Mattthew (<i>GOD'S WORD</i>]

Matthew (GOD'S WORD)

Matthew 1:18-25 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. His mother Mary had been promised to Joseph in marriage. But before they were married, Mary
realized that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Her husband Joseph was an honorable man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the marriage agreement with her secretly.
    ²⁰Joseph had this in mind when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this happened so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: ²³“The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
    ²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do. He took Mary to be his wife. ²⁵He did not have marital relations with her before she gave birth to a son. Joseph named the child Jesus.

Matthew 2:13-18 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹³After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
The angel said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to
Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child
and kill him.”
   ¹⁴Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left for Egypt that night.
   ¹⁵He stayed there until Herod died. What the Lord had spoken through the
prophet came true: “I have called my son out of Egypt.”
   ¹⁶When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he became furious.
He sent soldiers to kill all the boys two years old and younger in or near
Bethlehem. This matched the exact time he had learned from the wise men.
   ¹⁷Then the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah came true:
   ¹⁸ “A sound was heard in Ramah,
            the sound of crying in bitter grief.
                Rachel was crying for her children.
                    She refused to be comforted
                        because they were dead.”

Matthew 3:11-17 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹¹I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into a barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.”
    ¹³Then Jesus appeared. He came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. ¹⁴But John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you.
Why are you coming to me?”
    ¹⁵Jesus answered him, “This is the way it has to be now. This is the proper way to do everything that God requires of us.” Then John gave in to him. ¹⁶After Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up from the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove to him. ¹⁷Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love—my Son with whom I am pleased.”

Matthew 4:1-11 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil. ²Jesus did not eat anything for 40 days and 40 nights. At the end of that time, he was hungry.
    ³The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread."
    ⁴Jesus answered, "Scripture says, 'A person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks.'"
    ⁵Then the devil took him into the holy city and had him stand on the highest part of the temple. ⁶He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, jump! Scripture say, 'He will put his angels in charge of you. They will carry you in their hands so that you never hit your foot against a rock.'"
    ⁷Jesus said to him, "Again, Scripture says, 'Never tempt the Lord your God.'"
    ⁸Once more the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms in the world and their glory. ⁹The devil said to him,"I will give you all this if you will bow down and worship me."
    ¹⁰Jesus said to him, "Go away, Satan! Scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"
    ¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels came to take care of him.

Matthew 5:1-12 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them:
    ³ "Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless.
                The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
    ⁴    Blessed are those who mourn.
            They will be comforted.
   ⁵   Blessed are those who are gentle.
            They will inherit the earth.
  ⁶    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God's approval.
            They will be satisfied.
    ⁷    Blessed are those who show mercy.
            They will be treated mercifully.
  ⁸    Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure.
            They will see God.
  ⁹    Blessed are those who make peace.
            They will be called God's children.
   ¹⁰    Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of.
                The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

   ¹¹    "Blessed are you when people insult you.
                persecute you,
                    lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me.
  ¹²   Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven!
                The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways.

Matthew 5:13-16 (GOD'S WORD)

¹³"You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses it's taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.¹⁴"You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. ¹⁵No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:33-37 (GOD'S WORD)

³³ “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Never break your oath, but give to the Lord what you swore in an oath to give him.’ ³⁴But I tell you don’t swear an oath at all. Don’t swear an oath by heaven, which is God’s throne, ³⁵or by the earth, which is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, which is the city of the great King. ³⁶And don’t swear an oath by your head. After all, you cannot make one hair black or white. ³⁷Simply say yes or no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5:48 (GOD'S WORD)

⁴⁸That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6:1-4 (GOD'S WORD)

¹ “Be careful not to do your good works in public in order to attract attention. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you. ²So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. ³When you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.

Matthew 6:5-15 (GOD'S WORD)

   ⁵“When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They like to stand in synagogues and on street corners to pray so that everyone can see them. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.⁶    When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
   ⁷“When you pray, don’t ramble like heathens who think they’ll be heard if they talk a lot.⁸Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.⁹“This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy.
    ¹⁰ Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.
    ¹¹ Give us our daily bread today.
   ¹² Forgive us as we forgive others
    ¹³       Don’t allow us to be tempted.
                Instead, rescue us from the evil one.
    ¹⁴“If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures..

