Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 2

Wise Men Seek the King

¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,^{(a) 2} saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?^(b) For we saw His star in the east^[a](c) and have come to worship Him."^[b]

³ When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes^(d) of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

⁵ "In Bethlehem of Judea," they told him, "because this is what was written by the prophet:

⁷ Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him."^[d](f)

⁹ After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east!^[e] It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. ¹¹ Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.^[f] Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.^{(g) 12} And being warned^(h) in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

The Flight into Egypt

¹³ After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him."^{(i) 14} So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. ¹⁵ He stayed there until Herod's death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son. ^(j)[g]

The Massacre of the Innocents

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years^[h] old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.^{(k) 17} Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

The Holy Family in Nazareth

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,^{(m) 20} saying, "Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child's life are dead." ²¹ So he got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus^[k] was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.^{(n) 23} Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.^(o)

Chapter 3

The Messiah's Herald

¹ In those days John the Baptist came,^(a) preaching in the Wilderness of Judea^{(b) 2} and saying, "Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!"^{(c) 3} For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

⁴ John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were flocking to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.^(e)

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(f) coming to the place of his baptism,^[b] he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(g) 8} Therefore produce fruit^(h) consistent with^[c] repentance. ⁹ And don't presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.'⁽ⁱ⁾ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(j)

¹¹ "I baptize you with^[d] water for repentance,^[e](k) but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove^[f] His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with^[g] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(l) 12} His winnowing shovel^[h] is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out."^(m)

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.^{(n) 14} But John tried to stop Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?"

¹⁵ Jesus answered him, "Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

¹⁶ After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens^(o) suddenly opened for Him,^[i] and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.^{(p) 17} And there came a voice from heaven:

Chapter 4

The Temptation of Jesus

¹ Then^(a) Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.^{(b) 2} After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,^(c) He was hungry. ³ Then the tempter approached Him and said, "If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."^(d)

⁴ But He answered, "It is written:

⁵ Then the Devil took Him to the holy city,^[b] had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,^{(f) 6} and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

⁷ Jesus told him, "It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God. " ^(i)[d]

⁸ Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ And he said to Him, "I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me."^[e]

¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, "Go away,^[f] Satan! For it is written:

¹¹ Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.^(k)

Ministry in Galilee

¹² When He heard that John had been arrested,^(l) He withdrew into Galilee.^{(m) 13} He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum⁽ⁿ⁾ by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁷ From then on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, because the kingdom of heaven^(p) has come near!"

The First Disciples

¹⁸ As^(q) He was walking along the Sea of Galilee,^(r) He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. ¹⁹ "Follow Me," He told them, "and I will make you fish for^[j] people!" ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

²¹ Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Teaching, Preaching, and Healing

²³ Jesus was going all over Galilee,^(s) teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every^[k] disease and sickness among the people.^{(t) 24} Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria.^(u) So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics.^(v) And He healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.^(w)