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The Easy Study Bible Diagramed: Vol. I Matthew through John
The Easy Study Bible Diagramed: Vol. I Matthew through John
The Easy Study Bible Diagramed: Vol. I Matthew through John
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The Easy Study Bible Diagramed: Vol. I Matthew through John

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Now there is a Bible translation that is easy to read, understand, and study.

This translation is unique in that it is arranged in a diagram form, which allows for easy identification of each of the points being made in any passage.

Good for Bible Study, sermon preparation, or just easy reading for understanding the Bible.

The entire New Testament has now been released.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 4, 2011
ISBN9781465713179
The Easy Study Bible Diagramed: Vol. I Matthew through John
Author

Trennis Killian

Trennis E. Killian has been an Army Medic, high school English teacher, pastor, hospital chaplain, crisis counselor, police chaplain, and pastoral counselor. All of these occupations have helped him to understand how men and women build and keep relationships. He also knows how they repair or destroy those relationships. He has also observed how people interact in all kinds of situations. They also give him firsthand knowledge of how people live and act within each of those types of situations. He writes in all of the following areas: Bible study, Self-Help, Crisis Preparation, and Christian oriented novels. To be able to write so many different kinds of books, he has spent years of intensive study of Greek, an earned doctorate in counseling, and worked in many different occupations. He writes all of his novels under the name T. E. Killian. Because of his varied education and experience, his characters take on the characteristics and personalities of people who work in all of the occupations he knows so well. Having been in many crisis situations over the past thirty plus years, he can write about them realistically. He and his wife, Ann, live in Black Canyon City, Arizona, where he writes fulltime.

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    Book preview

    The Easy Study Bible Diagramed - Trennis Killian

    Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

    The Easy Study Bible

    Diagramed

    Trennis E. Killian

    Smashwords Edition

    Copyright © 2011 by Trennis E. Killian

    The print edition of this book may be obtained from http://www.trenniskillian.com

    This E-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This E-Book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    * * * * * *

    Other Books by Trennis E. Killian

    The Easy Study Bible

    Mark

    Luke

    John

    The Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)

    Acts

    Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Corinthians

    Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,

    1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy,

    2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

    Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John

    3 John, Jude

    Revelation

    The New Testament (Diagram Form)

    The New Testament (Paragraph Form)

    James (Free E-Book only)

    The Relational Self Help Series

    The Relational Self Help Series addresses most issues of relationships. Here are the titles published to date.

    Beware of Abusive Behavior

    Basic Counseling for Pastors and Other Church Leaders

    Building a Godly Marriage

    Conquering Grief

    Controlling Your Reactions

    Coping with Stress

    Crisis Intervention/Suicide Prevention

    Planning Communication

    Relational Self Help Collection, Vol. I

    There are more books coming in this series, please look for them at: http://www.trenniskillian.com.

    Other Nonfiction Books

    Victory over Gambling: Leading Compulsive Gamblers to Freedom in Christ

    Victory over Gambling: Workbook

    Novels

    The Real Beginning

    For information or to purchase one of these titles either in paperback or EBook form please go to the webpage http://www.killian.com.

    * * * * * * *

    Table of Contents

    Introduction

    Matthew

    Mark

    Luke

    John

    Epilogue

    About the Author

    * * * * * * *

    Introduction

    This edition of the Easy Study Bible translation is in paragraph form, which is basically what most other Bibles are.

    The following is a description of the diagramed version which is also available.

    The Easy Study Bible translation, is the result of my twenty-six years in the Gospel Ministry, and from being a high school English teacher before that.

    Many times over my early years as a pastor, I would grow frustrated in my efforts to teach the Bible for understanding to church members who didn't understand the basics of Hebrew and Greek. True, some passages jump out at anyone reading them, no matter which translation they use. My goal has always been that all who read the Bible would not only understand it the way God intended for them to, but also to be able to apply each truth to their lives. That, I think, takes greater understanding.

    When I began teaching a Pastor's Sunday School Class in the early 1990s, I searched for a way to help my class understand better. I felt this was important since the class started out as a New Members Class. Too many new Christians become frustrated at their first attempts to study the Bible.

