Matthew 4:12-25; Matthew 5; Matthew 6; Matthew 7; Matthew 8; Matthew 9; Matthew 10; Matthew 11; Matthew 12; Matthew 13; Matthew 14:1-12

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Matthew 4:12-25

12 When Yeshua heard that Yochanan had been put in prison, he returned to the Galil;

13 but he left Natzeret and came to live in K'far-Nachum, a lake shore town near the boundary between Z'vulun and Naftali.

14 This happened in order to fulfill what Yesha`yahu the prophet had said,

15 "Land of Z'vulun and land of Naftali, toward the lake, beyond the Yarden, Galil-of-the-Goyim --

16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the region, in the shadow of death, light has dawned."

17 From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, "Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!"

18 As Yeshua walked by Lake Kinneret, he saw two brothers who were fishermen -- Shim`on, known as Kefa, and his brother Andrew -- throwing their net into the lake.

19 Yeshua said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men!"

20 At once they left their nets and went with him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers -- Ya'akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan his brother -- in the boat with their father Zavdai, repairing their nets; and he called them.

22 At once they left the boat and their father and went with Yeshua.

23 Yeshua went all over the Galil teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing people from every kind of disease and sickness.

24 Word of him spread throughout all Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill, suffering from various diseases and pains, and those held in the power of demons, and epileptics and paralytics; and he healed them.

25 Huge crowds followed him from the Galil, the Ten Towns, Yerushalayim, Y'hudah, and `Ever-HaYarden.

Matthew 5

1 Seeing the crowds, Yeshua walked up the hill. After he sat down, his talmidim came to him,

2 and he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

3 "How blessed are the poor in spirit! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 "How blessed are those who mourn! for they will be comforted.

5 "How blessed are the meek! for they will inherit the Land!k

6 "How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled.

7 "How blessed are those who show mercy! for they will be shown mercy.

8 "How blessed are the pure in heart! for they will see God.

9 "How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God.

10 "How blessed are those who are persecuted because they pursue righteousness! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 "How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me!

12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great -- they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.

13 "You are salt for the Land. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except being thrown out for people to trample on.

14 "You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don't cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

17 "Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete.

18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah -- not until everything that must happen has happened.

19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

21 "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Do not murder,'l and that anyone who commits murder will be subject to judgment.

22 But I tell you that anyone who nurses anger against his brother will be subject to judgment; that whoever calls his brother, `You good-for-nothing!' will be brought before the Sanhedrin; that whoever says, `Fool!' incurs the penalty of burning in the fire of Gei-Hinnom!

23 So if you are offering your gift at the Temple altar and you remember there that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your gift where it is by the altar, and go, make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift.

25 If someone sues you, come to terms with him quickly, while you and he are on the way to court; or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer of the court, and you may be thrown in jail!

26 Yes indeed! I tell you, you will certainly not get out until you have paid the last penny.

27 "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Do not commit adultery.'m

28 But I tell you that a man who even looks at a woman with the purpose of lusting after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 If your right eye makes you sin, gouge it out and throw it away! Better that you should lose one part of you than have your whole body thrown into Gei-Hinnom.

30 And if your right hand makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away! Better that you should lose one part of you than have your whole body thrown into Gei-Hinnom.

31 "It was said, `Whoever divorces his wife must give her a get.'

32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and that anyone who marries a divorcee commits adultery.

33 "Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, `Do not break your oath,' and `Keep your vows to ADONAI.'

34 But I tell you not to swear at all -- not `by heaven,' because it is God's throne;

35 not `by the earth,' because it is his footstool;p and not `by Yerushalayim,' because it is the city of the Great King.

36 And don't swear by your head, because you can't make a single hair white or black.

37 Just let your `Yes' be a simple `Yes,' and your `No' a simple `No'; anything more than this has its origin in evil.

38 "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.'

39 But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too!

40 If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well!

41 And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two!

42 When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him.

43 "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Love your neighbors -- and hate your enemy.'

44 But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

45 Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike.

46 What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that!

47 And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that!

48 Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6

1 "Be careful not to parade your acts of tzedakah in front of people in order to be seen by them! If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 So, when you do tzedakah, don't announce it with trumpets to win people's praise, like the hypocrites in the synagogues and on the streets. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already!

3 But you, when you do tzedakah, don't even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

4 Then your tzedakah will be in secret; and your Father, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you.

5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners, so that people can see them. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already!

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7 "And when you pray, don't babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot.

8 Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 You, therefore, pray like this: `Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy.

