The Demand for a Sign

161 And the Pharisees and Sadducees having come, tempting, did question him, to shew to them a sign from the heaven, 2 and he answering said to them, 'Evening having come, ye say, Fair weather, for the heaven is red, 3 and at morning, Foul weather to-day, for the heaven is red—gloomy; hypocrites, the face of the heavens indeed ye do know to discern, but the signs of the times ye are not able! 4 'A generation evil and adulterous doth seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet;' and having left them he went away.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 And his disciples having come to the other side, forgot to take loaves, 6 and Jesus said to them, 'Beware, and take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;' 7 and they were reasoning in themselves, saying, 'Because we took no loaves.' 8 And Jesus having known, said to them, 'Why reason ye in yourselves, ye of little faith, because ye took no loaves? 9 do ye not yet understand, nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many hand-baskets ye took up? 10 nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 how do ye not understand that I did not speak to you of bread—to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?' 12 Then they understood that he did not say to take heed of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching, of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter's Confession

13 And Jesus, having come to the parts of Cesarea Philippi, was asking his disciples, saying, 'Who do men say me to be—the Son of Man?' 14 and they said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.' 15 He saith to them, 'And ye—who do ye say me to be?' 16 and Simon Peter answering said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' 17 And Jesus answering said to him, 'Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal 'it' to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens. 18 'And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it; 19 and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.' 20 Then did he charge his disciples that they may say to no one that he is Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death

21 From that time began Jesus to shew to his disciples that it is necessary for him to go away to Jerusalem, and to suffer many things from the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be put to death, and the third day to rise. 22 And having taken him aside, Peter began to rebuke him, saying, 'Be kind to thyself, sir; this shall not be to thee;' 23 and he having turned, said to Peter, 'Get thee behind me, adversary! thou art a stumbling-block to me, for thou dost not mind the things of God, but the things of men.'

24 Then said Jesus to his disciples, 'If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me, 25 for whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake shall find it, 26 for what is a man profited if he may gain the whole world, but of his life suffer loss? or what shall a man give as an exchange for his life? 27 'For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work. 28 Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.'

The Preaching of John the Baptist

31 And in those days cometh John the Baptist, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, 'Reform, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens,' 3 for this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths.' 4 And this John had his clothing of camel's hair, and a girdle of skin round his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and honey of the field. 5 Then were going forth unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins.

7 And having seen many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming about his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers! who did shew you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation, 9 and do not think to say in yourselves, A father we have—Abraham, for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham, 10 and now also, the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree therefore not bearing good fruit is hewn down, and to fire is cast. 11 'I indeed do baptize you with water to reformation, but he who after me is coming is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to bear the sandals, he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, 12 whose fan 'is' in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather his wheat to the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.'

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, 14 but John was forbidding him, saying, 'I have need by thee to be baptized—and thou dost come unto me!' 15 But Jesus answering said to him, 'Suffer now, for thus it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness,' then he doth suffer him. 16 And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo, opened to him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, 17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My Son—the Beloved, in whom I did delight.'