    Well, the answer came to me from my English teacher background. Do you remember when you had to diagram sentences in your English classes? Please don't run away screaming yet! I know. They were usually painful experiences. I felt the same way when I was a student.

    If you can get past the painful memories, please think about the finished product. Once you diagramed a long complicated sentence, it became much more clear to you. You could understand what was modifying what, and what the action was and what or who was causing it. In other words, it made the sentence much more understandable.

    That is what I began to do with the Bible passages we studied in that class. I took the principles of the sentence diagram and adjusted it to fit verses of the Bible. Immediately, the whole class began to gain a better understanding of each passage we studied.

    Over the years since then, I have used this method constantly, not only in small group studies, but also in church Bible studies with great success.

    One benefit that I didn't expect is that this method helps tremendously in sermon preparation. When I begin to prepare a sermon, I take the focal passage and diagram it. This allows me to see how the verses naturally (the way I think God intended) fall into separate thoughts. Many times, this process will give me all the points of the outline without trying to make the passage say what it does not say.

    Now, let's look at this project. Do we need another translation of the Bible? In a word, No!

    I have long admired the Wycliffe Bible Translators whose goal is to translate the Bible into every language of the world so all will have the opportunity to read God's message to them. I've also admired the Gideons International whose goal is to place a Bible in every hand in the world.

    My goal is a combination of the goals of the Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Gideons International. I want to take God's word and make it easier for everyone to read and understand.

    Now, here is why we need a new translation of the Bible. Simply put, the major Bible publishers do not seem to be interested in a Bible version which is diagramed. Therefore, to avoid infringing on any existing copyrights, I had to start with my own translation.

    You will find The Easy Study Bible translation to be as close to literal as possible while still preserving proper English grammatical structure. This is important to me. I find that many of the modern translations, especially ones that are more literal, are clumsy at best and grammatically inaccurate at worst.

    James Free!

    In order to give everyone an opportunity to sample the Easy Study Bible before purchasing it, the book of James will be available in E-Book version free. It will be available on my webpage, and other online distributors.

    The book of James will soon be included in a new release, which will also contain 1 Peter and 2 Peter.

    I want to hear from you as you use the Easy Study Bible translation. If you have suggestions, corrections, or any comments, please email me at trennis@trenniskillian.com.

    How to Use the Easy Study Bible

    You may read the Easy Study Bible it the same way you would any other Bible. Each of the releases will have a paragraph version in the back of the book.

    The Easy Study Bible is most effective when used as a study tool. This is where the structure of the diagram allows for better understanding of each passage that you study.

    I will use James 4:7-8 to illustrate how to do several of the actions that were mentioned in the introduction.

    ⁷ Therefore,

    submit to God.

    Resist the devil,

    and he will flee from you.

    ⁸ Draw near to God

    and He will draw near to you.

    Cleanse your hands,

    sinners,

    and purify your hearts

    you double-minded.

    First, if I were writing a sermon on this passage, I can immediately see the perfect three-point sermon in it.

    I. Submit to God

    II. Resist the Devil

    III. Draw Near to God

    Notice how easy that was. Next I would flesh out point II. a little.

    II. Resist the Devil

    He will flee from you

    Next, point III.

    III. Draw Near to God

    He will draw near to you

    How do we do this?

    Cleanse our hands

    Purify our hearts

    You can easily see how to continue from there.

    Second, for those who want to get to the full meaning of the passage, they can easily answer the following questions from the diagram:

    1. What is the subject of this passage?

    Submission to God

    2. How do we do this?

    Resist the Devil

    Draw near to God

    3. What will be the result of this action?

    The devil will flee from you.

    God will draw near to you.

    Do you get the idea? It's easy and fun to study the Bible, especially when you understand it better each time you do.

    Try it out, and if you discover new and different ways to use the Easy Study Bible, please let me know so I can share them with others.