10 May your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.

11 Give us the food we need today.

12 Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us.

13 And do not lead us into hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One. For kingship, power and glory are yours forever. Amen.'

14 For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;

15 but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours.

16 "Now when you fast, don't go around looking miserable, like the hypocrites. They make sour faces so that people will know they are fasting. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already!

17 But you, when you fast, wash your face and groom yourself,

18 so that no one will know you are fasting -- except your Father, who is with you in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

19 "Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal.

20 Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal.

21 For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.

22 `The eye is the lamp of the body.' So if you have a `good eye' [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light;

23 but if you have an `evil eye' [if you are stingy] your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can't be a slave to both God and money.

25 "Therefore, I tell you, don't wor y about your life -- what you will eat or drink; or about your body -- what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they are?

27 Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?

28 "And why be anxious about clothing? Think about the fields of wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread,

29 yet I tell you that not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these.

30 If this is how God clothes grass in the field -- which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven -- won't he much more clothe you? What little trust you have!

31 "So don't be anxious, asking, `What will we eat?,' `What will we drink?' or `How will we be clothed?'

32 For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all.

33 But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Don't wor y about tomorrow -- tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough tsuris already!

Matthew 7

1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged.

2 For the way you judge others is how you will be judged -- the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you.

3 Why do you see the splinter in your brother's eye but not notice the log in your own eye?

4 How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the splinter out of your eye,' when you have the log in your own eye?

5 You hypocrite! First, take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother's eye!

6 "Don't give to dogs what is holy, and don't throw your pearls to the pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, then turn and attack you.

7 "Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who keeps asking receives; he who keeps seeking finds; and to him who keeps knocking, the door will be opened.

9 Is there anyone here who, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone?

10 or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

11 So if you, even though you are bad, know how to give your children gifts that are good, how much more will your Father in heaven keep giving good things to those who keep asking him!

12 "Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.

13 "Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it;

14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

15 "Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep's clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves!

16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Can people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

17 Likewise, every healthy tree produces good fruit, but a poor tree produces bad fruit.

18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit.

19 Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire!

20 So you will recognize them by their fruit.

21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants.

22 On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?'

23 Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'

24 "So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock.

25 The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the winds blew and beat against that house, but it didn't collapse, because its foundation was on rock.

26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand.

27 The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the wind blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed -- and its collapse was horrendous!"

28 When Yeshua had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at the way he taught,

29 for he was not instructing them like their Torah-teachers but as one who had authority himself.

Matthew 8

1 After Yeshua had come down from the hill, large crowds followed him.

2 Then a man afflicted with tzara`at came, kneeled down in front of him and said, "Sir, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

3 Yeshua reached out his hand, touched him and said, "I am willing! Be cleansed!" And at once he was cleansed from his tzara`at.

4 Then Yeshua said to him, "See that you tell no one; but as a testimony to the people, go and let the cohen examine you, and offer the sacrifice that Moshe commanded."

5 As Yeshua entered K'far-Nachum, a Roman army officer came up and pleaded for help.

6 "Sir, my orderly is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly!"

7 Yeshua said, "I will go and heal him."

8 But the officer answered, "Sir, I am unfit to have you come into my home. Rather, if you will only give the command, my orderly will recover.

9 For I too am a man under authority. I have soldiers under me, and I say to this one, `Go!' and he goes; to another, `Come!' and he comes; to my slave, `Do this!' and he does it."

10 On hearing this Yeshua was amazed and said to the people following him, "Yes! I tell you, I have not found anyone in Isra'el with such trust!

11 Moreover, I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west to take their places at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven with Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya`akov.

12 But those born for the Kingdom will be thrown outside in the dark, where people will wail and grind their teeth!"

13 Then Yeshua said to the officer, "Go; let it be for you as you have trusted." And his orderly was healed at that very moment.

14 Yeshua went to Kefa's home and there saw Kefa's mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever.

15 He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she got up and began helping him.

16 When evening came, many people held in the power of demons were brought to him. He expelled the spirits with a word and healed all who were ill.

17 This was done to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Yesha`yahu, "He himself took our weaknesses and bore our diseases"

18 When Yeshua saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.

19 A Torah-teacher approached and said to him, "Rabbi, I will follow you wherever you go."

20 Yeshua said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds flying about have nests, but the Son of Man has no home of his own."

