Knox Bible

1

It happened that on the next sabbath but one he was walking through the corn-fields; and his disciples were plucking the ears of corn and eating them, rubbing them between their hands.

2

And some of the Pharisees said to them, Why are you doing what it is not lawful to do on the sabbath?

3

Whereupon Jesus answered them, Why, have you never read of what David did, when he and his followers were hungry?✻

4

How he went into the tabernacle, and ate the loaves set forth there before God, and gave them to his followers, although it is not lawful for anyone except the priests to eat them?

5

And he told them, The Son of Man has even the sabbath at his disposal.✻

6

And on another sabbath day it happened that he went into the synagogue to teach, when there was a man there who had his right hand withered.

7

The scribes and Pharisees were watching him, to see whether he would restore health on the sabbath, so that they might have a charge to bring against him.

8

He knew their secret thoughts, and said to the man who had his hand withered, Rise up, and come forward; whereupon he rose to his feet.

9

Then Jesus said to them, I have a question to ask you; which is right, to do good on the sabbath day, or to do harm? To save life, or to make away with it?

10

And he looked round on them all, and said to him, Stretch out thy hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored to him.

11

And they were overcome with fury, debating with one another what they could do to Jesus.✻

12

It was at this time that he went out on to the mountain-side, and passed the whole night offering prayer to God,

13

and when day dawned, he called his disciples to him, choosing out twelve of them; these he called his apostles.

14

Their names were, Simon, whom he also called Peter, his brother Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

15

Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who is called the Zealot,

16

Jude the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, the man who turned traitor.✻

17

With them he went down and stood on a level place; a multitude of his disciples was there, and a great gathering of the people from all Judaea, and Jerusalem, and the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon.

18

These had come there to listen to him, and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were also cured;

19

so that all the multitude was eager to touch him, because power went out from him, and healed them all.

20

Then he lifted up his eyes towards his disciples, and said; Blessed are you who are poor; the kingdom of God is yours.

21

Blessed are you who are hungry now; you will have your fill. Blessed are you who weep now; you will laugh for joy.

22

Blessed are you, when men hate you and cast you off and revile you, when they reject your name as something evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

23

When that day comes, rejoice and exult over it; for behold, a rich reward awaits you in heaven; their fathers treated the prophets no better.

24

But woe upon you who are rich; you have your comfort already.

25

Woe upon you who are filled full; you shall be hungry. Woe upon you who laugh now; you shall mourn and weep.

26

Woe upon you, when all men speak well of you; their fathers treated the false prophets no worse.

27

And now I say to you who are listening to me, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you;

28

bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you insultingly.

29

If a man strikes thee on the cheek, offer him the other cheek too; if a man would take away thy cloak, do not grudge him thy coat along with it.

30

Give to every man who asks, and if a man takes what is thine, do not ask him to restore it.

31

As you would have men treat you, you are to treat them; no otherwise.

32

Why, what credit is it to you, if you love those who love you? Even sinners love those who love them.

33

What credit is it to you, if you do good to those who do good to you? Even sinners do as much.

34

What credit is it to you, if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much in exchange.

35

No, it is your enemies you must love, and do them good, and lend to them, without any hope of return; then your reward will be a rich one, and you will be true sons of the most High, generous like him towards the thankless and unjust.

36

Be merciful, then, as your Father is merciful.

37

Judge nobody, and you will not be judged; condemn nobody, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38

Give, and gifts will be yours; good measure, pressed down and shaken up and running over, will be poured into your lap; the measure you award to others is the measure that will be awarded to you.

39

And he told them this parable, Can one blind man lead another? Will not both fall into the ditch together?

40

A disciple is no better than his master; he will be fully perfect if he is as his master is.

41

How is it that thou canst see the speck of dust which is in thy brother’s eye, and art not aware of the beam which is in thy own?

42

By what right wilt thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me rid thy eye of that speck, when thou canst not see the beam that is in thy own? Thou hypocrite, take the beam out of thy own eye first, and so thou shalt have clear sight to rid thy brother’s of the speck.

43

There is no sound tree that will yield withered fruit, no withered tree that will yield sound fruit.

44

Each tree is known by its proper fruit; figs are not plucked from thorns, nor grapes gathered from brier bushes.

45

A good man utters what is good from his heart’s store of goodness; the wicked man, from his heart’s store of wickedness, can utter nothing but what is evil; it is from the heart’s overflow that the mouth speaks.

46

How is it that you call me, Master, Master, and will not do what I bid you?

47

If anyone comes to me and listens to my commandments and carries them out, I will tell you what he is like;

48

he is like a man that would build a house, who dug, dug deep, and laid his foundation on rock. Then a flood came, and the river broke upon that house, but could not stir it; it was founded upon rock.

49

But the man who listens to what I say and does not carry it out is like a man who built his house in the earth without foundation; when the river broke upon it, it fell at once, and great was that house’s ruin.✻