    My webpage will have a whole section devoted to the Easy Study Bible, and one page will be dedicated to reader feedback. There will also be a page of Hints & Tips.

    http://www.trenniskillian.com

    * * * * * * *

    Matthew

    Outline

    I. Infancy Narrative (1:1-2:24

    A. From Abraham to David (1:2-6a)

    B. From David to the Babylonian Exile (1:6b-11)

    C. From the Exile to Christ (1:12-17)

    D. The Birth of Christ (1:18-24)

    II. Beginning of Christ's Ministry (3:1-4:25

    A. The Magi (2:1-12)

    B. The Flight to Egypt (2:1318)

    C. The Move to Nazareth (2:19-23)

    D. John the Baptist (3:1-12)

    E. The Baptism of Jesus (3:13-17)

    F. The Temptation of Jesus (4:1-11)

    G. Ministry in Galilee (4:12-17)

    H. The First Disciples (4:18-22)

    I. Ministry (4:23-25)

    III. The Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:29)

    A. The Beatitudes (5:3-12)

    B. Salt and Light (5:13-16)

    C. Christ Fulfills the Law (5:17-20

    D. Murder Begins in the Heart (5:21-26)

    E. Adultery in the Heart (5:27-30)

    F. Divorce (5:31-32)

    G. Oaths (5:33-37)

    H. Go the Second Mile (5:38-42)

    I. Love Your Enemies (5:43-48)

    J. Giving (6:1-4)

    K. Praying (6:5-8)

    L. The Model Prayer (6:9-15)

    M. Fasting (6:16-18)

    N. Possessions (6:19-24)

    O. Anxiety (6:25-34)

    P. Judging (7:1-6)

    Q. Persistence (7:7-12)

    R. Entering the Kingdom (7:13-23)

    S. The Two Foundations (7:24-29)

    IV. Healings and Calling of Disciples (8:1-9:38)

    A. Cleansing a Leper (8:1-4)

    B. The Centurion's Servant (8:5-13)

    C. Peter's Mother-in-Law (8:14-17)

    D. Following Jesus (8:18-22)

    E. Calming the Sea (8:23-27)

    F. The Gadarene Demoniacs (8:28-34)

    G. The Paralytic Is Healed (9:1-8)

    H. The Calling of Matthew (9:9-13)

    I. Fasting (9:14-17)

    J. Raising a Girl from the Dead (9:18-26)

    K. Healing the Blind (9:27-31)

    L. Driving Out a Demon (9:32-38)

    V. Sending the Disciples (10:1-42)

    A. Commissioning the Twelve (10:1-15)

    B. Prediction of Persecutions (10:16-25)

    C. Fearing God (10:26-31)

    D. Acknowledging Christ (10:32-39)

    E. Receiving Him (10:40-42)

    VI. Teaching in Galilee (11:1-12:50)

    A. John's Followers Question Jesus (11:1-15)

    B. An Unresponsive Generation (11:16:24)

    C. Invitation to Come to Jesus (11:25-30)

    D. Lord of the Sabbath (12:1-8)

    E. Controversy over Healing on the Sabbath (12:9-13)

    F. The Pharisees Plot against Jesus (12:14-21)

    G. A House Divided (12:22-32)

    H. A Tree and Its Fruit (12:33-37)

    I. The Sign of Jonah (12:38-42)

    J. The Unclean Spirit's Return (12:43-45)

    K. True Relationships (12:46-50)

    VII. Parables of the Kingdom (13:1-53)

    A. The Parable of the Sower (13:1-9)

    B. Why Jesus Used Parables (13:10-16)

    C. The Parable of the Sower Explained (13:18-23)

    D. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (13:24-30)

    E. The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast (13:31-33)

    F. Using Parables Fulfills Prophecy (13:34-35)

    G. Interpretation of the Wheat and the Tares (13:36-43)

    H. The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Priceless Pearl (13:44-46)

    I. The Parable of the Net (13:47-50)

    J. Parable of the Head of the House (13:51-53)

    VIII. Ministry in Galilee (13:54-16:12)

    A. Rejection at Nazareth (13:54-58)

    B. John the Baptist Beheaded (14:1-12)

    C. Feeding of the Five Thousand (14:13-21)

    D. Walking on Water (14:22-33)

    E. Healing Many (14:34-36)

    F. The Tradition of the Elders (15:1-9)

    G. Defilement Is from Within (15:10-20)

    H. Jesus Heals the Gentile Woman (15:21-28)

    I. Jesus Heals Many (15:29-31)

    J. Feeding of the Four Thousand (15:32-39)

    K. Debate over a Sign from Heaven (16:1-12)

    IX. The Suffering Messiah (16:13-17:27)

    A. Peter's Confession of Christ (16:13-20)

    B. Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection (16:21-23)

