John 19

1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped.

2 The soldiers made a crown out of thorny branches and put it on his head; then they put a purple robe on him

3 and came to him and said, “Long live the King of the Jews!” And they went up and slapped him.

4 Pilate went back out once more and said to the crowd, “Look, I will bring him out here to you to let you see that I cannot find any reason to condemn him.”

5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look! Here is the man!”

6 When the chief priests and the Temple guards saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “You take him, then, and crucify him. I find no reason to condemn him.”

7 The crowd answered back, “We have a law that says he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid.

9 He went back into the palace and asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?”

But Jesus did not answer.

10 Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Remember, I have the authority to set you free and also to have you crucified.”

11 Jesus answered, “You have authority over me only because it was given to you by God. So the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin.”

12 When Pilate heard this, he tried to find a way to set Jesus free. But the crowd shouted back, “If you set him free, that means that you are not the Emperor’s friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is a rebel against the Emperor!”

13 When Pilate heard these words, he took Jesus outside and sat down on the judge’s seat in the place called “The Stone Pavement.” (In Hebrew the name is “Gabbatha.”)

14 It was then almost noon of the day before the Passover. Pilate said to the people, “Here is your king!”

15 They shouted back, “Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!”

Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to crucify your king?”

The chief priests answered, “The only king we have is the Emperor!”

16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.

Jesus Is Crucified

So they took charge of Jesus.

17 He went out, carrying his cross, and came to “The Place of the Skull,” as it is called. (In Hebrew it is called “Golgotha.”)

18 There they crucified him; and they also crucified two other men, one on each side, with Jesus between them.

19 Pilate wrote a notice and had it put on the cross. “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” is what he wrote.

20 Many people read it, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city. The notice was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

21 The chief priests said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.’”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written stays written.”

23 After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also took the robe, which was made of one piece of woven cloth without any seams in it.

24 The soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it; let’s throw dice to see who will get it.” This happened in order to make the scripture come true:

“They divided my clothes among themselves

and gambled for my robe.”

And this is what the soldiers did.

25 Standing close to Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there; so he said to his mother, “He is your son.”

27 Then he said to the disciple, “She is your mother.” From that time the disciple took her to live in his home.

The Death of Jesus

28 Jesus knew that by now everything had been completed; and in order to make the scripture come true, he said, “I am thirsty.”

29 A bowl was there, full of cheap wine; so a sponge was soaked in the wine, put on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted up to his lips.

30 Jesus drank the wine and said, “It is finished!”

Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus’ Side Is Pierced

31 Then the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to allow them to break the legs of the men who had been crucified, and to take the bodies down from the crosses. They requested this because it was Friday, and they did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses on the Sabbath, since the coming Sabbath was especially holy.

32 So the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man and then of the other man who had been crucified with Jesus.

33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs.

34 One of the soldiers, however, plunged his spear into Jesus’ side, and at once blood and water poured out. (

35 The one who saw this happen has spoken of it, so that you also may believe.What he said is true, and he knows that he speaks the truth.)

36 This was done to make the scripture come true: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”

37 And there is another scripture that says, “People will look at him whom they pierced.”

The Burial of Jesus

38 After this, Joseph, who was from the town of Arimathea, asked Pilate if he could take Jesus’ body. (Joseph was a follower of Jesus, but in secret, because he was afraid of the Jewish authorities.) Pilate told him he could have the body, so Joseph went and took it away.

39 Nicodemus, who at first had gone to see Jesus at night, went with Joseph, taking with him about one hundred pounds of spices, a mixture of myrrh and aloes.

40 The two men took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices according to the Jewish custom of preparing a body for burial.

41 There was a garden in the place where Jesus had been put to death, and in it there was a new tomb where no one had ever been buried.

42 Since it was the day before the Sabbath and because the tomb was close by, they placed Jesus’ body there.

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John 20

The Empty Tomb

1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance.

2 She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb.

4 The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first.

5 He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but he did not go in.

6 Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there

7 and the cloth which had been around Jesus’ head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself.

8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. (

9 They still did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from death.)

10 Then the disciples went back home.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 Mary stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb

12 and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet.

13 “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.

She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!”

14 Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was Jesus.