Matthew 6:19-34 (GOD'S WORD)

   ¹⁹“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. ²⁰Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust don’t destroy and thieves don’t break in and steal.²¹Your heart will be where your treasure is and steal.
    ²²“The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be full of light.²³But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!.²⁴“No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot
serve God and wealth.
   ²⁵“So I tell you to stop worrying about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes?
    ²⁶“Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?
    ²⁷“Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?
    ²⁸“And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field. They never work or spin yarn for clothes.²⁹But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers. ³⁰That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith?
    ³¹“Don’t ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ ³²Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.³³But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.
   ³⁴“So don’t ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 7:7-12 (GOD'S WORD)

THE POWER OF PRAYER

    ⁷“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. ⁸Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
    ⁹“If your child asks you for bread, would any of you give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if your child asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? ¹¹Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

THE GOLDEN RULE

    ¹²“Always do for other people everything you want them to do for you. That is {the meaning of} Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:15-29 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹⁵But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures.
FASTING
   ¹⁶“When you fast, stop looking sad like hypocrites. They put on sad faces to make it obvious that they’re fasting. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. ¹⁷When you fast, wash your face and comb your hair. ¹⁸Then your fasting won’t be obvious. Instead, it will be obvious to your Father who is with you in private. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
TRUE RICHES
   ¹⁹“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust
destroy and thieves break in and steal.²⁰ So you will know them by what they produce.
  ²¹"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants.²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?'²³Then I will tell them publicly, `I've never known you. Get away from me, you evil people.'²⁴“Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on rock. ²⁵Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not collapse, because its foundation was on rock.
   ²⁶“Everyone who hears what I say but doesn’t obey it will be like a foolish person who built a house on sand. ²⁷Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and struck that house. It collapsed, and the result was a total disaster.”
   ²⁸When Jesus finished this speech, the crowds were amazed at his teachings.
   ²⁹Unlike their scribes, he taught them with authority.

Matthew 7:24-27 (GOD'S WORD)

²⁴ "Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on rock. ²⁵Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not collapse, because its foundation was on rock.
²⁶ “Everyone who hears what I say but doesn’t obey it will be like a foolish person who built a house on sand. ²⁷Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and struck that house. It collapsed, and the result was a total disaster.

Matthew 8:5-22 (GOD'S WORD)

    ⁵When Jesus went to Capernaum, a Roman army officer came to beg him for help.⁶The officer said, “Sir, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
    ⁷Jesus said to him, “I’ll come to heal him.”
    ⁸The officer responded, “Sir, I don’t deserve to have you come into my house. But just give a command, and my servant will be healed.⁹As you know, I’m in a chain of command and have soldiers at my command. I tell one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I tell my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
    ¹⁰Jesus was amazed when he heard this. He said to those who were following him, “I can guarantee this truth: I haven’t found faith as great as this in anyone
in Israel. ¹¹I can guarantee that many will come from all over the world. They will eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.¹²The citizens of that kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.
    ¹³Jesus told the officer, “Go! What you believed will be done for you.” And at that moment the servant was healed.
    ¹⁴When Jesus went to Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. ¹⁵Jesus touched her hand, and the fever went away. So she got up and prepared a meal for him.
    ¹⁶ In the evening the people brought him many who were possessed by demons. He forced the {evil} spirits out of people with a command and cured everyone who was sick. ¹⁷So what the prophet Isaiah had said came true: “He took away our weaknesses and removed our diseases."¹⁸Now, when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he ordered bhis disciplesn to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
    ¹⁹A scribe came to him and said, “Teacher, I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
    ²⁰Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”
    ²¹Another disciple said to him, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”
    ²²But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Matthew 8:28-34 (GOD'S WORD)

    ²⁸When he arrived in the territory of the Gadarenes on the other side {of the Sea of Galilee}, two men met him. They were possessed by demons and had come out of the tombs. No one could travel along that road because the men were so dangerous.
    ²⁹They shouted, “Why are you bothering us now, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before it is time?”
    ³⁰A large herd of pigs was feeding in the distance. ³¹The demons begged Jesus, “If you’re going to force us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”
    ³²Jesus said to them, “Go!” The demons came out and went into the pigs. Suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the cliff into the sea and died in the water. ³³Those who took care of the pigs ran into the city. There they reported everything, especially about the men possessed by demons.
    ³⁴Everyone from the city went to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

Matthew 9:1-13 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹Jesus got into a boat, crossed the sea, and came to his own city.²Some people brought him a paralyzed man on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Cheer up, friend! Your sins are forgiven.”
        ³Then some of the scribes thought, “He’s dishonoring God.”
      ⁴Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked them, “Why are you thinking evil things? ⁵Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
      ⁷So the man got up and went home.⁸When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe and praised God for giving such authority to humans.
   ⁹When Jesus was leaving that place, he saw a man sitting in a tax office. The man’s name was Matthew. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” So Matthew got up and followed him.
    ¹⁰Later Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹The Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
    ¹²When Jesus heard that, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do.¹³Learn what this means: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifices.’ I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they don’t have any flaws.”

