Mat suggestions from Forest Deal edited Tom Warren

41-MAT.usfm

@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
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-\v 16 Before King Herod died, he realized that those men had tricked him, and he became furious. Because he thought that Jesus was still near Bethlehem, Herod sent soldiers there to kill all the boy babies two years old and younger. Herod calculated how old the baby was, according to what the men who studied the stars told him about when the star first appeared.
+\v 16 Before King Herod died, he realized that those men had tricked him, and he became furious. Because he thought that Jesus was still near Bethlehem, Herod sent soldiers there to kill all the boy babies two years old and younger. Herod calculated how old the baby was according to what the men who studied the stars told him about when the star first appeared.
 
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 \v 17 When Herod did this, what the prophet Jeremiah had written long ago came true, when he wrote about Bethlehem near the town of Ramah:
@@ -143,21 +143,22 @@ people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God
 \v 9 I know that God promised to be with Abraham's descendants. But do not say to yourselves, 'Since we are descendants of our ancestor Abraham, God will not punish us even though we have sinned.' No! I tell you that he can change these stones here into descendants of Abraham!
 
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-\v 10 God is ready right now to punish you, just like a man who starts to chop away the roots of a fruit tree that does not give good fruit. He will chop down every tree like that and throw it into the fire."
+\v 10 God is ready right now to punish you, just like a man who starts to chop away the roots of a fruit tree that does not give good fruit. He will chop down every tree like that and throw it into the fire.
 \p
 \v 11 "As for me, I am not very important, because I baptize you only with water. I do it when people are sorry for having sinned. But someone else will come soon who will do very powerful things. He is so much greater than I, that I do not even deserve to carry his sandals.
 \p He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
-\v 12 He is holding his winnowing fork, ready to separate the good grain from the bad chaff. He is ready to clear out all the bad chaff from where he has threshed the grain. He will take the righteous people home, as a farmer puts his wheat into his storehouse; but he will burn the wicked people, like one burns the chaff, in a fire that never goes out."
+\v 12 He is holding his winnowing fork ready to separate the good grain from the bad chaff. He is ready to clear out all the bad chaff from where he has threshed the grain. He will take the righteous people home, as a farmer puts his wheat into his storehouse, but he will burn the wicked people, like one burns the chaff, in a fire that never goes out."
 
 
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 \v 13 During that time, Jesus went from the district of Galilee to the Jordan River, where John was. He did this so John could baptize him.
 \v 14 When Jesus asked John to baptize him, John refused; he said, "I need you to baptize me! But you are not a sinner, so why do you come to me?"
-\v 15 But Jesus said to him, "Baptize me now, because in this way we two will do everything that God requires." Then John agreed to baptize him.
+\v 15 But Jesus said to him, "Baptize me now because in this way we two will do everything that God requires." Then John agreed to baptize him.
+
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-\v 16 After that, Jesus immediately came up out of the water. Just then, it was as though the sky was opened, and Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down and sitting on him, in the form of a dove.
+\v 16 After that Jesus immediately came up out of the water. Just then, it was as though the sky was opened and Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down and sitting on him, in the form of a dove.
 \v 17 Then God spoke from heaven and said, "This is my Son. I love him, and I am very pleased with him."
 
 
@@ -178,6 +179,7 @@ people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God
 
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 \v 7 But Jesus said, "No! I will not jump down, because God has also said in the scriptures, 'Do not try to make your God prove who he is.'"
+\p
 \v 8 Then the devil took him on top of a very high mountain. There he showed him all the nations in the world and the magnificent things in those nations.
 \v 9 Then he said to him, "I will let you rule all these nations and give you the magnificent things in them if you bow down and worship me."
 
@@ -258,17 +260,17 @@ people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God
 \q God rules over these righteous people from heaven. 
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-\v 11 God is pleased with you when other people insult you, and he is honored when they do evil things to you and when they tell lies about you, saying that you are evil.
+\v 11 God is pleased with you when other people insult you for my sake, and he is honored when they do evil things to you and when they tell lies about you, saying that you are evil.
 \v 12 When that happens, rejoice and be glad, because God will give you a great reward in heaven. Remember, that is how they persecuted the prophets who lived long ago.
 
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-\v 13 What salt does for food, this is what you will do for the world. But if salt loses its power, no one can make it good again. People just throw it out and walk over it.
+\v 13 "What salt does for food, this is what you will do for the world. But if salt loses its power, no one can make it good again. People just throw it out and walk over it.
 \v 14 What light does for people in the dark, this is what you will do for the world. All people will see you, just as they see a city built on a hillside.
 
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-\v 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it can give light to everyone in the house.
-\v 16 Similarly, you need to do what is right in such a way that other people can see what you do. When they see it, they will praise your Father who is in heaven."
+\v 15 "No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it can give light to everyone in the house.
+\v 16 Similarly, you need to do what is right in such a way that other people can see what you do. When they see it, they will praise your Father who is in heaven.
 
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@@ -290,42 +292,43 @@ people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God
 
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 \v 25 If a fellow citizen takes you to court in order to accuse you of doing something wrong, come to an agreement quickly with that person, while you are still walking with that person to court. Do that while there still is time so that he will not take you to the judge, because the judge might say you are guilty and hand you over to the prison guard, and the prison guard will put you in prison.
-\v 26 Keep this in mind: If you go to prison, you will never get out because you will never be able to pay all that the judge says that you owe. So remember also to be at peace with your brothers."
+\v 26 Keep this in mind: If you go to prison, you will never get out because you will never be able to pay all that the judge says that you owe. So remember also to be at peace with your brothers.
 
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 \v 27 "You have heard that God said to our ancestors, 'Do not commit adultery.'
-\v 28 But what I say to you is this: If a man even just looks at a woman desiring to sleep with her, God considers that he has already committed adultery with her in his mind.
+\v 28 But what I say to you is this: If a man even just looks at a woman and desires to sleep with her, God considers that he has already committed adultery with her in his mind.
 
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 \v 29 If you want to sin because you have looked at certain things, then stop looking at them. Even if you have to destroy both of your eyes, do it if that would make you able to avoid sinning. It would be better to be blind and stop sinning, than for God to throw you into hell while you can still see.
-\v 30 And if one of your hands causes you to sin, stop using your hand. Even if you have to cut your hand off and throw it away, do it if that would make you able to avoid sinning. It would be better to lose a part of your body than for God to throw your whole body into hell."
+\v 30 And if one of your hands causes you to sin, stop using your hand. Even if you have to cut your hand off and throw it away, do it if that would make you able to avoid sinning. It would be better to lose a part of your body than for God to throw your whole body into hell.
 
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 \v 31 "God has said in the scriptures, 'If a man is divorcing his wife, he should write a document on which he states that he is divorcing her.'
-\v 32 But now listen to what I say to you: A man may divorce his wife only if she has committed adultery. If a man divorces his wife for any other reason, she commits adultery if she marries someone else. And the man who marries her also commits adultery."
+\v 32 But now listen to what I say to you: A man may divorce his wife only if she has committed adultery. If a man divorces his wife for any other reason, she commits adultery if she marries someone else. And the man who marries her also commits adultery.
 
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 \v 33 "You have also heard that long ago people were told, 'You should never swear an oath by making up a lie! Instead, you should make your promises as you would if the Lord himself were standing before you.'
 \v 34 But now I will say to you something more: Do not swear an oath for any reason! Do not ask the place where God lives in heaven to guarantee what you promised. That is where his great seat of power is and from where he rules over all things.
-\v 35 And do not swear any oath on the promise that the earth would witness it. Do not do this, because the earth is where God rests his feet. Never swear an oath by the city of Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is the city that belongs to God, our great King.
+\p
+\v 35 "And do not swear any oath on the promise that the earth would witness it. Do not do this, because the earth is where God rests his feet. Never swear an oath by the city of Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is the city that belongs to God, our great King.
 
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-\v 36 Also, do not promise that you will do something and then say that they should cut off your head if you do not do it. How could you promise something so important, when you are not even able to change the color of one hair on your head.
-\v 37 If you talk about doing something, just say 'Yes, I will do it,' or 'No, I will not do it.' If you say anything more than that, it is Satan, the Evil One, who has suggested that you talk this way."
+\v 36 Also, do not promise that you will do something and then say that they should cut off your head if you do not do it. How could you promise something so important, when you are not even able to change the color of one hair on your head?
+\v 37 If you talk about doing something, just say 'Yes, I will do it,' or 'No, I will not do it.' If you say anything more than that, it is Satan, the Evil One, who has suggested that you talk this way.
 
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-\v 38 "You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'If someone harms one of your eyes, then they should harm one of that person's eyes. And if someone harms one of your teeth, then they should harm one of that person's teeth.'
+\v 38 "You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'If someone harms one of your eyes, then the person who was injured would have the right to harm one of the eyes of the person who hurt him. And if someone harms one of your teeth, then the one who was hurt would be given the right to harm one of the teeth of the person who harmed your teeth.'
 \v 39 But now listen to what I say to you: Far from taking revenge on someone who harms you, do not even try to stop him. Instead, if someone insults you by striking you on one cheek, turn your other cheek toward that person so he can strike it also.
 
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 \v 40 If someone wants to sue you in a court to get your tunic, let that person have both it and your outer garment, too, which is even of more worth to you.
 \v 41 And if a Roman soldier forces you to go with him one mile and carry his gear, carry it for two miles.
-\v 42 Also, if someone asks you for something, give it to him. If someone asks you to lend him something, go ahead and lend it to him."
+\v 42 Also, if someone asks you for something, give it to him. If someone asks you to lend him something, go ahead and lend it to him.
 
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@@ -336,7 +339,7 @@ people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God
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 \v 46 If you love only the people who love you, do not expect God to reward you at all! Even people who do terrible things, such as tax collectors, love those who love them. You must act better than they do!
 \v 47 Yes, and if you greet only your friends and ask God to bless them, you are not acting any better than other people. Even non-Jews, who do not obey God's law, do the same thing!
-\v 48 So you must be completely faithful to God your Father in heaven, just as he is completely faithful to you."
+\v 48 So you must be completely faithful to God your Father in heaven, just as he is completely faithful to you.
 
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@@ -350,7 +353,7 @@ people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God
 
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-\v 5 "Also when you pray, do not do what the hypocrites do. They like to stand in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets to pray, in order that other people will see them and think highly of them. That is the only reward they will get.
+\v 5 "Also, when you pray, do not do what the hypocrites do. They like to stand in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets to pray, in order that other people will see them and think highly of them. That is the only reward they will get.
 \v 6 But as for you, when you pray, go into your private room and close the door in order to pray to God, your Father, whom no one can see. He observes you and will reward you.
 \v 7 When you pray, do not repeat words many times as the people who do not know God do when they pray. They think that if they use many words, their gods will listen to them and give them what they ask for.
 
@@ -377,41 +380,40 @@ and rescue us when Satan tries to harm us.'
 
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-\v 14 Forgive the people who sin against you, because, if you do, God, your Father who is in heaven, will forgive your sins.
+\v 14 "Forgive the people who sin against you, because, if you do, God, your Father who is in heaven, will forgive your sins.
 \v 15 But if you do not forgive other people, neither will God forgive your sins.
 
-
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-\v 16 When you keep from eating food in order to please God, do not look sad as the hypocrites look. They make their faces appear sad in order that people will see that they are not eating food. Keep in mind that is the only reward those people will get!
-\v 17 Instead, each of you, when you keep from eating food, should comb your hair and wash your face as usual,
-\v 18 in order that other people will not notice that you are fasting. But God, your Father, whom no one can see, will observe that you are not eating food. He sees you even though no one else sees you, and he will reward you.
+\v 16 "When you keep from eating food in order to please God, do not look sad as the hypocrites look. They make their faces appear sad in order that people will see that they are not eating food. Keep in mind that is the only reward those people will get!
+\v 17 Instead, each of you, when you keep from eating food, should comb your hair and wash your face as usual
+\v 18 in order that other people will not notice that you are fasting. But God, your Father, whom no one can see will observe that you are not eating food. He sees you even though no one else sees you, and he will reward you.
 
 
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-\v 19 Do not selfishly accumulate large quantities of money and material goods for yourselves on this earth, because the earth is where everything perishes—where moths ruin clothing, rust destroys metals, and thieves steal what belongs to other people.
+\v 19 "Do not selfishly accumulate large quantities of money and material goods for yourselves on this earth, because the earth is where everything perishes—where moths ruin clothing, rust destroys metals, and thieves steal what belongs to other people.
 \v 20 Instead, do deeds that will please God so that you store up treasures in heaven. Nothing perishes in heaven. In heaven no moths can ruin clothing, there is no rust, and there are no thieves who could steal.
 \v 21 Remember that whatever is most important to you, that is what you will be thinking about.
 
