Jesus Chooses the Twelve

101 And having called to him his twelve disciples, he gave to them power over unclean spirits, so as to be casting them out, and to be healing every sickness, and every malady. 2 And of the twelve apostles the names are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus; 4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up.

The Mission of the Twelve

5 These twelve did Jesus send forth, having given command to them, saying, 'To the way of the nations go not away, and into a city of the Samaritans go not in, 6 and be going rather unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 'And, going on, proclaim saying that, the reign of the heavens hath come nigh; 8 infirm ones be healing, lepers be cleansing, dead be raising, demons be casting out—freely ye did receive, freely give. 9 'Provide not gold, nor silver, nor brass in your girdles, 10 nor scrip for the way, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff—for the workman is worthy of his nourishment. 11 'And into whatever city or village ye may enter, inquire ye who in it is worthy, and there abide, till ye may go forth. 12 And coming to the house salute it, 13 and if indeed the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; and if it be not worthy, let your peace turn back to you. 14 'And whoever may not receive you nor hear your words, coming forth from that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet, 15 verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Coming Persecutions

16 'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves. 17 And, take ye heed of men, for they will give you up to sanhedrims, and in their synagogues they will scourge you, 18 and before governors and kings ye shall be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19 'And whenever they may deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye may speak, for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak; 20 for ye are not the speakers, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking in you. 21 'And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death, 22 and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end, he shall be saved. 23 'And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come. 24 'A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord; 25 sufficient to the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord; if the master of the house they did call Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household?

Whom to Fear

26 'Ye may not, therefore, fear them, for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, and hid, that shall not be known; 27 that which I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light, and that which you hear at the ear, proclaim on the house-tops. 28 'And be not afraid of those killing the body, and are not able to kill the soul, but fear rather Him who is able both soul and body to destroy in gehenna. 29 'Are not two sparrows sold for an assar? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father; 30 and of you—even the hairs of the head are all numbered; 31 be not therefore afraid, than many sparrows ye are better. 32 'Every one, therefore, who shall confess in me before men, I also will confess in him before my Father who is in the heavens; 33 and whoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 'Ye may not suppose that I came to put peace on the earth; I did not come to put peace, but a sword; 35 for I came to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36 and the enemies of a man are those of his household. 37 'He who is loving father or mother above me, is not worthy of me, and he who is loving son or daughter above me, is not worthy of me, 38 and whoever doth not receive his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. 39 'He who found his life shall lose it, and he who lost his life for my sake shall find it.

Rewards

40 'He who is receiving you doth receive me, and he who is receiving me doth receive Him who sent me, 41 he who is receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who is receiving a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward, 42 and whoever may give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he may not lose his reward.'

The Messengers from John the Baptist

111 And it came to pass, when Jesus ended directing his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And John having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples, 3 said to him, 'Art thou He who is coming, or for another do we look?' 4 And Jesus answering said to them, 'Having gone, declare to John the things that ye hear and see, 5 blind receive sight, and lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, dead are raised, and poor have good news proclaimed, 6 and happy is he who may not be stumbled in me.'

7 And as they are going, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, 'What went ye out to the wilderness to view?—a reed shaken by the wind? 8 'But what went ye out to see?—a man clothed in soft garments? lo, those wearing the soft things are in the kings' houses. 9 'But what went ye out to see?—a prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet, 10 for this is he of whom it hath been written, Lo, I do send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say to you, there hath not risen, among those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the reign of the heavens is greater than he. 12 'And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force, 13 for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy, 14 and if ye are willing to receive 'it', he is Elijah who was about to come; 15 he who is having ears to hear—let him hear.

16 'And to what shall I liken this generation? it is like little children in market-places, sitting and calling to their comrades, 17 and saying, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance, we lamented to you, and ye did not smite the breast. 18 'For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners, and wisdom was justified of her children.'

Woes to Unrepentant Cities

20 Then began he to reproach the cities in which were done most of his mighty works, because they did not reform. 21 'Wo to thee, Chorazin! wo to thee, Bethsaida! because, if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the mighty works that were done in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they had reformed; 22 but I say to you, to Tyre and Sidon it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than for you. 23 'And thou, Capernaum, which unto the heaven wast exalted, unto hades shalt be brought down, because if in Sodom had been done the mighty works that were done in thee, it had remained unto this day; 24 but I say to you, to the land of Sodom it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than to thee.'

