DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 21 New Living Translation ‭As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.‭ ‭“Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.‭ ‭If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”‭ ‭This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,‭ ‭“Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‭‘Look, your King is coming to you. ‭He is humble, riding on a donkey — ‭ riding on a donkey’s colt.’”‭ ‭The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.‭ ‭They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.‭ ‭Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.‭ ‭Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‭“Praise God for the Son of David! ‭Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! ‭Praise God in highest heaven!”‭ ‭The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.‭ ‭And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”‭ ‭Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.‭ ‭He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”‭ ‭The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.‭ ‭The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant.‭ ‭They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are Saying?”“yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’ ”‭ ‭Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.‭ ‭In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry,‭ ‭and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.‭ ‭The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”‭ ‭Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.‭ ‭You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”‭ ‭When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”‭ ‭“I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied.‭ ‭“Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely Human?”they talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John.‭ ‭But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.”‭ ‭So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.‭ ‭“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’‭ ‭The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway.‭ ‭Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.‭ ‭“Which of the two obeyed his Father?”they replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.‭ ‭For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.‭ ‭“Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.‭ ‭At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.‭ ‭But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.‭ ‭So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.‭ ‭“Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’‭ ‭“But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’‭ ‭So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.‭ ‭“When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”‭ ‭The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”‭ ‭Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‭‘The stone that the builders rejected ‭has now become the cornerstone. ‭This is the LORD’s doing, ‭and it is wonderful to see.’‭ ‭I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.‭ ‭Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on. ”‭ ‭When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them — they were the wicked farmers.‭ ‭They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 20 New Living Translation ‭“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard.‭ ‭He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.‭ ‭“At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing.‭ ‭So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.‭ ‭So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.‭ ‭“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’‭ ‭“They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’‭ ‭“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first.‭ ‭When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage.‭ ‭When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage.‭ ‭When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,‭ ‭‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’‭ ‭“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?‭ ‭Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.‭ ‭Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’‭ ‭“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”‭ ‭As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him.‭ ‭“Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die.‭ ‭Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”‭ ‭Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor.‭ ‭“What is your request?” he asked.She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”‭ ‭But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to Drink?”“oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”‭ ‭Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”‭ ‭When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.‭ ‭But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.‭ ‭But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,‭ ‭and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.‭ ‭For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”‭ ‭As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind.‭ ‭Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”‭ ‭“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”‭ ‭When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”‭ ‭“Lord,” they said, “we want to see!”‭ ‭Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 19 New Living Translation ‭When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River.‭ ‭Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick.‭ ‭Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”‭ ‭“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ ”‭ ‭And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’‭ ‭Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”‭ ‭“Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked.‭ ‭Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.‭ ‭And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery — unless his wife has been unfaithful. ”‭ ‭Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!”‭ ‭“Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps.‭ ‭Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”‭ ‭One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.‭ ‭But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”‭ ‭And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.‭ ‭Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”‭ ‭“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question — if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”‭ ‭“Which ones?” the man asked.And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.‭ ‭Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”‭ ‭“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”‭ ‭Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”‭ ‭But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.‭ ‭Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.‭ ‭I’ll say it again — it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”‭ ‭The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.‭ ‭Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”‭ ‭Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”‭ ‭Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.‭ ‭And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.‭ ‭But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 18 New Living Translation ‭About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”‭ ‭Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.‭ ‭Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.‭ ‭So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.‭ ‭“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.‭ ‭But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.‭ ‭“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.‭ ‭So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.‭ ‭And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.‭ ‭“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.‭ ‭ ‭“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?‭ ‭And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!‭ ‭In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.‭ ‭“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.‭ ‭But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.‭ ‭If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.‭ ‭“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.‭ ‭“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.‭ ‭For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”‭ ‭Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”‭ ‭“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!‭ ‭“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.‭ ‭In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.‭ ‭He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold — along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned — to pay the debt.