Matthew 10:1-42 (GOD'S WORD)

   ¹Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority to force evil spirits out of people and to cure every disease and sickness.
   ²These are the names of the twelve apostles: first and foremost, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James (son of Alphaeus), and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Zealot and Judas
Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.
⁵Jesus sent these twelve out with the following instructions: “Don’t go among people who are not Jewish or into any Samaritan city.⁶Instead, go to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel. ⁷As you go, spread this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ ⁸Cure the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse those with skin diseases, and force demons out of people. Give these things without charging, since you received them without paying.
    ⁹“Don’t take any gold, silver, or even copper coins in your pockets. ¹⁰Don’t take a traveling bag for the trip, a change of clothes, sandals, or a walking stick.
After all, the worker deserves to have his needs met.
   ¹¹“When you go into a city or village, look for people who will listen to you there. Stay with them until you leave [that place] . ¹²When you go into a house, greet the family. ¹³If it is a family that listens to you, allow your greeting to stand. But if it is not receptive, take back your greeting. ¹⁴If anyone doesn’t welcome you or listen to what you say, leave that house or city, and shake its dust off your feet. ¹⁵I can guarantee this truth: Judgment day will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city.¹⁶I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Watch out for people who will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Because of me you will even be brought in front of governors and kings to testify to them and to everyone in the world. ¹⁹ When they hand you over [to the authorities], don't worry about what to say or how to say it. When the time comes, you will be given what to say. ²⁰ Indeed, you're not the ones who will be speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.
    ²¹ "Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. ²² Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who patiently endures to the end will be saved. ²³ So when they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I can guarantee this truth: Before you have gone through every city in Israel, the Son of Man will come.
   ²⁴“A student is not better than his teacher. Nor is a slave better than his owner. ²⁵It is enough for a student to become like his teacher and a slave like his owner. If they have called the owner of the house Beelzebul,a they will certainly call the family members the same name.²⁶So don’t be afraid of them. Nothing has been covered that will not be exposed. Whatever is secret will be made known.    ²⁷Tell in the daylight what I say to you in the dark. Shout from the housetops what you hear whispered. ²⁸Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
    ²⁹“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission. ³⁰Every hair on your head has been counted. ³¹Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows.
    ^32“So I will acknowledge in front of my Father in heaven that person who acknowledges me in front of others. ³³But I will tell my Father in heaven that I don’t know the person who tells others that he doesn’t know me.
   ³⁴“Don’t think that I came to bring peace to earth. I didn’t come to bring peace but conflict. ³⁵I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶A person’s enemies will be the members of his own family.
   ³⁷“The person who loves his father or mother more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. The person who loves a son or daughter more than me does not deserve to be my disciple.                         ³⁸Whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me doesn’t deserve to be my disciple. ³⁹The person who tries to preserve his life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for me will preserve it.
   ⁴⁰“The person who welcomes you welcomes me, and the person who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.⁴¹The person who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. The person who welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴²I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives any of my humble followers
a cup of cold water because that person is my disciple will certainly never lose his reward.”

Matthew 11:1-6 (GOD'S WORD)

¹After Jesus finished giving his twelve disciples these instructions, he moved on from there to teach his message in their cities.
JOHN SENDS TWO DISCIPLES—Luke 7:18-23
²When John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ had done. So he sent his disciples³to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?”
⁴Jesus answered John’s disciples, “Go back, and tell John what you hear and see:⁵Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin
diseases are made clean, deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News. ⁶Whoever doesn’t lose his faith in me is indeed blessed.”

Matthew 11:7-19 (GOD'S WORD)

⁷As they were leaving, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. “What did you go into the desert to see? Tall grass swaying in the wind?⁸Really, what did you go to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Those who wear fine clothes are in royal palaces.
   ⁹“Really, what did you go to see? A prophet? Let me tell you that he is far more than a prophet. ¹⁰John is the one about whom Scripture says,
‘I’m sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare the way in front of you.’
    ¹¹“I can guarantee this truth: Of all the people ever born, no one is greater than John the Baptizer. Yet, the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.¹²From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it. ¹³All the Prophets and Moses’ Teachings prophesied up to the time of John. ¹⁴If you are willing to accept their message, John is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵Let the person who has ears listen!
    ^₁₆“How can I describe the people who are living now? They are like children who sit in the marketplaces and shout to other children,
    ¹⁷ ‘We played music for you,
            but you didn’t dance.
         We sang a funeral song,
            but you didn’t show any sadness.'
    ¹⁸“John came neither eating nor drinking, and people say, ‘There’s a demon in him!’ ¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and people say, ‘Look at him! He’s a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ “Yet, wisdom is proved right by its actions.”

Matthew 11:25-30 (GOD'S WORD)

²⁵At that time Jesus said, "I praise you,Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children.²⁶Yes, Father, this is what pleases you.
²⁷"My Father has turned everything over to me. Only the Father knows the son. And no one knows the Father except the son and those to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.
²⁸"Come to me, all how are tied of carring heavy loads, and I will give you rest.²⁹Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves³⁰because my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 12:9-17 (GOD'S WORD)

⁹ Jesus moved on from there and went into a synagogue. ¹⁰A man with a paralyzed hand was there. The people asked Jesus whether it was right to heal on a day of worship so that they could accuse him of doing something wrong.
    ¹¹ Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you has a sheep. If it falls into a pit on a day of worship, wouldn’t you take hold of it and lift it out? ¹²Certainly, a human is more valuable than a sheep! So it is right to do good on the day of worship.”
    ¹³Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held it out, and it became normal again, as healthy as the other.
    ¹⁴The Pharisees left and plotted to kill Jesus. ¹⁵He knew about this, so he left that place.

