Matthew 16

International Standard Version

Interpreting the Time^(A)

16 When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, in order to test Jesus^[a] they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ² He replied to them, “You say,

You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, yet you can’t interpret the signs of the times?^{[b] 4} An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(B)

⁵ When his disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to take any bread along. ⁶ Jesus told them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”

⁷ As they began to discuss this among themselves, they kept saying, “We didn’t bring along any bread.”

⁸ Knowing this, Jesus asked them, “You who have little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don’t have any bread? ⁹ Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected, ¹⁰ or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you collected? ¹¹ How can you fail to understand that I wasn’t talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”

¹² Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread,^[c] but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus^(C)

¹³ When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They said, “Some say^[d] John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,^[e] the Son of the living God!”

¹⁷ Then Jesus told him, “How blessed you are, Simon son of Jonah,^[f] since flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, though my Father in heaven has. ¹⁸ I tell you that you are Peter,^[g] and it is on this rock^[h] that I will build my congregation,^[i] and the powers of hell^[j] will not conquer it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys to the kingdom from^[k] heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited^[l] in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted^[m] in heaven.”

²⁰ Then he strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.^[n]

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(D)

²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer a great deal because of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised. ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God be merciful to you, Lord! This must never happen to you!”

²³ But Jesus^[o] turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense^[p] to me, because you are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts!”

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continuously. ²⁵ Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it, ²⁶ because what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life? ²⁷ The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to what he has done. ²⁸ I tell all of you^[q] with certainty, some people standing here will not experience^[r] death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”