 
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-\v 22 "Your eyes are like a lamp for your body, because they enable you to see things. So if you see things as God sees them, it will be as if your whole body were full of light.
+\v 22 "Your eyes are like a lamp for your body because they enable you to see things. So if you see things as God sees them, it will be as if your whole body were full of light.
 \v 23 But if your eyes are bad, you are not able to see things well. You will be in complete darkness. How greedy you will be!
 \p
-\v 24 "No one is able to serve two different masters at the same time. If he tried to do that, he would hate one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one. Similarly, you cannot worship God and money at the same time."
+\v 24 "No one is able to serve two different masters at the same time. If he tried to do that, he would hate one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one. Similarly, you cannot worship God and money at the same time.
 
 
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-\v 25 That is why I tell you that you should not worry about things that you need in order to live. Do not worry about whether you will have enough food to eat and things to drink, or enough clothes to wear. The way you conduct your lives is much more important than those things.
+\v 25 "That is why I tell you that you should not worry about things that you need in order to live. Do not worry about whether you will have enough food to eat and things to drink, or enough clothes to wear. The way you conduct your lives is much more important than those things.
 \v 26 Think about the birds. They do not plant seeds, and they do not harvest crops or gather produce into barns. They always have food to eat because God, your Father who is in heaven, provides food for them.
 
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 \v 27 None of you can, just by worrying, add years to your life. You cannot add even one minute to your life! So you should not worry about things you need.
 \p
-\v 28 You should also not worry about whether you will have enough clothes to wear. Think about the way flowers grow in the fields. They do not work to earn money, and they do not make their own clothes.
+\v 28 "You should also not worry about whether you will have enough clothes to wear. Think about the way flowers grow in the fields. They do not work to earn money, and they do not make their own clothes.
 \v 29 But I tell you that even though King Solomon, who lived long ago, wore very beautiful clothes, his clothes were not as beautiful as one of those flowers.
 
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@@ -420,19 +422,19 @@ and rescue us when Satan tries to harm us.'
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 \v 32 Those who do not know God are always worrying about things like that. But God, your Father who is in heaven, knows that you need all those things.
 \v 33 Instead, make it the most important thing that God should rule over the entire world and that everyone should do what he requires. If you do that, he will give you all the things that you need.
-\v 34 So do not be worried about what will happen to you the next day, because when that day comes, you will have enough to be concerned about. So do not worry ahead of time."
+\v 34 So do not be worried about what will happen to you the next day, because when that day comes, you will have enough to be concerned about. So do not worry ahead of time.
 
 
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-\v 1 Do not talk about how sinfully others have acted, in order that God will not say how sinfully you have acted.
+\v 1 "Do not talk about how sinfully others have acted, in order that God will not say how sinfully you have acted.
 \v 2 If you condemn other people, God will condemn you. To the same extent that you condemn others, you will be condemned.
 
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 \v 3 None of you should be concerned about someone else's small faults! That would be like noticing a speck of straw in that person's eye. But you should be concerned about your own big faults because you do not notice a huge wooden plank in your own eye.
 \v 4 You should not say to other people about their minor faults, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye!' while you still have a wooden plank in your own eye.
-\v 5 If you do that, you are a hypocrite! You should first remove the plank out of your own eye before trying to get the speck out of someone else's eye."
+\v 5 If you do that, you are a hypocrite! You should first remove the plank out of your own eye before trying to get the speck out of someone else's eye.
 
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@@ -447,7 +449,7 @@ and rescue us when Satan tries to harm us.'
 \v 10 If your son asked you for a fish, no one among you would give him a snake, would he?
 
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-\v 11 You know how to give good things to your children, even though you are evil. So God, your Father who is in heaven, will even more certainly give good things to those who ask him.
+\v 11 You know how to give good things to your children even though you are evil. So God, your Father who is in heaven, will even more certainly give good things to those who ask him.
 \p
 \v 12 So in whatever way you want others to act toward you, that is the way you should act toward them, because that is the meaning of God's law and of everything that the prophets wrote long ago.
 
@@ -455,11 +457,11 @@ and rescue us when Satan tries to harm us.'
 \p
 \v 13-14 "Going to live forever with God in heaven is difficult; it is like a difficult road that you should take.
 There is another road, one that most people take. That road is wide; they walk on until they reach a wide gate, but when they go through it, they will die.
-So I am telling you to take the difficult road and enter the narrow gate to live forever with God in heaven."
+So I am telling you to take the difficult road and enter the narrow gate to live forever with God in heaven.
 
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-\v 15 Watch out for people who come to you and say falsely that they are telling you what God has said. They are like wolves that have covered themselves with sheepskins to appear harmless but will attack you.
+\v 15 "Watch out for people who come to you and say falsely that they are telling you what God has said. They are like wolves that have covered themselves with sheepskins to appear harmless but will attack you.
 \v 16 By seeing the fruit that plants produce you know what kind of plants they are. Thornbushes cannot
 produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking grapes from thorns or figs from thistles.
 \v 17 Here is another example: All good fruit trees produce good fruit, but all rotten trees produce worthless fruit.
@@ -472,16 +474,16 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
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-\v 21 Even though many people habitually call me Lord, pretending that they have my authority, God will not agree to rule from heaven over some of them, because they do not do what he desires. My Father will agree to rule over only those who do what he wants.
+\v 21 "Even though many people habitually call me Lord, pretending that they have my authority, God will not agree to rule from heaven over some of them, because they do not do what he desires. My Father will agree to rule over only those who do what he wants.
 
 \v 22 On the day that God judges everyone, many people will say to me, 'Lord, we spoke God's message as your representatives! As your representatives we drove out demons from people! And as your representatives, many times we performed mighty deeds!'
-\v 23 Then I will publicly say to them, 'I have never admitted that you belonged to me. Go away from me, you who do what is evil!'"
+\v 23 Then I will publicly say to them, 'I have never admitted that you belonged to me. Go away from me, you who do what is evil!'
 
 
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-\v 24 So then, anyone who hears what I say and does what I command will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
-\v 25 Even though the rain came down and the river flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not fall down because it had been built on solid rock.
+\v 24 "So then, anyone who hears what I say and does what I command will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
+\v 25 Even though the rain came down, and the river flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not fall down, because it had been built on solid rock.
 
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 \v 26 On the other hand, anyone who hears what I say but does not obey me will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
@@ -499,6 +501,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \p
 \v 1 When Jesus went down from the hillside, large crowds followed him.
 \v 2 After Jesus left the crowds, a man who had a skin disease came and knelt before him. He said to Jesus, "Lord, please heal me, because I know you are able to heal me if you are willing to."
+\p
 \v 3 Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man. He said to him, "I am willing to heal you, and I heal you now!" Immediately the man was healed from his sickness.
 
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@@ -508,11 +511,14 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
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 \v 5 When Jesus went to the city of Capernaum, a Roman officer who commanded one hundred soldiers came to him. He begged Jesus to help him.
 \v 6 He said to him, "Lord, my servant is lying in bed at home and is paralyzed, and he has severe pain."
+\p
 \v 7 Jesus said to him, "I will go to your house and heal him."
 
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+\p
 \v 8 But the officer said to him, "I am not worthy for you to come into my house. Instead, just say that my servant is healed, and he will be healed.
 \v 9 It is the same way with me. I am a soldier; I have to obey my commanders, and I also have soldiers that I command. When I say to one of them 'Go!' he goes. When I say to another 'Come!' he comes. When I say to my slave, 'Do this!' he does it."
+\p
 \v 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled. He said to the crowd that was walking with him, "Listen to this: I have never before found anyone who trusts in me as much this non-Jewish man. Not even in Israel, where I would expect people to believe in me, have I found anyone who trusts so much in me!
 
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@@ -527,17 +533,20 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
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-\v 16 That evening when the Sabbath ended, the crowd brought to Jesus many people whom demons controlled, and other people who were sick. He made the demons leave just by speaking to them, and he healed all the people who were sick.
-\v 17 When he did this, he made come true what the prophet Isaiah had written, 'He freed people from being sick, and he made them well.'
+\v 16 That evening when the Sabbath ended, the crowd brought to Jesus many people whom demons controlled and other people who were sick. He made the demons leave just by speaking to them, and he healed all the people who were sick.
+\v 17 When he did this, he made come true what the prophet Isaiah had written, "He freed people from being sick, and he made them well."
 
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-\v 18 Jesus saw the crowd around him he told his disciples to take him by boat to the other side of the lake.
+\v 18 Jesus saw the crowd around him, and he told his disciples to take him by boat to the other side of the lake.
 \v 19 As they were walking toward the boat, a man who taught the Jewish laws came to him and said, "Teacher, I will go with you wherever you go."
+\p
 \v 20 Jesus answered him, "Foxes have holes in the ground in which to live, and birds have nests, but even though I am the Son of Man, I do not have a home where I can sleep."
 
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+\p
 \v 21 Another man who was one of Jesus' disciples said to him, "Lord, permit me first to go home. After my father dies I will bury him, and then I will come with you."
+\p
 \v 22 But Jesus said to him, "Come with me now. The people who are as good as dead, let them wait for their own people to die."
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@@ -546,7 +555,9 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \v 25 They went and woke him up, and said to him, "Lord, rescue us! We are about to drown!"
 
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+\p
 \v 26 He said to them, "You should not be terrified! You do not believe very much that I can rescue you." Then he got up and rebuked the wind and told the waves to calm down. Immediately the wind stopped blowing and the water became calm.
+\p
 \v 27 The men were amazed, and they said to each other, "This man is certainly an extraordinary person! All things are under his control! Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
 
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@@ -556,7 +567,9 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
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 \v 30 There was a large herd of pigs grazing not far away.
+\p
 \v 31 So the demons begged Jesus and said, "You are going to drive us out of these men, so send us into those pigs!"
+\p
 \v 32 Jesus said to them, "If that is what you want, go!" So the demons left the men and entered the pigs. Suddenly the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the water and drowned.
 
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@@ -571,6 +584,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \v 2 Some people brought to him a man who was paralyzed and who was lying on a sleeping pad. When Jesus perceived that they believed that he could heal the paralyzed man, he said to him, "Young man, be encouraged! I forgive your sins."
 
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+\p
 \v 3 Some of the men who taught the Jewish laws said among themselves, "This man thinks he is God; he cannot forgive sins!"
 \v 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, "You should not think evil thoughts!
 \v 5 What is easier, to tell him that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk?
@@ -584,15 +598,18 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
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 \v 10 Jesus and his disciples sat down in a house for a meal. While they were eating, many tax collectors and other persons came and ate with them.
+\p
 \v 11 When the Pharisees saw that, they went up to the disciples and said, "It is disgusting that your teacher eats and associates with tax collectors and other people like them."
 
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+\p
 \v 12 Jesus heard what they said, so he told them this parable: "It is people who are sick who need a doctor, not people who are well.
 \v 13 You need to learn what these words that God said mean: 'I want you to act mercifully to people and not just to offer sacrifices.' Keep in mind that I came to you, not to invite people who think that they are righteous to turn away from their sinful lives and come to me, but to invite people who know they are sinners."
 
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 \p
 \v 14 Then the disciples of John the Baptizer came to Jesus and asked him, "We and the Pharisees often abstain from food because we want to please God, but your disciples do not do that. Why do they not?"
+\p
 \v 15 Jesus answered, "When the bridegroom is with his friends when he gets married, those people do not mourn, do they? No, because they are not sad at that time. But when the bridegroom has to leave them, they will abstain from food, because they will be sad.
 
 \s5
@@ -608,7 +625,9 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
 \s5
 \v 20 Then a woman who had been suffering constant bleeding for twelve years came near Jesus. She came behind him and touched the edge of his garment.
+\p
 \v 21 She was saying to herself, "If I just touch his garment, I will be healed."
+\p
 \v 22 Then Jesus turned around to see who had touched him. And when he saw the woman, he said to her, "Be encouraged, dear woman. Because you believed that I could heal you, I have healed you." The woman was healed at that very moment.
 
 \s5
@@ -623,9 +642,12 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \s5
 \p
 \v 27 As Jesus went away from there, two blind men followed him and shouted, "Have mercy on us and heal us, you Descendant of King David!"
-\v 28 Jesus went into the house, and then the blind men went in, too. Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to heal you?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord!"
+\v 28 Jesus went into the house, and then the blind men went in, too. 
+\p Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to heal you?" 
+\p They said to him, "Yes, Lord!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 29 Then he touched their eyes and he said to them, "Because you believe that I can heal your eyes, I am healing them right now!"
 \v 30 And they were able to see! Then Jesus told them sternly, "Be sure that you do not tell anybody what I have done for you!"
 \v 31 But they went out and spread the news in that whole region.
@@ -634,6 +656,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \p
 \v 32 Just when those two men were leaving, some people brought to Jesus a man who was unable to speak because a demon controlled him.
 \v 33 After Jesus had driven out the demon, the man began to speak! The crowds saw this and they were astonished and said, "Never before have we seen anything as marvelous as this happen in Israel!"
+\p
 \v 34 But the Pharisees said, "It is Satan, who rules the demons, who enables this man to drive out demons from people."
 
