And seeing them approach, Yohanan the Immerser said to the crowds, “You wicked spawn of adders! Who told you that immersing yourselves would help you escape the divine anger that’s overtaking you? Was it I? If you believed me when I told you about the danger, then why don’t you believe me when I tell you about the solution? Act in a way that will bring your repentance to fruition!

“Don’t fool yourselves saying, ‘Our father is Abraham: he will deliver us.’ I assure you that from these stones God is able to raise up sons and daughters for Abraham. Already the mattock for chopping out the roots has been appointed! Every ‘tree’ that does not bear the ‘fruit’ of repentance is uprooted and burned.”

The people in the crowd asked Yohanan, “What should we do to bring our repentance to fruition?”

“Whoever owns two sets of clothing should share with those who have nothing to wear,” he replied. “And whoever has food to eat should share with those who are going hungry.”

Some toll collectors also came to Yohanan to be purified, and they asked, “Teacher, what should we do to bring our repentance to fruition?”

“Don’t take more toll money from anyone than what the authorities have assigned to you,” he replied.

Some soldiers asked Yohanan, “What should we do to bring our repentance to fruition?”

“Don’t extort or oppress anyone,” he replied. “Rather, be satisfied with your keep.”

The people in the crowds were thinking, “Yohanan the Immerser must be the messianic priest!”

But Yohanan replied, “Whereas I immerse you in water, someone is coming for whom I’m unworthy even to undo his sandal straps. When he comes he will immerse you in wind and fire. Already this someone has his winnowing shovel in his hand, and he intends to purify his threshing floor. The wheat he will store in his storeroom, but the stubble that remains on the threshing floor he will burn in the flames of the altar.”

Yohanan the Immerser announced, “The Torah does not allow Herodes to marry Herodyah, his brother’s ex-wife.” So Herodes sent his men to capture Yohanan, and they locked him up in prison. But Herodyah nursed a grudge against Yohanan, and she searched for an opportunity to kill him. Yet she was unable to carry out her wish because Herodes was afraid of Yohanan and kept him under guard.

On his birthday Herodes held a banquet for his administrative officials, military chiefs and the preeminent members of Galilean society. Herodyah’s daughter danced for them, which delighted the king and the guests. So the king declared, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will give it to you.” And he swore to her, “Anything you ask of me is yours, even if it costs me half my kingdom.”

So the girl went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

And Herodyah said, “Ask for Yohanan the Immerser’s head.”

So the girl quickly returned to the king and made her request, saying, “Give me on a tray the head of Yohanan the Immerser.”

The king regretted his rash behavior, but because of the oaths he had made and the guests who were watching him he did not dare refuse her. So the king sent an executioner and ordered him to bring back Yohanan the Immerser’s head.

The executioner went, cut off the Immerser’s head in the prison, and brought it back on a tray and gave it to the girl, who brought it to her mother.

When Yohanan the Immerser’s disciples heard what had happened, they went to the prison and took his body and buried him.

Having been filled with the Holy Spirit, Yeshua turned from the Yarden, and in the Spirit he walked in the desert for forty days. He was tempted by Satan, and he did not eat anything in all that time. When those days were over he was famished.

Then Satan approached Yeshua and said, “If you really are God’s son, command this hunk of rock to become bread.” But Yeshua replied, “It is written, People do not live on bread alone [Deut. 8:3].”

So Satan took Yeshua up a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth and all their glory. Then Satan said to Yeshua, “All of them I will give you if you will worship me.” But Yeshua replied, “It is written, Fear the LORD your God, and worship him alone [Deut. 6:13; 10:20].”

So Satan led Yeshua into Yerushalayim, set him on a wing of the Temple, and said to him, “If you really are God’s son, throw yourself down from this spot, since it is written, For he will command his angels concerning you so that they will lift you up in their arms, lest you strike your foot against a stone [Ps. 91:11, 12].” But Yeshua replied, “Scripture says, You must not test the LORD your God [Deut. 6:16].”

When Satan had concluded every temptation he left Yeshua alone [but angels came to Yeshua and served him].

