The Gospel According to Luke

• Who Wrote: The Physician Luke
• Where Written: Caesarea
• When Written: c. 58-60 C.E.

CHAPTER 1

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, ² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, ³ it seemed good to me also, having followed all things accurately from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know fully the certainty of the things that you have been taught orally.

John the Baptist’s Birth Foretold by Gabriel

⁵ In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.[1]

⁸ And it happened that while he was serving as priest in the order of his division before God, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense offering. ¹¹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. ¹² And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great before the Lord; and he will drink no wine or alcoholic drink,[2] and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from the womb of his mother. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he himself will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient ones to the wisdom of the righteous ones, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”

¹⁸ And Zechariah said to the angel, “According to what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”[3] ¹⁹ The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, the one having stood alongside of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ Yet look, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ²¹ And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. ²² And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them and remained mute. ²³ And when the days of his priestly service were completed, he went off to his home.

²⁴ After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself hidden[4] for five months, saying ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has dealt with me in these days in which he looked upon me,[5] to take away my reproach among men.”

Jesus’ Birth Foretold by Gabriel

²⁶ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,[6] ²⁷ to a virgin[7] betrothed[8] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.”[9] ²⁹ But she was greatly perplexed at the statement and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David; ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

³⁴ But Mary said to the angel, “How is this to be, since I know no man?”[10]

³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the one who is born will be called holy, the Son of God. ³⁶ And look, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son, in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her, the one who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Look, I am the slave girl of the Lord; may it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ So Mary set out in those days and traveled with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² and she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For look, as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there would be[11] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise Magnifies the Father

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

“My soul[12] magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced  in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has looked upon the low position of his slave girl.
    For look, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ And his mercy is from generation to generation
    for those who fear him.
⁵¹ He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts[13] of their hearts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
    and has exalted the lowly.
⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped Israel his servant,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵ as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months and returned to her home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ The time now came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father, Zechariah. ⁶⁰ But his mother answered and said, “No; indeed, but he will be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name.” ⁶² And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. ⁶³ And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ⁶⁴ And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵ And fear came on all those living around them; and all these things were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ And all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

The Prophecy of Zechariah

⁶⁷ And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and provided redemption for his people.
⁶⁹ and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
⁷⁰ as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
⁷¹ of salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
⁷² to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
⁷³ the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us
⁷⁴ that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    by the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the daybreak will visit us from on high,
⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the desert until the day he showed himself publicly to Israel.

CHAPTER 2

The Birth of Jesus Christ

2 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius[14] was governor of Syria. ³ And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own town. ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵ in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. ⁶ While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her son, the firstborn, and she wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the lodging place.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord gleamed around them, and they became very fearful. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵ When the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

²¹ And when eight days had passed, so as to circumcise him, his name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

²² And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ then he took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your slave depart in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation
³¹     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at the things being said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, ³⁷ and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fasting and prayers. ³⁸ And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Return to Nazareth

³⁹ When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child continued growing and became strong, being filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

⁴¹ Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the feast. ⁴³ And after the days were completed, while they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And his parents did not know it, ⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey; and they began looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances, ⁴⁵ and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him. ⁴⁶ Then, it occurred, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and questioning them.[15] ⁴⁷ And all those listening to him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When they saw him, they were astounded;[16] and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” ⁴⁹ And he said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he continued in subjection to them; and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

CHAPTER 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.
⁵ Every valley will be filled,
    and every mountain and hill will be brought low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
    and the rough ways smooth,
⁶ and all flesh will see the salvation of God.’”[17]

⁷ He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “What then shall we do?” ¹¹ And he answered them, “Whoever has two garments[18] is to share with him who has none, and he who has food is to do likewise.” ¹² And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” ¹⁴ Soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”

The Misunderstanding about John

¹⁵ Now the people were in expectation and all of them were reasoning in their hearts about John, “as to whether he was the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered them all, saying, “I baptize[19] you with water, but the one who is more powerful than I is coming, the lace of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ So with many other exhortations he proclaimed good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while he was praying, the heavens were opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

²³ Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³² the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon,[20] the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴ the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶ [he son of Cainan,][21] the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

CHAPTER 4

The Temptation of Jesus

4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ² for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days, and when they were ended, he was hungry. ³ And the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ⁴ And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”[22] ⁵ And he led him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in a moment of time. ⁶ And the devil said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷ Therefore if you bow down before me, it shall all be yours.” ⁸ Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

⁹ And he led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; ¹⁰ for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to guard you,’

¹¹ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

¹² And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ¹³ And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

The Beginning of Jesus’ Galilean Ministry

¹⁴ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him went out throughout all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ And he began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by all.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the scroll[23] of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. And he unrolled the scroll[24] and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news[25] to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set free those who are oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll[26] and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹ And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² And all were all speaking well of him, and marveled at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” ²³ And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” ²⁴ And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. ²⁵ But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land; ²⁶ and Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷ And there were many lepers[27] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ And all those in the synagogue were filled with wrath as they heard these things. ²⁹ And they rose up and drove him out of the city and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. ³⁰ But passing through their midst, he went away.