15 “Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, “If you took him away, sir, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned toward him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”)

17 “Do not hold on to me,” Jesus told her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”

18 So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what he had told her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

19 It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.

20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.”

22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus and Thomas

24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came.

25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!”

28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”

The Purpose of This Book

30 In his disciples’ presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book.

31 But these have been written in order that you may believethat Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.

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John 21

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

1 After this, Jesus appeared once more to his disciples at Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened.

2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael (the one from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together.

3 Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.”

“We will come with you,” they told him. So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing.

4 As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water’s edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5 Then he asked them, “Young men, haven’t you caught anything?”

“Not a thing,” they answered.

6 He said to them, “Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some.” So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish.

7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken his clothes off) and jumped into the water.

8 The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling the net full of fish. They were not very far from land, about a hundred yards away.

9 When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear.

12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.

13 So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish.

14 This, then, was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from death.

Jesus and Peter

15 After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my lambs.”

16 A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 A third time Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” and so he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.

18 I am telling you the truth: when you were young, you used to get ready and go anywhere you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and take you where you don’t want to go.”

19 (In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.) Then Jesus said to him, “Follow me!”

Jesus and the Other Disciple

20 Peter turned around and saw behind him that other disciple, whom Jesus loved—the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the meal and had asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”

21 When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

22 Jesus answered him, “If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”

23 So a report spread among the followers of Jesus that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die; he said, “If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you?”

24 He is the disciple who spoke of these things, the one who also wrote them down; and we know that what he said is true.

Conclusion

25 Now, there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written.

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Luke 1

Introduction

1 Dear Theophilus:

Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us.

2 They wrote what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and who proclaimed the message.

3 And so, Your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you.

4 I do this so that you will know the full truth about everything which you have been taught.

The Birth of John the Baptist Is Announced

5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea,there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife’s name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family.

6 They both lived good lives in God’s sight and obeyed fully all the Lord’s laws and commands.

7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.

8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service.

9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord,

10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burned.

11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar where the incense was burned.

12 When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid.

13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John.

14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born!

15 John will be great in the Lord’s sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,

16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord’s people ready for him.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”

19 “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news.

20 But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”

21 In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple.

22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.

23 When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home.

24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months.

25 “Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”

The Birth of Jesus Is Announced

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth.

27 He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary.

28 The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”

29 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s message, and she wondered what his words meant.

30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.

31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was,

33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.

36 Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old.

37 For there is nothing that God cannot do.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea.

40 She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

42 and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

43 Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord’s mother comes to visit me?

44 For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness.

45 How happy you are to believe that the Lord’s message to you will come true!”

Mary’s Song of Praise

46 Mary said,

“My heart praises the Lord;

47 my soul is glad because of God my Savior,

48 for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!

From now on all people will call me happy,

49 because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.

His name is holy;

50 from one generation to another

he shows mercy to those who honor him.

51 He has stretched out his mighty arm

and scattered the proud with all their plans.

52 He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54 He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,

and has come to the help of his servant Israel.

55 He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham

and to all his descendants forever!”

56 Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her, and they all rejoiced with her.

59 When the baby was a week old, they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father.

60 But his mother said, “No! His name is to be John.”

61 They said to her, “But you don’t have any relative with that name!”

62 Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have.

63 Zechariah asked for a writing pad and wrote, “His name is John.” How surprised they all were!

64 At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again, and he started praising God.

65 The neighbors were all filled with fear, and the news about these things spread through all the hill country of Judea.

66 Everyone who heard of it thought about it and asked, “What is this child going to be?” For it was plain that the Lord’s power was upon him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

67 John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God’s message:

68 “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel!

He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.

69 He has provided for us a mighty Savior,

a descendant of his servant David.

70 He promised through his holy prophets long ago

71 that he would save us from our enemies,

from the power of all those who hate us.

72 He said he would show mercy to our ancestors

and remember his sacred covenant.

73-74 With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham

he promised to rescue us from our enemies

and allow us to serve him without fear,

75 so that we might be holy and righteous before him

all the days of our life.

76 “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.

You will go ahead of the Lord

to prepare his road for him,

77 to tell his people that they will be saved

by having their sins forgiven.

78 Our God is merciful and tender.

He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us

79 and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death,

to guide our steps into the path of peace.”