וְלָמָה אַתֶּם קֹרְאִים לִי אֲדוֹנִי אֲדוֹנִי וְאֵינְכֶם עֹשִׂים מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי אֹמֵר כָּל הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ אֶת דְּבָרַי וְעֹשֶׂה אֹתָם לְמַה הוּא דּוֹמֶה לְאָדָם שֶׁבָּנָה בַּיִת עַל הַסֶּלַע וְיָרְדוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים וְהָלְכוּ הַנְּחָלִים וְנָשְׁבוּ הָרוּחוֹת בְּאוֹתוֹ הַבַּיִת וְלֹא נָפַל שֶׁהָיָה בָּנוּי עַל הַסֶּלַע וְכָל הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ אֶת דְּבָרַי וְאֵינוֹ עֹשֶׂה אֹתָם לְמַה הוּא דּוֹמֶה לְאָדָם שֶׁבָּנָה בַּיִת עַל הַחוֹל וְיָרְדוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים וְהָלְכוּ הַנְּחָלִים וְנָשְׁבוּ הָרוּחוֹת בְּאוֹתוֹ הַבַּיִת וְנָפַל וְהָיְתָה נְפִילָתוֹ גְדוֹלָה

וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַתִּשָּׂא אִשָּׁה מִן הָאֻכְלוּס אֶת קוֹלָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַשְׁרֵי הַבֶּטֶן הַנֹּשַׂאֲךָ וְהַשָּׁדַיִם שֶׁיָּנַקְתָּ וְהוּא אָמַר לָאו אֶלָּא אַשְׁרֵי הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת דְּבַר אֱלֹהִים וּמְשַׁמְּרִים

וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אֶת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם וַיִּכָּנֵס לִכְפַר נַחוּם

Sometime later, Yeshua went to the town of Nain, accompanied by a large crowd of people. As he approached the town’s entrance, he met a funeral procession. The deceased was the only son of a widow, and the residents of the town were with her. When the Lord saw her his heart went out to her.

“Don’t cry,” he said. Then he went up and touched the bier, and the men who were carrying it halted. “Young man,” he said, “I command you: Come back to life!” The dead boy sat up and began to speak, and Yeshua presented him to his mother.

The crowd was awestruck, and they began to praise God: “God has sent us the prophet we’ve been waiting for!” The crowd was awestruck, and they began to praise God: “God has sent us the prophet we’ve been waiting for!”

News of this miracle spread throughout Judea, and even beyond.

מִשֶּׁיָּקוּם בַּעַל הַבַּיִת וְיִנְעוֹל אֶת הַדֶּלֶת תַּתְחִילוּ לַעֲמוֹד בַּחוּץ וְלִדְפּוֹק עַל הַדֶּלֶת לוֹמַר אֲדוֹנֵנוּ פְּתַח לָנוּ וְיַעֲנֶה וְיֹאמַר לָכֶם לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִנַּיִין אַתֶּם וְתַתְחִילוּ לוֹמַר אָכַלְנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ וְשָׁתִינוּ וּבִרְחֹבֹתֵינוּ לִמַּדְתָּנוּ וְיֹאמַר לָכֶם לוֹמַר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי מִנַּיִין אַתֶּם סוּרוּ מִמֶּנִּי כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן

אָמֵן אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לָכֶם מְרוּבִּים יָבֹאוּ מִמִּזְרָח וּמִמַּעֲרָב מִצָּפוֹן וּמִיָּם וְיָסֵבּוּ עִם אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב בְּמַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ מֻשְׁלָכִים לַחֹשֶׁךְ בַּחוּץ שָׁם תִּהְיֶה בְּכִיָּה וְחֵירוּק הַשִּׁנַּיִם

וְהֲרֵי יֵשׁ אַחֲרוֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רִאשׁוֹנִים וְיֵשׁ רִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ אַחֲרוֹנִים

“They all became drowsy and fell asleep. About midnight there was a shout: ‘Behold the groom! Go out to meet him!’ And all the maidens woke up and trimmed the torches. And the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil!’

“And the sensible ones answered, saying, ‘There might not be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to the sellers and buy some.’ And they went.

“And the groom came, and the sensible maidens entered with him [into the place of the wedding celebration]. And the door was shut.

“And the foolish maidens came [and began to stand outside and to knock on the door], saying, ‘Our lord! Open to us!’

“And he answered and said, ‘I do not know you!’”

