The Leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:5–12; Mark 8:14–21)
1 DBY In those times , the myriads of the crowd being gathered together, so that they trod one on another, he began to say to his disciples first, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy; BSB BSB: In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 DBY but there is nothing covered up which shall not be revealed, nor secret that shall not be known; BSB BSB: There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
3 DBY therefore whatever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light, and what ye have spoken in the ear in chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. BSB BSB: What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.
Fear God Alone (Matthew 10:26–31)
4 DBY But I say to you, my friends, Fear not those who kill the body and after this have no more that they can do. BSB BSB: I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
5 DBY But I will shew you whom ye shall fear: Fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, Fear him. BSB BSB: But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
6 DBY Are not five sparrows sold for two assaria? and one of them is not forgotten before God. BSB BSB: Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
7 DBY But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, ye are better than many sparrows. BSB BSB: And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Confessing Christ (Matthew 10:32–33)
8 DBY But I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, the Son of man will confess him also before the angels of God; BSB BSB: I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
9 DBY but he that shall have denied me before men shall be denied before the angels of God; BSB BSB: But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 DBY and whoever shall say a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him; but to him that speaks injuriously against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven. BSB BSB: And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 DBY But when they bring you before the synagogues and rulers and the authorities, be not careful how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say; BSB BSB: When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.
12 DBY for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the hour itself what should be said. BSB BSB: For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool 13 DBY And a person said to him out of the crowd, Teacher, speak to my brother to divide the inheritance with me. BSB BSB: Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 DBY But he said to him, Man, who established me as a judge or a divider over you? BSB BSB: But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”
15 DBY And he said to them, Take heed and keep yourselves from all covetousness, for it is not because a man is in abundance that his life is in his possessions. BSB BSB: And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 DBY And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. BSB BSB: Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.
17 DBY And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not a place where I shall lay up my fruits. BSB BSB: So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’
18 DBY And he said, This will I do: I will take away my granaries and build greater, and there I will lay up all my produce and my good things; BSB BSB: Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods.
19 DBY and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good things laid by for many years; repose thyself, eat, drink, be merry. BSB BSB: Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 DBY But God said to him, Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall be what thou hast prepared? BSB BSB: But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
21 DBY Thus is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. BSB BSB: This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25–34)
22 DBY And he said to his disciples, For this cause I say unto you, Be not careful for life, what ye shall eat, nor for the body, what ye shall put on. BSB BSB: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.
23 DBY The life is more than food, and the body than raiment. BSB BSB: For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
24 DBY Consider the ravens, that they sow not nor reap; which have neither storehouse nor granary; and God feeds them. How much better are ye than the birds? BSB BSB: Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
25 DBY But which of you by being careful can add to his stature one cubit? BSB BSB: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
26 DBY If therefore ye cannot do even what is least, why are ye careful about the rest? BSB BSB: So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 DBY Consider the lilies how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I say unto you, Not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these. BSB BSB: Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
28 DBY But if God thus clothe the grass, which to-day is in the field and to-morrow is cast into the oven, how much rather you, O ye of little faith? BSB BSB: If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 DBY And ye, seek not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, and be not in anxiety; BSB BSB: And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.
30 DBY for all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that ye have need of these things; BSB BSB: For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 DBY but seek his kingdom, and all these things shall be added to you. BSB BSB: But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19–21)
32 DBY Fear not, little flock, for it has been the good pleasure of your Father to give you the kingdom. BSB BSB: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
33 DBY Sell what ye possess and give alms; make to yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure which does not fail in the heavens, where thief does not draw near nor moth destroy. BSB BSB: Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
34 DBY For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. BSB BSB: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Readiness at Any Hour (Matthew 24:36–51; Mark 13:32–37)
35 DBY Let your loins be girded about, and lamps burning; BSB BSB: Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.
36 DBY and ye like men who wait their own lord whenever he may leave the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. BSB BSB: Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.
37 DBY Blessed are those bondmen whom the lord on coming shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that he will gird himself and make them recline at table, and coming up will serve them. BSB BSB: Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.
38 DBY And if he come in the second watch, and come in the third watch, and find them thus, blessed are those bondmen . BSB BSB: Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed.
39 DBY But this know, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be dug through. BSB BSB: But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
40 DBY And ye therefore, be ye ready, for in the hour in which ye do not think it , the Son of man comes. BSB BSB: You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”
41 DBY And Peter said to him, Lord, sayest thou this parable to us, or also to all? BSB BSB: “Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”
42 DBY And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give the measure of corn in season? BSB BSB: And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
43 DBY Blessed is that bondman whom his lord on coming shall find doing thus; BSB BSB: Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
44 DBY verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he has. BSB BSB: Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
45 DBY But if that bondman should say in his heart, My lord delays to come, and begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and to drink and to be drunken, BSB BSB: But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
46 DBY the lord of that bondman shall come in a day when he does not expect it, and in an hour he knows not of, and shall cut him in two and appoint his portion with the unbelievers. BSB BSB: The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
48 DBY but he who knew it not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. And to every one to whom much has been given, much shall be required from him; and to whom men have committed much, they will ask from him the more. BSB BSB: But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.
Not Peace but Division (Micah 7:1–6; Matthew 10:34–39)
50 DBY But I have a baptism to be baptised with, and how am I straitened until it shall have been accomplished! BSB BSB: But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
52 DBY for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided; three shall be divided against two, and two against three: BSB BSB: From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.
53 DBY father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. BSB BSB: They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Interpreting the Present Time (Matthew 16:1–4; Mark 8:11–13)
54 DBY And he said also to the crowds, When ye see a cloud rising out of the west, straightway ye say, A shower is coming; and so it happens. BSB BSB: Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens.
55 DBY And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it happens. BSB BSB: And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is.
56 DBY Hypocrites, ye know how to judge of the appearance of the earth and of the heaven; how is it then that ye do not discern this time? BSB BSB: You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?
Reconciling with an Adversary (Matthew 5:21–26)
57 DBY And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? BSB BSB: And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
58 DBY For as thou goest with thine adverse party before a magistrate, strive in the way to be reconciled with him, lest he drag thee away to the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. BSB BSB: Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.
59 DBY I say unto thee, Thou shalt in no wise come out thence until thou hast paid the very last mite. BSB BSB: I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.