80 The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.

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Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

1 At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.

2 When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria.

3 Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.

4 Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David.

5 He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant,

6 and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.

7 She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks.

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid,

10 but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people.

11 This very day in David’s town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord!

12 And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger.

17 When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child.

18 All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said.

19 Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.

20 The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

Jesus Is Named

21 A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

Jesus Is Presented in the Temple

22 The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,

23 as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.”

24 They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.

25 At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him

26 and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s promised Messiah.

27 Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required,

28 Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

29 “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise,

and you may let your servant go in peace.

30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:

32 A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles

and bring glory to your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him.

34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against

35 and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”

36-37 There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old.She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying.

38 That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

The Return to Nazareth

39 When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.

40 The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God’s blessings were upon him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual.

43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this;

44 they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.

48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

50 But they did not understand his answer.

51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.

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Luke 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist

1 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was ruler of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias was ruler of Abilene,

2 and Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests. At that time the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

3 So John went throughout the whole territory of the Jordan River, preaching, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.”

4 As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“Someone is shouting in the desert:

‘Get the road ready for the Lord;

make a straight path for him to travel!

5 Every valley must be filled up,

every hill and mountain leveled off.

The winding roads must be made straight,

and the rough paths made smooth.

6 The whole human race will see God’s salvation!’”

7 Crowds of people came out to John to be baptized by him. “You snakes!” he said to them. “Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send?

8 Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don’t start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham!

9 The ax is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.”

10 The people asked him, “What are we to do, then?”

11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.”

12 Some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what are we to do?”

13 “Don’t collect more than is legal,” he told them.

14 Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What are we to do?”

He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay.”

15 People’s hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah.

16 So John said to all of them, “I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

17 He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

18 In many different ways John preached the Good News to the people and urged them to change their ways.

19 But John reprimanded Governor Herod, because he had married Herodias, his brother’s wife, and had done many other evil things.

20 Then Herod did an even worse thing by putting John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

21 After all the people had been baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened,

22 and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you.”

The Ancestors of Jesus

23 When Jesus began his work, he was about thirty years old. He was the son, so people thought, of Joseph, who was the son of Heli,

24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Kenan,

38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

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Luke 4

The Temptation of Jesus

1 Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert,

2 where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.

3 The Devil said to him, “If you are God’s Son, order this stone to turn into bread.”

4 But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone.’”

5 Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world.

6 “I will give you all this power and all this wealth,” the Devil told him. “It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose.

7 All this will be yours, then, if you worship me.”

8 Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’”

9 Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, “If you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here.

10 For the scripture says, ‘God will order his angels to take good care of you.’

11 It also says, ‘They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.’”

12 But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

13 When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while.

Jesus Begins His Work in Galilee

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, and the power of the Holy Spirit was with him. The news about him spread throughout all that territory.

15 He taught in the synagogues and was praised by everyone.

Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth

16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures

17 and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed

19 and announce that the time has come

when the Lord will save his people.”

20 Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him,

21 as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

22 They were all well impressed with him and marveled at the eloquent words that he spoke. They said, “Isn’t he the son of Joseph?”

23 He said to them, “I am sure that you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You will also tell me to do here in my hometown the same things you heard were done in Capernaum.

24 I tell you this,” Jesus added, “prophets are never welcomed in their hometown.

25 Listen to me: it is true that there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three and a half years and a severe famine spread throughout the whole land.

26 Yet Elijah was not sent to anyone in Israel, but only to a widow living in Zarephath in the territory of Sidon.

27 And there were many people suffering from a dreaded skin disease who lived in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha; yet not one of them was healed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with anger.

29 They rose up, dragged Jesus out of town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff,

30 but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way.

A Man with an Evil Spirit

31 Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, where he taught the people on the Sabbath.

32 They were all amazed at the way he taught, because he spoke with authority.

33 In the synagogue was a man who had the spirit of an evil demon in him; he screamed out in a loud voice,

34 “Ah! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are: you are God’s holy messenger!”

35 Jesus ordered the spirit, “Be quiet and come out of the man!” The demon threw the man down in front of them and went out of him without doing him any harm.

36 The people were all amazed and said to one another, “What kind of words are these? With authority and power this man gives orders to the evil spirits, and they come out!”