‭ ‭“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’‭ ‭Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.‭ ‭“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.‭ ‭“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.‭ ‭But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.‭ ‭“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.‭ ‭Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.‭ ‭Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’‭ ‭Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.‭ ‭“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 17 New Living Translation ‭Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.‭ ‭As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.‭ ‭Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.‭ ‭Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”‭ ‭But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”‭ ‭The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.‭ ‭Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”‭ ‭And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.‭ ‭As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”‭ ‭Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes? ”‭ ‭Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready.‭ ‭But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”‭ ‭Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.‭ ‭At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said,‭ ‭“Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.‭ ‭So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”‭ ‭Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”‭ ‭Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.‭ ‭Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”‭ ‭“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. ”‭ ‭ ‭After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.‭ ‭He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief.‭ ‭On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?”‭ ‭“Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house.But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered? ”‭ ‭“They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.“ Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free!‭ ‭However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 16 New Living Translation ‭One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.‭ ‭He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow;‭ ‭red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!‭ ‭Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. ” Then Jesus left them and went away.‭ ‭Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread.‭ ‭“Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”‭ ‭At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread.‭ ‭Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread?‭ ‭Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up?‭ ‭Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up?‭ ‭Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”‭ ‭Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.‭ ‭When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”‭ ‭“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”‭ ‭Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”‭ ‭Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”‭ ‭Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.‭ ‭Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.‭ ‭And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”‭ ‭Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.‭ ‭From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.‭ ‭But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”‭ ‭Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”‭ ‭Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.‭ ‭If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.‭ ‭And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?‭ ‭For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.‭ ‭And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 15 New Living Translation ‭Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him,‭ ‭“Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”‭ ‭Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?‭ ‭For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’‭ ‭But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’‭ ‭In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.‭ ‭You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,‭ ‭‘These people honor me with their lips, ‭but their hearts are far from me.‭ ‭Their worship is a farce, ‭for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”‭ ‭Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand.‭ ‭It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”‭ ‭Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”‭ ‭Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted,‭ ‭so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”‭ ‭Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”‭ ‭“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked.‭ ‭“Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.‭ ‭But the words you speak come from the heart — that’s what defiles you.‭ ‭For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.‭ ‭These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”‭ ‭Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.‭ ‭A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, OLord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”‭ ‭But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”‭ ‭Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep — the people of Israel.”‭ ‭But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”‭ ‭Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”‭ ‭She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”‭ ‭“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.‭ ‭Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down.‭ ‭A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all.‭ ‭The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.‭ ‭Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”‭ ‭The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”‭ ‭Jesus asked, “How much bread do you Have?”they replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”‭ ‭So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground.‭ ‭Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.‭ ‭They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.‭ ‭There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children.‭ ‭Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 14 New Living Translation ‭When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus,‭ ‭he said to his advisers, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.”‭ ‭For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip).‭ ‭John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.”‭ ‭Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.‭ ‭But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him,‭ ‭so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted.‭ ‭At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!”‭ ‭Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.‭ ‭So John was beheaded in the prison,‭ ‭and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.‭ ‭Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.‭ ‭As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.‭ ‭Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.‭ ‭That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”‭ ‭But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary — you feed them.”‭ ‭“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.‭ ‭“Bring them here,” he said.‭ ‭Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.‭ ‭They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.‭ ‭About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!‭ ‭Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.‭ ‭After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.‭ ‭Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.‭ ‭About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.‭ ‭When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”‭ ‭But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here! ”‭ ‭Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”‭ ‭“Yes, come,” Jesus said.So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.‭ ‭But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.‭ ‭Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”‭ ‭When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.‭ ‭Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.‭ ‭After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret.‭ ‭When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed.‭ ‭They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 13 New Living Translation ‭Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake.‭ ‭A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore.‭ ‭He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:“ Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.‭ ‭As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.‭ ‭Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.