    C. Take Up Your Cross (16:24-26)

    D. Prophecy of the Second Coming (16:27-28)

    E. The Transfiguration (17:1-13)

    F. Faith (17:14-21)

    G. The Second Prediction of His Death (17:22-27)

    X. Instruction in View of Rejection (18:1-20:34)

    A. Who Is the Greatest? (18:1-9)

    B. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (18:10-14)

    C. The Offended Brother (18:15-20)

    D. The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave (18:21-35)

    E. Instruction about Divorce (19:1-12)

    F. Blessing the Children (19:13-15)

    G. The Rich Young Ruler (19:16-22)

    H. Possessions and the Kingdom (19:23-30)

    I. Parable of the Workers (20:1-16)

    J. The Third Prediction of His Death (20:17-19)

    K. Suffering and Service (20:20-28)

    L. Healing of Two Blind Men (20:29-34)

    XI. Christ in Jerusalem (21:1-25:46)

    A. The Triumphal Entry (21:1-11)

    B. Cleansing of the Temple (21:12-17)

    C. Cursing the Fig Tree (21:18-22)

    D. Question of Jesus' Authority (21:23-27)

    E. The Parable of the Two Sons (21:28-32)

    F. The Parable of the Vineyard Owner (21:33-46)

    G. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (22:1-14)

    H. God and Caesar (22:15-22)

    I. Conflict with Sadducees on Resurrection (22:23-33)

    J. The Greatest Commandment (22:34-40)

    K. Question about the Son of David (22:41-46)

    L. Scribes and Pharisees Denounced (23:1-36)

    M. Jesus Laments over Jerusalem (23:37-39)

    N. Destruction of the Temple Predicted (24:1-2)

    O. Signs of the End of the Age (24:3-8)

    P. Persecution Predicted (24:9-14)

    Q. The Tribulation (24:15-28)

    R. The Second Coming (24:29-31)

    S. The Parable of the Fig Tree (24:32-35)

    T. Illustration of the Days of Noah (24:36-44)

    U. The Two Servants (24:45-51)

    V. The Parable of the Ten Virgins (25:1-13)

    W. The Parable of the Talents (25:14-30)

    X. The Sheep and the Goats (25:31-46)

    XII. Passion and Death (26:1-27:66)

    A. The Religious Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus (26:1-5)

    B. The Anointing at Bethany (26:6-16)

    C. Preparation for the Passover (26:17-19)

    D. The Passover Is Celebrated (26:20-25)

    E. The First Lord's Supper (26:26-30)

    F. Peter's Denial Is Predicted (26:31-35)

    G. Jesus' Prayer in the Garden (26:36-46)

    H. Jesus' Betrayal and Arrest (26:47-56)

    I. Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin (26:57-68)

    J. Peter Denies Christ (26:69-75)

    K. Jesus Is Taken to Pilate (27:1-2)

    L. Judas Hangs Himself (27:3-10)

    M. Jesus Faces Pilate (27:11-14)

    N. Barabbas Is Freed (27:15-25)

    O. Jesus Is Scourged (27:26-29)

    P. Jesus Is Led to Golgotha (27:29-33)

    Q. Jesus Is Crucified (27:34-44)

    R. The Death of Jesus (27:45-56)

    S. The Burial of Jesus (27:57-66)

    T. The Empty Tomb (28:1-8)

    U. Jesus Appears to the Women (28:9-10)

    V. The Soldiers Are Bribed (28:11-15)

    W. Jesus Appears to the Disciples (28:16-17)

    X. The Great Commission (28:18-20)

    Matthew in Diagram Form

    Chapter One

    ¹ The record

    of the genealogy

    of Jesus Christ,

    the Son of David,

    the Son of Abraham,

    From Abraham to David

    ² Abraham fathered Isaac,

    Isaac fathered Jacob,

    Jacob fathered Judah

    and his brothers.