 \s5
@@ -642,7 +665,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \v 36 When he saw the crowds of people, he pitied them because they were upset and worried. They were like sheep that do not have a shepherd.
 
 \s5
-\v 37 Then he said to his disciples: "The people who are ready to receive my message are like a field where the crops are ready to harvest. But there are not many people who go to gather the crops.
+\v 37 Then he said to his disciples: "The people who are ready to receive my message are like a field where the crops are ready to be harvested. But there are not many people who go to gather the crops.
 \v 38 So pray and ask the Lord to send many more people to gather in his crops."
 
 \s5
@@ -676,7 +699,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 16 "Take note: When I send you out, you will be as defenseless as sheep, among people who are as dangerous as wolves. So be careful like snakes are careful and be harmless to them like pigeons are harmless.
+\v 16 "Take note: When I send you out, you will be as defenseless as sheep, among people who are as dangerous as wolves. So be careful like snakes are careful and be harmless to them like doves are harmless.
 \v 17 Also, be on guard against such people, because they will arrest you and take you to the members of the governing councils to put you on trial. They will whip you in their synagogues.
 \v 18 And because you belong to me, they will take you before governors and kings in order that they may put you on trial and punish you. But you will testify to those rulers and to other non-Jews about me.
 
@@ -686,12 +709,12 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
 \s5
 \v 21 They will take you to the authorities to die because you believe in me. For example, people will do that to their brothers, and fathers will do that to their children. Children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.
-\v 22 Many people will hate you because you trust in me. But anyone who faithfully trusts in me until they die, those people God will save.
+\v 22 Many people will hate you because you trust in me. But anyone who faithfully trusts in me until they die, God will save that person. 
 \v 23 When people in one city cause you to suffer, escape to another city. Note this: I, the Son of Man, will certainly return to earth before you have finished going from one town to another town throughout Israel and telling people about me.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 24 A disciple should not expect to be greater than his teacher, and servants are not superior to their master.
+\v 24 "A disciple should not expect to be greater than his teacher, and servants are not superior to their master.
 \v 25 You do not expect that people will treat a student better than they treat his teacher, or that they will treat a servant better than they treat his master. Similarly, because I am your teacher and master, you can expect that people will mistreat you, because they have mistreated me. I am like the ruler of a household, whom they call Satan. If they act that badly toward me, how do you think they will act toward you?"
 
 \s5
@@ -718,7 +741,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \s5
 \v 37 People who love their fathers or mothers more than they love me are not worthy to belong to me. And people who love their sons or daughters more than they love me are not worthy to belong to me.
 \v 38 If you are not ready to die because you belong to me, then you are not worthy to belong to me.
-\v 39 People who deny that they believe in me in order to escape dying will not live with God eternally, but people who are willing to lose their lives because they trust in me will live with God eternally."
+\v 39 People who deny that they believe in me in order to escape dying will not live with God eternally, but people who are willing to lose their lives because they trust in me will live with God eternally.
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -738,6 +761,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 \v 3 to ask him, "Are you the one John told us about, that we should be looking for? Or should we look for someone else to come?"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 4 Jesus answered John's disciples, "Go back and report to John what you hear me telling people and what you see me doing.
 \v 5 I am making blind people to see again and lame people to walk. I am healing people who have leprosy. I am making deaf people to hear again and dead people to become alive again. I am telling the poor people God's good news.
 \v 6 Also tell John that God is pleased with people who do not stop believing in me because they do not like what I am doing."
@@ -754,7 +778,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 11 Note this: Of all the people who have ever lived, God does not consider any of them to be greater than John the Baptizer. At the same time, God considers those that are not important in the kingdom he rules from heaven to be greater than John.
+\v 11 "Note this: Of all the people who have ever lived, God does not consider any of them to be greater than John the Baptizer. At the same time, God considers those that are not important in the kingdom he rules from heaven to be greater than John.
 \v 12 From the time that John the Baptizer preached until now, some people have been trying to make God rule from heaven in their own way, and they have been using force for this purpose.
 
 
@@ -766,7 +790,7 @@ produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking gra
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 16 But you and the other people who are alive now, you are like children who are playing games in the marketplace. Some of them call to their friends,
+\v 16 "But you and the other people who are alive now, you are like children who are playing games in the marketplace. Some of them call to their friends,
 \v 17 'We played happy music on the flute for you, but you refused to dance! Then we sang sad funeral songs for you, but you refused to cry!'
 
 \s5
@@ -807,6 +831,7 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \v 2 Some Pharisees saw them doing that, so they said to Jesus, "Look! Your disciples are doing work on our day of rest. The law does not allow that!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 3 But Jesus answered, "It is written in the scriptures what our ancestor King David did when he and the men with him were hungry.
 \v 4 King David entered the sacred tent where they worshiped God and ate the bread that had been on display before God. But according to the law of Moses, only priests were permitted to eat that bread, but David and the men who were with him ate it.
 
@@ -823,6 +848,7 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \v 10 There he saw a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees kept wanting to debate with Jesus about the Sabbath, so one of them asked him, "Does God permit us to heal people on our day of rest?" They were hoping that Jesus would commit a sin by saying something wrong.
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 11 He replied to them, "Suppose that one of you had just one sheep, and that it fell into a deep hole on the Sabbath day. Would you just leave it there? Certainly not! You would take hold of it and lift it out right away!
 \v 12 But a person is much more valuable than a sheep. So it is certainly right for us to do good by healing another person any day, even on our day of rest!"
 
@@ -841,7 +867,7 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \v 18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
 \q the one whom I love and who pleases me.
 \q I will put my Spirit in him,
-\q and he will bring justice and salvation to the non-Jews."
+\q and he will bring justice and salvation to the non-Jews.
 \q
 \s5
 \v 19 He will not quarrel with people, neither will he shout.
@@ -860,7 +886,9 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \v 23 All the crowds who saw it marveled. They began asking each other, "Could this man be the descendant of King David whom we have been expecting?"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 24 Because the Pharisees heard about this miracle, they said, "It is not God, but Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, who enables this man to drive demons from people!"
+\p
 \v 25 But Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. So he said to them, "If the people in one nation fight against each other, they will destroy their nation. If people who live in the same city or house fight each other, they will certainly not remain as one group or family.
 
 \s5
@@ -870,19 +898,19 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \s5
 \v 28 But because it is God's Spirit who enables me to drive out demons, that proves that the rule of God from heaven is already here.
 \p
-\v 29 I will show you why I am able to drive out demons. A person cannot go into the house of a strong man like Satan and carry off his possessions if he does not first tie up that strong man. But if he ties him up, then he will be able to take his possessions.
+\v 29 "I will show you why I am able to drive out demons. A person cannot go into the house of a strong man like Satan and carry off his possessions if he does not first tie up that strong man. But if he ties him up, then he will be able to take his possessions.
 \p
-\v 30 No one can be neutral. Those who do not acknowledge that the Holy Spirit enables me to expel demons are opposing me, and those who do not gather people to become my disciples are causing those people to go away from me.
+\v 30 "No one can be neutral. Those who do not acknowledge that the Holy Spirit enables me to expel demons are opposing me, and those who do not gather people to become my disciples are causing those people to go away from me.
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 31 You are saying that it is not the Holy Spirit who is enabling me to expel demons. So I will say this to you: If those who offend and insult other people in any way are then sorry and ask God to forgive them, God will forgive them. But he will not forgive people who insult the Holy Spirit.
-\v 32 God is willing to forgive people who criticize me, the Son of Man. But I warn you that he will not forgive those who say evil things about what the Holy Spirit does. God will not forgive them now, nor in the coming world."
+\v 32 God is willing to forgive people who criticize me, the Son of Man. But I warn you that he will not forgive those who say evil things about what the Holy Spirit does. God will not forgive them now, nor in the coming world.
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 33 "When you see some fruit from a tree, you decide whether the fruit is good or bad. If it is good, then you know that its tree is also good. If I am doing good things, then you should know whether or not I am good.
-\v 34 You are like the children of poisonous snakes! You cannot say anything good, because you are evil. What a person says shows what is inside him.
+\v 34 You are like the children of poisonous snakes! You cannot say anything good because you are evil. What a person says shows what is inside him.
 
 \v 35 Good people speak good things. That is because it is like they have stored up all these good things in a safe place and can bring them out at any time. But evil people speak evil things. That is because it is like they have stored up all these evil things and bring them out at any time from the place where they store them.
 
@@ -894,6 +922,7 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \s5
 \p
 \v 38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish laws responded to Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see you perform a miracle that will convince us that God sent you."
+\p
 \v 39 Then Jesus said to them, "You people have already seen me perform miracles, but you are evil, and you do not faithfully worship God! You want me to prove that God sent me, but God will show you only one miracle. It will be like what happened to Jonah the prophet.
 \v 40 Jonah was in the stomach of a huge fish for three days and nights before God caused him to come out. Similarly, for three days and nights I, the Son of Man, will be deep in the earth, and then God will cause me to live again.
 
@@ -901,13 +930,13 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \v 41 When God judges everyone, the people who lived in the city of Nineveh will stand in front of him beside you people. But they stopped sinning when Jonah warned them. Now I have come to you, and I am far more important than Jonah was, but you have not stopped sinning. So God will judge you.
 
 \s5
-\v 42 The queen from Sheba, south of Israel, who lived long ago, came from a distant region in order to listen to King Solomon teach many wise things. Now I have come to you, and I am far more important than Solomon was, but you have not stopped sinning. So when God judges everyone, the queen of Sheba will stand in front of him beside you people, and she will condemn you."
+\v 42 The queen from Sheba, south of Israel, who lived long ago, came from a distant region in order to listen to King Solomon teach many wise things. Now I have come to you, and I am far more important than Solomon was, but you have not stopped sinning. So when God judges everyone, the queen of Sheba will stand in front of him beside you people, and she will condemn you.
 
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 43 "Sometimes when an evil spirit leaves a person, it wanders around in desolate areas, seeking someone in whom he can rest. If he does not find anyone,
-\v 44 he says to itself, 'I will return to the person in whom I used to live.' So he goes back and finds that the Spirit of God is not in control of that person's life. The person's life is like a house that has been swept clean and everything put in order, but it is empty.
+\v 43 "Sometimes when an evil spirit leaves a person, it wanders around in desolate areas, seeking someone in whom it can rest. If it does not find anyone,
+\v 44 it says to itself, 'I will return to the person in whom I used to live.' So it goes back and finds that the Spirit of God is not in control of that person's life. The person's life is like a house that has been swept clean and everything put in order, but it is empty.
 \v 45 Then this evil spirit goes and gets seven other spirits that are even more evil, and they all enter that person and begin living there. So although that person's condition was bad before, it becomes much worse. That is what you wicked people who have heard me teach will experience."
 
 
@@ -917,6 +946,7 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \v 47 Someone said to him, "Your mother and your younger brothers are standing outside the house, and they want to talk to you."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 48 Then Jesus said to the person who told him that, "I will tell you who are really my mother and brothers."
 \v 49 He then pointed toward his disciples and said, "These are ones who take the place of my mother and my brothers.
 \v 50 Those who do what God my Father who is in heaven wants take the place of my brother, my sister, or my mother."
@@ -942,12 +972,13 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \s5
 \p
 \v 10 The disciples approached Jesus later and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowd?"
+\p
 \v 11 He answered, "God is revealing to you what he did not reveal before, about how he is ruling from heaven. But he has not revealed it to these other people.
 \v 12 Those who are able to think about what I say and understand it, God will enable them to understand more. But those who are not able think carefully about what I say will forget even what they already know.
 
 \s5
 \v 13 That is why I use parables when I speak to people, because although they see what I do, they do not understand what it means, and although they hear what I say, they do not really learn what it means.
-\v 14 What these people do completely fulfills what God told the prophet Isaiah to say long ago, You will hear what I say, but you will not understand it. You will see what I do, but you will not learn what it means.
+\v 14 What these people do completely fulfills what God told the prophet Isaiah to say long ago, 'You will hear what I say, but you will not understand it. You will see what I do, but you will not learn what it means.'
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -955,16 +986,16 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
 \q "These people are able to hear what I say, but they will never understand the message. 
 \q They have eyes that can see, but they will never see clearly what it is they are looking at. They have closed their eyes so they cannot see.  
 \q They cannot see with their eyes, and they cannot hear with their ears, and they cannot understand.
-\q If they could see and hear and understand, then they would turn to me," God says, "and I would heal them."
+\q If they could see and hear and understand, then they would turn to me," God says, "and I would heal them.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 16 But as for you, God has made you able because you realize what I have done and
+\v 16 "But as for you, God has made you able because you realize what I have done and
 because you understand what I say.
-\v 17 Note this: Many prophets and righteous people who lived long ago longed to see what you are seeing me do, but they did not see it. They longed to hear the things that you have been hearing me say, but they did not hear what you hear me say."
+\v 17 Note this: Many prophets and righteous people who lived long ago longed to see what you are seeing me do, but they did not see it. They longed to hear the things that you have been hearing me say, but they did not hear what you hear me say.
 \s5
 \p
-\v 18 Now listen to me explain the parable I told you.
+\v 18 "Now listen to me explain the parable I told you.
 \v 19 Some people hear about how God is ruling but do not understand it. They are like the path where some of the seeds fell. Satan, the evil one, comes and causes these people to forget what they have heard.
 
