Matthew 3:5

From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the morning star arises in your hearts:

You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea,

He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.

Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. As a nation that did righteousness, and didn’t forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments. They delight to draw near to God.

Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don’t do them.

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”

These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the middle of the region of Decapolis.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.

Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation;

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

Let’s therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.

But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.

In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the covenant, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before Yahweh: it shall be a statute forever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

The children of Israel saw Moses’ face, that the skin of Moses’ face shone; so Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

“Command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.

Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don’t hide it from me!”

He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they weren’t there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn’t find them.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!”

I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

They hatch adders’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web. He who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.

You who dwell on many waters, abundant in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your covetousness.

“ ‘Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters. It was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever.

From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’

As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom,

But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.

for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer, yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.”

When Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick.

Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’

“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’ ”

These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized;

He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”

Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”

and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”

“Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more.

But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.

His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters.

I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps.

I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!

He said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must happen soon.”