    ³ Judah fathered Perez and Zerah

    by Tamar,

    Perez fathered Hezron,

    Hezron fathered Ram.

    ⁴ Ram fathered Amminadab,

    Amminadab fathered Nahshon,

    Hahshon fathered Salmon.

    ⁵ Salmon fathered Boaz

    by Rahab,

    Boaz fathered Obed

    by Ruth,

    Obed fathered Jesse.

    ⁶ Jesse fathered King David.

    From David to the Babylonian Exile

    David the king

    fathered Solomon

    by Uriah's wife.

    ⁷ Solomon fathered Rehoboam,

    Rehoboam fathered Abijah,

    Abijah fathered Asa.

    ⁸ Asa fathered Jehoshaphat,

    Jehoshaphat fathered Joram,

    Jora fathered Uzziah.

    ⁹ Uzziah fathered Jotham,

    Jotham fathered Ahaz,

    Ahaz fathered Hezekiah.

    ¹⁰ Hezekiah fathered Manasseh,

    Manasseh fathered Amon,

    Amon fathered Josiah.

    ¹¹ Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers

    at the time

    of the deportation

    to Babylon.

    From the Exile to Christ

    ¹² After the deportation

    to Babylon,

    Jechoniah fathered Salathiel,

    Salathiel fathered Zerubbabel.

    ¹³ Zerubbabel fathered Abiud,

    Abiud fathered Eliakim,

    Eliakim fathered Azor.

    ¹⁴ Azor fathered Zadok,

    Zadok fathered Achim,

    Achim fathered Eliud.

    ¹⁵ Eliud fathered Eleazar,

    Eleazar fathered Matthan,

    Matthan fathered Jacob.

    ¹⁶ Jacob fathered Joseph

    the husband of Mary,

    who gave birth to Jesus,

    who is called Christ.

    ¹⁷ So all the generations

    from Abraham to David

    were fourteen,

    and from David

    until the deportation of Babylon,

    fourteen generations,

    and from the deportation of Babylon

    to the Christ,

    fourteen generations.

    The Birth of Christ

    ¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ

    was as follows:

    When Mary,

    His mother,

    was promised in marriage

    to Joseph,

    she was found to be with child

    by the Holy Spirit.

    ¹⁹ Joseph,

    her husband,

    being righteous,

    and not willing to disgrace her

    thought to send her away secretly.

    ²⁰ But after he thought about these things,

    an angel of the Lord

    appeared to him in a dream

    saying,

    "Joseph, son of David,

    do not fear to take Mary as your wife,

    for what is in her

    has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.

    ²¹ She will bring forth a son

    and you will name Him Jesus,

    for He will save His people from their sins."

    ²² Now all this happened to fulfill

    what was spoken by the Lord

    through the prophet,

    ²³ "The virgin will be with child

    and will give birth to a son,

    and they will call his name Immanuel,

    which is translated,

    'God is with us.'"

    ²⁴ Awakening from sleep,

    Joseph did as the angel of the Lord ordered him

    and took his wife,

    ²⁵ but did not know her

    until she gave birth to a son.

    And he named Him Jesus.

    Chapter Two

    The Magi

    ¹ After Jesus was born

    in Bethlehem of Judea

    in the days of Herod the king,

    magi from the east,

    arrived in Jerusalem,

    ² saying,

    "where is He

    who was born King of the Jews?

    For we saw his star in the east

    and came to worship Him.

    ³ When Herod

    the King

    heard this,

    he was troubled,

    and all Jerusalem with him.

    ⁴ Gathering together

    all the chief priests and scribes of the people,

    he asked them

    where the Christ would be born.

    ⁵ They said to him,

    "In Bethlehem of Judea

    as it was written by the prophet:

    ⁶ But you, Bethlehem,

    in the land of Judah

    are in no wise least among the leaders of Judah,

    for out of you

    will come a shepherd

    who will lead my people Israel."

