One Year Bible.

Rescue Me from Evil Men

¹For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men.

Protect me from men of violence,

²who devise evil in their hearts

and stir up war all day long.

³They sharpen their tongues like snakes;

the venom of vipers is on their lips.

Selah

⁴Guard me, O LORD,

from the hands of the wicked.

Keep me safe from men of violence

who scheme to make me stumble.

⁵The proud hide a snare for me;

the cords of their net are spread along the path,

and lures are set out for me.

Selah

⁶I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”

Hear, O LORD, my cry for help.

⁷O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,

You shield my head in the day of battle.

⁸Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;

do not promote their evil plans,

lest they be exalted.

Selah

⁹May the heads of those who surround me

be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.

¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;

may they be thrown into the fire,

into the miry pits, never to rise again.

¹¹May no slanderer be established in the land;

may calamity hunt down the man of violence.

¹²I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor

and defends the cause of the needy.

¹³Surely the righteous will praise Your name;

the upright will dwell in Your presence.

The Parable of the Sower

¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. ²Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.

³And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

⁵Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.

⁸Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop — a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.

⁹He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

¹⁰Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

¹¹He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:

‘Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’

¹⁴In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

¹⁵For this people’s heart has grown callous;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts,

and turn, and I would heal them.’

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸Consider, then, the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

²⁰The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

²²The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

²³But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop — a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. ²⁶When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

²⁷The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

²⁸‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

²⁹‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. ³²Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven

³³He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

³⁴Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable. ³⁵So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

⁴⁰As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. ⁴²And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

⁴⁴The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

⁴⁵Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.

⁴⁹So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹Have you understood all these things?”

“Yes,” they answered.

⁵²Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

The Rejection at Nazareth

⁵³When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place. ⁵⁴Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷And they took offense at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” ⁵⁸And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.

Temple Destruction and Other Signs

¹As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!”

²“Do you see all these great buildings?” Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

³While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?”

⁵Jesus began by telling them, “See to it that no one deceives you. ⁶Many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. ⁷When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁸Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Witnessing to All Nations

⁹So be on your guard. You will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. ¹⁰And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. ¹¹But when they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what to say. Instead, speak whatever you are given at that time, for it will not be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹²Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. ¹³You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation

¹⁴So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house. ¹⁶And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

¹⁷How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! ¹⁸Pray that this will not occur in the winter. ¹⁹For those will be days of tribulation unseen from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again. ²⁰If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.

²¹At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. ²²For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. ²³So be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.

The Return of the Son of Man

²⁴But in those days, after that tribulation:

‘The sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

²⁵the stars will fall from the sky,

and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

²⁶At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷And He will send out the angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

²⁸Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things happening, know that He is near, right at the door. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Readiness at Any Hour

³²No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.

³⁴It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. ³⁵Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return — whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. ³⁶Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping. ³⁷And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

¹Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill Him. ²“But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

³While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head.

⁴Some of those present, however, expressed their indignation to one another: “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

⁶But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. ⁷The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me. ⁸She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial. ⁹And truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. ¹¹They were delighted to hear this, and they promised to give him money.

So Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Preparing the Passover

¹²On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

¹³So He sent two of His disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him, ¹⁴and whichever house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ ¹⁵And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

¹⁶So the disciples left and went into the city, where they found everything as Jesus had described. And they prepared the Passover.

The Last Supper

¹⁷When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸And while they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you who is eating with Me will betray Me.”

¹⁹They began to be grieved and to ask Him one after another, “Surely not I?”

²⁰He answered, “It is one of the Twelve — the one who is dipping his hand into the bowl with Me. ²¹The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.”

²³Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. ²⁵Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

²⁷Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.’

²⁸But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

²⁹Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I never will.”

³⁰“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

³¹But Peter kept insisting, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the others said the same thing.

Jesus Prays at Gethsemane

³²Then they came to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus told His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

³³He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed. ³⁴Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”

³⁵Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour would pass from Him. ³⁶“Abba, Father,” He said, “all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

³⁷Then Jesus returned and found them sleeping. “Simon, are you asleep?” He asked. “Were you not able to keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

³⁹Again He went away and prayed, saying the same thing. ⁴⁰And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And they did not know what to answer Him.

⁴¹When Jesus returned the third time, He said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? That is enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise, let us go. See, My betrayer is approaching!”

The Betrayal of Jesus

⁴³While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, scribes, and elders.

⁴⁴Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him and lead Him away securely.” ⁴⁵Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁴⁶Then the men seized Jesus and arrested Him. ⁴⁷And one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁴⁸Jesus asked the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? ⁴⁹Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. But this has happened that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.”

⁵⁰Then everyone deserted Him and fled. ⁵¹One young man who had been following Jesus was wearing a linen cloth around his body. They caught hold of him, ⁵²but he pulled free of the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Jesus before the Sanhedrin

⁵³They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders, and scribes assembled. ⁵⁴Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the officers and warmed himself by the fire.

⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they did not find any. ⁵⁶For many bore false witness against Jesus, but their testimony was inconsistent.

⁵⁷Then some men stood up and testified falsely against Him: ⁵⁸“We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple, and in three days I will build another that is made without hands.’” ⁵⁹But even their testimony was inconsistent.

⁶⁰So the high priest stood up before them and questioned Jesus, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?”

⁶¹But Jesus remained silent and made no reply.

Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶²“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “Why do we need any more witnesses? ⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy. What is your verdict?”

And they all condemned Him as deserving of death.

⁶⁵Then some of them began to spit on Him. They blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in His face.

Peter Denies Jesus

⁶⁶While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came down ⁶⁷and saw him warming himself there. She looked at Peter and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.”

⁶⁸But he denied it. “I do not know or even understand what you are talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, and the rooster crowed.

⁶⁹There the servant girl saw him and again said to those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.”

⁷⁰But he denied it again.

After a little while, those standing nearby said once more to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you too are a Galilean.”

⁷¹But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak!” ⁷²And immediately the rooster crowed a second time.

Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.