 \s5
@@ -981,11 +1012,14 @@ because you understand what I say.
 
 \s5
 \v 27 So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, you gave us good seeds and those are the ones we sowed in your field. So where did the weeds come from?'
-\v 28 The landowner said to them, 'My enemy did this.' His servants said to him, 'Do you want us to pull up the weeds?'
+\p
+\v 28 The landowner said to them, 'My enemy did this.' 
+\p His servants said to him, 'Do you want us to pull up the weeds?'
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 29 He said to them, 'No, do not do that, because you might pull up some of the wheat at the same time.
-\v 30 Let the wheat and the weeds grow together until harvest time. At that time I will say to those who will reap, 'First gather the weeds, tie them into bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat and put it into my barns.'"
+\v 30 Let the wheat and the weeds grow together until harvest time. At that time I will say to those who will reap, "First gather the weeds, tie them into bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat and put it into my barns."'
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1000,11 +1034,12 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \p
 \v 34 Jesus told the crowd parables to teach them all these things. When he spoke to them he habitually told stories like these.
 \v 35 By doing that, he made come true what God told one of the prophets to write long ago.
-\p I will speak in parables; I will tell parables to teach what I have kept secret since I created the world.
+\p "I will speak in parables; I will tell parables to teach what I have kept secret since I created the world."
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 36 After Jesus sent the crowd away, he went into the house. Then the disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds that grew in the wheat field."
+\p
 \v 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed represents me, the Son of Man.
 \v 38 The field represents this world, where people live. The seeds that grew well represent the people over whom God rules. The weeds represent the people who do what the devil, the Evil One, tells them to do.
 \v 39 The enemy who sowed the weed seeds represents the devil. The time when the reapers will harvest the grain represents the time when the world will end. The reapers represent the angels.
@@ -1013,18 +1048,18 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 40 The weeds are gathered and burned. That represents what will happen when God judges all people, when the world will end. It will be like this:
 \v 41 I, the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will gather from among all that I am ruling the things that cause others to sin and all those who violate God's will.
 \v 42 The angels will throw those people into the fires of hell. There those people will weep and grind their teeth because of the great pain that they are suffering.
-\v 43 However, the people who have lived as he wants them to will shine out as brightly as the sun shines. They will shine out because God, their Father, will rule over them. If you are able to understand this, you should think carefully about what I have just said."
+\v 43 However, the people who have lived as he wants them to will shine out as brightly as the sun shines. They will shine out because God, their Father, will rule over them. If you are able to understand this, you should think carefully about what I have just said.
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 44 "God's ruling from heaven is so precious it is like a man who found a great treasure that another person had buried in a field. When this man dug it up, he buried it again so no one else would find it. Then he went and sold all his possessions to obtain money to buy that field. He then went and bought the field, and so he was able to acquire that treasure.
 \p
-\v 45 Also, God ruling from heaven is so precious it is like what a merchant did who was looking for good quality pearls to buy.
+\v 45 "Also, God ruling from heaven is so precious it is like what a merchant did who was looking for good quality pearls to buy.
 \v 46 When he found one very costly pearl that was for sale, he sold all his possessions to acquire enough money to buy that pearl. Then he went and bought it.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 47 When God rules from heaven, it is like what certain fishermen did with the fish they caught in a lake with a large net. They caught all kinds of fish, both useful and worthless fish.
+\v 47 "When God rules from heaven, it is like what certain fishermen did with the fish they caught in a lake with a large net. They caught all kinds of fish, both useful and worthless fish.
 \v 48 When the net was full, the fishermen pulled it up onto the shore. Then they sat there and put the good fish into buckets, but they threw the worthless ones away.
 
 \s5
@@ -1033,7 +1068,9 @@ because you understand what I say.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 51 Then Jesus asked the disciples, "Do you understand all these parables I have told you?" They said to him, "Yes, we understand them."
+\v 51 Then Jesus asked the disciples, "Do you understand all these parables I have told you?" 
+\p They said to him, "Yes, we understand them."
+\p
 \v 52 Then he said, "Those teachers and interpeters who understand these parables and act accordingly under the rule of God from heaven are like a house owner who shares both new things and old things out of his storage room."
 
 \p
@@ -1045,6 +1082,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 56 And his sisters also live here in our town. So how is he able to teach and do all these things?"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 57 The people there refused to accept that Jesus had such authority. So Jesus said to them, "People honor me and other prophets everywhere else we go, but in our hometowns we are not honored, and even our own families do not honor us!"
 \v 58 Jesus did not perform many miracles there because the people did not believe that he had such authority.
 
@@ -1056,6 +1094,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 2 He said to his servants, "That must be John the Baptizer. He must have risen from the dead, and that is why he has power to do these miracles."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 3-4 This is what happened to make Herod think this. Herod had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, while Philip was still living. So John kept saying to him, "What you have done is against God's law!" Then, to please Herodias, Herod told his soldiers to arrest John. They bound him with chains and put him in prison.
 \v 5 Herod wanted to order his men to execute John, but he was afraid of the general public, because they believed that John was a prophet speaking for God.
 
@@ -1083,8 +1122,11 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 15 When it was nearly evening, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a place where nobody lives, and it is very late. Tell the crowds to go away so they can buy food in the towns nearby."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 16 But Jesus said to his disciples, "They do not need to leave to get food. Instead, you yourselves give them something to eat!"
+\p
 \v 17 The disciples said, "But we have only five loaves of bread and two cooked fish here!"
+\p
 \v 18 He said, "Bring them to me!"
 
 \s5
@@ -1104,19 +1146,24 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 27 Immediately Jesus said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 28 Peter said to him, "Lord, if it is you, tell me to walk on the water to you!"
+\p
 \v 29 Jesus said, "Come!" So Peter got out of the boat. He walked on the water toward Jesus.
 \v 30 But when Peter paid attention to the strong wind, he became afraid. He began to sink in the water and cried out, "Lord, rescue me!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 31 Right away Jesus reached out with his hand and grabbed Peter. He said to him, "You only trust a little bit in my power! Why did you doubt that I could keep you from sinking?"
 \v 32 Then Jesus and Peter got in the boat, and the wind immediately stopped blowing.
+\p
 \v 33 All of the disciples who were in the boat bowed down to Jesus and said, "You are really the Son of God!"
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 34 When they had gone further around the lake in the boat, they reached the shore at the town of Gennesaret.
 \v 35 The men of that area recognized Jesus, so they sent people to inform those who lived in the whole region that Jesus had come. So the people brought to Jesus everyone who was sick.
+\p
 \v 36 The sick people kept begging him to allow them to touch him or even only the edge of his robe so that they would be healed. Everyone who touched him or his robe were healed.
 
 
@@ -1125,10 +1172,12 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \p
 \v 1 Then some Pharisees and men who taught the Jewish laws came from Jerusalem to talk to Jesus. They said,
 \v 2 "We see that your disciples disobey the traditions of our ancestors! They do not perform the proper ritual of washing their hands before they eat!"
+\p
 \v 3 Jesus answered them, "And I see that you refuse to obey God's commands just so that you can follow what your ancestors taught you!
 
 \s5
 \v 4 God gave these two commands: 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'People who speak evil about their father or mother must be executed.'
+\p
 \v 5 But you tell the people, 'You can say to your father or mother, "What I was going to give to you to help provide for you, I have now promised to give to God."'
 \v 6 When you do that, you think that you do not need to give anything to your parents. In that way you ignore what God commanded, just so that you can follow what your ancestors taught you!
 
@@ -1151,7 +1200,8 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 15 Peter said to Jesus, "Explain to us the parable about what a person eats."
-\v 16 Jesus replied to them, "You should certainly understand what I teach, but I am disappointed that you do not.
+\p
+\v 16 Jesus replied to them, "You should certainly understand what I teach, and I am disappointed that you do not.
 \v 17 You ought to understand that whatever food people eat enters their stomachs, and later what remains passes out of their bodies.
 
 \s5
@@ -1162,16 +1212,22 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 21 After Jesus took the disciples and left the district of Galilee, they all went toward the region where the cities of Tyre and Sidon are located.
-\v 22 A woman from the group of people called Canaanites, who live in that region, came to Jesus. She kept shouting to him, "Lord, you are the descendant of King David, have pity on me! My daughter is suffering very much because a demon controls her."
+\v 22 A woman came to Jesus. She was from the group of people called Canaanites, who live in that region. She came to Jesus and kept shouting to him, "Lord, you are the descendant of King David, have pity on me! My daughter is suffering very much because a demon controls her."
+\p
 \v 23 But Jesus did not answer her at all. The disciples said to him, "Tell her to leave because she keeps bothering us by shouting behind us as we go along."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 24 Jesus said to her, "God has sent me only to the people of Israel, because they are like sheep who have lost their way."
+\p
 \v 25 But the woman came closer to Jesus and knelt down in front of him. She pled, "Lord, help me!"
+\p
 \v 26 Then he told her, "It is not good for someone to take food that has been prepared for his children and throw it to the little dogs in the house."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 27 But the woman replied, "Lord, what you say is correct, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall to the floor when their masters sit at their own tables and eat!"
+\p
 \v 28 Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, because you believe firmly in me, I will heal your daughter as you desire!" At that moment the demon left her daughter, and she became well.
 
 \s5
@@ -1183,8 +1239,11 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "This crowd of people has been with me for three days and have nothing left to eat. I feel sorry for them. I do not want to send them away while they are still hungry, because if I did that, they might faint on the way home."
+\p
 \v 33 The disciples said to him, "In this place where nobody lives, we cannot possibly obtain enough food to feed such a large crowd!"
-\v 34 Jesus asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They answered him, "Seven small loaves and a few small cooked fish."
+\v 34 Jesus asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" 
+\p They answered him, "Seven small loaves and a few small cooked fish."
+\p
 \v 35 Then Jesus told the people to sit on the ground.
 
 \s5
@@ -1199,6 +1258,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \c 16
 \p
 \v 1 Some Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and said to him, "Show us that God has really sent you to us! Do a miracle in the sky and use his power to convince us!"
+\p
 \v 2 He answered them, "In our country, if the sky is red in the evening, we say, 'It will be good weather tomorrow.'
 
 \s5
@@ -1209,8 +1269,10 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \p
 \v 5 They all sailed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Then the disciples realized that they had forgotten to take anything to eat with them.
 \v 6 At that point, Jesus said to them, "Be careful not to accept the yeast that the Pharisees and Sadducees want to give you."
+\p
 \v 7 They tried to make sense out of what Jesus had told them, and they said to each other, "He must have said that because we forgot to bring anything to eat!"
-\v 8 But Jesus knew what they were saying and answered them, "I am disappointed that you think it was because you forgot bring bread that I talked about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. You believe only a little what I am able to do for you.
+\p
+\v 8 But Jesus knew what they were saying and answered them, "You believe only a little about what I am able to do for you. Why are you discussing about why there is no bread for your to eat?  
 
 \s5
 \v 9 Do not think I am worried about having food. Have you really forgotten how I fed the five thousand with five loaves, or how many baskets of leftover food you gathered up?
@@ -1223,11 +1285,15 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 13 When Jesus and his disciples entered into the region near the city of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, "Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, really am?"
+\p
 \v 14 They answered, "Some people say that you are John the Baptizer, who has come back to life again. Others say that you are the prophet Elijah, who has returned from heaven as God promised. Still others say that you are the prophet Jeremiah or one of the other prophets who lived long ago, who has come back to life again."
+\p
 \v 15 Jesus said to them, "What about you? Who do you say that I am?"
+\p
 \v 16 Simon Peter said to him, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 17 Then Jesus said to him, "Simon, son of Jonah, God is pleased with you. What you just said—no human has revealed this to you. Instead, it was my Father who lives in heaven who has revealed this to you.
 \v 18 I will also tell you this: You are Peter, which means 'rock.' You will be the support for the group of those who believe in me, like a large rock supports a great building. And even the powers of death will not be strong enough to stand up against it."
 
@@ -1239,16 +1305,17 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \p
 \v 21 From that time Jesus began to teach the disciples that it was necessary for him to go to the city of Jerusalem. There the ruling elders, the chief priests, and the men who taught the Jewish laws would cause him to suffer and die. Then on the third day after that, he would come alive again.
 \v 22 But Peter took Jesus aside and began to scold him for saying these things. He said, "Lord, may God never permit that to happen to you! That must certainly not happen!"
+\p
 \v 23 Then Jesus turned to look at Peter, and he said to him, "Get out of my sight, because Satan is speaking through you. You are trying to get me to sin. You are not thinking what God thinks, but only what people think!"
 \s5
 \p
 \v 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to trust me and go where I am going, he must put away his own desires and purposes, and he must take up his own cross, and go where I go.
-\v 25 Whoever tries to save his own life, will find that instead of saving his life, he will lose it. But whoever loses his life for me, he will find his life.
-\v 26 What good would it be for a person to get everything he wants in this world, but then for him to lose his life? What will a man gain in his possessions that would be as valuable as his own life? 
+\v 25 Whoever tries to save his own life will find that instead of saving his life, he will lose it. But whoever loses his life for me, he will find his life.
+\v 26 What good would it be for a person to get everything he wants in this world but then for him to lose his life? What will a man gain in his possessions that would be as valuable as his own life? 
 