    ⁷ Then, Herod

    secretly called the magi

    and asked them

    the exact time the star appeared.

    ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem,

    and said,

    "Go and search carefully

    for the child.

    When you have found him,

    bring word back to me,

    so that I may also come

    and worship Him."

    ⁹ After hearing the king,

    they went away,

    and the star,

    which they saw in the east,

    went before them

    until it stood over where the young child was.

    ¹⁰ When they saw the star,

    they rejoiced

    with exceedingly great joy.

    ¹¹ Entering the house,

    they saw the child with Mary,

    His mother,

    and they fell down

    and worshiped Him.

    Then they opened their treasures

    and offered Him gifts of

    gold,

    frankincense,

    and myrrh.

    ¹² Having been warned in a dream

    not to return to Herod,

    they returned to their country

    by another way.

    The Flight to Egypt

    ¹³ Now, when they had gone,

    behold, an angel of the Lord

    appeared to Joseph in a dream,

    saying,

    "Rise.

    Take the child with His mother,

    flee into Egypt,

    and be there until I tell you,

    for Herod

    is about to seek the child

    to destroy Him.

    ¹⁴ Having risen,

    he took the child and His mother

    by night

    and went into Egypt.

    ¹⁵ He was there

    until the death of Herod,

    that what the Lord spoke

    through the prophet

    might be fulfilled,

    Out of Egypt, I called my Son.

    Herod Kills the Children

    ¹⁶ Then Herod,

    seeing that he had been tricked by the magi,

    was greatly enraged

    and he put to death

    all the boys in Bethlehem

    and in all its borders,

    from two years old and under,

    according to the time

    which he had determined from the magi.

    ¹⁷ Then

    what was spoken

    through Jeremiah the prophet

    was fulfilled,

    ¹⁸ "A voice was heard in Ramah

    weeping and great mourning,

    Rachel weeping for her children,

    and would not be comforted,

    because they were no more."

    The Move to Nazareth

    ¹⁹ But when Herod died,

    behold, an angel of the Lord

    appeared in a dream

    to Joseph

    in Egypt,

    ²⁰ saying,

    "Arise,

    take the child and His mother,

    and go into the land of Israel,

    for those

    who sought the child's life

    are dead."

    ²¹ So he rose,

    took the child and His mother,

    and came into the land of Israel.

    ²² But when he heard

    that Archaelaus ruled over Judea

    instead of His father Herod,

    he was afraid to go there.

    Being divinely warned in a dream,

    he withdrew

    to the region of Galilee.

    ²³ He came and lived

    in a city called Nazareth

    to fulfill

    what was spoken through the prophets

    that he will be called a Nazarene.

    Chapter Three

    John the Baptist

    ¹ Now, in those days,

    John the Baptist came,

    preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

    ² saying,

    "Repent,

    for the kingdom of heaven

    has come near."

    ³ For this is the one spoken of

    by Isaiah the prophet,

    saying,

    "A voice crying in the wilderness,

    'Prepare the way of the Lord.

    Make His paths straight.'"

    ⁴ John, himself,

    had a garment

    made from camel's hair

    with a leather belt around his waist,

    and his food was locusts and wild honey.

    ⁵ Then Jerusalem

    was going out to him,

    and all Judea

    and all the country around the Jordan,

    ⁶ and they were baptized by him

    in the Jordan River,

    as they confessed their sins.

    ⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees

    coming to his baptism,

    he said to them,

    "Brood of vipers,

    who warned you to flee

    from the coming wrath?"

    ⁸ Therefore,

    produce fruit worthy of repentance,

    ⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves,

    'We have Abraham as our father.'

    For I say to you

    that God is able

    to raise up children of Abraham

    from these stones.

    ¹⁰ The ax

    is already being applied

    to the root of the trees.

    Therefore, every tree

    not producing good fruit

    is cut down

    and cast into the fire.

    ¹¹ I baptize you with water

    to repentance,

    but the One coming after me

    is mightier than I,

    I am not fit

    to carry His sandals.

