October 7 Reading – Matthew 14-16
Matthew 14 ASV
1 At that season Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
2 and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore do these powers work in him.
3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.
4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod.
7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask.
8 And she, being put forward by her mother, saith, Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.
9 And the king was grieved; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given;
10 and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
11 And his head was brought on a platter, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
12 And his disciples came, and took up the corpse, and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
13 Now when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a boat, to a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard thereof, they followed him on foot from the cities.
14 And he came forth, and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15 And when even was come, the disciples came to him, saying, The place is desert, and the time is already past; send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 And he said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
20 And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
21 And they that did eat were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22 And straightway he constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away.
23 And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone.
24 But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves; for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto the upon the waters.
29 And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to Come to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34 And when they had crossed over, they came to the land, unto Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place knew him, they sent into all that region round about, and brought unto him all that were sick,
36 and they besought him that they might only touch the border of his garment: and as many as touched were made whole.
Matthew 15
1 Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
4 For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God;
6 he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
10 And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man.
12 Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.
15 And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable.
16 And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding?
17 Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:
20 these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.
21 And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 But she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.
27 But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour.
29 And Jesus departed thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.
30 And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at this feet; and he healed them:
31 insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel.
32 And Jesus called unto him his disciples, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat: and I would not send them away fasting, lest haply they faint on the way.
33 And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?
34 And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.
35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;
36 and he took the seven loaves and the fishes; and he gave thanks and brake, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
37 And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.
38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children.
39 And he sent away the multitudes, and entered into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.
Matthew 16
1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 But he answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times.
4 An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed.
5 And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take bread.
6 And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread.
8 And Jesus perceiving it said, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread?
9 Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
11 How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
12 Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is?
14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.
21 From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
22 And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.
28 Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
American Standard Version (ASV): Public Domain