 \s5
 \v 27 Listen carefully. I, the Son of Man, will leave this earth, but I will return, and the angels of heaven will accompany me. At that time I will have the glorious light that my Father has, and I will reward everyone according to what they did when they were alive in this world.
-\v 28 Listen carefully! Some of you who are here now will see me, the one who came from heaven, when I return as king. You will see this before you die!"
+\v 28 Listen carefully! Some of you who are here now will see me, the Son of Man, when I come to begin my rule as king!"
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1262,17 +1329,21 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 4 Peter saw them and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is excellent for us to be here! If you want me to, I will set up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 5 While Peter was speaking, a bright cloud came over them. They heard God speaking about Jesus from inside the cloud. He said to them, "This is my Son. I love him. He pleases me very much. So you must listen to him!"
 \v 6 When the three disciples heard God speaking, they were exceedingly afraid. As a result, they fell facedown on the ground.
+\p
 \v 7 But Jesus went to them and touched them and said to them, "Stand up! Do not be afraid anymore!"
 \v 8 And when they looked up, they saw that Jesus was the only one who was still there.
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 9 While they were walking down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Do not tell anyone what you saw on the mountain top until God has caused me, the Son of Man, to become alive again after I die."
+\p
 \v 10 Those disciples asked Jesus, "If what you say is true, why do the men who teach the Jewish laws say that Elijah must come first, and only then can the Christ come?"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 11 Jesus answered them, "It is true that God promised that Elijah would come first and he would prepare everything for the coming of Christ.
 \v 12 But I tell you this: Elijah has already come, and our leaders have seen him, but they did not recognize him. Instead, they treated him badly, just as they desired. And soon those same rulers will treat me, the one who has come from heaven, in the same manner."
 \v 13 Then the disciples understood that when he was talking about Elijah, he was referring to John the Baptizer.
@@ -1280,15 +1351,18 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 14 When Jesus and the disciples returned to the rest of the disciples and to the crowd that had gathered, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.
-\v 15 He said to him, "Sir, have mercy on my son and heal him! He has epilepsy and suffers very much. Because of this illness, he has fallen in the fire and in the water many times.
+\v 15 He said to him, "Sir, have mercy on my son and heal him! He has epilepsy and suffers very much. Because of this illness, he has fallen into the fire and into the water many times.
 \v 16 I brought him to your disciples in order that they might heal him, but they were not able to heal him."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 17 Jesus responded, "You people of this time do not believe at all in God's power. How confused you are! How long do I have to be with you before you are able to do what I do? Bring the boy here to me!"
 \v 18 When they brought the boy to Jesus, Jesus spoke severely to the demon that was causing the epilepsy. As a result, the demon came out of the boy, and the boy was healed from that time onward.
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 19 Later, some of the disciples approached Jesus when he was by himself and asked him, "Why were we not able to drive out the demon?"
+\p
 \v 20-21 He answered them, "It is because you did not believe very much in God's power. Think about this: Mustard seeds are very small, but they grow and produce large plants. Similarly, if you believe even a little bit that God will do what you ask him to, you will be able to do anything! You could even say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there!' and it would go where you told it to go."
 
 \s5
@@ -1299,10 +1373,13 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 24 When Jesus and the disciples came to the city of Capernaum, the men who collected taxes for the temple approached Peter and said to him, "Your teacher pays the temple tax, does he not?"
-\v 25 He answered them, "Yes, he does pay it." When the disciples came into Jesus' house, before Peter began to speak, Jesus said to him, "Simon, from whom do you think rulers collect revenue or taxes? Do they collect taxes from the citizens of their own country, or from citizens of countries they have conquered?"
+\v 25 He answered them, "Yes, he does pay it." 
+\p When the disciples came into Jesus' house, before Peter began to speak, Jesus said to him, "Simon, from whom do you think rulers collect revenue or taxes? Do they collect taxes from the citizens of their own country, or from citizens of countries they have conquered?"
 
 \s5
-\v 26 Peter answered him, "From citizens of other countries." Then Jesus said to him, "So citizens of their own country do not need to pay taxes.
+\p
+\v 26 Peter answered him, "From citizens of other countries." 
+\p Then Jesus said to him, "So citizens of their own country do not need to pay taxes.
 \v 27 But go ahead and pay the tax for us so that the temple tax collectors will not become angry with us. In order to get the money to pay it, go to the Sea of Galilee, cast your fish line and hook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a silver coin that is worth enough to pay the tax for you and me. Take that coin and give it to the temple tax collectors."
 
 
@@ -1310,12 +1387,13 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \c 18
 \p
 \v 1 At that precise time the disciples approached Jesus and asked him, "Who among us will be the most important when God makes you king from heaven?"
+\p
 \v 2 Jesus called a child to come, and he placed that child in their midst.
 \v 3 He said, "I tell you the truth: If you do not change and become as humble as little children, surely you will not come under the rule of God from heaven.
 
 \s5
 \v 4 The people who become as humble as this child will be the most important people among those over whom God will rule from heaven.
-\v 5 Also, whenever people welcome a child like this one because they love me, God considers that they are welcoming me."
+\v 5 Also, whenever people welcome a child like this one because they love me, God considers that they are welcoming me.
 \p
 \v 6 "If a person causes someone who believes in me to sin, even if it is someone who people think is as unimportant as this little child, God will severely punish that person. He will punish that person worse than if someone had thrown him into the sea's deep waters with a heavy stone tied to his neck!
 
@@ -1324,7 +1402,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 8 So if you are wanting to use one of your hands or feet to sin, stop using that hand or foot! Even if you have to cut it off so you will not sin! Suppose you had only one hand or one foot and still lived forever with God, how much better is that than if you had both hands and both feet and God threw you into the eternal fire in hell because of your sin.
 
 \s5
-\v 9 Yes, and if what you see makes you want to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out one of your eyes and throw it away to keep from sinning! Suppose you had only one eye and still lived forever with God, how much better is that than if you had both eyes and God threw you into the eternal fire in hell."
+\v 9 Yes, and if what you see makes you want to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out one of your eyes and throw it away to keep from sinning! Suppose you had only one eye and still lived forever with God, how much better is that than if you had both eyes and God threw you into the eternal fire in hell.
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1334,7 +1412,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \v 12 What do you think you would do in the following situation? If you had one hundred sheep and one of them got lost, you would surely leave the ninety-nine sheep that were on the hillside and go and search for the lost one, would you not?
 \v 13 If you found it, I affirm to you that you would rejoice very much. You would be happy that ninety-nine sheep did not stray away, but you would rejoice even more because you had found the sheep that had strayed away.
-\v 14 In the same way that the shepherd does not want one of his sheep to stray away, so God, your Father in heaven, does not want even one of these children to go to hell."
+\v 14 In the same way that the shepherd does not want one of his sheep to stray away, so God, your Father in heaven, does not want even one of these children to go to hell.
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1346,17 +1424,18 @@ because you understand what I say.
 
 \s5
 \v 18 Keep this in mind: Whatever you decide on earth about punishing or not punishing a member of your congregation is what has also been decided by God in heaven.
-\v 19 Also note this: If at least two of you who live here on earth agree together about whatever you ask for, my Father who is in heaven, will give you what you ask for.
-\v 20 This is true, because wherever at least two or three of you assemble because you believe in me, I am with you."
+\v 19 Also note this: If at least two of you who live here on earth agree together about whatever you ask for, my Father who is in heaven will give you what you ask for.
+\v 20 This is true because wherever at least two or three of you assemble because you believe in me, I am with you."
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 21 Then Peter approached Jesus and said to him, "How many times must I forgive a fellow believer who keeps on sinning against me? If he keeps asking me to forgive him, must I forgive him as many as seven times?"
+\p
 \v 22 Jesus said to him, "I tell you that the number of times you must forgive someone is not just up to seven, but you must forgive him seventy-seven times.
 
 \s5
 \v 23 God's rule from heaven is like a king and his officials. He wanted his officials to pay what they owed him.
-\v 24 So those officials came to the king to settle their accounts with him. One of the officials brought to the king owed him a debt that was worth the value of more than three metric tons of gold.
+\v 24 So those officials came to the king to settle their accounts with him. One of the officials who was brought to the king owed him a debt that was worth the value of more than three metric tons of gold.
 \v 25 But because he did not have enough money to pay what he owed, the king demanded that he, his wife, his children and all he possessed be sold to someone else and that the king be repaid with the money that was paid for them.
 
 \s5
@@ -1365,6 +1444,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 
 \s5
 \v 28 Then this same official went to another one of the king's officials who owed him a bit less than a year's wages. He grabbed him by the throat, started choking him, and said to him, 'Pay back what you owe me!'
+\p
 \v 29 That official fell on his knees and begged him saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you all of it, eventually.'
 
 \s5
@@ -1372,7 +1452,8 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 31 When the other officials of the king learned that this had happened, they were very distressed. So they went to the king and reported in detail what had happened.
 
 \s5
-\v 32 Then the king summoned the official who had owed him a debt worth more than three metric tons of gold. He said to him, 'You wicked servant! I canceled that huge debt that you owed me because you begged me to do so!
+\p
+\v 32 "Then the king summoned the official who had owed him a debt worth more than three metric tons of gold. He said to him, 'You wicked servant! I canceled that huge debt that you owed me because you begged me to do so!
 \v 33 You should have been merciful and canceled your fellow official's debt, just like I was merciful to you and canceled your debt!'
 
 \s5
@@ -1388,6 +1469,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 3 Some Pharisees approached him and said to him, "Does our Jewish law permit a man to divorce his wife for any reason whatever?" They asked that in order to be able to debate with him.
+\p
 \v 4 Jesus said to them, "You have read the scriptures, so you should know that at the time when God first created people, 'He made one man, and he made one woman.'
 
 \s5
@@ -1397,11 +1479,14 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 7 The Pharisees then said to him, "If that is true, why did Moses command that a man who wanted to divorce his wife should give her a paper stating his reason for divorcing her, and then send her away?"
+\p
 \v 8 Jesus said to them, "It was because your ancestors stubbornly wanted their own ways that Moses allowed them to divorce their wives, and you are no different from them. But when God first created a man and a woman, he did not intend for them to separate from each other.
 \v 9 I am telling you emphatically that God considers that any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery, unless his first wife has committed adultery."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 10 The disciples said to him, "If that is true, it is better for men never to marry!"
+\p
 \v 11 He answered, "Not every man is able to accept this teaching, but only the men whom God enables to accept it.
 \v 12 There are men who do not marry because their private parts have been defective ever since they were born. There are other men who do not marry because they have been castrated. Then there are still other men who decide not to marry in order to serve God better as he rules from heaven. You who are able to understand what I have said about marriage should accept it and obey it."
 
@@ -1414,14 +1499,19 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 16 As Jesus was walking along, a young man approached him and said to him, "Teacher, what good deeds must I do in order to live with God forever?"
+\p
 \v 17 Jesus said to him, "Why are you asking me about what is good? Only one being is good and really knows what is good. That being is God. But in order to answer your question about desiring to live with God forever, I will tell you to keep the commandments that God gave Moses."
 
 \s5
-\v 18 The man asked Jesus, "Which commandments must I keep?" Jesus answered him, "Do not murder anyone, do not commit adultery, do not steal things, do not testify falsely,
+\p
+\v 18 The man asked Jesus, "Which commandments must I keep?" 
+\p Jesus answered him, "Do not murder anyone, do not commit adultery, do not steal things, do not testify falsely,
 \v 19 honor your father and your mother, and love every other person as much as you love yourself."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 20 The young man said to Jesus, "I have always obeyed all those commandments. What else must I do in order to live with God forever?"
+\p
 \v 21 Jesus said to him, "If you desire to be exactly how God wants you to be, go home, sell everything that you have, and give the money to poor people. The result will be that you will be wealthy in heaven. Then come, follow me, and be my disciple!"
 \v 22 When the young man heard those words, he went away feeling sad, because he was very rich and did not want to give away everything he owned.
 
@@ -1431,15 +1521,20 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 24 Note this also: It is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is even more difficult for rich people to come under the rule of God."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astounded. They thought that rich people were the ones whom God blesses the most. So they said to Jesus, "If that is so, it does not seem likely that anyone will be saved!"
+\p
 \v 26 Then Jesus looked intently at them and said, "Yes, it is impossible for people to save themselves. But God can save them, because God is able to do anything!"
+\p
 \v 27 Then Peter said to him, "You know that we have left everything behind and we have become your disciples in order to follow you. So what benefit will we get for doing that?"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 28 Jesus said to them, "Keep this in mind: You will get many benefits. When God makes the new earth and when I, the Son of Man, sit on my throne in my glory, those of you who have accompanied me will each sit on a throne, and you will judge the people of the twelve tribes of Israel.
 