JESUS IS GOD’S SERVANT

    Many people followed him, and he cured all of them. ¹⁶He also ordered them not to tell people who he was.¹⁷So what the prophet Isaiah had said came true.

Matthew 12:38-45 (GOD'S WORD)

   ³⁸Then some scribes and Pharisees said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign.”
    ³⁹He responded, "The people of an evil and unfaithful era look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰Just as Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
   ⁴¹The men of Nineveh will stand up with you at the time of judgment and will condemn you, because they turned to God and changed the way they thought and acted when Jonah spoke his message. But look, someone greater than Jonah is here! ⁴²The queen from the south will stand up at the time of judgment with you. She will condemn you, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom. But look, someone greater than Solomon is here!
    ⁴³“When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any.⁴⁴Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the home I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order.⁴⁵Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”

Matthew 13:1-30 (GOD'S WORD)

   ¹That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the Sea of Galilee.
    ²The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat. He sat in the boat while the entire crowd stood on the shore.³Then he used stories as illustrations to tell them many things.
He said, “Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. ⁴Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. ⁵Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶But when the sun came up, they were scorched. They withered because their roots weren’t deep enough. ⁷Other seeds were
planted among thornbushes, and the thornbushes grew up and choked them.
    ⁸But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted. ⁹Let the person who has ears listen!¹⁰”The disciples asked him, “Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?”
   ¹¹Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd. ¹²Those who understand bthese mysteriesn will be given more knowledge, and they will excel bin understanding them. However, some people don’t understand these mysteriesn. Even what they understand will be taken away from them. ¹³This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they’re blind. They hear, but they don’t listen. They don’t even try to understand. ¹⁴So they make Isaiah’s prophecy come true:‘You will hear clearly but never understand. You will see clearly but never comprehend.
    ¹⁵ These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Their ears never hear.
Their minds never understand. And they never return to me for healing!'
    ¹⁶"Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God's people longed to see what you see but didn't see it, to hear what you hear but didn't hear it.
   ¹⁸Listen to what the story about the farmer means. ¹⁹Someone hears the word about the kingdom but doesn’t understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates.²⁰The seed planted on rocky ground [is the person who] hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. ²¹Since he doesn’t have any root, he lasts only a little while. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls [from faith]. ²²The seed planted among thornbushes [is another person who] hears the word. But the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can’t produce anything. ²³But the seed planted on good ground [is the person who] hears and understands the word. This type produces crops. They produce one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted.²⁴Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away. ²⁶When the wheat came up and formed kernels, weeds appeared.
    ^₂₇“The owner’s workers came to him and asked, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
   ²⁸“He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’ “His workers asked him, ‘Do you want us to pull out the weeds?’
    ²⁹“He replied, ‘No. If you pull out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. When the grain is cut,
I will tell the workers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. But I’ll have them bring the wheat into my barn.’"

Matthew 13:36-52 (GOD'S WORD)

³⁶When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means."
³⁷He answered, "The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. ³⁹The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. ⁴²The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. ⁴³Then the people who have God's approval will shine like the the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen! ⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field. When a man discovered it, he buried it again. He was so delighted with it that he went away, sold everything he had, and bought that field.
⁴⁵“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found a valuable pearl, he went away, sold everything he had, and bought it.
⁴⁷“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea. It gathered all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, they pulled it to the shore. Then they sat down, gathered the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹The same thing will happen at the end of time. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from people who have God’s approval.⁵⁰Then the angels will throw the evil people into a blazing furnace. They will cry and be in extreme pain there.
⁵¹“Have you understood all of this?” “Yes,” they answered.
⁵²So Jesus said to them, “That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure chest.”

Matthew 16:13-20 (GOD'S WORD)

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the son of man is?" ¹⁴They answered, "Some say that you are John the Baptizer, others Elizah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." ¹⁵He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the son of the living God!"¹⁷Jesus replied, "Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! No human revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven revealed it to you.¹⁸You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free." ²⁰Then he strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Matthew 16:24-28 (GOD'S WORD)

   ²¹From that time on Jesus began to inform his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem. There he would have to suffer a lot because of the leaders, chief priests, and scribes. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be brought back to life.
    ²²Peter took him aside and objected to this. He said, “Heaven forbid, Lord! This must never happen to you!”
   ²³But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get out of my way, Satan! You are tempting me to sin. You aren’t thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think.”
   ²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. ²⁵Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me will find them. ²⁶What good will it do for people to win the whole world and lose their lives? Or what will a person give in exchange for life? ²⁷The Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory. Then he will pay back each person based on what that person has done. ²⁸I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Matthew 17:1-20 (GOD'S WORD)