‏[וַיִּמְשׁוֹל לָהֶם מָשָׁל לֵאמֹר לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה]‏ לְעֶשֶׂר בְּתוּלוֹת שֶׁנָּטְלוּ לַפִּידִים וְיָצְאוּ לִקְרַאת הֶחָתָן חָמֵשׁ מֵהֶן הָיוּ טִפְּשׁוֹת וְחָמֵשׁ מֵהֶן הָיוּ פִּקְחוֹת הַטִּפְּשׁוֹת לֹא נָטְלוּ שֶׁמֶן וְהַפִּקְחוֹת נָטְלוּ שֶׁמֶן בַּפַּכִּים וְנִתְנַמְנְמוּ כּוּלָן וְיָשְׁנוּ כַּחֲצֹת הַלַּיְלָה וְהָיְתָה צְעָקָה הֲרֵי הֶחָתָן צְאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ וְנִתְעוֹרְרוּ כָּל אוֹתָן הַבְּתוּלוֹת וְהֵטִיבוּ אֶת הַלַּפִּידִים וְאָמְרוּ הַטִּפְּשׁוֹת לַפִּקְחוֹת תְּנוּ לָנוּ מִשַּׁמְנְכֶן וְעָנוּ הַפִּקְחוֹת לוֹמַר שֶׁמָּא לֹא יִהְיֶה מַסְפִּיק לָנוּ וְלָכֶן אֲבָל לְכוּ לַמּוֹכְרִים וּקְחוּ וְהָלְכוּ וּבָא הֶחָתָן וְהַבְּתוּלוֹת הַפִּקְחוֹת נִכְנְסוּ עִמּוֹ [לְבֵית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה] וְנִנְעֶלֶת הַדֶּלֶת וּבָאוּ הַבְּתוּלוֹת הַטִּפְּשׁוֹת [וְהִתְחִילוּ לַעֲמוֹד בַּחוּץ וְלִדְפּוֹק עַל הַדֶּלֶת] לוֹמַר אֲדוֹנֵנוּ פְּתַח לָנוּ וְעָנָה וְאָמַר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶתְכֶן

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם בַּקְּשׁוּ לִיכָּנֵס לַשַּׁעַר הַצַּר שֶׁרָחָב שַׁעַר הָאֲבַדּוֹן וּמְרוּבִּים הַנִּכְנָסִים לוֹ מַה צַּר שַׁעַר הַחַיִּים וּמְמוּעָטִים הַנִּכְנָסִים לוֹ

Then Yeshua told them this parable: “What comparison can I make to illustrate the worth of belonging to my band of disciples? It’s like a man who stumbled upon buried treasure in a field. What did he do? He reburied it, and in his excitement he sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field and obtain the treasure.”

He said once more, “What other comparison can I make to illustrate the worth of belonging to my band of disciples? It’s like a merchant who spent his life buying and selling rare pearls. What did he do when he chanced upon a priceless pearl? He went and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy it.”

וְעוֹד אָמַר לְמַה אֲדַמֶּה מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם לְאִישׁ תַּגָּר הַמְּבַקֵּשׁ מַרְגָּלִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת וּכְשֶׁמָּצָא מַרְגָּלִית אַחַת יְקָרָה הָלַךְ וּמָכַר כֹּל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ וְלָקַח אוֹתָהּ

Later that day large crowds of people gathered and came to Yeshua, and he told them this parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on a footpath. First it was trampled, then the birds of the sky ate it. Some fell on rock. At first it sprouted, but then it dried out from want of moisture. Some fell among thistles. At first it sprouted, but then the thistles choked it. And some fell on good soil. It not only sprouted, it even produced grain, so that the sower saw a hundredfold return!

“Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Yeshua’s disciples approached him and said, “What is the meaning of this parable?”

So Yeshua replied, “The meaning of the parable is this: the seed represents the word of God. The scenario of the seed on the path represents those who hear God’s word but do not accept it, so Satan comes and uproots it from their hearts. The scenario of the seed on the rock represents those who hear God’s word and joyfully accept it, but since they have missed the point they turn away in times of testing. The scenario of the seed among the thistles represents those who hear God’s word and accept it, but worries, possessions and worldly pleasures choke them more and more. The scenario of the seed in the good soil represents those who hear God’s word and accept it with a sincere determination to put it into practice.”

עוֹדֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר עִם הָאֻכְלוּסִים וְהִנֵּה אִמּוֹ וְאֶחָיו עוֹמְדִים בַּחוּץ מְבַקְּשִׁים לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ הֲרֵי אִמְּךָ וְאַחֶיךָ עוֹמְדִים בַּחוּץ מְבַקְּשִׁים לְדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אִמִּי וְאַחַי הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת דְּבַר אֱלֹהִים וְעוֹשִׂים

And it happened in those days that he embarked on a boat, he and his disciples. [And he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” ⟨And they crossed over.⟩] And as they were sailing, behold! A great storm arose against them in the lake to sink them. But he lay down in the back of the boat and slept soundly. And they approached and wakened him, saying, “Our Lord! Our Lord! We are going to die!”