 \s5
 \v 29 God will reward those who, because they were my disciples, left behind a house or a plot of ground, their brothers, their sisters, their father, their mother, their children, or any other family members. God will give them a hundred times as many benefits as they have given up. And they will live with God forever.
+\p
 \v 30 But many people who are important in this life now will be unimportant at that future time, and many people who are unimportant now will be important at that future time."
 
 
@@ -1456,7 +1551,9 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \v 5 At noon and at three o'clock he again went to the marketplace and found other laborers whom he promised to pay a fair wage.
 \v 6 At five o'clock he went to the marketplace once again and saw other men standing there who were not working. He said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day and not working?'
-\v 7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'I will hire you. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, and work there.' So they went.
+\p
+\v 7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' 
+\p He said to them, 'I will hire you. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, and work there.' So they went.
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1466,15 +1563,18 @@ because you understand what I say.
 
 \s5
 \v 11 So they complained to the owner of the vineyard because they thought their payment was unfair.
+\p
 \v 12 They said to him, 'You are not being fair! The men who started working after all of the rest of us worked for only one hour! You have paid them the same wage as you paid us! But we worked hard all day. We even worked through the hottest part!'
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 13 The owner of the vineyard said to one of those who complained, 'Friend, I did not treat you unfairly. You agreed with me to work the whole day for a standard day's wage.
 \v 14 Stop complaining to me! Take your wages and go! I desire to give the same wage that I gave you to the men who began working after all of you had begun working.
 
 \s5
-\v 15 I certainly have a right to spend my money as I desire, do I not? You should not be envious about my being generous! '"
-\v 16 "Similarly, God will reward well some people who seem to be less important now, and he will not reward some people who seem to be more important now."
+\p
+\v 15 I certainly have a right to spend my money as I desire, do I not? You should not be envious about my being generous!'
+\v 16 Similarly, God will reward well some people who seem to be less important now, and he will not reward some people who seem to be more important now."
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1486,10 +1586,14 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, brought her two sons to Jesus. She bowed down before Jesus and asked him to do her a favor.
-\v 21 Jesus said to her, "What do you want me to do for you?" She said to him, "Permit these two sons of mine to sit in the places of most honor when you become king, one on your right hand and the other on your left."
+\v 21 Jesus said to her, "What do you want me to do for you?" 
+\p She said to him, "Permit these two sons of mine to sit in the places of most honor when you become king, one on your right hand and the other on your left."
 
 \s5
-\v 22 Jesus said to her and her sons, "You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer?" James and John answered him, "Yes, we are able to do that."
+\p
+\v 22 Jesus said to her and her sons, "You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer?" 
+\p James and John answered him, "Yes, we are able to do that."
+\p
 \v 23 Then Jesus said to them, "Yes, you will suffer as I will suffer. But I am not the one who chooses the ones who will sit next to me and rule with me. God, my Father, will give those places to the ones whom he appoints."
 \p
 \v 24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had requested, they became angry with them because they also wanted to rule with Jesus in the positions of most honor.
@@ -1508,6 +1612,7 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 31 People in the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But the blind men yelled even louder, "Lord, descendant of King David! Take pity on us!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 32 Jesus stopped and called them to come to him. Then he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"
 \v 33 They said to him, "Lord, heal our eyes so that we can see!"
 \v 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they went after Jesus.
@@ -1520,6 +1625,8 @@ because you understand what I say.
 \v 3 If anyone says anything to you about your doing that, tell him, 'The Lord needs them.' He will then allow you to lead them away."
 
 \s5
+
+\p
 \v 4-5 When all this happened, what one of the prophets had written came true. That prophet had written, "Tell the people who live in Jerusalem, 'Look! Your king is coming to you! He will come humbly. He will show that he is humble, because he will be riding on a colt, the offspring of a donkey.'"
 
 \s5
@@ -1534,8 +1641,9 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \q "Praise to the descendant of King David!"
 \q "May the Lord bless this one who comes as God's representative and with God's authority."
 \q "Praise to God who is in the highest heaven!"
-\m
+\p
 \v 10 As Jesus entered Jerusalem, many people from all over the city became excited and were saying, "Why are they honoring this man like that?"
+\p
 \v 11 The crowd that was already following him answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee!"
 
 
@@ -1547,8 +1655,11 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 14 After that, many blind people and lame people came to Jesus in the temple in order that he would heal them, and he did so.
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 15 The high priests and the men who taught the people the Jewish laws saw the marvelous deeds that Jesus did. But when they saw the children shouting in the temple, "Praise to the descendant of King David!" they were very angry.
-\v 16 They asked him, "How can you tolerate this? Do you hear what these people are shouting?" Then Jesus said to them, "Yes, I hear them, but if you remembered what you have read in the scriptures about children praising me, you would know that God is pleased with them. The psalmist wrote, saying to God, 'You have taught infants and other children to praise you perfectly.'"
+\p
+\v 16 They asked him, "How can you tolerate this? Do you hear what these people are shouting?" 
+\p Then Jesus said to them, "Yes, I hear them, but if you remembered what you have read in the scriptures about children praising me, you would know that God is pleased with them. The psalmist wrote, saying to God, 'You have taught infants and other children to praise you perfectly.'"
 \p
 \v 17 Then Jesus left the city. The disciples went with him to the village of Bethany, and they stayed there that night.
 
@@ -1559,7 +1670,9 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 19 He saw a fig tree near the road, so he went over to it to pick some figs to eat. But when he got close, he saw that there were no figs on the tree, but only leaves. So he said to the fig tree, "May you never again produce figs!" As a result, the fig tree immediately dried up.
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 20 The next day the disciples saw that the fig tree was completely dead. They were astonished and said to Jesus, "How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?"
+\p
 \v 21 Jesus said to them, "Think about this: If you believe that God has power to do what you ask him to and you do not doubt that, you will be able to do things like what I have done to this fig tree. You will even be able to do marvelous deeds like saying to that hill over there, 'Uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea,' and it will happen!
 \v 22 In addition to that, whenever you ask God for something when you pray to him, if you believe that he will give it to you, you will receive it from him."
 
@@ -1567,22 +1680,30 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 23 After that, Jesus went into the temple courtyard. While he was teaching the people, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him. They asked, "By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do what you did here yesterday?"
+\p
 \v 24 Jesus said to them, "I also will ask you a question, and if you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do these things.
 
 \s5
-\v 25 Where did John the Baptizer get his authority to baptize those who came to him? Did he get it from God or from people?' The chief priests and elders debated among themselves about what they should answer. They said to each other, "If we say, 'It was from God,' he will say to us, 'Then you should have believed his message!'
+\v 25 Where did John the Baptizer get his authority to baptize those who came to him? Did he get it from God or from people?' 
+\p The chief priests and elders debated among themselves about what they should answer. They said to each other, "If we say, 'It was from God,' he will say to us, 'Then you should have believed his message!'
 \v 26 But if we say, 'It was from people,' the crowd might react violently against us, because all the people believe that John was a prophet whom God had sent."
-\v 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know where John got his authority from." Then Jesus said to them, "Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you who gave me the right to do the things I did here yesterday."
+\v 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know where John got his authority from." 
+\p Then Jesus said to them, "Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you who gave me the right to do the things I did here yesterday."
 
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 28 "Tell me what you think about what I am about to tell you. There was a man who had two sons. He went to his older son and said, 'My son, go and work in my vineyard today!'
+\p
 \v 29 But the son said to his father, 'I will not go!' But later he changed his mind, and he went to the vineyard and worked.
+\p
 \v 30 Then the father approached his younger son and said what he had said to his older son. That son said, 'Sir, I will go and work in the vineyard today.' But he did not go there.
 
 \s5
-\v 31 So which of the man's two sons did what their father desired?" They answered, "The older son." Then Jesus said to them, "So think about this: God will be kind to the tax collectors and prostitutes by agreeing to rule over them much sooner than he will agree to rule over you. This is true, even though you condemn those people because they ignore the law of Moses.
+\v 31 So which of the man's two sons did what their father desired?" 
+\p They answered, "The older son." 
+\p Then Jesus said to them, "So think about this: God will be kind to the tax collectors and prostitutes by agreeing to rule over them much sooner than he will agree to rule over you. 
+\p This is true, even though you condemn those people because they ignore the law of Moses.
 \v 32 I say this to you because, even though John the Baptizer explained to you how to live in the right way, you did not believe his message. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed his message, and they turned away from their sinful behavior. In contrast, even though you saw that they changed, you refused to stop sinning, and you did not believe John's message."
 
 
@@ -1597,20 +1718,23 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 37 After he heard about this, the landowner sent his own son to the renters to get his share of the grapes. When he sent him, he said to himself, 'They will certainly respect my son and give him my share of the grapes.'
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 38 But when the renters saw his son arriving, they said to each other, 'This is the man who will inherit this vineyard! Let us join together and kill him and divide the property among ourselves.'
 \v 39 So they grabbed him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
 
 \s5
 \v 40 Now I ask you, when the landowner returns to his vineyard, what do you think he will do to those renters?"
+\p
 \v 41 The people replied, "He will thoroughly destroy those wicked men! Then he will rent the vineyard to others. They will give him his share of the grapes when they are ripe."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 42 Jesus said to them, "You need to think carefully about these words that you have read in the scriptures:
 \q 'The men who were building a large building rejected a certain stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone of the building. The Lord has done this, and we marvel as we look at it.'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 43 So I am telling you this: God will no longer let you be the people who belong to him. Instead, he will take as his own a people who do what he requires them to do.
+\v 43 "So I am telling you this: God will no longer let you be the people who belong to him. Instead, he will take as his own a people who do what he requires them to do.
 \v 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will break into pieces, and the stone will crush anyone on whom it falls."
 
 \s5
@@ -1655,12 +1779,15 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 17 So tell us what you think about this matter: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government, or not?"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 18 But Jesus knew that what they really wanted to do was evil. They were wanting him to say something that would get him in trouble with either the Jewish authorities or the Roman authorities. So he said to them, "You are hypocrites; you want me to say something for which you can accuse me.
 \v 19 Show me one of the coins with which people pay the Roman tax." So they showed him a coin called a denarius.
 
 \s5
 \v 20 He said to them, "Whose picture is on this coin? And whose name is on it?"
-\v 21 They answered, "It has the picture and name of Caesar, the head of the Roman government." Then he said to them, "So give to the government what they require, and give to God what he requires."
+\p
+\v 21 They answered, "It has the picture and name of Caesar, the head of the Roman government." 
+\p Then he said to them, "So give to the government what they require, and give to God what he requires."
 \v 22 When those men heard Jesus say that, they marveled that his answer did not enable anyone to accuse him. Then they left Jesus.
 
 
@@ -1676,6 +1803,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 28 So, at the time when God will raise people from the dead, which of the seven brothers do you think will be her husband? Keep in mind that they had all been married to her."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 29 Jesus replied to them, "You are certainly wrong in what you are thinking. You do not know what is written in the scriptures. You also do not know that God has the power to make people alive again.
 \v 30 The fact is that the woman will not be the wife of any of them, because after God causes all dead people to live again, no one will be married. Instead, people will be like the angels in heaven. They do not marry.
 
@@ -1685,7 +1813,6 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \p
 \v 33 When the crowds of people heard Jesus teach that, they were amazed.
 
-
 \s5
 \p
 \v 34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had answered the Sadducees in such a way that the Sadducees could not think of anything that they might say to respond to him, the Pharisees gathered together to plan what they would say to him. Then they approached him.
@@ -1693,6 +1820,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 36 "Teacher, which commandment in the laws that God gave Moses is the most important?"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 37 Jesus quoted the scriptures as he replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your inner being. Show that you love him in all that you desire, in all that you feel, and in all that you think.'
 \v 38 That is the most important commandment in the laws that God gave Moses.
 
@@ -1704,9 +1832,11 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 41 While the Pharisees were still gathered together near Jesus, he asked them,
-\v 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose descendant is he?" They said to him, "He is the descendant of King David."
+\v 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose descendant is he?" 
+\p They said to him, "He is the descendant of King David."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 43 Jesus said to them, "If the Christ is only one of King David's descendants, then David should not have called him 'Lord' when David was saying what the Holy Spirit told him to say.
 \v 44 David wrote this in the scriptures about the Christ: 'God said to my Lord, "Sit here beside me on my right, where I will greatly honor you, while I put your enemies under your feet."'
 
@@ -1736,14 +1866,14 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 10 Do not allow people to call you 'teacher,' because the Christ is your only teacher.
 