   ¹After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John (the brother of James) and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.
   ²Jesus' appearance changed in front of them. His face became as bright as the sun and his clothes as white as light. ³Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.
   ⁴Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it's good that we're here. If you want, I'll put up three tents here--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
   ⁵He was still speaking when a bright cloud overshadowed them. Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, whom I love and with whom I am pleased. Listen to him!"
   ⁶The disciples were terrified when they heard this and fell facedown on the ground. ⁷But Jesus touched them and said, "Get up, and don't be afraid!"
    ⁸As they raised their heads, they saw no one but Jesus.
    ⁹On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen. Wait until the Son of Man has been brought back to life.”
   ¹⁰So the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
   ¹¹Jesus answered, “Elijah is coming and will put everything in order again.
    ¹²Actually, I can guarantee that Elijah has already come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased because they didn’t recognize him. In the same way they’re going to make the Son of Man suffer.”
    ¹³Then the disciples understood that he was talking about John the Baptizer.
    ¹⁴When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, knelt in front of him, ¹⁵and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son. He suffers from seizures. Often he falls into the fire or water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't cure him."
    ¹⁷Jesus replied, "You unbelieving and corrupt generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"
   ¹⁸Jesus ordered the demon to come out of the boy. At that moment the boy was cured.
    ¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, "Why couldn't we force the demon out of the boy?"
    ²⁰He told them, "Because you have so little faith. I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 18:1-14 (GOD'S WORD)

   ¹At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
   ²He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³Then he said
to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Whoever becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me.
   ⁶“These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be drowned in the sea with a large stone
hung around his neck.⁷How horrible it will be for the world because it causes people to lose their faith. Situations that cause people to lose their faith will arise. How horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith!
    ⁸“If your hand or your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life disabled or injured than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire.⁹If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire.
   ^₁₀“Be careful not to despise these little ones. I can guarantee that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father, who is in heaven.
   ¹²“What do you think? Suppose a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays. Won’t he leave the 99 sheep in the hills to look for the one that has
strayed?¹³I can guarantee this truth: If he finds it, he is happier about it than about the 99 that have not strayed. ¹⁴In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want one of these little ones to be lost.

Matthew18:15-20 (GOD'S WORD)

¹⁵ “If a believer does something wrong, go, confront him when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back that believer. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation may be verified by two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he ignores these witnesses, tell it to the community of believers. If he also ignores the community, deal with him as you would a heathen or a tax collector. ¹⁸ I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free.
¹⁹ “I can guarantee again that if two of you agree on anything here on earth, my Father in heaven will accept it. ²⁰ Where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”

Matthew 19:16-30 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹⁶Then a man came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good deed should I do to gain eternal life?”
    ¹⁷Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, obey the commandments.”
    ¹⁸“Which commandments?” the man asked. Jesus said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. ¹⁹Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as
you love yourself.”
    ²⁰The young man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments. What else do I need to do?”
    ²¹Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”
    ²²When the young man heard this, he went away sad because he owned a lot of property.
    ²³Jesus said to his disciples, “I can guarantee this truth: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴I can guarantee again that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
    ²⁵He amazed his disciples more than ever when they heard this. “Then who can be saved?” they asked.
    ²⁶Jesus looked at them and said, “It is impossible for people to save themselves
, but everything is possible for God.”²⁷Then Peter replied to him, “Look, we’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?” ²⁸Jesus said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: When the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the world to come, you, my followers, will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.²⁹And everyone who gave up homes, brothers or sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰However, many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matthew 20:17-19 (GOD'S WORD)

¹⁷When Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he took the twelve apostles aside and said to them privately, ¹⁸“We’re going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death ¹⁹and hand him over to foreigners. They will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him. But on the third day he will be brought back to life.”

Matthew 21:18-22 (GOD'S WORD)

    ¹⁸In the morning, as Jesus returned to the city, he became hungry. ¹⁹When he saw a fig tree by the road, he went up to the tree and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to the tree, “May fruit never grow on you again!” At once the fig tree dried up.
    ²⁰The disciples were surprised to see this. They asked, “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?”
   ²¹Jesus answered them, “I can guarantee this truth: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to the fig tree. You could also say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
    ²²Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 22:1-33 (GOD'S WORD)