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon

³¹ And he came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath; ³² and they were astounded[28] at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. ³³ And in the synagogue, there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴ “Ha! What have you to do with us,[29] Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm. ³⁶ And astonishment[30] came upon them all and they were talking to one another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” ³⁷ And the report about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

The Healing of Many People

³⁸ And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him to help her.[31] ³⁹ And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she got up and began to serve them.

⁴⁰ Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. ⁴¹ And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Synagogues

⁴² And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and they tried to keep him from going away from them. ⁴³ But he said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” ⁴⁴ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

CHAPTER 5

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

5 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around him and hearing the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret; ² and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. ³ And he got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. ⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ And Simon answered and said, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing, but at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a very large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. ⁷ And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For astonishment[32] had seized him and all those who were with him at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” ¹¹ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

¹² While he was in one of the cities, look, there was a man full of leprosy;[33] and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ¹³ And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ And he ordered him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” ¹⁵ But the news about him was spreading even more, and large crowds would gather together to listen and to be cured of their sicknesses. ¹⁶ But he himself was withdrawing in the desolate places and praying.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

¹⁷ On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come out of every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem were sitting there; and the Lord’s power was with him to do healing. ¹⁸ And look, some men were carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher, and they were trying to bring him in and place him before him. ¹⁹ But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. ²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” ²² But Jesus, perceiving of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ²⁴ But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” ²⁵ And at once he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. ²⁶ And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Levi Called by Jesus to be His Follower

²⁷ And after these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!” ²⁸ And leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.

²⁹ Then Levi spread a big reception feast for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”[34] ³¹ And Jesus answered and said them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

A Question About Fasting

³³ And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the friends of the bridegroom[35] fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? ³⁵ But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” ³⁶ And he also told a parable to them: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ Also, no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the wineskins and it will be spilled out and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

CHAPTER 6

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

6 Now it happened that on a Sabbath[36] he went through the grain fields, and his disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. ² But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” ³ And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, ⁴ how he entered the house of God and took and ate the loaves of presentation, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” ⁵ And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals a Man with a Withered Hand on the Sabbath

⁶ On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there, and his right hand was withered. ⁷ And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. ⁸ But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and stand in the middle,” and he got up and stood there. ⁹ And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” ¹⁰ And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. ¹¹ But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles Chosen

¹² Now it happened that in these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Teaches and Heals Large Crowds

¹⁷ And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

The Beatitudes

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

“Blessed[37] are the poor,[38] for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ “Blessed are the hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

²² “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for look, your reward is great in heaven; for their fathers used to do the same things to the prophets.

Jesus Pronounces Woes

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

²⁵ “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

²⁶ “Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to do the same things to the false prophets.

Love Your Enemies

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat  you. ²⁹ To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic[39] either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for them back. ³¹ And just as you want men to do to you, do likewise to them.

³² If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. ³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil men. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Stop Judging Others

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will never[40] be judged; and do not condemn, and you will never be condemned; pardon,[41] and you will be pardoned. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure that you are measuring out, they will measure out to you in return.”

³⁹ And he also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰ A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴² Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

⁴³ “For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit, ⁴⁴ for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ The good man brings good out of the good treasure of his heart, but a wicked man brings what is wicked out of his wicked treasure; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build Your House on the Rock

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? ⁴⁷ Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the river  broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

CHAPTER 7

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Slave

7 When he had completed all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. ² And a centurion’s[42] slave, who was highly regarded[43] by him, was sick and about to die. ³ When he heard about Jesus, he sent some older men of the Jews[44] asking him to come and bring his slave safely through.[45] ⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they began to plead with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy that you grant this for him, ⁵ for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” ⁶ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. ⁷ For this reason I do not consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word and my slave must be healed. ⁸ For I also am a man placed under authority, who has soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” ⁹ And when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning around to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” ¹⁰ And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

¹¹ Soon afterward he went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. ¹² As he drew near to the gate of the town, look, a man who had died was being carried out, the only begotten son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a sizeable crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” ¹⁵ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. ¹⁶ Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” ¹⁷ And this report about him went out in the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

John the Baptist Praised

¹⁸ The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, ¹⁹ calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” ²⁰ And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” ²¹ In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. ²² And he answered and said them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers[46] are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. ²³ And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

²⁴ And when the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Look, those who are in splendid clothing and luxury are in the royal palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Look, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way before you.’