 \s5
-\v 11 Instead, everyone among you who wants God to consider them as important must serve others as servants do.
-\v 12 God will humble those who try to make themselves important. Those who humble themselves, God will make them truly important."
+\v 11 Instead, if a person wants God to consider them as someone who is very important, they must serve others as servants do.
+\v 12 God will humble those who try to make themselves important. Those who humble themselves, God will make them truly important.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 13-14 "You teachers of the law and you Pharisees, you are hypocrites! How terribly God will punish you, because you refuse to come under the rule of heaven and also keep others out. You yourselves do not want to go in, and you keep others from entering, too."
+\v 13-14 "You teachers of the law and you Pharisees, you are hypocrites! How terribly God will punish you because you refuse to come under the rule of heaven and also keep others out. You yourselves do not want to go in, and you keep others from entering, too.
 \p
-\v 15 "You are hypocrites, you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! How terribly God will punish you! You work hard to get even one person to believe what you teach. You even travel across seas and lands to distant places in order to do that. And as a result, when one person believes what you teach, you make that person deserve to go to hell much more than you yourselves do."
+\v 15 "You are hypocrites, you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! How terribly God will punish you! You work hard to get even one person to believe what you teach. You even travel across seas and lands to distant places in order to do that. And as a result, when one person believes what you teach, you make that person deserve to go to hell much more than you yourselves do.
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1757,7 +1887,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \s5
 \v 20 So those who promise to do something and then ask the altar to confirm that they will do it, they are also asking everything on the altar to do the same thing.
 \v 21 Yes, and those who promise to do something and then ask the temple to confirm that they will do it, they are also asking that God, to whom the temple belongs, will confirm the same thing.
-\v 22 And those who promise to do something and then ask heaven to confirm that they will do it, they are asking the throne of God to confirm that they will do it, and they are also asking God, who sits on that throne, to confirm the same thing."
+\v 22 And those who promise to do something and then ask heaven to confirm that they will do it, they are asking the throne of God to confirm that they will do it, and they are also asking God, who sits on that throne, to confirm the same thing.
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1766,13 +1896,13 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 25 "You hypocrites, you teachers of the law and you Pharisees, how terribly God will punish you! You make yourselves appear like good people to others. You try to make people think you are righteous, but in fact you sin against them by your greed and taking what belongs to others to delight your own pleasures. You are like dishes that are clean on the outside but are still dirty on the inside.
-\v 26 You blind Pharisees! First you must stop doing evil things like stealing from others. Then you will be able to do what is righteous and will be like a dish that is clean both outside and inside."
+\v 25 "You hypocrites, you teachers of the law and you Pharisees, how terribly God will punish you! You make yourselves appear like good people to others. You try to make people think you are righteous, but in fact you sin against them by your greed and by your taking what belongs to others to delight your own pleasures. You are like dishes that are clean on the outside but are still dirty on the inside.
+\v 26 You blind Pharisees! First you must stop doing evil things like stealing from others. Then you will be able to do what is righteous and will be like a dish that is clean both outside and inside.
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 27 "You hypocrites, you men who teach the laws and you Pharisees, how terribly God will punish you! You are like buildings over people's graves, buildings that are painted white so that people can see them and avoid touching them. The outside of those tombs are beautiful, but inside they are full of dead people's bones and filth.
-\v 28 You are like those tombs. When people look at you, they think that you are righteous, but in your inner beings you are hypocrites, because you disobey God's commands."
+\v 28 You are like those tombs. When people look at you, they think that you are righteous, but in your inner beings you are hypocrites because you disobey God's commands.
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1785,13 +1915,13 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 33 You people are so wicked! You are as dangerous as poisonous snakes! You foolishly think that you will escape from God punishing you in hell!
 
 \s5
-\v 34 Take note that this is why I will send prophets, wise men, and teachers. You will kill some of them by nailing them to crosses, and you will kill some in other ways. You will whip some of them in the places where you worship and you will chase them from city to city.
+\v 34 Take note that this is why I will send prophets, wise men, and teachers. You will kill some of them by nailing them to crosses, and you will kill some in other ways. You will whip some of them in the places where you worship, and you will chase them from city to city.
 \v 35 So God will consider that you and your ancestors are guilty for killing all the righteous people who ever lived on earth, including Adam's son Abel, who was a righteous man, and Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom your ancestors killed in the holy place between the temple and the altar. You also killed all the prophets who lived between the times that those two men lived.
-\v 36 Think about this: You people who have observed my ministry, it is you whom God will punish for killing all those prophets!"
+\v 36 Think about this: You people who have observed my ministry, it is you whom God will punish for killing all those prophets!
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 37 "O people of Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets who lived long ago, and you who killed with stones others whom God had sent to you. Many, many times I wanted to gather you together to protect you, like a hen gathers her young chicks under her wings. But you did not want me to do that.
+\v 37 "O people of Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets who lived long ago, and you who killed with stones others whom God had sent to you, but there were many times that I wanted to gather you together to protect you, like a hen gathers her young chicks under her wings. But you did not want me to do that.
 \v 38 So listen to this: Your city will become an uninhabited place.
 \v 39 Keep this in mind: You will see me again only when I return, when you say about me, 'God is truly pleased with this man who comes with God's authority.'"
 
@@ -1817,14 +1947,14 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 9 More bad things will happen. People who oppose you will take you away to suffer and die. People who live in all the people groups will hate you because you believe in me.
+\v 9 "More bad things will happen. People who oppose you will take you away to suffer and die. People who live in all the people groups will hate you because you believe in me.
 \v 10 Also, many people will stop believing because of the way they will suffer. They will betray their own fellow believers and will hate each other.
 \v 11 Many will come saying that they are prophets, but they will be lying, and they will deceive many people.
 
 \s5
 \v 12 Because more and more people will disobey God's laws, many believers will no longer love each other.
 \v 13 But all those who keep on believing to the end of their lives, God will save them.
-\v 14 Furthermore, believers will preach the good news about how God is ruling in every part of the world, in order to announce it to all people groups. Then the end of the world will come."
+\v 14 Furthermore, believers will preach the good news about how God is ruling in every part of the world, in order to announce it to all people groups. Then the end of the world will come.
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1838,19 +1968,19 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women at that time, and for women who will be nursing their babies, because it will be very difficult for them to run away!
 \v 20 Pray that you will not have to flee in the winter when it will be hard to travel, or on the Sabbath, the day of rest;
 \v 21 because people will suffer very severely when those things happen. People have never suffered that severely since God created the world until now, and no one will ever suffer like that again.
-\v 22 If God had not decided to shorten that time when people will suffer so much, everyone would die. But he has decided to shorten it because he is concerned about the people whom he has chosen."
+\v 22 If God had not decided to shorten that time when people will suffer so much, everyone would die. But he has decided to shorten it because he is concerned about the people whom he has chosen.
 
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 23 "At that time, if someone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or if someone says, 'There is the Christ!' do not believe it!
-\v 24 Those false Christ's and false prophets will perform many kinds of miracles and amazing things, in order to deceive people. They will even try to deceive the people whom God has chosen, if that were possible.
+\v 24 Those false Christs and false prophets will perform many kinds of miracles and amazing things in order to deceive people. They will even try to deceive the people whom God has chosen, if that were possible.
 \v 25 Do not forget that I have warned you about all this before it happens.
 
 \s5
 \v 26 So if someone says to you, 'Look, the Christ is in the wilderness!' do not go there. Likewise, if someone says to you, 'Look, he is in a secret room!' do not believe that person,
 \v 27 because just like lightning flashes from the east to the west and people see it, in the same way, when the Son of Man returns again, everyone will see.
-\v 28 It will be clear to everyone just as when you see vultures gathering you know that an animal carcass is there."
+\v 28 It will be clear to everyone just as when you see vultures gathering, you know that an animal carcass is there.
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1859,7 +1989,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \v 30 After that, everyone will see the Son of Man appear in the sky. Then unbelieving people from all people groups on earth will wail because they will be afraid. They will see me, the Son of Man, coming on the clouds with power and great glory.
-\v 31 He will send his angels to the earth from everywhere in the heavens. When they hear the trumpet's loud blast, they will gather together God's people—the ones he has chosen—from across the whole earth."
+\v 31 He will send his angels to the earth from everywhere in the heavens. When they hear the trumpet's loud blast, they will gather together God's people—the ones he has chosen—from across the whole earth.
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1868,8 +1998,8 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 33 Similarly, when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time for him to return is very close.
 
 \s5
-\v 34 Keep this in mind: All of these events will happen before all the people have died who have observed these things.
-\v 35 You can be certain that these things that I have told you about will happen. The earth and sky will disappear one day, but what I say will always be true."
+\v 34 Keep this in mind: Some of the people of this generation will still be alive when these things happen. 
+\v 35 You can be certain that these things that I have told you about will happen. The earth and sky will disappear one day, but what I say will always be true.
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1886,7 +2016,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \v 43 You know that if the owner of a house knew at what time in the night thieves would come, he would be awake and prevent the thieves from breaking in. Similarly, the Son of Man will come as unexpectedly as a thief.
-\v 44 So you need to be ready because the Son of Man will return to the earth at a time when you do not expect him to come."
+\v 44 So you need to be ready because the Son of Man will return to the earth at a time when you do not expect him to come.
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1899,7 +2029,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 48 But a wicked servant might say to himself, 'The owner has been away for a long time, so he probably will not return soon and find out what I am doing.'
 \v 49 So he will begin to beat the other servants and eat and drink with those who are drunk.
 \v 50 Then the house owner will come back at a time when the servant does not expect him.
-\v 51 He will punish that servant severely and he will put him where the hypocrites are put. In that place the people cry and grind their teeth because they suffer very much."
+\v 51 He will punish that servant severely and he will put him where the hypocrites are put. In that place the people cry and grind their teeth because they suffer very much.
 
 
 \s5
@@ -1912,17 +2042,21 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \v 5 The bridegroom was taking a long time to come, and it became late at night. So all the girls became sleepy and fell asleep.
+\p
 \v 6 In the middle of the night someone woke them up by shouting, 'Here he is! The bridegroom is arriving! Go outside and meet him!'
 
 \s5
 \v 7 So all the girls got up and adjusted their lamps for burning.
+\p 
 \v 8 The foolish girls said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are about to go out!'
 \v 9 The wise girls replied, 'No, because there might not be enough oil for our lamps and yours. Go to the sellers and buy some for yourselves!'
 
 \s5
 \v 10 But while the foolish girls were on their way to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived. Then the wise girls, who were ready, went with him into the wedding hall, where the bride was waiting. Then the door was closed.
+\p
 \v 11 Later, the rest of the girls came to the wedding hall, and they called to the bridegroom, 'Sir, open the door for us!'
 \v 12 But he said to them, 'The truth is that I do not know you, so I will not open the door for you!'"
+\p
 \v 13 Then Jesus continued by saying, "So, in order that this does not happen to you, stay prepared because you do not know when it will be."
 
 
@@ -1938,63 +2072,66 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 19 After a long time the servants' master returned. He called them together to find out what they had done with his money.
+\v 19 "After a long time the servants' master returned. He called them together to find out what they had done with his money.
 \v 20 The servant who had received five bags of gold brought him ten bags. He said, 'Master, you gave me five bags of gold to take care of. Look, I have gained five more!'
-\v 21 His master replied, 'You are a very good servant! You have been very faithful to me. You have managed a small amount of money very well, so I will put you in charge of a lot of things. Come and be happy with me!'
+\p
+\v 21 "His master replied, 'You are a very good servant! You have been very faithful to me. You have managed a small amount of money very well, so I will put you in charge of a lot of things. Come and be happy with me!'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 22 The servant who had received two bags of gold also came, and he said, 'Master, you gave me two bags of gold to take care of. Look, I have gained two more!'
+\v 22 "The servant who had received two bags of gold also came, and he said, 'Master, you gave me two bags of gold to take care of. Look, I have gained two more!'
+\p
 \v 23 His master replied, 'You are a very good servant! You have been very faithful to me. You have managed a small amount of money very well, so I will put you in charge of a lot of things. Come and be happy with me!'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 24 Then the servant who had received one bag of gold came. He said, 'Master, I was afraid of you. I knew that you are a man who expects to make a lot of money even if you invest nothing, like a farmer who tries to harvest a field he did not plant.
+\v 24 "Then the servant who had received one bag of gold came. He said, 'Master, I was afraid of you. I knew that you are a man who expects to make a lot of money even if you invest nothing, like a farmer who tries to harvest a field he did not plant.
 \v 25 I was afraid of what you might do if I lost the money you lent me to invest, so I hid it in the ground. Here it is now; please take it back!'
 
 \s5
-\v 26 His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I expect to make money even when I have invested nothing.
+\p
+\v 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I expect to make money even when I have invested nothing.
 \v 27 So then, you should have at least put my money on deposit in a bank, so that when I returned I would get it back with the interest it earned!'
 