And he was wakened, and he rebuked the winds and the waters, and [the lake] ceased [its raging], and there was great peace.

And he said to them, “Trust in God!”

And the people feared greatly. And they wondered, saying, “What is this? For he commands both the winds and the waters and they listen to him!”

And the Lord said, “If you trust God even amounting to a mustard seed’s volume, you could say to this sycamore fig tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea!’ and it would listen to you.”

“And as for you, Kefar Nahum! Will you be elevated to the celestial spheres? No! You will end up in the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds that God performed in you had been performed in Sedom, it would have continued to be a thriving city to this very day. But now it will be easier in the final judgment for Sedom than it will be for you.

“At the final judgment the Queen of Teman will arise to testify against this generation and prove that it has no excuse. She came from the world’s end to listen to King Shlomoh’s wisdom, but a wisdom more profound than Shlomoh’s is right here in front of you, and still you haven’t listened!

“At the final judgment the inhabitants of Nineveh will arise to testify against this generation and prove that it has no excuse. They repented when Yonah proclaimed his message of doom, but a more dire message is being proclaimed to you, and still you haven’t changed your ways!

“Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and emissaries and sages and scribes. Some of them they will kill and some of them they will pursue. And so all the innocent blood poured on the land will be required from the hand of this generation, from the blood of Hevel to the blood of Zecharyah who died between the altar and the Temple.’

“Amen! I tell you, it will be demanded from this generation.

“This generation is a wicked generation! It seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it. [Rather,] as Yonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be [a sign] to this generation.

“And just as it was in the days of Noach, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking, marrying wives and giving daughters in marriage until the day Noach entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed all of them.

“And just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building until the day that Lot went out from Sedom and God caused fire and sulfur to rain from the sky and he destroyed them all—so it will be in the days of the Son of Man.

“On that day, if someone is on the roof whose property is in the house, let him not go down to take it. And if someone is in a field, let him not look back—remember Lot’s wife!

“Whoever seeks to preserve his soul must destroy his desires, but whoever destroys his desires will keep his soul alive.

“Amen! I say to you, [on that day] two people will be on a bed: one will be taken, one will be left. Two people will be in a field: one will be taken, one will be left. Two women will be grinding with a mill: one will be taken, one will be left.

“Where the carcass is, there the carrion birds will be gathered.

“Therefore, to what will I compare this generation? And what are they like? Like children sitting in a market, and they call one to the other and say, ‘We played the flute before you, and you did not dance. We sang a lament before you, and you did not mourn!’

“For Yohanan the Immerser came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘There’s a demon inside him!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look! Here is an over-eater and an over-drinker, a friend of toll collectors and wicked persons!’

“But Wisdom is acquitted by her sons.”

And they said, “Behold! How beautiful these stones are!”

And Yeshua answered and said, “These stones that you see—Behold! The days are coming when no stone upon stone will remain that will not be torn down.”

But they asked him saying, “Rabbi, tell us, when will these things happen, and what is the sign that these things are going to take place?”

And he said to them, “Gentile will rise up against Gentile, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famine and pestilence and fear and earthquake. And from the heavens there will be unmistakable signs. [These are the beginning of the birthing pains.]

“And when you see Yerushalayim surrounded by Gentiles, know that its destruction has arrived. And whoever is inside her must flee. And whoever is in the fields must not enter it. For these are days of vengeance in order to fulfill all the Scriptures.

“Woe to those who are pregnant and to those suckling infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the land and grief to this people. They will fall by the sword, and they will be taken captive to the Gentiles. And Yerushalayim will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are complete.

“And in those days the sun will turn black like sack, and the moon will turn red like blood, and the host of heaven will fall to the earth like a fig tree that is shaken by the wind drops its fruits, and the heavens will tear open like a scroll being rolled up. And they will see one like a Son of Man coming in a cloud with dominion and honor and greatness. And the angels will gather the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel from the four quarters of heaven and from the four corners of the earth.

“And when these things begin to be done, raise yourselves up and lift your heads, because your redemption has arrived.”

And he parabled to them a parable, saying, “Behold the fig tree! When it has produced, you know that summer has arrived. Likewise, when you see these things, know that the time for your redemption has arrived.”

“And in a time when they pursue you in this city, flee to the other city. Amen! I say to you, you will not finish with the cities of Yisrael until the Son of Man comes.”

“And know this, that if the master of the house knew in which hour the thief came, he would not have allowed him to break into his house. But you, be prepared, for in an hour that you do not think Bar Enash is coming.”