7. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. They were waiting to see if he would heal on the Sabbath day. They wanted to see him do something wrong so that they could accuse him.
8. But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to the man with the crippled hand, “Get up and stand here where everyone can see.” The man got up and stood there.
9. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is the right thing to do on the Sabbath day: to do good or to do evil? Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?”
10. Jesus looked around at all of them and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held out his hand, and it was healed.
11. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law got so mad they couldn’t think straight. They talked to each other about what they could do to Jesus.
12. A few days later, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night praying to God.
13. The next morning he called his followers. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles. These are the ones he chose:
14. Simon (Jesus named him Peter), Andrew, brother of Peter, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15. Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, Simon, called the Zealot,
16. Judas, the son of James, Judas Iscariot (the one who turned against Jesus).
17. Jesus and the apostles came down from the mountain. Jesus stood on a flat place. A large crowd of his followers was there. Also, there were many people from all around Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon.
18. They all came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed of their sicknesses. He healed the people who were troubled by evil spirits.
19. Everyone was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him. Jesus healed them all.
20. Jesus looked at his followers and said, “Great blessings belong to you who are poor. God’s kingdom belongs to you.
21. Great blessings belong to you who are hungry now. You will be filled. Great blessings belong to you who are crying now. You will be happy and laughing.
22. “People will hate you because you belong to the Son of Man. They will make you leave their group. They will insult you. They will think it is wrong even to say your name. When these things happen, know that great blessings belong to you.
23. You can be happy then and jump for joy, because you have a great reward in heaven. The ancestors of those people did the same things to the prophets.