   ¹Again Jesus used stories as illustrations when he spoke to them. He said, ²“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who planned a wedding for his son. ³He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come. ⁴He sent other servants to tell the people who had been invited, ‘I’ve prepared dinner. My bulls and fattened calves have been butchered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!’
    ⁵“But they paid no attention and went away. Some went to work in their own fields, and others went to their businesses. ⁶The rest grabbed the king’s servants, mistreated them, and then killed them.
    ⁷“The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.
   ⁸“Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited don’t deserve the honor. ⁹Go where the roads leave the city. Invite everyone you find to the wedding.’ ¹⁰The servants went into the streets and brought in all the good people and all the evil people they found. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
    ¹¹“When the king came to see the guests, he saw a person who was not dressed in the wedding clothes provided for the guests . ¹²He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without proper wedding clothes?’ “The man had nothing to say.¹³Then the king told his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.’
    ¹⁴“Therefore, many are invited, but few of those are chosen to stay."
    ¹⁵Then the Pharisees went away and planned to trap Jesus into saying the wrong thing. ¹⁶They sent their disciples to him along with Herod’s followers. They said to him, “Teacher, we know that you tell the truth and that you teach the truth about the way of God. You don’t favor individuals because of who they are. ¹⁷So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor or not?”
   ¹⁸Jesus recognized their evil plan, so he asked, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me a coin used to pay taxes.”
They brought him a coin. ²⁰He said to them, “Whose face and name is this?”
    ²¹They replied, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Very well, give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God.”
   ²²They were surprised to hear this. Then they left him alone and went away.
    ²³On that day some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him, ²⁴“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.’
   ²⁵There were seven brothers among us. The first married and died. Since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother. ²⁶The second brother also died, as well as the third, and the rest of the seven brothers. ²⁷At last the woman died. ²⁸Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers had been married to her.”
    ²⁹Jesus answered, “You’re mistaken because you don’t know the Scriptures or God’s power. ³⁰When people come back to life, they don’t marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven.                     ³¹Haven’t you read what God told you about the dead coming back to life? He said,³²‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ He’s not the God of the dead but of the living.”
    ³³He amazed the crowds who heard his teaching.

Matthew 23:1-39 (GOD'S WORD)

    “¹Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ²“The scribes and the Pharisees teach with Moses’ authority. ³So be careful to do everything they tell you. But don’t follow their example, because they don’t practice what they preach. ⁴They make loads that are hard to carry and lay them on the shoulders of the people. However, they are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
   ⁵“They do everything to attract people’s attention. They make their headbands large and the tassels on their shawls long.⁶They love the place of honor at dinners and the front seats in synagogues.     ⁷They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have people call them Rabbi. ⁸But don’t make others call you Rabbi, because you have only one teacher, and you are all followers.
    ⁹And don’t call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰Don’t make others call you a leader, because you have only one leader, the Messiah. ¹¹The person who is greatest among you will be your servant.¹²Whoever honors himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honored.
    ¹³“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven.
You don’t enter it yourselves, and you don’t permit others to enter when they try.
    ¹⁵“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You cross land and sea to recruit a single follower, and when you do, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.
    ¹⁶“How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, ‘To swear an oath by the temple doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.’     ¹⁷You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the temple that made the gold holy? ¹⁸Again you say, ‘To swear an oath by the altar doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the
gift on the altar means a person must keep his oath.’ ¹⁹You blind men! What is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?²⁰To swear an oath by the altar is to swear by it and by everything on it. ²¹To swear an oath by the temple is to swear by it and by the one who lives there. ²²And to swear an oath by heaven is to swear by God’s throne and the one who sits on it.
    ²³“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give bGodn one-tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the most important things in Moses’ Teachings. You should have done these things without neglecting the others.
   ²⁴You blind guides! You strain gnats bout of your winen, but you swallow camels.
  ²⁵“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desires. ²⁶You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cups and dishes so that the outside may also be clean.
    ²⁷“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people’s bones and every kind of impurity. ²⁸So on the outside you look as though you have God’s approval, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
   ²⁹“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who had God’s approval. ³⁰Then you say, ‘If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.’³¹So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the
prophets. ³²Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started!³³You snakes! You poisonous snakes! How can you escape being condemned to hell? ³⁴I’m sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers of the Scriptures. You will kill and crucify some of them. Others you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. ³⁵As a result, you will be held accountable for all the innocent blood of those murdered on earth, from the murder of righteous Abel to that of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶I can guarantee this truth: The people living now will be held accountable for all these things.
   ³⁷“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing!³⁸Your house will be abandoned, deserted. ³⁹I can guarantee that you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

Matthew 24:3-14 (GOD'S WORD)

³As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?"
    ⁴Jesus answered them, "Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. ⁵Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am the Messiah.' and they will deceive many people.
    ⁶"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don't be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don't mean that the end has come. ⁷Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All of these are only the beginning pains [of the end].
    ⁹"Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. ¹⁰Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. ¹¹Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹²And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people's love will grow cold. ¹³But the person who endures to the end will be saved.
    ¹⁴"This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14-51 (GOD'S WORD)

