One Year Bible.

The Song of the Slandered

¹For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

O God of my praise,

be not silent.

²For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;

they speak against me with lying tongues.

³They surround me with hateful words

and attack me without cause.

⁴In return for my love they accuse me,

but I am a man of prayer.

⁵They repay me evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

⁶Set over him a wicked man;

let an accuser stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty,

and may his prayer be regarded as sin.

⁸May his days be few;

may another take his position.

⁹May his children be fatherless

and his wife a widow.

¹⁰May his children wander as beggars,

seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.

¹¹May the creditor seize all he owns,

and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

¹²May there be no one to extend kindness to him,

and no one to favor his fatherless children.

¹³May his descendants be cut off;

may their name be blotted out from the next generation.

¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,

and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

¹⁵May their sins always remain before the LORD,

that He may cut off their memory from the earth.

¹⁶For he never thought to show kindness,

but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted,

even to their death.

¹⁷The cursing that he loved,

may it fall on him;

the blessing in which he refused to delight,

may it be far from him.

¹⁸The cursing that he wore like a coat,

may it soak into his body like water,

and into his bones like oil.

¹⁹May it be like a robe wrapped about him,

like a belt tied forever around him.

²⁰May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers,

to those who speak evil against me.

²¹But You, O GOD, the Lord,

deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name;

deliver me by the goodness of Your loving devotion.

²²For I am poor and needy;

my heart is wounded within me.

²³I am fading away like a lengthening shadow;

I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak from fasting,

and my body grows lean and gaunt.

²⁵I am an object of scorn to my accusers;

when they see me, they shake their heads.

²⁶Help me, O LORD my God;

save me according to Your loving devotion.

²⁷Let them know that this is Your hand,

that You, O LORD, have done it.

²⁸Though they curse, You will bless.

When they rise up, they will be put to shame,

but Your servant will rejoice.

²⁹May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;

may they wear their shame like a robe.

³⁰With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely;

I will praise Him in the presence of many.

³¹For He stands at the right hand of the needy one,

to save him from the condemners of his soul.

John’s Inquiry

¹After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

²Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciples ³to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

⁴Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

Jesus Testifies about John

⁷As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? ⁸Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces. ⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,

who will prepare Your way before You.’

¹¹Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it. ¹³For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

¹⁵He who has ears, let him hear.

¹⁶To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁷‘We played the flute for you,

and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge,

and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”

Woe to the Unrepentant

²⁰Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²²But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

²³And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Rest for the Weary

²⁵At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

²⁷All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

²⁸Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The Transfiguration

¹Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”

²After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. ³His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them. ⁴And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus.

⁵Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters— one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.

⁷Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” ⁸Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them except Jesus.

⁹As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰So they kept this matter to themselves, discussing what it meant to rise from the dead. ¹¹And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

¹²He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected? ¹³But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.”

The Boy with an Evil Spirit

¹⁴When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with awe and ran to greet Him.

¹⁶“What are you disputing with them?” He asked.

¹⁷Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute. ¹⁸Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”

¹⁹“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”

²⁰So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

²¹Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?”

“From childhood,” he said. ²²“It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

²³“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”

²⁴Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

²⁵When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

²⁶After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.” ²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸After Jesus had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer.”

The Second Prediction of the Passion

³⁰Going on from there, they passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, ³¹because He was teaching His disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.” ³²But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

³³Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”

³⁶Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”

³⁸John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

³⁹“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰For whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.

Temptations and Trespasses

⁴²But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

⁴³If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’

Good Salt

⁴⁹For everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Teachings about Divorce

¹Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom.

²Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired.

³“What did Moses command you?” He replied.

⁴They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

⁵But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. ⁶However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

¹⁰When they were back inside the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter. ¹¹So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. ¹²And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses the Children

¹³Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁷As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

²⁰“Teacher,” he replied, “all these I have kept from my youth.”

²¹Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

²²But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴And the disciples were amazed at His words.

But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

²⁸Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”

²⁹“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel ³⁰will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

The Third Prediction of the Passion

³²As they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him: ³³“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴who will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise again.”

The Request of James and John

³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶“What do you want Me to do for you?” He inquired.

³⁷They answered, “Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.”

³⁸“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?”

³⁹“We can,” the brothers answered.

“You will drink the cup that I drink,” Jesus said, “and you will be baptized with the baptism that I undergo. ⁴⁰But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

⁴¹When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴²So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. ⁴³But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Bartimaeus

⁴⁶Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man. “Take courage!” they said. “Get up! He is calling for you.”

⁵⁰Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus.

⁵¹“What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“Rabboni,” said the blind man, “let me see again.”

⁵²“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.