‭ ‭But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.‭ ‭Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.‭ ‭Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!‭ ‭Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”‭ ‭His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”‭ ‭He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.‭ ‭To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.‭ ‭That is why I use these parables, ‭For they look, but they don’t really see. ‭They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.‭ ‭This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‭‘When you hear what I say, ‭you will not understand. ‭When you see what I do, ‭you will not comprehend.‭ ‭For the hearts of these people are hardened, ‭and their ears cannot hear, ‭and they have closed their eyes — ‭ so their eyes cannot see, ‭and their ears cannot hear, ‭and their hearts cannot understand, ‭and they cannot turn to me ‭and let me heal them.’‭ ‭“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.‭ ‭I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.‭ ‭“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:‭ ‭The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.‭ ‭The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.‭ ‭But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.‭ ‭The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.‭ ‭The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”‭ ‭Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.‭ ‭But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.‭ ‭When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.‭ ‭“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’‭ ‭“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.“‘ Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.‭ ‭“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do.‭ ‭Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”‭ ‭Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.‭ ‭It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”‭ ‭Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”‭ ‭Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.‭ ‭This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: ‭“I will speak to you in parables. ‭I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world. ”‭ ‭Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”‭ ‭Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.‭ ‭The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.‭ ‭The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.‭ ‭“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.‭ ‭The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.‭ ‭And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.‭ ‭Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!‭ ‭“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.‭ ‭“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.‭ ‭When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!‭ ‭“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.‭ ‭When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.‭ ‭That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous,‭ ‭throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.‭ ‭Do you understand all these Things?”“yes,” they said, “we do.”‭ ‭Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”‭ ‭When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.‭ ‭He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?”‭ ‭Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers — James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.‭ ‭All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?”‭ ‭And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.”‭ ‭And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 12 New Living Translation ‭At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them.‭ ‭But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”‭ ‭Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?‭ ‭He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.‭ ‭And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?‭ ‭I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!‭ ‭But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’‭ ‭For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”‭ ‭Then Jesus went over to their synagogue,‭ ‭where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)‭ ‭And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would.‭ ‭And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”‭ ‭Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one!‭ ‭Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.‭ ‭But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,‭ ‭but he warned them not to reveal who he was.‭ ‭This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:‭ ‭“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. ‭He is my Beloved, who pleases me. ‭I will put my Spirit upon him, ‭and he will proclaim justice to the nations.‭ ‭He will not fight or shout ‭or raise his voice in public.‭ ‭He will not crush the weakest reed ‭or put out a flickering candle. ‭Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.‭ ‭And his name will be the hope ‭of all the world.”‭ ‭Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.‭ ‭The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”‭ ‭But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.”‭ ‭Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.‭ ‭And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.‭ ‭And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.‭ ‭But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.‭ ‭For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger — someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.‭ ‭“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.‭ ‭“So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven — except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.‭ ‭Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.‭ ‭“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.‭ ‭You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.‭ ‭A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.‭ ‭And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.‭ ‭The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”‭ ‭One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”‭ ‭But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.‭ ‭For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.‭ ‭“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here — but you refuse to repent.‭ ‭The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here — but you refuse to listen.‭ ‭“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.‭ ‭Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.‭ ‭Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”‭ ‭As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.‭ ‭Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”‭ ‭Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”‭ ‭Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.‭ ‭Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 11 New Living Translation ‭When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.‭ ‭John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,‭ ‭“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”‭ ‭Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen —‭ ‭the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.‭ ‭And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’ ”‭ ‭As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind?‭ ‭Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces.‭ ‭Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.‭ ‭John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‭‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, ‭and he will prepare your way before you.’‭ ‭“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!‭ ‭And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.‭ ‭For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time.‭ ‭And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.‭ ‭Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!‭ ‭“To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,‭ ‭‘We played wedding songs, ‭and you didn’t dance, ‭so we played funeral songs, ‭and you didn’t mourn.’‭ ‭For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’‭ ‭The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”‭ ‭Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.‭ ‭“What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.‭ ‭I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.‭ ‭“And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.‭ ‭I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”‭ ‭At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “OFather, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.‭ ‭Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!‭ ‭“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”‭ ‭Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.‭ ‭Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.