people who ‘came together’ against Jesus made Your plan come true; it happened because of Your power and Your will.


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And now, Lord, listen to what they are saying. They are trying to make us afraid! Lord, we are Your slaves. Help us to speak the things You want us to say without fear.


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Show your power: make sick people well, give proofs, and cause miracles to take place by the power of Jesus, Your holy servant."


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While the called out people were praying, the place where they were meeting shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak God’s message without being afraid.


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The called out people were joined in their hearts and they were united in spirit. No one in the group said that the things he had were his own. Instead, they shared everything.


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The delegates used great power to give evidence that the Lord Jesus has been raised from death. All of them felt very thankful for God’s great help in time of need.


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They all received the things they needed. Everyone who owned fields or houses sold them. Then they brought the money


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One of the believers was named Joseph. The delegates called him Barnabas. (This name means "a person who encourages others".) He was a Levite, born in Cyprus.


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and, from the sale, he gave some of the money to the delegates. But he kept back part of the money for himself. His wife knew this.


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Peter asked him, "Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit. You misused the sale price of the land.


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Before you sold the field, it belonged to you. Even after you sold it, you could have used the money any way you wanted. Why did you think of doing this evil thing? You lied to God, not to men!"


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When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. Some young men came and wrapped up his body. Then they carried it out and buried it. Everyone who heard about this was filled with awesome respect.


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About three hours later, the wife of Ananias came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband.


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Peter said to her, "Tell me, how much money did you receive for your field? Was it this much?" Sapphira answered, "Yes, that was all we got for the field."


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Peter asked her, "Why did you and your husband agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! Do you hear those footsteps? The men who buried your husband are at the door! They will carry you out in the same way."


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At that moment Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and died. The young men came in and saw that she was dead. The men carried her out and buried her next to her husband.


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The whole called out people and all of the other people who heard about these things were filled with awesome respect.


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The delegates did many miracles and powerful things among the people. The delegates were together in Solomon’s Porch; they all had the same purpose.


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None of the other people dared to join the delegates, but all of the people were saying good things about them.


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People began to bring their sick into the streets. They put their sick on little beds and mattresses for Peter’s shadow to touch them when he came by.


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They were coming from all the towns around Jerusalem. They brought their sick and those who were bothered by evil spirits. All of these people were healed.


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but, during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the jail. The angel led the delegates outside and said,


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When the delegates heard this, they went into the temple courtyard. It was early in the morning. The delegates began to teach the people. The high priest and his friends came together. They called a meeting of the Jewish leaders and all the important older men of the sons of Israel. They sent some men to the jail to bring the delegates to them.


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When the guards came to the jail, they could not find the delegates there. So they went back and told this to the Jewish leaders.


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They said, "The jail was shut and locked. The guards were standing at the gates but when we opened the doors, no one was in there!"


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The captain of the temple guards and the most important priests heard this. They were confused. They wondered, "What will happen because of this?"


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Then another man came and told them, "Listen! The men you had put in jail are standing in the temple courtyard. They are teaching the people!"


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Then the captain and his men went out and brought the delegates back. However, the soldiers did not use force because they were afraid of the people. The people might become angry and kill the soldiers with stones.


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The soldiers brought the delegates to the Jewish Council and made them stand before their leaders. The high priest questioned the delegates.


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He said, "We warned you never to teach with this man’s authority, but look what you’ve done! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. You are trying to put the blame on us for the death of this man Jesus."


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The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus from death. He is the one you killed, having hung him upon a cross of wood.


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Jesus is the one whom God raised to His right side to be our Leader and Savior. God did this so that Israel could have the opportunity to change their hearts. Then God could forgive their sins.


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We saw all of these things happen. The Holy Spirit has shown you that we are telling you the truth! God has given the Spirit to those who obeyed Him."


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When the Jewish leaders heard these words, they became very angry. They started to make plans to kill the delegates.


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One of the Pharisees in the Jewish Council stood up. His name was Gamaliel. He was a teacher of the law and all of the people respected him. He ordered the men to take the delegates outside for a few minutes.


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Remember when Theudas appeared? He claimed that he was an important man. About 400 men joined him, but he was killed. And all of the men who followed him were scattered. They were never able to do anything.


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Later, a man named Judas came from the Galilee. It was at the time of the registration. He also led a group of students away but he was destroyed and all his students were scattered.


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So now I tell you: stay away from these men! Leave them alone. If this plan or this effort comes from men, it will fail.


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But if this is from God, then you will not be able to stop them. You might even be fighting against God Himself!" The Jewish leaders then agreed with what Gamaliel said.


