Matthew 11

1 And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities.2 Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples3 and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see:5 the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them.6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.

7 And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?8 But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in king’s houses.9 But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.10 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.

11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.14 And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come.15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows17 and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.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, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her works.

20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.23 And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day.24 But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

25 At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes:26 yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.27 All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 12

1 At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat.2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?6 But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.8 For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

9 And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue:10 and behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him.11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?12 How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day.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 But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

15 And Jesus perceiving it withdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all,16 and charged them that they should not make him known:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

18 Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, And he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles.

19 He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment unto victory.

21 And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.

22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spake and saw.23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the son of David?24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.25 And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:26 and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.30 He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.31 Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.32 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.34 Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.35 The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee.39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet:40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.41 The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.42 The 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 behold, a greater than Solomon is here.43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not.44 Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.

46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.47 And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee.48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren!50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Matthew 13

1 On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.2 And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach.3 And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow;4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them:5 and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth:6 and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.7 And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them:8 and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.9 He that hath ears, let him hear.

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.14 And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:

15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.17 For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.18 Hear then ye the parable of the sower.19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side.20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it;21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth.22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

24 Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field:25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.26 But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.27 And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?28 And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?29 But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

31 Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:32 which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.

33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.

34 All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them:35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.

36 Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.37 And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;38 and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;39 and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.40 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world.41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity,42 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.

44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls:46 and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.49 So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous,50 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

51 Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea.52 And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

53 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

54 And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.