   ³²“Learn from the story of the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and it sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³In the same way, when
you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the door.
    ³⁴“I can guarantee this truth: This generation will not disappear until all these things take place. ³⁵The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
    ³⁶“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows.
    ³⁷“When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah. ³⁸In the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship. ³⁹They were not aware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes again.
   ⁴⁰“At that time two men will be working in the field. One will be taken, and the other one will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be working at a mill. One will be taken, and the other one will be left.
    ⁴²“Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know on what day your Lord will return. ⁴³You realize that if a homeowner had known at what time of the night a thief was coming, he would have stayed awake. He would not have let the thief break into his house. ⁴⁴Therefore, you, too, must be ready because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him.
   ⁴⁵“Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? The master will put that person in charge of giving the other servants their food at the right time.
    ⁴⁶That servant will be blessed if his master finds him doing this job when he comes. ⁴⁷I can guarantee this truth: He will put that servant in charge of all his property. ⁴⁸On the other hand, that servant, if he is wicked, may think that it will be a long time before his master comes. ⁴⁹The servant may begin to beat the other servants and eat and drink with the drunks. ⁵⁰His master will
return unexpectedly. 51Then his master will severely punish him and assign
him a place with the hypocrites. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.his Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.¹⁵"The prophet Daniel said that the disgusting thing that will cause destruction will stand in the holy place. When you see this (let the reader take note), ¹⁶those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. ¹⁷Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses. ¹⁸Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.
    ¹⁹“How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. ²⁰Pray that it will not be winter or a day of worship when you flee. ²¹There will be a lot of misery at that time, a kind of misery that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and will certainly never happen again. ²²If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.
    ²³"At that time don't believe anyone who tells you, 'Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' ²⁴False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work spectacular, miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. ²⁵Listen! I’ve told you this before it happens. ²⁶So if someone tells you, ‘He’s in the desert!’ don’t go out looking for him. And don’t believe anyone who says, ‘He’s in a secret place!’ ²⁷The Son on Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west. ²⁸Vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.
     ²⁹"Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the power of the universe will be shaken.
    ³⁰"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the people on earth will cry in agony when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky with power and great glory. ³¹He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.

Matthew 25:1-30 (GOD'S WORD)

¹"When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom.²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.³The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn't take any extra oil. ⁴The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps.⁵Since the groom was late, all the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep.
⁶"At midnight someone shouted, `The groom is here!' ⁷Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.
⁸"The foolish ones said to the wise ones, `Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.'
   ⁹"But the wise bridesmaids replied, 'We can't do that. There won't be enough for both of us. Go! Find someone to sell you some oil.'
    ¹⁰"While they were buying oil, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went with him into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.
   ¹¹"Later the other bridesmaids arrived and said, 'Sir, sir, open the door for us!'
    ¹²"But he answered them, `I don't even know who you are!' ¹³"So stay awake, because you don't know the day or the hour.¹³“So stay awake, because you don’t know the day or the hour.
    ¹⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a trip. He called his servants and entrusted some money to them. ¹⁵He gave one man ten thousand dollars, another four thousand dollars, and another two thousand dollars. Each was given money based on his ability. Then the man went on his trip.
    ¹⁶“The one who received ten thousand dollars invested the money at once and doubled his money. ¹⁷The one who had four thousand dollars did the same and also doubled his money. ¹⁸But the one who received two thousand dollars went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
    ¹⁹“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The one who received ten thousand dollars brought the additional ten thousand. He said, ‘Sir, you gave me ten thousand dollars. I’ve doubled the amount.’
    ²¹“His master replied, ‘Good job! You’re a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s happiness.’
    ²²“The one who received four thousand dollars came and said, ‘Sir, you gave me four thousand dollars. I’ve doubled the amount.’
    ²³“His master replied, ‘Good job! You’re a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s happiness.’
   ²⁴“Then the one who received two thousand dollars came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you are a hard person to please. You harvest where you haven’t planted and gather where you haven’t scattered any seeds. ²⁵I was afraid. So I hid your two thousand dollars in the ground. Here’s your money!’
    ²⁶“His master responded, ‘You evil and lazy servant! If you knew that I harvest where I haven’t planted and gather where I haven’t scattered, ²⁷then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest.²⁸Take the two thousand dollars away from him! Give it to the one who has the ten thousand! ²⁹To all who have,
more will be given, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have much. ³⁰Throw this useless servant
outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.’

Matthew 25:31-46 (GOD'S WORD)

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left.
    ³⁴“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵I 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. ³⁶I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
    ³⁷“Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
    ⁴⁰“The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me.' ⁴¹“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! ⁴²I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. ⁴³I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me into your homes. I needed clothes, and you didn’t give me anything to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me."
    ⁴⁴“They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or in need of clothes or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’
    ⁴⁵“He will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed,
you failed to do for me.’
    ⁴⁶“These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God'approval will go into eternal life.”