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They called in the delegates again. They whipped the delegates and commanded them not to talk to the people ever again about the name of Jesus. After that they let them go free.


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The delegates left the Jewish Council, but they were happy because they were given the honor of suffering dishonor for the name of Jesus.


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The delegates did not stop teaching people. They kept on telling the people the Good News that Jesus is Messiah. Every day they did this in the temple courtyard and in homes.


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More and more people were becoming students of Jesus. But during this same time, the Greek-speaking Jewish students had an argument with the Aramaic-speaking students. They claimed that their widows were not getting their share of the things which the widows received each day.


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The twelve delegates called the whole community of students together. They said to them, "It is wrong for us to quit teaching God’s message to serve tables instead.


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So, brothers, pick out seven of your own men. They must be known to be full of wisdom and full of the Spirit. We will confirm them to be over this work.


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The whole community liked this idea. So they chose these men: Stephen (a man of great faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas (a man from Antioch who had become a Jew).


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God’s message was influencing more and more people. The community of students in Jerusalem became larger and larger. Even many of the Jewish priests were obedient to the faith.


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Since Stephen was full of God’s help in time of need and power, he was working miracles among the people to show great proofs from God.


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But some Jews stood up and argued with Stephen. They were from a house of worship called "A house of worship for Freed Men." (This house of worship was also for Jews from the cities of Cyrene and Alexandria.) Jews from Cilicia and Asia were with them. They all came and argued with Stephen


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but the Spirit was helping Stephen speak with wisdom. His words were so powerful that the Jews could not argue with him.


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So they secretly paid some men to say, "We heard Stephen say some evil things against Moses and against God!"


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In this way they stirred up the people, the Jewish elders, and the teachers of the law. They became so angry that they came and grabbed Stephen. Then they took him to the Jewish Council.


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They brought some men into the meeting. These men were told to tell lies about Stephen. The men said, "This man always says things against this holy place and against the law of Moses.


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We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place. He also said that Jesus would change the customs which Moses passed down to us."


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Everyone sitting in the Jewish Council stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.


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Stephen answered, “My Jewish fathers and brothers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, while he was in Mesopotamia. This was before he lived in Haran.


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God said to Abraham, ‘Leave your country and your relatives! Go to another country. I will show you where to go.’


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"So Abraham left the country of Chaldea and went to live in Haran. After Abraham’s father died, God sent him to this same land where you live now.


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But God did not give Abraham any of this land — not even a foot of it! God promised that in the future He would give this land to Abraham and his descendants; it would belong to them. (This was before Abraham had any children.)


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This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will live as strangers in another country. The people there will make them slaves and do evil things to them for 400 years.


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I will judge that nation which will make them slaves.’ And God also said, ‘After those things happen, your children will come out of that country to worship Me in this place.’


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God set up a covenant with Abraham; the sign was circumcision. And so when Abraham had a son, Abraham circumcised him when he was eight days old. His son’s name was Isaac. Isaac also circumcised his son Jacob and Jacob did the same for his sons. These sons later became the twelve fathers.


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"These fathers, Joseph’s brothers, became jealous of him. They sold Joseph to be a slave in Egypt; but God was with him.


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Joseph had many troubles there but God rescued him from them all. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, liked Joseph and respected him because of the wisdom and help in time of need which God gave Joseph. Pharaoh gave Joseph the job of being governor of Egypt. He even allowed Joseph to rule over all the people in Pharaoh’s house.


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But the whole land of Egypt and the land of Canaan became dry. It became so dry that crops could not grow there. This made the people suffer terribly. Our ancestors could find nothing to eat.


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But Jacob heard that there was wheat stored in Egypt. So he sent our ancestors there. (This was their first trip to Egypt.)


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"Then they went there a second time. On this visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was. And Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.


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Then Joseph sent some men to invite Jacob, his father, to come to Egypt. He also invited all of his relatives (75 persons altogether).


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Later their bodies were moved to Shechem. They were placed in a grave there. (It was the same grave in Shechem that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor. He paid them with silver.)


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"In Egypt, our nation grew larger in number. (The promise which God made to Abraham was soon to come true.) There were more and more of our people in Egypt.


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During this time Moses was born. He was no ordinary baby. For three months they took care of Moses in his father’s house.


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When they put Moses outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him in. She raised him as if he were her own son.


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"When Moses was about 40 years old, he thought it would be good to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.


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One day Moses saw an Egyptian man doing wrong to a Hebrew brother. So he defended him. Moses punished the Egyptian for hurting that brother. Moses hit the Egyptian so hard that the man died.


