Daily Bible Reading Plan

• Proverbs 15 (2:02)

Proverbs 15 1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly. 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. 4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit. 5 A fool rejects his father's discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible. 6 Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness. 10 Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way ; He who hates reproof will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD, How much more the hearts of men ! 12 A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise. 13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. 14 The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly. 15 All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it. 17 Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox served with hatred. 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute. 19 The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight. 22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed. 23 A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word ! 24 The path of life leads upward for the wise That he may keep away from Sheol below. 25 The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. 26 Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD, But pleasant words are pure. 27 He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 Bright eyes gladden the heart ; Good news puts fat on the bones. 31 He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise. 32 He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. 33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility. [[slnc 10000]]

• Psalm 71 (1:50)

Psalm 71 1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge ; Let me never be ashamed. 2 In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come ; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man, 5 For You are my hope ; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. 6 By You I have been sustained from my birth ; You are He who took me from my mother's womb ; My praise is continually of You. 7 I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age ; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together, 11 Saying, "God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver." 12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help ! 13 Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed ; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me. 14 But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum of them. 16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD ; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. 17 O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds. 18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come. 19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things ; O God, who is like You? 20 You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 May You increase my greatness And turn to comfort me. 22 I will also praise You with a harp, Even Your truth, O my God ; To You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed. 24 My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long; For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt. [[slnc 10000]]

• Psalm 72 (1:27)

Psalm 72 1 Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king's son. 2 May he judge Your people with righteousness And Your afflicted with justice. 3 Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. 4 May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor. 5 Let them fear You while the sun endures, And as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. 7 In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more. 8 May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, And his enemies lick the dust. 10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents ; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. 11 And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. 13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. 14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight ; 15 So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And let them pray for him continually ; Let them bless him all day long. 16 May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains ; Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon ; And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth. 17 May his name endure forever ; May his name increase as long as the sun shines; And let men bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed. 18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever ; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. [[slnc 10000]]

• Psalm 73 (1:43)

Psalm 73 1 Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! 2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. 5 They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace ; The garment of violence covers them. 7 Their eye bulges from fatness ; The imaginations of their heart run riot. 8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression ; They speak from on high. 9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return to this place, And waters of abundance are drunk by them. 11 They say, "How does God know ? And is there knowledge with the Most High ?" 12 Behold, these are the wicked ; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence ; 14 For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning. 15 If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. 16 When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight 17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God ; Then I perceived their end. 18 Surely You set them in slippery places ; You cast them down to destruction. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment ! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors ! 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form. 21 When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within, 22 Then I was senseless and ignorant ; I was like a beast before You. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. 24 With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish ; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. 28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good ; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works. [[slnc 10000]]

• Psalm 74 (1:41)

Psalm 74 1 O God, why have You rejected us forever ? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture ? 2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance ; And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt. 3 Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins ; The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary. 4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place ; They have set up their own standards for signs. 5 It seems as if one had lifted up His axe in a forest of trees. 6 And now all its carved work They smash with hatchet and hammers. 7 They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground ; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name. 8 They said in their heart, "Let us completely subdue them." They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 9 We do not see our signs ; There is no longer any prophet, Nor is there any among us who knows how long. 10 How long , O God, will the adversary revile, And the enemy spurn Your name forever ? 11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand ? From within Your bosom, destroy them! 12 Yet God is my king from of old, Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth. 13 You divided the sea by Your strength ; You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. 14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan ; You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. 15 You broke open springs and torrents ; You dried up ever-flowing streams. 16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night ; You have prepared the light and the sun. 17 You have established all the boundaries of the earth ; You have made summer and winter. 18 Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled, And a foolish people has spurned Your name. 19 Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast ; Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever. 20 Consider the covenant ; For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21 Let not the oppressed return dishonored ; Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name. 22 Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause ; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long. 23 Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries, The uproar of those who rise against You which ascends continually. [[slnc 10000]]

• Psalm 75 (0:46)

Psalm 75 1 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your name is near ; Men declare Your wondrous works. 2 "When I select an appointed time, It is I who judge with equity. 3 "The earth and all who dwell in it melt ; It is I who have firmly set its pillars. Selah. 4 "I said to the boastful, 'Do not boast,' And to the wicked, 'Do not lift up the horn ; 5 Do not lift up your horn on high, Do not speak with insolent pride.' " 6 For not from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the desert comes exaltation ; 7 But God is the Judge ; He puts down one and exalts another. 8 For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams ; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this ; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. 9 But as for me, I will declare it forever ; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 And all the horns of the wicked He will cut off, But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up. [[slnc 10000]]