‭ ‭For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 10 New Living Translation ‭Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.‭ ‭Here are the names of the twelve apostles: ‭first, Simon (also called Peter), ‭then Andrew (Peter’s brother), ‭James (son of Zebedee), ‭John (James’s brother),‭ ‭Philip, ‭Bartholomew, ‭Thomas, ‭Matthew (the tax collector), ‭James (son of Alphaeus), ‭Thaddaeus,‭ ‭Simon (the zealot), ‭Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).‭ ‭Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans,‭ ‭but only to the people of Israel — God’s lost sheep.‭ ‭Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.‭ ‭Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!‭ ‭“Don’t take any money in your money belts — no gold, silver, or even copper coins.‭ ‭Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.‭ ‭“Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.‭ ‭When you enter the home, give it your blessing.‭ ‭If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.‭ ‭If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.‭ ‭I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.‭ ‭“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.‭ ‭But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.‭ ‭You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.‭ ‭When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time.‭ ‭For it is not you who will be speaking — it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.‭ ‭“A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.‭ ‭And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.‭ ‭When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.‭ ‭“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master.‭ ‭Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!‭ ‭“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.‭ ‭What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!‭ ‭“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.‭ ‭What is the price of two sparrows — one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.‭ ‭And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.‭ ‭So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.‭ ‭“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.‭ ‭But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.‭ ‭“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.‭ ‭‘I have come to set a man against his father, ‭a daughter against her mother, ‭and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.‭ ‭Your enemies will be right in your own household!’‭ ‭“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.‭ ‭If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.‭ ‭If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.‭ ‭“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.‭ ‭If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs.‭ ‭And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 9 New Living Translation ‭Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town.‭ ‭Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”‭ ‭But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”‭ ‭Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts?‭ ‭Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?‭ ‭So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”‭ ‭And the man jumped up and went home!‭ ‭Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority.‭ ‭As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.‭ ‭Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.‭ ‭But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum? ”‭ ‭When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do.”‭ ‭Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”‭ ‭One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”‭ ‭Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.‭ ‭“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.‭ ‭“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”‭ ‭As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”‭ ‭So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.‭ ‭Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe,‭ ‭for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”‭ ‭Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.‭ ‭When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music.‭ ‭“Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him.‭ ‭After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up!‭ ‭The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.‭ ‭After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”‭ ‭They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you See?”“yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”‭ ‭Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”‭ ‭Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.”‭ ‭But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.‭ ‭When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus.‭ ‭So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.‭ ‭But the Pharisees said, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.”‭ ‭Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.‭ ‭When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.‭ ‭He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.‭ ‭So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 8 New Living Translation ‭Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside.‭ ‭Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”‭ ‭Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.‭ ‭Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”‭ ‭When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,‭ ‭“Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”‭ ‭Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”‭ ‭But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.‭ ‭I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”‭ ‭When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!‭ ‭And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world — from east and west — and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.‭ ‭But many Israelites — those for whom the Kingdom was prepared — will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”‭ ‭Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.‭ ‭When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever.‭ ‭But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him.‭ ‭That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.‭ ‭This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, ‭“He took our sicknesses ‭and removed our diseases.”‭ ‭When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.‭ ‭Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”‭ ‭But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”‭ ‭Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”‭ ‭But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead. ”‭ ‭Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.‭ ‭Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.‭ ‭The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”‭ ‭Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.‭ ‭The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”‭ ‭When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area.‭ ‭They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”‭ ‭There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance.‭ ‭So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”‭ ‭“All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.‭ ‭The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men.‭ ‭Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 7 New Living Translation ‭“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.‭ ‭For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.‭ ‭“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?‭ ‭How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?‭ ‭Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.‭ ‭“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.‭ ‭“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.‭ ‭For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.‭ ‭“You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?‭ ‭Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!‭ ‭So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.‭ ‭“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.‭ ‭“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.‭ ‭But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.‭ ‭“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.‭ ‭You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?‭ ‭A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.‭ ‭A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.‭ ‭So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.‭ ‭Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.‭ ‭“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.‭ ‭On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’‭ ‭But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’‭ ‭“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.‭ ‭Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.‭ ‭But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.