 \s5
 \v 28 Then the master said to his other servants, 'Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the servant who has the ten bags!
 \v 29 To those who use well what they have received, God will give more, and they will have plenty. But from those who do not use well what they have received, even what they already have will be taken away.
-\v 30 Furthermore, throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness, where he will be with those who are wailing and grinding their teeth in pain.'"
+\v 30 Furthermore, throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness, where he will be with those who are wailing and grinding their teeth in pain.'
 
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 31 "When the Son of Man comes again in his brilliant light and brings all his angels, he will sit as king on his throne to judge everyone.
-\v 32 Everyone from all the people groups will be gathered in front of him. Then he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats.
-\v 33 He will put the righteous people on his right and the unrighteous ones on his left, just like sheep and goats."
+\v 32 Everyone from all the people groups will be gathered in front of him. Then he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats.
+\v 33 He will put the righteous people on his right and the unrighteous ones on his left, just like sheep and goats.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 34 Then he will say to those on his right, 'You people who have been blessed by my Father, come! Come receive all the good things he will give you, for he is now giving you the blessings of his rule—things he has been preparing since the time he created the world.
+\v 34 "Then he will say to those on his right, 'You people who have been blessed by my Father, come! Come receive all the good things he will give you, for he is now giving you the blessings of his rule—things he has been preparing since the time he created the world.
 \v 35 These things belong to you, because you gave me something to eat when I was hungry. You gave me something to drink when I was thirsty. When I was a stranger in your town, you invited me to stay in your houses.
 \v 36 When I needed clothes, you gave me some. When I was sick, you took care of me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 37 Then the people whom God has declared to be good will reply, 'Lord, when were you hungry and we saw you and gave you something to eat? When were you thirsty and we gave you something to drink?
+\v 37 "Then the people whom God has declared to be good will reply, 'Lord, when were you hungry and we saw you and gave you something to eat? When were you thirsty and we gave you something to drink?
 \v 38 When were you a stranger in our town and we invited you to stay in our houses? When did you need clothes and we gave you some?
-\v 39 When were you sick or in prison and we went to visit you? We do not remember doing any of these things for you.
+\v 39 When were you sick or in prison and we went to visit you? We do not remember doing any of these things for you.'
 \p
-\v 40 The King will reply, 'The truth is that whatever you did for any one of your fellow believers, even the most unimportant one, you certainly did it for me.'
+\v 40 "The King will reply, 'The truth is that whatever you did for any one of your fellow believers, even the most unimportant one, you certainly did it for me.'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 41 But then he will say to those on his left, 'You people whom God has cursed, leave me! Go into the eternal fire that God has prepared for the devil and his angels!
+\v 41 "But then he will say to those on his left, 'You people whom God has cursed, leave me! Go into the eternal fire that God has prepared for the devil and his angels!
 \v 42 It is right for you to go there, because you did not give me anything to eat when I was hungry. You did not give me anything to drink when I was thirsty.
 \v 43 You did not invite me into your homes when I was a stranger in your town. You did not give me any clothes when I needed them. You did not take care of me when I was sick or in prison.'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 44 They will answer, 'Lord, when were you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and we did not help you?'
+\v 44 "They will answer, 'Lord, when were you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and we did not help you?'
 \p
-\v 45 He will reply, 'The truth is that whenever you did not do anything to help any one of my people, even the most unimportant person, it was I for whom you did not do it.'
+\v 45 "He will reply, 'The truth is that whenever you did not do anything to help any one of my people, even the most unimportant person, it was I for whom you did not do it.'
 \p
-\v 46 Then those people on my left will go away to the place where God will punish them forever, but the people good in God's sight will go to where they will live forever with God."
+\v 46 "Then those people on my left will go away to the place where God will punish them forever, but the people good in God's sight will go to where they will live forever with God."
 
 
 \s5
@@ -2018,6 +2155,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 9 We could have sold it and gotten a lot of money for it! Then we could have given the money to poor people."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 10 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said to them, "You should not be bothering this woman! She has done a beautiful thing to me.
 \v 11 Keep in mind that you will always have poor people among you, so you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not always be with you!
 
@@ -2036,6 +2174,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 17 On the first day of the week-long Festival of Bread with No Yeast, the disciples went to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the meal for the Passover Celebration so that we can eat it with you?"
+\p
 \v 18 Jesus instructed two of the disciples about what they should do. He said to them, "Go into the city to a man with whom I have previously arranged this. Tell him that I, the Teacher, say this: 'The time that I told you about is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover meal with my disciples at your house, and I have sent these two to prepare the meal.'"
 \v 19 So the two disciples did as Jesus told them. They went and prepared the Passover meal in that man's house.
 
@@ -2043,12 +2182,15 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \p
 \v 20 When that evening had come, Jesus was eating the meal with the twelve disciples.
 \v 21 He said to them, "Listen carefully to this: One of you is going to enable my enemies to arrest me."
+\p
 \v 22 The disciples were very sad. They began to say to him, one after the other, "Lord, it is surely not I!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 23 He replied, "The one who will enable my enemies to arrest me is the one of you who is dipping bread into the sauce in the dish along with me.
 \v 24 It is certain that I, the Son of Man, will die, because that is what the scriptures say about me. But there will be terrible punishment for the man who enables my enemies to arrest me! It would be better for that man if he had never been born!"
-\v 25 Then Judas, the one who was going to betray him, said, "Teacher, surely it is not I!" Jesus replied, "Yes, you are admitting it."
+\v 25 Then Judas, the one who was going to betray him, said, "Teacher, surely it is not I!" 
+\p Jesus replied, "Yes, you are admitting it."
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -2070,11 +2212,13 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 32 But after I have died and become alive again, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 33 Peter replied, "Perhaps all the other disciples will desert you when they see what happens to you, but I certainly will never leave you!"
+\p 
 \v 34 Jesus replied to him, "The truth is that this very night, before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me!"
+\p
 \v 35 Peter said to him, "Even if they kill me while I am defending you, I will never say that I do not know you!" All the rest of the disciples also said the same thing.
 
-
 \s5
 \p
 \v 36 Then Jesus went with the disciples to a place that is called Gethsemane. There he said, "Stay here while I go over there and pray."
@@ -2105,6 +2249,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \v 49 He immediately went to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Teacher!" Then he kissed Jesus.
+\p
 \v 50 Jesus replied, "Friend, what you are about to do, do it quickly." Then the men who came with Judas stepped forward and seized Jesus.
 
 \s5
@@ -2131,14 +2276,17 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 61 and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy God's temple and to rebuild it within three days.'"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to reply? What do you say about these things that they are saying to accuse you?"
 \v 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I command you to tell us the truth; you know that the all-powerful God is listening to you: Are you the Christ, the Son of God?"
+\p
 \v 64 Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say. But I will also say this to all of you: On that day you will see the Son of Man sitting beside Almighty God and ruling. You will also see him coming on the clouds from heaven!"
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 65 The high priest was so upset that he tore his outer garment. Then he said, "This man has insulted God! He claims to be equal with God! We certainly do not need anyone else to testify against this man! You heard what he said!
-\v 66 What do you think?" The Jewish leaders replied, "According to our laws, he is guilty and deserves to be executed!"
+\v 66 What do you think?" 
+\p The Jewish leaders replied, "According to our laws, he is guilty and deserves to be executed!"
 
 \s5
 \v 67 Then some of them spat in his face. Others struck him with their fists. Others slapped him
@@ -2148,15 +2296,21 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 69 Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came up to him and looked at him. She said, "You also were with Jesus, that man from the district of Galilee!"
+\p
 \v 70 But while everyone there was listening, he denied it. He said, "I do not know what you are talking about!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 71 Then he went out to the gateway of the courtyard. Another servant girl saw him and said to the people who were standing nearby, "This man was with Jesus, the man from Nazareth."
+\p
 \v 72 But Peter again denied it. He said, "May God punish me if I am lying! I tell you, I do not even know that man!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 73 After a little while, the people who were standing there approached Peter and said to him, "It is certain that you are one of those who were with that man. We can tell from your accent that you are from Galilee."
+\p
 \v 74 Then Peter began to proclaim loudly that God should curse him if he was lying. He asked God in heaven to witness that he was telling the truth and said, "I do not know that man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.
+\p
 \v 75 Then Peter remembered the words that Jesus had spoken to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me." And Peter went out of the courtyard, crying hard because he was so sad about what he had done.
 
 \s5
@@ -2168,7 +2322,9 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 3 Then Judas, the one who had betrayed Jesus, realized that they had decided that Jesus must die. So was overcome with regret about what he had done. He took the thirty coins back to the chief priests and elders.
-\v 4 He said, "I have sinned. I have betrayed a man who is innocent." They replied, "That means nothing to us! That is your problem!"
+\p
+\v 4 He said, "I have sinned. I have betrayed a man who is innocent." 
+\p They replied, "That means nothing to us! That is your problem!"
 \v 5 So Judas took the money and threw it into the temple courtyard. Then he went away and hanged himself.
 
 \s5
@@ -2178,15 +2334,18 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 8 That is why that place is still called "The Field of Blood."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 9 By buying that field, they made come true these words that the prophet Jeremiah had written long ago: "They took the thirty silver coins—that was what the leaders of Israel decided that he was worth—
 \v 10 and with that money they bought the field of the potter. They did that as the Lord had commanded me."
 
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 11 Then Jesus stood in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Do you say you are the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you have just said."
+\v 11 Then Jesus stood in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Do you say you are the king of the Jews?" 
+\p Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you have just said."
 \p
 \v 12 But when the chief priests and elders accused Jesus of doing various wrong things, he did not answer.
+\p
 \v 13 So Pilate said to him, "You hear how many things they are accusing you of; are you not going to reply?"
 \v 14 But Jesus did not say anything. He did not reply to any of the things about which they were accusing him. As a result, the governor was very surprised.
 
@@ -2196,6 +2355,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 16 At that time there was in Jerusalem a well-known prisoner whose name was Barabbas.
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 17 So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which prisoner would you like me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus, whom they called the Christ?"
 \v 18 He asked that question because he realized that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him only because they were jealous of Jesus. And Pilate thought that the crowd would prefer that he release Jesus.
 \p
@@ -2204,15 +2364,20 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \s5
 \p
 \v 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to release Barabbas, and to order that Jesus be executed.
-\v 21 So when the governor asked them, "Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?" They replied, "Barabbas!"
-\v 22 Pilate asked them, "So what should I do with Jesus, whom you called the Christ?" They all answered, "Command that your soldiers crucify him!"
+\v 21 So when the governor asked them, "Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?" 
+\p They replied, "Barabbas!"
+\p
+\v 22 Pilate asked them, "So what should I do with Jesus, whom you called the Christ?" 
+\p They all answered, "Command that your soldiers crucify him!"
 
 \s5
-\v 23 Pilate replied, "Why? What crime has he committed?" But they shouted even louder, "Have him crucified!"
+\v 23 Pilate replied, "Why? What crime has he committed?" 
+\p But they shouted even louder, "Have him crucified!"
 \p
 \v 24 Pilate realized that he was accomplishing nothing. He saw that instead, the people were starting to riot. So he took a basin of water and washed his hands as the crowd was watching. He said, "By washing my hands I am showing you that if this man dies, it is your fault, not mine!"
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 25 And all the people answered, "May we be guilty for causing him to die, and may our children be guilty, too!"
 \v 26 Then he ordered the soldiers to release Barabbas for them. But he ordered that his soldiers whip Jesus. And then he turned Jesus over to the soldiers for them to nail Jesus to a cross.
 
@@ -2260,6 +2425,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 
 \s5
 \v 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with sour wine. Then he put the sponge on the tip of a reed and held it up in order that Jesus could suck out the wine that was in it.
+\p 
 \v 49 But the other people there said, "Wait! Let us see if Elijah comes to save him!"
 \v 50 Then after Jesus shouted out loudly again, he died, giving his spirit over to God.
 
@@ -2292,6 +2458,7 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \v 64 So we ask you to order soldiers to guard the tomb for three days. If you do not do that, his disciples may come and steal the body. Then they will tell people that he has risen from the dead. If they deceive people by saying that, it will be worse than the way he deceived people before."
 
 \s5
+\p
 \v 65 Pilate replied, "You can take some soldiers. Go to the tomb and make it as secure as you know how."
 \v 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by fastening a cord from the stone that was in front of the entrance to the rock cliff on each side and sealing it. They also left some soldiers there to guard the tomb.
 
@@ -2309,11 +2476,13 @@ and sat on the cloaks.
 \p
 \v 5 The angel said to the two women, "You should not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross.
 \v 6 He is not here! God has made him alive again, just as Jesus told you he would! Come and see the place where his body lay!
+\p
 \v 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead! He will go ahead of you to the district of Galilee. You will see him there.' Pay attention to what I have told you!"
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 8 So the women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very joyful. They ran to tell the disciples what had happened.
+
 \v 9 Suddenly, as they were running, Jesus appeared to them. He said, "Greetings to you!" The women came close to him. They knelt down and clasped his feet and worshiped him.
 \v 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid! Go and tell all my disciples that they should go to Galilee. They will see me there."