37 And the report about Jesus spread everywhere in that region.

Jesus Heals Many People

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon’s home. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they spoke to Jesus about her.

39 He went and stood at her bedside and ordered the fever to leave her. The fever left her, and she got up at once and began to wait on them.

40 After sunset all who had friends who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; he placed his hands on every one of them and healed them all.

41 Demons also went out from many people, screaming, “You are the Son of God!”

Jesus gave the demons an order and would not let them speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues

42 At daybreak Jesus left the town and went off to a lonely place. The people started looking for him, and when they found him, they tried to keep him from leaving.

43 But he said to them, “I must preach the Good News about the Kingdom of God in other towns also, because that is what God sent me to do.”

44 So he preached in the synagogues throughout the country.

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Luke 5

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

1 One day Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret while the people pushed their way up to him to listen to the word of God.

2 He saw two boats pulled up on the beach; the fishermen had left them and were washing the nets.

3 Jesus got into one of the boats—it belonged to Simon—and asked him to push off a little from the shore. Jesus sat in the boat and taught the crowd.

4 When he finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Push the boat out further to the deep water, and you and your partners let down your nets for a catch.”

5 “Master,” Simon answered, “we worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 They let them down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break.

7 So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full of fish that the boats were about to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he fell on his knees before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man!”

9 He and the others with him were all amazed at the large number of fish they had caught.

10 The same was true of Simon’s partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”

11 They pulled the boats up on the beach, left everything, and followed Jesus.

Jesus Heals a Man

12 Once Jesus was in a town where there was a man who was suffering from a dreaded skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged him, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean!”

13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I do want to,” he answered. “Be clean!” At once the disease left the man.

14 Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and let him examine you; then to prove to everyone that you are cured, offer the sacrifice as Moses ordered.”

15 But the news about Jesus spread all the more widely, and crowds of people came to hear him and be healed from their diseases.

16 But he would go away to lonely places, where he prayed.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

17 One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were sitting there who had come from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick.

18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a bed, and they tried to carry him into the house and put him in front of Jesus.

19 Because of the crowd, however, they could find no way to take him in. So they carried him up on the roof, made an opening in the tiles, and let him down on his bed into the middle of the group in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven, my friend.”

21 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks such blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!”

22 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Why do you think such things?

23 Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

24 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, pick up your bed, and go home!”

25 At once the man got up in front of them all, took the bed he had been lying on, and went home, praising God.

26 They were all completely amazed! Full of fear, they praised God, saying, “What marvelous things we have seen today!”

Jesus Calls Levi

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

28 Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

29 Then Levi had a big feast in his house for Jesus, and among the guests was a large number of tax collectors and other people.

30 Some Pharisees and some teachers of the Law who belonged to their group complained to Jesus’ disciples. “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other outcasts?” they asked.

31 Jesus answered them, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.

32 I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts.”

The Question about Fasting

33 Some people said to Jesus, “The disciples of John fast frequently and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but your disciples eat and drink.”

34 Jesus answered, “Do you think you can make the guests at a wedding party go without food as long as the bridegroom is with them? Of course not!

35 But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

36 Jesus also told them this parable: “You don’t tear a piece off a new coat to patch up an old coat. If you do, you will have torn the new coat, and the piece of new cloth will not match the old.

37 Nor do you pour new wine into used wineskins, because the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined.

38 Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins!

39 And you don’t want new wine after drinking old wine. ‘The old is better,’ you say.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/LUK/5-b4f9a9da707c4d2a2180168c2b0a7577.mp3?version_id=68—

Luke 6

The Question about the Sabbath

1 Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples began to pick the heads of wheat, rub them in their hands, and eat the grain.

2 Some Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what our Law says you cannot do on the Sabbath?”

3 Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men were hungry?

4 He went into the house of God, took the bread offered to God, ate it, and gave it also to his men. Yet it is against our Law for anyone except the priests to eat that bread.”

5 And Jesus concluded, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Man with a Paralyzed Hand

6 On another Sabbath Jesus went into a synagogue and taught. A man was there whose right hand was paralyzed.

7 Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees wanted a reason to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.

8 But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man, “Stand up and come here to the front.” The man got up and stood there.

9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: What does our Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To help or to harm? To save someone’s life or destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them all; then he saidto the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand became well again.