‭ ‭When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”‭ ‭When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,‭ ‭for he taught with real authority — quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 6 New Living Translation ‭“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.‭ ‭When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do — blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.‭ ‭But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.‭ ‭Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.‭ ‭“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.‭ ‭But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.‭ ‭“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.‭ ‭Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!‭ ‭Pray like this: ‭Our Father in heaven, ‭may your name be kept holy.‭ ‭May your Kingdom come soon. ‭May your will be done on earth, ‭as it is in heaven.‭ ‭Give us today the food we need,‭ ‭and forgive us our sins, ‭as we have forgiven those who sin against us.‭ ‭And don’t let us yield to temptation, ‭but rescue us from the evil one.‭ ‭“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.‭ ‭But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.‭ ‭“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.‭ ‭But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.‭ ‭Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.‭ ‭“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.‭ ‭Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.‭ ‭Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.‭ ‭“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.‭ ‭But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!‭ ‭“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.‭ ‭“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?‭ ‭Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?‭ ‭Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?‭ ‭“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,‭ ‭yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.‭ ‭And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?‭ ‭“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’‭ ‭These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.‭ ‭Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.‭ ‭“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 5 New Living Translation ‭One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him,‭ ‭and he began to teach them.‭ ‭“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, ‭for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.‭ ‭God blesses those who mourn, ‭for they will be comforted.‭ ‭God blesses those who are humble, ‭for they will inherit the whole earth.‭ ‭God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, ‭for they will be satisfied.‭ ‭God blesses those who are merciful, ‭for they will be shown mercy.‭ ‭God blesses those whose hearts are pure, ‭for they will see God.‭ ‭God blesses those who work for peace, ‭for they will be called the children of God.‭ ‭God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, ‭for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.‭ ‭“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.‭ ‭Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.‭ ‭“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.‭ ‭“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.‭ ‭No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.‭ ‭In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.‭ ‭“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.‭ ‭I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.‭ ‭So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.‭ ‭“But I warn you — unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!‭ ‭“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’‭ ‭But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.‭ ‭“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,‭ ‭leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.‭ ‭“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison.‭ ‭And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.‭ ‭“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’‭ ‭But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.‭ ‭So if your eye — even your good eye — causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.‭ ‭And if your hand — even your stronger hand — causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.‭ ‭“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’‭ ‭But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.‭ ‭“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the LORD.’‭ ‭But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.‭ ‭And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King.‭ ‭Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black.‭ ‭Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.‭ ‭“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’‭ ‭But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.‭ ‭If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.‭ ‭If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.‭ ‭Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.‭ ‭“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.‭ ‭But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!‭ ‭In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.‭ ‭If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.‭ ‭If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.‭ ‭But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 4 New Living Translation ‭Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.‭ ‭For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.‭ ‭During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”‭ ‭But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‭‘People do not live by bread alone, ‭but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”‭ ‭Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,‭ ‭and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‭‘He will order his angels to protect you. ‭And they will hold you up with their hands ‭so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ”‭ ‭Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’ ”‭ ‭Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.‭ ‭“I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”‭ ‭“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‭‘You must worship the LORD your God ‭and serve only him.’ ”‭ ‭Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.‭ ‭When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee.‭ ‭He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.‭ ‭This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:‭ ‭“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, ‭beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, ‭in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,‭ ‭the people who sat in darkness ‭have seen a great light. ‭And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, ‭a light has shined.”‭ ‭From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ”‭ ‭One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers — Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew — throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.‭ ‭Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”‭ ‭And they left their nets at once and followed him.‭ ‭A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.‭ ‭They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.‭ ‭Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.‭ ‭News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed — he healed them all.‭ ‭Large crowds followed him wherever he went — people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 3 New Living Translation ‭In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,‭ ‭“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ”‭ ‭The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, ‭“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‭‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! ‭Clear the road for him!’”‭ ‭John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.‭ ‭People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.‭ ‭And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.‭ ‭But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath?‭ ‭Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.‭ ‭Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.‭ ‭Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.‭ ‭“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.‭ ‭He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”‭ ‭Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.‭ ‭But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”‭ ‭But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires. ” So John agreed to baptize him.‭ ‭After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.‭ ‭And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW - Chapter 2 New Living Translation ‭Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,‭ ‭“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”‭ ‭King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.