Matthew 26:36-46 (GOD'S WORD)

   ³⁶Then Jesus went with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.”
   ³⁷He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons with him. He was beginning to feel deep anguish. ³⁸Then he said to them, “My anguish is so great that I feel as if
I’m dying. Wait here, and stay awake with me.”
    ³⁹After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and prayed, “Father, if it’s possible, let this cup bof sufferingn be taken away
from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”
    ⁴⁰When he went back to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? ⁴¹Stay awake, and pray
that you won’t be tempted. You want to do what’s right, but you’re weak.”
    ⁴²Then he went away a second time and prayed, “Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, let your will be done.”
    ⁴³He found them asleep again because they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
    ⁴⁴After leaving them again, he went away and prayed the same prayer a third time. ⁴⁵Then he came back to the disciples and said to them, “You might as well sleep now. The time is near for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. ⁴⁶Get up! Let’s go! The one who is betraying me is near."
    ⁴⁷Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, arrived. A large crowd carrying swords and clubs was with him. They were from the chief priests and leaders of the people. ⁴⁸Now, the traitor had given them a signal. He said, “The one I kiss is the man you want. Arrest him!”
    ⁴⁹Then Judas quickly stepped up to Jesus and said, “Hello, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
    ⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?” Then some men came forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him.
    ⁵¹Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of the chief priest’s servant. ⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword away! All who use a sword will be killed by a sword. ⁵³Don’t you think that I could call on my Father to send more than twelve legions of angels to help me now?
    ⁵⁴How, then, are the Scriptures to be fulfilled that say this must happen?”
    ⁵⁵At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a criminal? I used to sit teaching in the temple courtyard every day. But you didn’t arrest me then. ⁵⁶All of this has happened so that what the prophets have written would come true.” Then all the disciples abandoned him and ran away.
    ⁵⁷Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the chief priest, where the scribes and the leaders had gathered together. ⁵⁸Peter followed at a distance until he came to the chief priest’s courtyard. He went inside and sat with the guards to see how this would turn out.
    ⁵⁹The chief priests and the whole council were searching for false testimony to use against Jesus in order to execute him. 60But they did not find any, although many came forward with false testimony. At last two men came forward.⁶¹They stated, “This man said, ‘I can tear down God’s temple and rebuild it in three days.’ ”
    ⁶²The chief priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Don’t you have any answer to what these men testify against you?”
   ⁶³But Jesus was silent. Then the chief priest said to him, “Swear an oath in front of the living God and tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”
    ⁶⁴Jesus answered him, “Yes, I am. But I can guarantee that from now on you will see the Son of Man in the highest position in heaven. He will be coming on the clouds of heaven.”
    ⁶⁵Then the chief priest tore his robes bin horrorn and said, “He has dishonored God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You’ve just heard him dishonor God!⁶⁶What’s your verdict?”
They answered, “He deserves the death penalty!”
   ⁶⁷Then they spit in his face, hit him with their fists, and some of them slapped him. ⁶⁸They said, “You Christ, if you’re a prophet, tell us who hit you.”
   ⁶⁹Peter was sitting in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.”
    ⁷⁰But Peter denied it in front of them all by saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    ⁷¹As he went to the entrance, another female servant saw him. She told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”
   ⁷²Again Peter denied it and swore with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”
        ⁷³After a little while the men standing there approached Peter and said, “It’s obvious you’re also one of them. Your accent gives you away!”
   ⁷⁴Then Peter began to curse and swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Just then a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.

Matthew 27:3-5 (GOD'S WORD)

   ³ Then Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders. ⁴He said, “I’ve sinned by betraying an innocent man.”
    They replied, “What do we care? That’s your problem.”
    ⁵So he threw the money into the temple, went away, and hanged himself.

Matthew 27:27-36 (GOD'S WORD)

   ²⁷Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace and gathered the whole troop around him. ²⁸They took off his clothes and put a bright red cape on him. ²⁹They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on his heads, and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt in front of him and made fun of him by saying, "Long live the king of the Jews!" ³⁰After they had spit on him, they took the stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.
   ³¹After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
   ³²On the way they found a man named Simon. He was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross.
   ³³They came to a place called Golgotha (which means "the place of the skull"). ³⁴They gave him a drink of wine mixed with a drug called gall. When he tasted it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. ³⁶Then they sat there and kept watch over him.

Matthew 27:45-50 (GOD'S WORD)

⁴⁵ At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ⁴⁶About three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” ⁴⁷When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸One of the men ran at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. ⁴⁹The others said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
⁵⁰ Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.

Matthew 27:51-56 (GOD'S WORD)

   ⁵¹ Suddenly, the curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split open. ⁵²The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died came back to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after he had come back to life, and they went into the holy city where they appeared to many people.
    ⁵⁴An army officer and those watching Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things happening. They were terrified and said, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!”
    ⁵⁵Many women were there watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and had always supported him. ⁵⁶Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Matthew 28:18-20 (GOD'S WORD)

¹⁸When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been give to me. ¹⁹So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ²⁰Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.
"And remember that I am always with you until the end of time."