    He will baptize you

    with the Holy Spirit

    and with fire.

    ¹² His winnowing fan

    is in His hand,

    and He will thoroughly purge

    His thrashing floor

    and gather His wheat

    into the barn.

    But he will burn the chaff

    with unquenchable fire."

    The Baptism of Jesus

    ¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee

    to the Jordan

    to John

    to be baptized by him.

    ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him,

    saying,

    "I need to be baptized by you,

    and you come to me?"

    ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him,

    "Permit it now,

    thus it is proper

    for us

    to fulfill all righteousness."

    Then he allowed Him.

    ¹⁶ After being baptized,

    Jesus came up immediately

    from the water

    and the heavens

    were opened

    to Him,

    and He saw

    the Spirit of God

    descending as a dove,

    and coming upon Him.

    ¹⁷ A voice from heaven said,

    "This is my beloved Son

    in whom I have found delight.

    Chapter Four

    The Temptation of Jesus

    ¹ Then Jesus was led up

    into the wilderness,

    by the Spirit,

    to be tempted by the devil.

    ² Having fasted forty days and nights,

    He was hungry.

    ³ The tempter came to Him

    and said,

    "If you are the Son of God,

    command that these stones become loaves.

    ⁴ But He answered,

    "It has been written,

    'Man shall not live on bread alone,

    but by every word

    that comes out of the mouth of God."

    ⁵ Then the devil took Him to the holy city,

    and stood him

    on the pinnacle of the temple,

    ⁶ and said to Him,

    "If you are the Son of God,

    cast yourself down.

    For it is written,

    'He will order His angels concerning you,

    and they shall bear you up in their hands

    lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

    ⁷ Jesus said to him,

    "Again, it has been written,

    'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

    ⁸ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain

    and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world

    and their glory,

    ⁹ and said to Him,

    " I will give to You all these things,

    if You will fall down and worship me."

    ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him,

    "Get away, Satan.

    For it is written,

    'You shall worship the Lord your God

    and serve Him only.'"

    ¹¹ Then the devil left Him,

    and angels came

    and ministered to Him.

    Ministry in Galilee

    ¹² When He heard

    that John had been arrested,

    He withdrew into Galilee.

    ¹³ He left Nazareth,

    and went

    to live in Capernaum by the sea,

    in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

    ¹⁴ to fulfill what was said

    through Isaiah, the prophet,

    ¹⁵ "Land of Zebulun

    and Land of Naphtali,

    along the sea,

    beyond the Jordan,

    Galilee of the Gentiles,

    ¹⁶ The people sitting in darkness

    saw a great light,

    and for those sitting in the land

    and shadow of death,

    a light has dawned."

    ¹⁷ From then on,

    Jesus began to proclaim and to say,

    "Repent;

    for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

    The First Disciples

    ¹⁸ Walking by the sea of Galilee

    Jesus saw two brothers,

    Simon called Peter,

    and Andrew his brother,

    casting a large net into the sea,

    for they were fishermen,

    ¹⁹ He said to them,

    "Follow Me

    and I will make you fishers of men."

    ²⁰ Immediately, they left their nets

    and followed Him.

    ²¹ Going on from there,

    He saw two other brothers,

    James the son of Zebedee

    and John his brother,

    in the boat

    with Zebedee, their father,

    mending their nets,

    and He called them.

    ²² Immediately, they left the boat

    and their father

    and followed Him.

    Ministry

    ²³ Jesus was going throughout Galilee

    teaching in their synagogues

    and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom

    and healing every disease and sickness

    among the people.

    ²⁴ The report went out about Him

    throughout Syria.

    So they brought to Him

    all who were ill,

    those suffering various diseases and pains,

    the demon possessed, epileptics and paralytics,

    and He healed them.

    ²⁵ Large crowds followed Him

    from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem,

    and Judea beyond the Jordan.

    Chapter Five

    The Sermon on the Mount

    ¹ When He saw the crowds,

    He went up on the mountain

    and after He sat down,

    His disciples came to Him.

    ² He opened His mouth to teach them,

    saying,

    The Beatitudes

    ³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit,

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