‭ ‭He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”‭ ‭“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:‭ ‭‘And you, OBethlehem in the land of Judah, ‭are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, ‭for a ruler will come from you ‭who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”‭ ‭Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.‭ ‭Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”‭ ‭After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.‭ ‭When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!‭ ‭They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.‭ ‭When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.‭ ‭After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”‭ ‭That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,‭ ‭and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”‭ ‭Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.‭ ‭Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:‭ ‭“A cry was heard in Ramah — ‭ weeping and great mourning. ‭Rachel weeps for her children, ‭refusing to be comforted, ‭for they are dead.”‭ ‭When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.‭ ‭“Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”‭ ‭So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.‭ ‭But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.‭ ‭So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! MATTHEW- Chapter 1 New Living Translation ‭This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:‭ ‭Abraham was the father of Isaac. ‭Isaac was the father of Jacob. ‭Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.‭ ‭Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). ‭Perez was the father of Hezron. ‭Hezron was the father of Ram.‭ ‭Ram was the father of Amminadab. ‭Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. ‭Nahshon was the father of Salmon.‭ ‭Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). ‭Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). ‭Obed was the father of Jesse.‭ ‭Jesse was the father of King David. ‭David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).‭ ‭Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. ‭Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. ‭Abijah was the father of Asa.‭ ‭Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. ‭Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. ‭Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.‭ ‭Uzziah was the father of Jotham. ‭Jotham was the father of Ahaz. ‭Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.‭ ‭Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. ‭Manasseh was the father of Amon. ‭Amon was the father of Josiah.‭ ‭Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).‭ ‭After the Babylonian exile: ‭Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. ‭Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.‭ ‭Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. ‭Abiud was the father of Eliakim. ‭Eliakim was the father of Azor.‭ ‭Azor was the father of Zadok. ‭Zadok was the father of Akim. ‭Akim was the father of Eliud.‭ ‭Eliud was the father of Eleazar. ‭Eleazar was the father of Matthan. ‭Matthan was the father of Jacob.‭ ‭Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. ‭Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.‭ ‭All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.‭ ‭This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.‭ ‭Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.‭ ‭As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.‭ ‭And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”‭ ‭All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:‭ ‭“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! ‭She will give birth to a son, ‭and they will call him Immanuel, ‭which means ‘God is with us.’”‭ ‭When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.‭ ‭But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! LUKE - Chapter 24 New Living Translation ‭But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.‭ ‭They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.‭ ‭So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.‭ ‭As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.‭ ‭The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?‭ ‭He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee,‭ ‭that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”‭ ‭Then they remembered that he had said this.‭ ‭So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples — and everyone else — what had happened.‭ ‭It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened.‭ ‭But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.‭ ‭However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.‭ ‭That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.‭ ‭As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened.‭ ‭As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.‭ ‭But God kept them from recognizing him.‭ ‭He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk Along?”they stopped short, sadness written across their faces.‭ ‭Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”‭ ‭“What things?” Jesus asked.“ The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people.‭ ‭But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him.‭ ‭We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.‭ ‭“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report.‭ ‭They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive!‭ ‭Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”‭ ‭Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.‭ ‭Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?”‭ ‭Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.‭ ‭By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on,‭ ‭but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them.‭ ‭As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them.‭ ‭Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!‭ ‭They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”‭ ‭And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them,‭ ‭who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter. ”‭ ‭Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.‭ ‭And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.‭ ‭But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!‭ ‭“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?‭ ‭Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”‭ ‭As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.‭ ‭Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”‭ ‭They gave him a piece of broiled fish,‭ ‭and he ate it as they watched.‭ ‭Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.”‭ ‭Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.‭ ‭And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.‭ ‭It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’‭ ‭You are witnesses of all these things.‭ ‭“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”‭ ‭Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them.‭ ‭While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven.‭ ‭So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.‭ ‭And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! LUKE - Chapter 23 New Living Translation ‭Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor.‭ ‭They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”‭ ‭So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”jesus replied, “You have said it.”‭ ‭Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”‭ ‭Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes — all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”‭ ‭“Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked.‭ ‭When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.‭ ‭Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle.‭ ‭He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer.‭ ‭Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations.‭ ‭Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.‭ ‭(Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)‭ ‭Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people,‭ ‭and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.‭ ‭Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.‭ ‭So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”‭ ‭ ‭Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!”‭ ‭(Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.)‭ ‭Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus.‭ ‭But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”‭ ‭For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”‭ ‭But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed.‭ ‭So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.‭ ‭As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.‭ ‭As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.‭ ‭A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women.‭ ‭But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.