The Holy Bible

[10:32] “Those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven.

[10:33] But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven.

[10:34] “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

[10:35] I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law;

[10:36] your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.

[10:37] “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples.

[10:38] Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples.

[10:39] Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it.

[10:40] “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

[10:41] Whoever welcomes God's messenger because he is God's messenger, will share in his reward. And whoever welcomes a good man because he is good, will share in his reward.

[10:42] You can be sure that whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these my followers because he is my follower, will certainly receive a reward.”

[11:1] When Jesus finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he left that place and went off to teach and preach in the towns near there.

[11:2] When John the Baptist heard in prison about the things that Christ was doing, he sent some of his disciples to him.

[11:3] “Tell us,” they asked Jesus, “are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

[11:4] Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing:

[11:5] the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

[11:6] How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

[11:7] While John's disciples were leaving, Jesus spoke about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind?

[11:8] What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that live in palaces!

[11:9] Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet.

[11:10] For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’

[11:11] I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John.

[11:12] From the time John preached his message until this very day the Kingdom of heaven has suffered violent attacks, and violent men try to seize it.

[11:13] Until the time of John all the prophets and the Law of Moses spoke about the Kingdom;

[11:14] and if you are willing to believe their message, John is Elijah, whose coming was predicted.

[11:15] Listen, then, if you have ears!

[11:16] “Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group shouts to the other,

[11:17] ‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn't dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn't cry!’

[11:18] When John came, he fasted and drank no wine, and everyone said, ‘He has a demon in him!’

[11:19] When the Son of Man came, he ate and drank, and everyone said, ‘Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’ God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by its results.”

[11:20] The people in the towns where Jesus had performed most of his miracles did not turn from their sins, so he reproached those towns.

[11:21] “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you too, Bethsaida! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have long ago put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on themselves, to show that they had turned from their sins!

[11:22] I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Tyre and Sidon than to you!

[11:23] And as for you, Capernaum! Did you want to lift yourself up to heaven? You will be thrown down to hell! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would still be in existence today!

[11:24] You can be sure that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to you!”

[11:25] At that time Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth! I thank you because you have shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned.

[11:26] Yes, Father, this was how you were pleased to have it happen.

[11:27] “My Father has given me all things. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

[11:28] “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.

[11:29] Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest.

[11:30] For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.”

[12:1] Not long afterward Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began to pick heads of wheat and eat the grain.

[12:2] When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do this on the Sabbath!”

[12:3] Jesus answered, “Have you never read what David did that time when he and his men were hungry?

[12:4] He went into the house of God, and he and his men ate the bread offered to God, even though it was against the Law for them to eat it—only the priests were allowed to eat that bread.

[12:5] Or have you not read in the Law of Moses that every Sabbath the priests in the Temple actually break the Sabbath law, yet they are not guilty?

[12:6] I tell you that there is something here greater than the Temple.

[12:7] The scripture says, ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ If you really knew what this means, you would not condemn people who are not guilty;

[12:8] for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

[12:9] Jesus left that place and went to a synagogue,

[12:10] where there was a man who had a paralyzed hand. Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they asked him, “Is it against our Law to heal on the Sabbath?”

[12:11] Jesus answered, “What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a deep hole on the Sabbath? Will you not take hold of it and lift it out?

[12:12] And a human being is worth much more than a sheep! So then, our Law does allow us to help someone on the Sabbath.”

[12:13] Then he said to the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it became well again, just like the other one.

[12:14] Then the Pharisees left and made plans to kill Jesus.

[12:15] When Jesus heard about the plot against him, he went away from that place; and large crowds followed him. He healed all the sick

[12:16] and gave them orders not to tell others about him.

[12:17] He did this so as to make come true what God had said through the prophet Isaiah:

[12:18] “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will send my Spirit upon him, and he will announce my judgment to the nations.

[12:19] He will not argue or shout, or make loud speeches in the streets.

[12:20] He will not break off a bent reed, nor put out a flickering lamp. He will persist until he causes justice to triumph,

[12:21] and on him all peoples will put their hope.”

[12:22] Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man, so that he was able to talk and see.

[12:23] The crowds were all amazed at what Jesus had done. “Could he be the Son of David?” they asked.

[12:24] When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so.”

[12:25] Jesus knew what they were thinking, and so he said to them, “Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart.

[12:26] So if one group is fighting another in Satan's kingdom, this means that it is already divided into groups and will soon fall apart!

[12:27] You say that I drive out demons because Beelzebul gives me the power to do so. Well, then, who gives your followers the power to drive them out? What your own followers do proves that you are wrong!

[12:28] No, it is not Beelzebul, but God's Spirit, who gives me the power to drive out demons, which proves that the Kingdom of God has already come upon you.

[12:29] “No one can break into a strong man's house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house.

[12:30] “Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering.

[12:31] For this reason I tell you: people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

[12:32] Anyone who says something against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—now or ever.