Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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The Question about the Sabbath
(Matthew 12.1–8; Mark 2.23–28)
1 Jesus was walking through
some wheat fields on a Sabbath.
His disciples began to pick the heads
of wheat, rub them in their hands,
and eat the grain. note
2 Some Pharisees
asked, “Why are you doing what our
Law says you cannot do on the Sabbath?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Haven't
you read what David did when he
and his men were hungry?
4 He went
into the house of God, took the
bread offered to God, ate it, and
gave it also to his men. Yet it is
against our Law for anyone except
the priests to eat that bread.” note note
5 And Jesus concluded, “The Son
of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
The Man with a Paralyzed Hand
(Matthew 12.9–14; Mark 3.1–6)
6 On another Sabbath Jesus went
into a synagogue and taught. A man
was there whose right hand was paralyzed.
7 Some teachers of the Law
and some Pharisees wanted a reason
to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so
they watched him closely to see if he
would heal on the Sabbath.
8 But
Jesus knew their thoughts and said
to the man, “Stand up and come
here to the front.” The man got up
and stood there.
9 Then Jesus said to
them, “I ask you: What does our
Law allow us to do on the Sabbath?
To help or to harm? To save a man's
life or destroy it?”
10 He looked
around at them all; then he said note to
the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He did so, and his hand became well
again.
11 They were filled with rage and
began to discuss among themselves
what they could do to Jesus.
Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles
(Matthew 10.1–4; Mark 3.13–19)
12 At that time Jesus went up a hill
to pray and spent the whole night
there praying to God.
13 When day
came, he called his disciples to him
and chose twelve of them, whom he
named apostles:
14 Simon (whom he
named Peter) and his brother Andrew;
James and John, Philip and
Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and
Thomas, James son of Alphaeus,
and Simon (who was called the Patriot),
16 Judas son of James, and Judas
Iscariot, who became the traitor.
Jesus Teaches and Heals
(Matthew 4.23–25)
17 When Jesus had come down
from the hill with the apostles, he
stood on a level place with a large
number of his disciples. A large
crowd of people was there from all
over Judea and from Jerusalem and
from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon;
18 they had come to hear him
and to be healed of their diseases.
-- --
Those who were troubled by evil
spirits also came and were healed.
19 All the people tried to touch him,
for power was going out from him
and healing them all.
Happiness and Sorrow
(Matthew 5.1–12)
20 Jesus looked at his disciples and
said,
“Happy are you poor;
the Kingdom of God is yours!
21
“Happy are you who are hungry now;
you will be filled!
“Happy are you who weep now;
you will laugh!
22 “Happy are you when people
hate you, reject you, insult you, and
say that you are evil, all because of
the Son of Man! note
23 Be glad when that
happens and dance for joy, because
a great reward is kept for you in
heaven. For their ancestors did the
very same things to the prophets. note
24
“But how terrible for you who are rich now;
you have had your easy life!
25
“How terrible for you who are full now;
you will go hungry!
“How terrible for you who laugh now;
you will mourn and weep!
26 “How terrible when all people
speak well of you; their ancestors
said the very same things about the
false prophets.
Love for Enemies
(Matthew 5.38–48; 7.12a)
27 “But I tell you who hear me:
Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate you,
28 bless those who
curse you, and pray for those who
mistreat you.
29 If anyone hits you on
one cheek, let him hit the other one
too; if someone takes your coat, let
him have your shirt as well.
30 Give
to everyone who asks you for something,
and when someone takes
what is yours, do not ask for it back.
31 Do for others just what you want
them to do for you. note
32 “If you love only the people who
love you, why should you receive a
blessing? Even sinners love those
who love them!
33 And if you do good
only to those who do good to you,
why should you receive a blessing?
Even sinners do that!
34 And if you
lend only to those from whom you
hope to get it back, why should you
receive a blessing? Even sinners lend
to sinners, to get back the same
amount!
35 No! Love your enemies
and do good to them; lend and expect
nothing back. You will then
have a great reward, and you will be
sons of the Most High God. For he is
good to the ungrateful and the
wicked. note
36 Be merciful just as your
Father is merciful.
Judging Others
(Matthew 7.1–5)
37 “Do not judge others, and God
will not judge you; do not condemn
others, and God will not condemn
you; forgive others, and God will forgive
you.
38 Give to others, and God
will give to you. Indeed, you will receive
a full measure, a generous
helping, poured into your hands—all
that you can hold. The measure you
use for others is the one that God
will use for you.”
39 And Jesus told them this parable:
“One blind man cannot lead
another one; if he does, both will fall
into a ditch. note
40 No pupil is greater
than his teacher; but every pupil,
when he has completed his training,
will be like his teacher. note
41 “Why do you look at the speck
in your brother's eye, but pay no attention
to the log in your own eye?
42 How can you say to your brother,
‘Please, brother, let me take that
speck out of your eye,’ yet cannot
even see the log in your own eye?
You hypocrite! First take the log out
of your own eye, and then you will
be able to see clearly to take the
speck out of your brother's eye.
-- --
A Tree and Its Fruit
(Matthew 7.16–20; 12.33–35)
43 “A healthy tree does not bear
bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear
good fruit.
44 Every tree is known by
the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs
from thorn bushes or gather grapes
from bramble bushes. note
45 A good person
brings good out of the treasure
of good things in his heart; a bad
person brings bad out of his treasure
of bad things. For the mouth speaks
what the heart is full of. note
The Two House Builders
(Matthew 7.24–27)
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord,
Lord,’ and yet don't do what I tell
you?
47 Anyone who comes to me
and listens to my words and obeys
them—I will show you what he is
like.
48 He is like a man who, in building
his house, dug deep and laid the
foundation on rock. The river
flooded over and hit that house but
could not shake it, because it was
well built.
49 But anyone who hears
my words and does not obey them is
like a man who built his house without
laying a foundation; when the
flood hit that house it fell at once—
and what a terrible crash that was!”
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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