When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the astrologer/sages, he was furious and sent out [his soldiers] to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity. This was done to those from two years old and under, basing [their decision] on the exact time determined from the astrologer/sages.

"Get up, take the young child and His mother, and go [back] to the country of Israel, for those who had tried to take the young child's life are [now] dead."

In those days, John the Immerser went into the desert of Judea preaching [to Jews], saying,

The news [of what Jesus was doing] spread all over [the country of] Syria and they brought to Him all those who were sick, stricken with various diseases and pains, dominated by evil spirits, and afflicted with seizures and paralysis, and He healed them [all].

"Those persons who feel a deep sense of their personal need are blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

"Those persons who feel grief [over their sins] are blessed because they will receive comfort [from God when they repent].

"Those persons who have a humble attitude [toward themselves] are blessed because they will inherit [the best of] the earth.

"Those persons who have an appetite for whatever is right will be blessed because they will be satisfied.

"Those persons who show mercy [toward others] will be blessed because they will be shown mercy [themselves].

"Those persons whose hearts are pure [before God] will be blessed because they will see God.

"Those persons who attempt to make peace [between people] will be blessed because they will be called God's children.

"Those persons who have suffered for trying to do what is right will be blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

in order to be [true] children of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on evil [as well] as on good people. He [also] sends rain on those who live right [as well] as on those who do not live right.

For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward will you get for that? Do not even the publicans [Note: These were people with a bad reputation for their dishonest tax collecting activities] do that much?

"Do not offer sacred things to dogs, and do not throw your pearls in front of [wild] pigs [i.e., to those who will not appreciate them], because they will probably trample on them with their feet and then turn around and attack you.

If then you know how to give good gifts to your children, even though you are sinful [human beings], how much more [likely] is it that your Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask Him?

And when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following [along], "It is true when I tell to you, I have never found [anyone with] such great faith, not [even] among the Israelites.

When evening came they brought many persons who were dominated by evil spirits to Jesus and He drove out the spirits with [just] a word and healed all those who were sick.

Heal sick people, raise people from the dead, restore health to those with infectious skin diseases, and drive out evil spirits. You have received [blessings] freely, [now] give them out freely.

And if the people seem trustworthy, express your wish for blessings to rest upon them. But if they prove to be untrustworthy, may those blessings remain on you [instead].

And do not be afraid of those who can kill your body but not your soul. Instead, fear Him [i.e., God] who is able to destroy both your soul and body in hell. [See note on 5:29].

It is true when I tell you, among [all] those born of women, no one greater than John the Immerser has come along. Yet the least significant person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

About that time Jesus said [in prayer], "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things [i.e., the significance of Jesus' words and works] from those who [thought they] were wise and intelligent and have [instead] revealed them to people who are child-like.

He entered the house of God [i.e., the Temple] and ate the 'Bread of Presence', which was not permissible, according to the law of Moses, for him or those with him to do, since it was reserved only for the priests.

The Son of man will send out His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all those people who cause others to fall away [from God] and those who [continue to] sin.

Those eating numbered about five thousand men, in addition to the women and children.

They begged Him that they might only touch the edge of His robe. And all those who got to touch it were made well.

It is true when I tell you, some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom."

For the Son of man came to save those who were lost.]}]}

So, [upon becoming husband and wife] they no longer function [entirely] as two persons, but [as] one body. Therefore, those whom God [so] joins together [in the marriage bond], no person must [ever] separate."

But He replied, "Not all men can accept such an arrangement [i.e., not marrying], but it is [only] for those who have the capacity for accepting it.

But many will be last [i.e., in importance and blessings] who [seem to] be first, and those [who seem to be] first will [end up] being last."

So, when those hired about five o'clock in the afternoon came in, each one received the usual pay for one full day's work. [See note on verse 2].

Then when those who were hired first came [to get paid], they expected to receive more money [than those hired later], but each one received the usual pay for one full day's work also.

He said to them, "Indeed you will drink my cup [of suffering]. But it is not my prerogative to appoint who sits at my right side and at my left, but rather these places are for those to whom it has been assigned by my Father."