Come unto Me and Rest

25 At that time Jesus answering said, 'I do confess to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal them to babes. 26 Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before Thee. 27 'All things were delivered to me by my Father, and none doth know the Son, except the Father, nor doth any know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal 'Him'. 28 'Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest, 29 take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls, 30 for my yoke 'is' easy, and my burden is light.'

The Disciples Pluck Grain on the Sabbath

121 At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat, 2 and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, 'Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.' 3 And he said to them, 'Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him— 4 how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone? 5 'Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here; 7 and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice—ye had not condemned the blameless, 8 for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.'

The Man with a Withered Hand

9 And having departed thence, he went to their synagogue, 10 and lo, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?' that they might accuse him. 11 And he said to them, 'What man shall be of you, who shall have one sheep, and if this may fall on the sabbaths into a ditch, will not lay hold on it and raise 'it'? 12 How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep?—so that it is lawful on the sabbaths to do good.' 13 Then saith he to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand,' and he stretched 'it' forth, and it was restored whole as the other.

14 And the Pharisees having gone forth, held a consultation against him, how they might destroy him,

The Chosen Servant

15 and Jesus having known, withdrew thence, and there followed him great multitudes, and he healed them all, 16 and did charge them that they might not make him manifest, 17 that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 18 'Lo, My servant, whom I did choose, My beloved, in whom My soul did delight, I will put My Spirit upon him, and judgment to the nations he shall declare, 19 he shall not strive nor cry, nor shall any hear in the broad places his voice, 20 a bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench, till he may put forth judgment to victory, 21 and in his name shall nations hope.'

A Divided House Cannot Stand

22 Then was brought to him a demoniac, blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, 'Is this the Son of David?' 24 but the Pharisees having heard, said, 'This one doth not cast out demons, except by Beelzeboul, ruler of the demons.' 25 And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, 'Every kingdom having been divided against itself is desolated, and no city or house having been divided against itself, doth stand, 26 and if the Adversary doth cast out the Adversary, against himself he was divided, how then doth his kingdom stand? 27 'And if I, by Beelzeboul, do cast out the demons, your sons—by whom do they cast out? because of this they—they shall be your judges. 28 'But if I, by the Spirit of God, do cast out the demons, then come already unto you did the reign of God. 29 'Or how is one able to go into the house of the strong man, and to plunder his goods, if first he may not bind the strong man? and then his house he will plunder. 30 'He who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me, doth scatter. 31 Because of this I say to you, all sin and evil speaking shall be forgiven to men, but the evil speaking of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. 32 And whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven to him, but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is coming. 33 'Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad, for from the fruit is the tree known. 34 'Brood of vipers! how are ye able to speak good things—being evil? for out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak. 35 The good man out of the good treasure of the heart doth put forth the good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure doth put forth evil things. 36 'And I say to you, that every idle word that men may speak, they shall give for it a reckoning in a day of judgment; 37 for from thy words thou shalt be declared righteous, and from thy words thou shalt be declared unrighteous.'

An Evil Generation Seeks a Sign

38 Then answered certain of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, 'Teacher, we will to see a sign from thee.' 39 And he answering said to them, '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; 40 for, as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 'Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for they reformed at the proclamation of Jonah, and lo, a greater than Jonah here! 42 'A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and lo, a greater than Solomon here!

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

43 'And, when the unclean spirit may go forth from the man, it doth walk through dry places seeking rest, and doth not find; 44 then it saith, I will turn back to my house whence I came forth; and having come, it findeth 'it' unoccupied, swept, and adorned: 45 then doth it go, and take with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having gone in they dwell there, and the last of that man doth become worse than the first; so shall it be also to this evil generation.'

Jesus' Mother and Brethren

46 And while he was yet speaking to the multitudes, lo, his mother and brethren had stood without, seeking to speak to him, 47 and one said to him, 'Lo, thy mother and thy brethren do stand without, seeking to speak to thee.' 48 And he answering said to him who spake to him, 'Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?' 49 And having stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, he said, 'Lo, my mother and my brethren! 50 for whoever may do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.'