21 Another of the talmidim said to him, "Sir, first let me go and bury my father."

22 But Yeshua replied, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

23 He boarded the boat, and his talmidim followed.

24 Then, without warning, a furious storm arose on the lake, so that waves were sweeping over the boat. But Yeshua was sleeping.

25 So they came and roused him, saying, "Sir! Help! We're about to die!"

26 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? So little trust you have!" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and there was a dead calm.

27 The men were astounded. They asked, "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey him?"

28 When Yeshua arrived at the other side of the lake, in the Gadarenes' territory, there came out of the burial caves two men controlled by demons, so violent that no one dared travel on that road.

29 They screamed, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

30 Now some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.

31 The demons begged him, "If you are going to drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."

32 "All right, go!" he told them. So they came out and went into the pigs, whereupon the entire herd rushed down the hillside into the lake and drowned.

33 The swineherds fled, went off to the town and told the whole story, including what had happened to the demonized men.

34 At this, the whole town came out to meet Yeshua. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their district.

Matthew 9

1 So he stepped into a boat, crossed the lake again and came to his own town.

2 Some people brought him a paralyzed man lying on a mattress. When Yeshua saw their trust, he said to the paralyzed man, "Courage, son! Your sins are forgiven."

3 On seeing this, some of the Torah-teachers said among themselves, "This man is blaspheming!"

4 Yeshua, knowing what they were thinking, said, "Why are you entertaining evil thoughts in your hearts?

5 Tell me, which is easier to say -- `Your sins are forgiven' or `Get up and walk'?

6 But look! I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." He then said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your mattress, and go home!"

7 And the man got up and went home.

8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and said a b'rakhah to God the Giver of such authority to human beings.

9 As Yeshua passed on from there he spotted a tax-collector named Mattityahu sitting in his collection booth. He said to him, "Follow me!" and he got up and followed him.

10 WhileYeshua was in the house eating, many tax-collectors and sinners came and joined him and his talmidim at the meal.

11 When the P'rushim saw this, they said to his talmidim, "Why does your rabbi eat with tax-collectors and sinners?"

12 But Yeshua heard the question and answered, "The ones who need a doctor aren't the healthy but the sick.

13 As for you, go and learn what this means: `I want compassion rather than animal-sacrifices.' For I didn't come to call the `righteous,' but sinners!"

14 Next, Yochanan's talmidim came to him and asked, "Why is it that we and the P'rushim fast frequently, but your talmidim don't fast at all?"

15 Yeshua said to them, "Can wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; then they will fast.

16 No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch tears away from the coat and leaves a worse hole.

17 Nor do people put new wine in old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. No, they pour new wine into freshly prepared wineskins, and in this way both are preserved."

18 While he was talking, an official came in, kneeled down in front of him and said, "My daughter has just died. But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live."

19 Yeshua, with his talmidim, got up and followed him.

20 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years approached him from behind and touched the tzitzit on his robe.

21 For she said to herself, "If I can only touch his robe, I will be healed."

22 Yeshua turned, saw her and said, "Courage, daughter! Your trust has healed you." And she was instantly healed.

23 When Yeshua arrived at the official's house and saw the flute-players, and the crowd in an uproar,

24 he said, "Everybody out! The girl isn't dead, she's only sleeping!" And they jeered at him.

25 But after the people had been put outside, he entered and took hold of the girl's hand, and she got up.

26 News of this spread through all that region.

27 As Yeshua went on from there, two blind men began following him, shouting, "Son of David! Take pity on us!"

28 When he entered the house, the blind men came up, and Yeshua said to them, "Do you believe that I have the power to do this?" They replied, "Yes, sir."

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it happen to you according to your trust";

30 and their sight was restored. Yeshua warned them severely, "See that no one knows about it."

31 But instead, they went away and talked about him throughout that district.

32 As they were going, a man controlled by a demon and unable to speak was brought to Yeshua.

33 After the demon was expelled the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Isra'el," they said.

34 But the P'rushim said, "It is through the ruler of the demons that he expels demons."

35 Yeshua went about all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and weakness.

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harried and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his talmidim, "The harvest is rich, but the workers are few.

38 Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers to gather in his harvest."

Matthew 10

1 Yeshua called his twelve talmidim and gave them authority to drive out unclean spirits and to heal every kind of disease and weakness.

2 These are the names of the twelve emissaries: First, Shim`on, called Kefa, and Andrew his brother, Ya`akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan his brother,

3 Philip and Bar-Talmai, T'oma and Mattityahu the tax-collector, Ya`akov Bar-Halfai and Taddai,

4 Shim`on the Zealot, and Y'hudah from K'riot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Yeshua sent out with the following instructions: "Don't go into the territory of the Goyim, and don't enter any town in Shomron,

6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Isra'el.