• Song-of-Solomon 3 (1:08)

Song of Solomon 3 1 "On my bed night after night I sought him Whom my soul loves ; I sought him but did not find him. 2 'I must arise now and go about the city ; In the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves.' I sought him but did not find him. 3 "The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, And I said, 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves ?' 4 "Scarcely had I left them When I found him whom my soul loves ; I held on to him and would not let him go Until I had brought him to my mother's house, And into the room of her who conceived me." 5 "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, That you will not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases." Solomon's Wedding Day 6 "What is this coming up from the wilderness Like columns of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all scented powders of the merchant ? 7 "Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon ; Sixty mighty men around it, Of the mighty men of Israel. 8 "All of them are wielders of the sword, Expert in war ; Each man has his sword at his side, Guarding against the terrors of the night. 9 "King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair From the timber of Lebanon. 10 "He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold And its seat of purple fabric, With its interior lovingly fitted out By the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And gaze on King Solomon with the crown With which his mother has crowned him On the day of his wedding, And on the day of his gladness of heart." [[slnc 10000]]

• 2 Samuel 2 (3:25)

2 Samuel 2 1 Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah ?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron." 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household ; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul." 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead , and said to them, "May you be blessed of the LORD because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. 6 "Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. 7 "Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be valiant ; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them." Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel 8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9 He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. Civil War 12 Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon ; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." 15 So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent's side ; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17 That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. 18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel ; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. 19 Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel ?" And he answered, "It is I." 21 So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 22 Abner repeated again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground ? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab ?" 23 However, he refused to turn aside ; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. 24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever ? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end ? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers ?" 27 Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have gone away in the morning, each from following his brother." 28 So Joab blew the trumpet ; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore. 29 Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night ; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim. 30 Then Joab returned from following Abner ; when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David's servants besides Asahel were missing. 31 But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron. [[slnc 10000]]

• 2 Samuel 3 (4:11)

2 Samuel 3 1 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David ; and David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually. 2 Sons were born to David at Hebron : his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess ; 3 and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite ; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur ; 4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith ; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital ; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron. Abner Joins David 6 It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah ; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine ?" 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah ? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David ; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. 9 "May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as the LORD has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba." 11 And he could no longer answer Abner a word, because he was afraid of him. 12 Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, "Whose is the land ? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you." 13 He said, "Good ! I will make a covenant with you, but I demand one thing of you, namely, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me." 14 So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines." 15 Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." So he returned. 17 Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, "In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18 "Now then, do it! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.' " 19 Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin ; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin. 20 Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Abner said to David, "Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. 22 And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, saying, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace." 24 Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done ? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone ? 25 "You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn of your going out and coming in and to find out all that you are doing." Joab Murders Abner 26 When Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah ; but David did not know it. 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are innocent before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 "May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house ; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread." 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. David Mourns Abner 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier. 32 Thus they buried Abner in Hebron ; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 The king chanted a lament for Abner and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies ? 34 "Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters ; As one falls before the wicked , you have fallen." And all the people wept again over him. 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day ; but David vowed, saying, "May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down." 36 Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38 Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel ? 39 "I am weak today, though anointed king ; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil." [[slnc 10000]]

• 1 Corinthians 2 (1:25)

1 Corinthians 2 1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature ; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away ; 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory ; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood ; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory ; 9 but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit ; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. [[slnc 10000]]

• Mark 2 (2:37)

Mark 2 1 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door ; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this man speak that way ? He is blaspheming ; who can forgive sins but God alone ?" 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts ? 9 "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven '; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk '? 10 "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins "-He said to the paralytic, 11 "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this." 13 And He went out again by the seashore ; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them. Levi (Matthew) Called 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. 15 And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples ; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners ?" 17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick ; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." 18 John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting ; and they came and said to Him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast ?" 19 And Jesus said to them, "While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment ; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 "No one puts new wine into old wineskins ; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins." Question of the Sabbath 23 And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath ?" 25 And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry ; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?" 27 Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." [[slnc 10000]]