‭ ‭For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’‭ ‭People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’‭ ‭For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? ”‭ ‭Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him.‭ ‭When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified — one on his right and one on his left.‭ ‭Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.‭ ‭The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”‭ ‭The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.‭ ‭They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”‭ ‭A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”‭ ‭One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself — and us, too, while you’re at it!”‭ ‭But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?‭ ‭We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”‭ ‭Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”‭ ‭And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”‭ ‭By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.‭ ‭The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.‭ ‭Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.‭ ‭When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent. ”‭ ‭And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.‭ ‭But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.‭ ‭Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council,‭ ‭but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.‭ ‭He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.‭ ‭Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock.‭ ‭This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.‭ ‭As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed.‭ ‭Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! LUKE - Chapter 22 New Living Translation The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching.‭ ‭The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.‭ ‭Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples,‭ ‭and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them.‭ ‭They were delighted, and they promised to give him money.‭ ‭So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.‭ ‭Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed.‭ ‭Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”‭ ‭“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.‭ ‭He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters,‭ ‭say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’‭ ‭He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.”‭ ‭They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.‭ ‭When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.‭ ‭Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.‭ ‭For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”‭ ‭Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.‭ ‭For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”‭ ‭He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”‭ ‭After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people — an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.‭ ‭“But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me.‭ ‭For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.”‭ ‭The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.‭ ‭Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.‭ ‭Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’‭ ‭But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.‭ ‭Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.‭ ‭“You have stayed with me in my time of trial.‭ ‭And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right‭ ‭to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.‭ ‭“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.‭ ‭But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”‭ ‭Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”‭ ‭But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”‭ ‭Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need Anything?”“no,” they replied.‭ ‭“But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one!‭ ‭For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”‭ ‭“Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.”“ That’s enough,” he said.‭ ‭Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives.‭ ‭There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”‭ ‭He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,‭ ‭“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”‭ ‭Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.‭ ‭He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.‭ ‭At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.‭ ‭“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”‭ ‭But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss.‭ ‭But Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”‭ ‭When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!”‭ ‭And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear.‭ ‭But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.‭ ‭Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. “Am I some dangerous revolutionary,” he asked, “that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?‭ ‭Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.”‭ ‭So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. ‭And Peter followed at a distance.‭ ‭The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there.‭ ‭A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”‭ ‭But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”‭ ‭After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of Them!”“no, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.‭ ‭About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”‭ ‭But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.‭ ‭At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”‭ ‭And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.‭ ‭The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him.‭ ‭They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?”‭ ‭And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.‭ ‭At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council,‭ ‭and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?”but he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me.‭ ‭And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer.‭ ‭But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand. ”‭ ‭They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?”and he replied, “You say that I am.”‭ ‭“Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard him say it.”

Hello, and welcome to "DAILY BIBLE INSPIRATION" Enjoy reading God's word with spoken word and text. Red Letter Edition. God is in control, always and forever. AMEN! LUKE - Chapter 21 New Living Translation ‭While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box.‭ ‭Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.‭ ‭“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them.‭ ‭For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”‭ ‭Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said,‭ ‭“The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”‭ ‭“Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”‭ ‭He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them.‭ ‭And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.”‭ ‭Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.‭ ‭There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.‭ ‭“But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.‭ ‭But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.‭ ‭So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you,‭ ‭for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!‭ ‭Even those closest to you — your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends — will betray you. They will even kill some of you.‭ ‭And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.‭ ‭But not a hair of your head will perish!‭ ‭By standing firm, you will win your souls.‭ ‭“And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.‭ ‭Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city.‭ ‭For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.‭ ‭How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people.‭ ‭They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end.‭ ‭“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.‭ ‭People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.‭ ‭Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.‭ ‭So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”‭ ‭Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree.‭ ‭When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near.‭ ‭In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near.‭ ‭I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place.‭ ‭Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.‭ ‭“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,‭ ‭like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.‭ ‭Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”‭ ‭Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.‭ ‭The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear him.