7 As you go, proclaim, `The Kingdom of Heaven is near,'

8 heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those afflicted with tzara'at, expel demons. You have received without paying, so give without asking payment.

9 Don't take money in your belts, no gold, no silver, no copper;

10 and for the trip don't take a pack, an extra shirt, shoes or a walking stick -- a worker should be given what he needs.

11 "When you come to a town or village, look for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave.

12 When you enter someone's household, say, `Shalom aleikhem!'

13 If the home deserves it, let your shalom rest on it; if not, let your shalom return to you.

14 But if the people of a house or town will not welcome you or listen to you, leave it and shake its dust from your feet!

15 Yes, I tell you, it will be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for the people of S'dom and `Amora than for that town!

16 "Pay attention! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves, so be as pru dent as snakes and as harmless as doves.

17 Be on guard, for there will be people who will hand you over to the local Sanhedrins and flog you in their synagogues.

18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as a testimony to them and to the Goyim.

19 But when they bring you to trial, do not worry about what to say or how to say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you should say.

20 For it will not be just you speaking, but the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you.

21 "A brother will betray his brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death.

22 Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever holds out till the end will be preserved from harm.

23 When you are persecuted in one town, run away to another. Yes indeed; I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Isra'el before the Son of Man comes.

24 "A talmid is not greater than his rabbi, a slave is not greater than his master.

25 It is enough for a talmid that he become like his rabbi, and a slave like his master. Now if people have called the head of the house Ba`al-Zibbul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

26 So do not fear them; for there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be known.

27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.

28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are powerless to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gei-Hinnom.

29 Aren't sparrows sold for next to nothing, two for an assarion? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's consent.

30 As for you, every hair on your head has been counted.

31 So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 "Whoever acknowledges me in the presence of others I will also acknowledge in the presence of my Father in heaven.

33 But whoever disowns me before others I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 "Don't suppose that I have come to bring peace to the Land. It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword!

35 For I have come to set

36 a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, so that a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.

37 Whoever loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not worthy of me.

38 And anyone who does not take up his execution-stake and follow me is not worthy of me.

39 Whoever finds his own life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for my sake will find it.

40 "Whoever receives you is receiving me, and whoever receives me is receiving the One who sent me.

41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive the reward a prophet gets, and anyone who receives a tzaddik because he is a tzaddik will receive the reward a tzaddik gets.

42 Indeed, if someone gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my talmid -- yes! -- I tell you, he will certainly not lose his reward!"

Matthew 11

1 After Yeshua had finished instructing the twelve talmidim, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns nearby.

2 Meanwhile, Yochanan the Immerser, who had been put in prison, heard what the Messiah had been doing; so he sent a message to him through his talmidim,

3 asking, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?"

4 Yeshua answered, "Go and tell Yochanan what you are hearing and seeing --

5 the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara'at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised,y the Good News is being told to the poorz --

6 and how blessed is anyone not offended by me!"

7 As they were leaving, Yeshua began speaking about Yochanan to the crowds: "What did you go out to the desert to see? Reeds swaying in the breeze?

8 No? Then what did you go out to see? Someone who was well dressed? Well-dressed people live in kings' palaces.

9 Nu, so why did you go out? To see a prophet! Yes! and I tell you he's much more than a prophet.

10 This is the one about whom the Tanakh says, `See, I am sending out my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.'

11 Yes! I tell you that among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than Yochanan the Immerser! Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he!

12 From the time of Yochanan the Immerser until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been suffering violence; yes, violent ones are trying to snatch it away.

13 For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until Yochanan.

14 Indeed, if you are willing to accept it, he is Eliyahu, whose coming was predicted.

15 If you have ears, then hear!

16 "Oh, what can I compare this generation with? They're like children sitting in the marketplaces, calling out to each other,

17 `We made happy music, but you wouldn't dance! We made sad music, but you wouldn't cry!'

18 For Yochanan came, fasting, not drinking -- so they say, `He has a demon.'

19 The Son of Man came, eating freely and drinking wine -- so they say, `Aha! A glutton and a drunkard! A friend of tax-collectors and sinners!' Well, the proof of wisdom is in the actions it produces."

20 Then Yeshua began to denounce the towns in which he had done most of his miracles, because the people had not turned from their sins to God.