Then Jesus entered the Temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold things there. He upset the tables of the cashiers [i.e., those who exchanged foreign coins] and the benches of those who sold pigeons [for sacrifices].

When the owner of the vineyard returns, what [do you think] he will do to those tenant farmers?

They answered him, "He will bring terrible destruction on those evil men and will lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will deliver the crops to him each harvest time."

He sent his servants out to call those who had been invited to the wedding reception, but they refused to come.

Again he sent out other servants saying, 'Tell those who were invited, look, I have already prepared the dinner; my cattle and [other] well-fattened animals have been butchered and everything is ready. [Now] come to the wedding reception dinner.'

Then he told his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited to it [proved they] were not worthy [to attend].

So, his servants went out to the highways and gathered in all those who could be found, both bad and good, so that the wedding [reception] was full of guests.

For many people are called [by God] but [only those] few [who respond] are chosen [by Him]."

I am Abraham's God, and Isaac's God and Jacob's God.' [So], He is not God to those who are [physically] dead, but [He is] God to those who are [still] alive."

"But it is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! [It is] because you withhold the kingdom of heaven from people, for you do not enter it yourselves, nor [do you] allow those who are trying to enter it to get in. {[{[Verse

[But by saying this] you are witnesses [against] yourselves, that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets [i.e., indicating your approval of their actions].

[This will be done] so that on you may fall the guilt for shedding on the ground the blood of all those innocent people, from the blood of righteous Abel to that of Barachiah's son Zachariah, whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the Altar [i.e., in the Temple area].

"O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [you people] who murdered the prophets and stoned those who were sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather you people together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

then those [of you] in Judea are to run away into the [nearby] mountains.

It will be too bad for those who are pregnant and who are nursing babies in those days.

And if those days had not been as short as they were no one would have been saved [i.e., from the devastating destruction]. But for the sake of the elect [i.e., God's people], those days will be short.

"But immediately after the terrible trouble of those days, [i.e., the next major event on God's calendar], the sun will become dark, and [therefore] the moon will not [be able to] shed its [reflected] light. The stars will fall from the sky and the forces of the heavens will be shaken [Note: From the description of these same events in Luke 21:25-26, it is possible that this is figurative language for great calamities happening on the earth].

For in those days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking [i.e., partaking of ordinary meals], men were getting married and women were being given away in marriage [right up] until the day Noah entered the ship.

And while they were away [trying] to buy olive oil, the [bride and] groom arrived, and those who were ready [to welcome them] entered the [house where the] wedding reception [was being held] and the door was shut.

Then the King will say to those at His right side, 'You who are blessed by my Father, come and receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you since the creation of the world,

Then those who had done what was right [i.e., the ones at His right side] replied, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you? Or thirsty, and give you [something] to drink?

Then He [i.e., the King] will say to those at His left side, 'Go away from me, you who are cursed [by God], into the never ending fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.

And these [i.e., the ones at His left side] will go away to never ending punishment, but those who did what was right will go to never ending life."

Just then, one of those who were with Jesus [i.e., Peter. See John 18:10], reached out with his sword and struck the head priest's servant [with it], shearing off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back in your belt again, for all those who use the sword will die by the sword.

And those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas, the head priest, where the experts in the law of Moses and the [Jewish] elders were gathered.

And when he had gone out by the gate, another servant-girl saw him and said to those nearby, "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth."

And a little later, those standing nearby came to Peter and said, "[We know] for sure, you also are one of them [i.e., Jesus' disciples], because your accent gives you away."

And those who passed by [the cross] shouted abuse at Him and shook their heads [in derision],

And when some of those standing there heard this, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah."

Now when the military man in charge, and those with him who were watching Jesus, saw [and felt] the earthquake and the [other] things that happened, they became extremely fearful, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God."

John [the Immerser] came immersing people in the desert and proclaiming that those immersed on the basis of their repentance would receive the forgiveness of sins [from God].

