The Sign of Jonah

21 When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him: for they said, “He is insane.”

22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.”

23 He summoned them, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end.

27 But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house.

28 Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;

29 but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”

30 —because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

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 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

1 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond. It is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars.

2 Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills.

3 My mountain in the field, I will give your substance and all your treasures for a plunder, and your high places, because of sin, throughout all your borders.

4 You, even of yourself, will discontinue from your heritage that I gave you. I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know, for you have kindled a fire in my anger which will burn forever.”

5 Yahweh says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, relies on strength of flesh, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.

6 For he will be like a bush in the desert, and will not see when good comes, but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, an uninhabited salt land.

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, and whose confidence is in Yahweh.

8 For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green; and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?

10 “I, Yahweh, search the mind. I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

11 As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches, and not by right. In the middle of his days, they will leave him. At his end, he will be a fool.

12 A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.

13 Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be disappointed. Those who depart from me will be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Yahweh, the spring of living waters.

14 Heal me, O Yahweh, and I will be healed. Save me, and I will be saved; for you are my praise.

15 Behold, they tell me, “Where is Yahweh’s word? Let it be fulfilled now.”

16 As for me, I have not hurried from being a shepherd after you. I haven’t desired the woeful day. You know. That which came out of my lips was before your face.

17 Don’t be a terror to me. You are my refuge in the day of evil.

18 Let them be disappointed who persecute me, but let not me be disappointed. Let them be dismayed, but don’t let me be dismayed. Bring on them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

19 Yahweh said this to me: “Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, through which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem.

20 Tell them, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

21 Yahweh says, “Be careful, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.

22 Don’t carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day. Don’t do any work, but make the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers.

23 But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.

24 It will happen, if you diligently listen to me,” says Yahweh, “to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to make the Sabbath day holy, to do no work therein;

25 then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will remain forever.

26 They will come from the cities of Judah, and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, meal offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving, to Yahweh’s house.

27 But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. It will not be quenched.”’”

35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.

36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to 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 will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.

42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.

43 When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it.

44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”

1 After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he wouldn’t walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand.

3 His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do.

4 For no one does anything in secret, and himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, reveal yourself to the world.”

5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

6 Jesus therefore said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

7 The world can’t hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil.

8 You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled.”

9 Having said these things to them, he stayed in Galilee.

10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.

11 The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, “Where is he?”

12 There was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others said, “Not so, but he leads the multitude astray.”

13 Yet no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.

14 But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How does this man know letters, having never been educated?”

16 Jesus therefore answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

17 If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself.

18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

19 Didn’t Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?”

20 The multitude answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill you?”

21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel because of it.

22 Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy.

23 If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath?

24 Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

25 Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he whom they seek to kill?

26 Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ?

27 However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.”

28 Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you don’t know.

29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”

30 They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

31 But of the multitude, many believed in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, he won’t do more signs than those which this man has done, will he?”

32 The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.

33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you a little while longer, then I go to him who sent me.

34 You will seek me, and won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come.”

35 The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

36 What is this word that he said, ‘You will seek me, and won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come’?”

37 Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!

38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.”

39 But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.

40 Many of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, “This is truly the prophet.”

41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “What, does the Christ come out of Galilee?

42 Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

43 So there arose a division in the multitude because of him.

44 Some of them would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him?”

46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!”

47 The Pharisees therefore answered them, “You aren’t also led astray, are you?

48 Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?

49 But this multitude that doesn’t know the law is accursed.”

50 Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of them) said to them,

51 “Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?”

52 They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

53 Everyone went to his own house,

46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

47 One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.”

31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

32 A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.”

48 But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

49 He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!

50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

35 For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”

1 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.

2 Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.

3 He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.

4 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

5 “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

1 Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether.

5 You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.

6 This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it.

7 Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence?

8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!

9 If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10 Even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; the light around me will be night”;

12 even the darkness doesn’t hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.

13 For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well.

15 My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is their sum!

18 If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.

21 Yahweh, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.