11 They were filled with rage and began to discuss among themselves what they could do to Jesus.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

12 At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God.

13 When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles:

14 Simon (whom he named Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

15 Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon (who was called the Patriot),

16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became the traitor.

Jesus Teaches and Heals

17 When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon;

18 they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed.

19 All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.

Happiness and Sorrow

20 Jesus looked at his disciples and said,

“Happy are you poor;

the Kingdom of God is yours!

21 “Happy are you who are hungry now;

you will be filled!

“Happy are you who weep now;

you will laugh!

22 “Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man!

23 Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.

24 “But how terrible for you who are rich now;

you have had your easy life!

25 “How terrible for you who are full now;

you will go hungry!

“How terrible for you who laugh now;

you will mourn and weep!

26 “How terrible when all people speak well of you; their ancestors said the very same things about the false prophets.

Love for Enemies

27 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

29 If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well.

30 Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back.

31 Do for others just what you want them to do for you.

32 “If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them!

33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that!

34 And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount!

35 No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked.

36 Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you.

38 Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands—all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”

39 And Jesus told them this parable: “One blind man cannot lead another one; if he does, both will fall into a ditch.

40 No pupils are greater than their teacher; but all pupils, when they have completed their training, will be like their teacher.

41 “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but pay no attention to the log in your own eye?

42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Please, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye,’ yet cannot even see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

43 “A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit.

44 Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes.

45 A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

The Two House Builders

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and yet don’t do what I tell you?

47 Anyone who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys them—I will show you what he is like.

48 He is like a man who, in building his house, dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. The river flooded over and hit that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

49 But anyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a man who built his house without laying a foundation; when the flood hit that house it fell at once—and what a terrible crash that was!”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/LUK/6-7f305c7786c8beb55d334b50bb3366c4.mp3?version_id=68—

Luke 7

Jesus Heals a Roman Officer’s Servant

1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum.

2 A Roman officer there had a servant who was very dear to him; the man was sick and about to die.

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

4 They came to Jesus and begged him earnestly, “This man really deserves your help.

5 He loves our people and he himself built a synagogue for us.”

6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the officer sent friends to tell him, “Sir, don’t trouble yourself. I do not deserve to have you come into my house,

7 neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you in person. Just give the order, and my servant will get well.

8 I, too, am a man placed under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; I order that one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

9 Jesus was surprised when he heard this; he turned around and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, I have never found faith like this, not even in Israel!”

10 The messengers went back to the officer’s house and found his servant well.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

11 Soon afterwardJesus went to a town named Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd.

12 Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her.

13 When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man! Get up, I tell you!”

15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 They all were filled with fear and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said; “God has come to save his people!”

17 This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory.

The Messengers from John the Baptist

18 When John’s disciples told him about all these things, he called two of them

19 and sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

20 When they came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask if you are the one he said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

21 At that very time Jesus healed many people from their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many blind people.

22 He answered John’s messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean,the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

23 How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

24 After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind?

25 What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that and live in luxury are found in palaces!

26 Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet.

27 For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’

28 I tell you,” Jesus added, “John is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John.”

29 All the people heard him; they and especially the tax collectors were the ones who had obeyed God’s righteous demands and had been baptized by John.

30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law rejected God’s purpose for themselves and refused to be baptized by John.

31 Jesus continued, “Now to what can I compare the people of this day? What are they like?

32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group shouts to the other, ‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn’t dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn’t cry!’

33 John the Baptist came, and he fasted and drank no wine, and you said, ‘He has a demon in him!’

34 The Son of Man came, and he ate and drank, and you said, ‘Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’

35 God’s wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who accept it.”

Jesus at the Home of Simon the Pharisee

36 A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat.

37 In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee’s house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume

38 and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!”

40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes, Teacher,” he said, “tell me.”

41 “There were two men who owed money to a moneylender,” Jesus began. “One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty.

42 Neither of them could pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Which one, then, will love him more?”

43 “I suppose,” answered Simon, “that it would be the one who was forgiven more.”

“You are right,” said Jesus.

44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

45 You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came.

46 You provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume.

47 I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.”

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

49 The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

50 But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/LUK/7-79eb6850279df7808a30477da8d6d681.mp3?version_id=68—