21 "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Beit-Tzaidah! Why, if the miracles done in you had been done in Tzor and Tzidon, they would long ago have put on sackcloth and ashes as evidence that they had changed their ways.

22 But I tell you it will be more bearable for Tzor and Tzidon than for you on the Day of Judgment!

23 And you, K'far-Nachum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Sh'ol!b For if the miracles done in you had been done in S'dom, it would still be in existence today.

24 But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment it will be more bearable for the land of S'dom than for you!"

25 It was at that time that Yeshua said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated and revealed them to ordinary folks.

26 Yes, Father, I thank you that it pleased you to do this.

27 "My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

28 "Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 12

1 One Shabbat during that time, Yeshua was walking through some wheat fields. His talmidim were hungry, so they began picking heads of grain and eating them.

2 On seeing this, the P'rushim said to him, "Look! Your talmidim are violating Shabbat!"

3 But he said to them, "Haven't you ever read what David did when he and those with him were hungry?

4 He entered the House of God and ate the Bread of the Presence!" -- which was prohibited, both to him and to his companions; it is permitted only to the cohanim.

5 "Or haven't you read in the Torah that on Shabbat the cohanim profane Shabbat and yet are blameless?

6 I tell you, there is in this place something greater than the Temple!

7 If you knew what `I want compassion rather than animal-sacrifice' meant, you would not condemn the innocent.

8 For the Son of Man is Lord of Shabbat!"

9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue.

10 A man there had a shriveled hand. Looking for a reason to accuse him of something, they asked him, "Is healing permitted on Shabbat?"

11 But he answered, "If you have a sheep that falls in a pit on Shabbat, which of you won't take hold of it and lift it out?

12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore, what is permitted on Shabbat is to do good." Then to the man he said, "Hold out your hand." As he held it out, it

13 became restored, as sound as the other one.

14 But the P'rushim went out and began plotting how they might do away with Yeshua.

15 Aware of this, he left that area. Many people followed him; and he healed them all

16 but warned them not to make him known.

17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Yesha`yahu the prophet,

18 "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will announce justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not fight or shout, no one will hear his voice in the streets;

20 he will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory.

21 In him the Gentiles will put their hope."

22 Then some people brought him a man controlled by demons who was blind and mute; and Yeshua healed him, so that he could both speak and see.

23 The crowds were astounded and asked, "This couldn't be the Son of David, could it?"

24 But when the P'rushim heard of it, they said, "It is only by Ba`al-Zibbul" -- the ruler of the demons -- "that this man drives out demons."

25 However, knowing what they were thinking, Yeshua said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not survive.

26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself; so how can his kingdom survive?

27 Besides, if I drive out demons by Ba`al-Zibbul, by whom do your people drive them out? So, they will be your judges!

28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you!

29 "Or again, how can someone break into a strong man's house and make off with his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? After that he can ransack his house.

30 "Those who are not with me are against me, and those who do not gather with me are scattering.

31 Because of this, I tell you that people will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but blaspheming the Ruach HaKodesh will not be forgiven.

32 One can say something against the Son of Man and be forgiven; but whoever keeps on speaking against the Ruach HaKodesh will never be forgiven, neither in the `olam hazeh nor in the `olam haba.

33 "If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good; and if you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34 You snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what overflows from the heart.

35 The good person brings forth good things from his store of good, and the evil person brings forth evil things from his store of evil.

36 Moreover, I tell you this: on the Day of Judgment people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken;

37 for by your own words you will be acquitted, and by your own words you will be condemned."

38 At this some of the Torah-teachers said, "Rabbi, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."

39 He replied, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign? No! None will be given to it but the sign of the prophet Yonah.

40 For just as Yonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea-monster,f so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the depths of the earth.

41 The people of Ninveh will stand up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they turned from their sins to God when Yonah preached, but what is here now is greater than Yonah.

42 The Queen of the South will stand up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Shlomo, but what is here now is greater than Shlomo.

43 "When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry country seeking rest and does not find it.

44 Then it says to itself, `I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house standing empty, swept clean and put in order.

45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they come and live there -- so that in the end, the person is worse off than he was before. This is how it will be for this wicked generation."

46 He was still speaking to the crowd when his mother and brothers appeared outside, asking to talk with him.

48 But to the one who had informed him he replied, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"

49 Pointing to his talmidim, he said, "Look! Here are my mother and my brothers!

50 Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants, that person is my brother and sister and mother."

