Now ¹  John’s ²  disciples and the Pharisees ³  were fasting. ⁴  So ⁵  they came to Jesus ⁶  and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”

Now ¹  King Herod ²  heard this, for Jesus’ ³  name had become known. Some ⁴  were saying, “John the baptizer ⁵  has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.”

For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod ¹  had married her.

The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat ¹  with unwashed hands?”

For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.”

So ¹  Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth ²  in Galilee to Judea, to the city ³  of David called Bethlehem, ⁴  because he was of the house ⁵  and family line ⁶  of David.

When ¹  the woman saw that she could not escape notice, ²  she came trembling and fell down before him. In ³  the presence of all the people, she explained why ⁴  she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed.

“When an unclean spirit ¹  goes out of a person, ²  it passes through waterless places ³  looking for rest but ⁴  not finding any. Then ⁵  it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ ⁶ 

Then ¹  Jesus ²  said to his ³  disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry ⁴  about your ⁵  life, what you will eat, or about your ⁶  body, what you will wear.

Then ¹  Jesus ²  took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, ³  and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ⁴ 

While the people were listening to these things, Jesus ¹  proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, ²  and because they thought ³  that the kingdom of God ⁴  was going to ⁵  appear immediately.

When ¹  Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform ²  some miraculous sign. ³ 

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly ¹  when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. ² 

Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, ¹  “He told me everything I ever did.”

They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one ¹  really is the Savior of the world.” ² 

For this reason the Jewish leaders ¹  were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.

When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, ¹  but to God’s glory, ²  so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” ³ 

Now a large crowd of Judeans ¹  learned ²  that Jesus ³  was there, and so they came not only because of him ⁴  but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead.

“Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me ¹  from this hour’? ²  No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. ³ 

If you belonged to the world, ¹  the world would love you as its own. ²  However, because you do not belong to the world, ³  but I chose you out of the world, for this reason ⁴  the world hates you. ⁵