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Chapter 9
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
1When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,
2and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3He told them: “Take nothing for the journey–no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.
4Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.
5If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.”
6So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead,
8others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.
9But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
10When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,
11but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish–unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”
14(About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15The disciples did so, and everybody sat down.
16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people.
17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Peter's Confession of Christ
18Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “The ChristOr Messiah of God.”
21Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
22And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
29As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
30Two men, Moses and Elijah,
31appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
32Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
33As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
36When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
The Healing of a Boy With an Evil Spirit
37The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.
38A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.
40I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evilGreek unclean spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44“Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Who Will Be the Greatest
46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.
48Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all–he is the greatest.”
49“Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Samaritan Opposition
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;
53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.
54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy themSome manuscripts them, even as Elijah did?”
55But Jesus turned and rebuked them,
56andSome manuscripts them. And he said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.” 56 And they went to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good–by to my family.”
62Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Chapter 10
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy–two
1After this the Lord appointed seventy–twoSome manuscripts seventy; also in verse 17 others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
2He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
4Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
6If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
7Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.
9Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
10But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,
11‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’
12I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13“Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.Greek Hades
16“He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17The seventy–two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
22“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
24For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’Deut. 6:5; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’Lev. 19:18”
28“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
35The next day he took out two silver coinsGreek two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
At the Home of Martha and Mary
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.
40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,
42but only one thing is needed.Some manuscripts but few things are needed–or only one Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Chapter 11
Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,Some manuscripts Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.Some manuscripts come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
3Give us each day our daily bread.
4Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.Greek everyone who is indebted to us
And lead us not into temptation.Some manuscripts temptation but deliver us from the evil one‘”
5Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
7“Then the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.’
8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldnessOr persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks forSome manuscripts for bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Jesus and Beelzebub
14Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.
15But some of them said, “By Beelzebub,Greek Beezeboul or Beelzeboul; also in verses 18 and 19 the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”
16Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
17Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.
18If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub.
19Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.
22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.
23“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
24“When an evilGreek unclean spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’
25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.
26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”
27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
The Sign of Jonah
29As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.
31The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now oneOr something; also in verse 32 greater than Solomon is here.
32The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
The Lamp of the Body
33“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.
34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.
35See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.
36Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
Six Woes
37When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.
38But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.
39Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
41But give what is inside the dishOr what you have to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
42“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
43“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
44“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.”
45One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
46Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
47“Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them.
48So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.
49Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’
50Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world,
51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.
52“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
53When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions,
54waiting to catch him in something he might say.

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