Matthew 13

1 That same day, Yeshua went out of the house and sat down by the lake;

2 but such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there while the crowd stood on the shore.

3 He told them many things in parables: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.

4 As he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path; and the birds came and ate it up.

5 Other seed fell on rocky patches where there was not much soil. It sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow;

6 but when the sun had risen, the young plants were scorched; and since their roots were not deep, they dried up.

7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.

8 But others fell into rich soil and produced grain, a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as had been sown.

9 Those who have ears, let them hear!"

10 Then the talmidim came and asked Yeshua, "Why are you speaking to them in parables?"

11 He answered, "Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them.

12 For anyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away.

13 Here is why I speak to them in parables: they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding.

14 That is, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Yesha`yahu which says, `You will keep on hearing but never understand, and keep on seeing but never perceive,

15 because the heart of this people has become dull -- with their ears they barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, so as not to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and do t'shuvah, so that I could heal them.'

16 But you, how blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear!

17 Yes indeed! I tell you that many a prophet and many a tzaddik longed to see the things you are seeing but did not see them, and to hear the things you are hearing but did not hear them.

18 "So listen to what the parable of the sower means.

19 Whoever hears the message about the Kingdom, but doesn't understand it, is like the seed sown along the path -- the Evil One comes and seizes what was sown in his heart.

20 The seed sown on rocky ground is like a person who hears the message and accepts it with joy at once,

21 but has no root in himself. So he stays on for a while; but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, he immediately falls away.

22 Now the seed sown among thorns stands for someone who hears the message, but it is choked by the worries of the world and the deceitful glamor of wealth, so that it produces nothing.

23 However, what was sown on rich soil is the one who hears the message and understands it; such a person will surely bear fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was sown."

24 Yeshua put before them another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

25 but while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then went away.

26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads of grain, the weeds also appeared.

27 The owner's servants came to him and said, `Sir didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?'

28 He answered, `An enemy has done this.' The servants asked him, `Then do you want us to go and pull them up?'

29 But he said, `No, because if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot some of the wheat at the same time.

30 Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvesttime I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn.'"

31 Yeshua put before them another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man takes and sows in his field.

32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up it is larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the birds flying about come and nest in its branches."

33 And he told them yet another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with a bushel of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose."

34 All these things Yeshua said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without using a parable.

35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, "I will open my mouth in parables, I will say what has been hidden since the creation of the universe."h

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His talmidim approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

38 the field is the world. As for the good seed, these are the people who belong to the Kingdom; and the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One.

39 The enemy who sows them is the Adversary, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

41 The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all the things that cause people to sin and all the people who are far from Torah;

42 and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where people will wail and grind their teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let him hear!

44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field.

45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls.

46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it.

47 "Once more, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the lake, that caught all kinds of fish.

48 When it was full, the fishermen brought the net up onto the shore, sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad fish away.

49 So it will be at the close of the age -- the angels will go forth and separate the evil people from among the righteous

50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth.

51 "Have you understood all these things?" "Yes," they answered.

52 He said to them, "So then, every Torah-teacher who has been made into a talmid for the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a home who brings out of his storage room both new things and old."

53 When Yeshua had finished these parables, he left

54 and went to his home town. There he taught them in their synagogue in a way that astounded them, so that they asked, "Where do this man's wisdom and miracles come from?

55 Isn't he the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Miryam? and his brothers Ya`akov, Yosef, Shim`on and Y'hudah?

56 And his sisters, aren't they all with us? So where does he get all this?"

57 And they took offense at him. But Yeshua said to them, "The only place people don't respect a prophet is in his home town and in his own house."

58 And he did few miracles there because of their lack of trust.

Matthew 14:1-12

1 Around that time, Herod, the regional governor, heard of the fame of Yeshua

2 and said to his attendants, "This must be Yochanan the Immerser. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."

3 For Herod had arrested Yochanan, put him in chains and thrown him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip;

4 since Yochanan had told Herod, "It violates the Torah for you to have her as your wife."

5 Herod had wanted to put Yochanan to death; but he was afraid of the people, in whose eyes Yochanan was a prophet.

6 However, at Herod's birthday celebration, Herodias' daughter danced before the company and pleased Herod

7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of Yochanan the Immerser."

9 The king became deeply upset; but out of regard for the oaths he had sworn before his dinner guests, he ordered that her wish be granted,

10 and sent and had Yochanan beheaded in prison.

11 The head was brought on a platter to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.

12 Yochanan's talmidim came, took the body and buried it; then they went and told Yeshua.