When evening came and the sun had set, they brought to Jesus all those who were sick and those dominated by evil spirits.

and He healed many of those who were sick with various diseases and drove out many evil spirits. But He did not permit the evil spirits to tell people [who He was], because they knew who He was [i.e., the Christ].

And Simon and those who were with him [i.e., probably Andrew, James and John. See verse 29] followed Him.

When Jesus heard [about] this, He said to them, "People who are healthy do not need a doctor, but [only] sick people do. I did not come to call those who do right, but sinners [instead]."

Or how he entered the house of God [i.e., the Temple] when Abiathar was head priest, and ate the 'Bread of Presence' which was not permissible, according to the law of Moses, for anyone but priests? He even gave [some of it] to those who were with him."

He then went up into the mountain and summoned those He wanted to come to Him and they came.

Then He looked out over those gathered around Him and said, "Look, [here is] my mother and my brothers

And when He was alone those people who gathered around Him, along with the twelve apostles, asked Him what the parables meant.

And in the same way, some [of the seed] that was sown on rocky soil represented those who heard 'the word' and immediately accepted it gladly,

And other seeds represent those who are sown among thorns. These are people who heard 'the word,'

Then there were those who were sown on fertile soil. These represent people who heard 'the word,' accepted it and yielded a crop of thirty, sixty and even a hundred times [as much as was planted]."

The evil spirits begged Him, saying, "Send us into those [wild] hogs, so we can enter their bodies."

Those who had been feeding them ran and told what all occurred in the town and around the countryside and [so] people came to find out what had happened.

Those who saw this told the people what had happened to the man dominated by the evil spirits and about the [wild] hogs.

They laughed at Him scornfully. But after having all the people wait outside He took the child's father and mother, along with those who came with Him [i.e., Peter, James and John] and went in to where the [dead] child lay.

And wherever He entered towns, cities or the countryside, they placed sick people at the open shopping markets and begged Him to allow them to touch even the edge of His robe. And all those who touched Him were made well.

In those days, when a large crowd again assembled [i.e., to listen to Jesus' teaching] and did not have anything to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them,

For in hell the worm of those who are there will never die [i.e., their gnawing punishment will never cease] and the fire [there] will never go out.

Therefore, those whom God so joins together [in the marriage bond], no person must ever separate."

But many that [appear to] be first [i.e., in importance and blessings] will [end up] being last. And [those appearing to] be last will [end up] being first."

But it is not my prerogative to appoint who sits at my right side and at my left, but [those places] are for people to whom it has been assigned [by the Father]."

Jesus called them [i.e., probably all twelve apostles] to Him and said, "You are aware that those who are regarded as rulers among the [unconverted] Gentiles lord it over their own people, and their important men domineer over them [as well].

Then they entered Jerusalem and Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold [animals for sacrifice]. He upset the tables of the cashiers [i.e., those who exchanged foreign coins] and the benches of those who sold pigeons [for sacrifices].

What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do [when he gets back]?" Jesus asked. [Then He continued], "He will come and kill those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to other people.

But concerning those who are raised from the dead, have you never read in the book of Moses, in the incident about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying [Ex. 3:6], 'I am Abraham's God, and Isaac's God, and Jacob's God?'

[So], He is not God to those who are dead, but [He is] God to those who are alive. You are seriously mistaken."

"But when you see that disgusting thing that causes total destruction [i.e., the Roman army. See Luke 21:20] standing where it ought not to be [i.e., surrounding the besieged city of Jerusalem], (let the reader understand [what is meant by this]), then those of you in Judea are to run away into the [nearby] mountains.

[It will be] too bad for those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days.

There will be great trouble during those days, such as had never been from the beginning of God's creation until the present, or even will be [in the days to come].

And if the Lord had not kept those days as short as they were, no one would have been saved [i.e., from the devastating destruction]. But for the sake of the elect [i.e., God's people], whom He chose, He kept those days short.

"But after those days of terrible trouble [i.e., the next major event on God's calendar will be], the sun will become dark, and [therefore] the moon will not [be able to] shed its [reflected] light,

When the servant girl saw him [there], she again began saying to those nearby, "This man is one of them [i.e., a disciple of Jesus]."