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” ²⁹ (And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they declared the righteousness of God, because they had been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

³¹ “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

³³ For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ³⁵ Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

³⁶ Now a certain one of the Pharisees kept asking him to eat with him, and he entered the house of the Pharisee and reclined at the table. ³⁷ And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner,[47] when she learned that he was reclining at a meal in the house of the Pharisee, and she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, ³⁸ and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”[48]

The Parable of the Two Debtors

⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Say it, Teacher.” ⁴¹ “Two debtors owed a certain moneylender; the one owed five hundred denarii,[49] and the other fifty. ⁴² When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 

⁴⁴ Turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. ⁴⁷ For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then he said to her: “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ Those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among[50] themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

CHAPTER 8

Women Accompanying Jesus

8 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

The Parable of the Sower

⁴ And when a large crowd had gathered together with those who went to him from city to city, he spoke by means of a parable, ⁵ “The sower went out to sow his seed, and while he was sowing, some seed fell alongside the road and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it. ⁶ And other seed fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸ And other seed fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Why Jesus Used Parables

⁹ And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, ¹⁰ And he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ ¹¹ Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. ¹² The ones along the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. ¹⁴ And as for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked with anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bring fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ And as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.[51]

A Lamp Under a Jar

¹⁶ “And no one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Therefore, take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

¹⁹ Now his mother and brothers came to him, and they were not able to meet with him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” ²¹ But he answered and said to them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

²² Now it happened that on one of the days both he and his disciples got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, ²³ and as they were sailing, he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were being swamped and were in danger. ²⁴ And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵ And he said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and were astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

²⁶ And they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[52] which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when he got out on the land, a certain man from the town met him who had demons and for a long time had not worn garments and did not live in a house, but among the tombs. ²⁸ And when he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do I have to do with you,[53] Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; and he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) ³⁰ Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they kept imploring him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss.[54] ³² Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the mountain, so they pleaded with him to permit them to enter into them, and he gave them permission. ³³ And the demons came out of the man and went into the swine, and the herd rushed over the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. ³⁵ So they went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been healed. ³⁷ And all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes[55] asked him to depart from them, for they had been seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging him to stay with him, but he sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. ⁴¹ And behold, a man who was named Jairus came, and this man was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at the feet of Jesus and began imploring him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only begotten daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. Now as he was going, the crowds were pressing against him.

⁴³ And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years,[56] and could not be healed by anyone, ⁴⁴ having come up behind she and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched me?” And when they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and are pressing in on you!” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she did not escape notice, she came trembling and falling down before him. In the presence of all the people, she told for what reason she had touched him, and that she was healed immediately. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you;[57] Go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue ruler’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead; trouble the Teacher no more!” ⁵⁰ But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ Now when he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him except Peter and John and James and the father and mother of the child. ⁵² And they were all weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead, but is sleeping.” ⁵³ And they began laughing at him, because they knew that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But he took her hand and called, saying, “Child, get up.” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up at once, and he directed that something should be given her to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were astounded, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

CHAPTER 9

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.[58] ³ And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. ⁴ And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. ⁵ And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ So they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸ by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹ And Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he was wanting to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

¹⁰ And when they returned, the apostles described to him all that they had done. And he took them along and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. ¹¹ But when the crowds found out, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. ¹² Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” ¹³ But he said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and purchase food for all these people.” ¹⁴ (For there were about five thousand men.) So he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ And they did so and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ And taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

¹⁸ Now it happened that while he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” ¹⁹ And they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but others, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” ²⁰ And he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Foretells His Death

²¹ But he warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, ²² saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and to be raised on the third day.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²³ And he was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross day after day and keep following me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his soul[59] will lose it, but whoever loses his soul[60] for my sake, is the one who will save it. ²⁵ “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will never[61] taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

²⁸ Now it happened that about eight days after these words, he took along Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became glitteringly white.[62] ³⁰ And look, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. ³³ And as these were departing from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Instructor, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he was saying. ³⁴ And while he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” ³⁶ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

³⁷ On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. ³⁸ And look, a man from the crowd cried out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my only begotten son, because he is my only son! ³⁹ And look! a spirit seizes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it throws him into convulsions with foaming at the mouth, and only with difficulty does it leave him after bruising him. ⁴⁰ And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” ⁴¹ Jesus answered and said, “O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” ⁴² And while he was still approaching, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³ And all were astounded[63] at the majesty of God.

Jesus’ Death again Foretold

But while they were all marveling at all the things he was doing, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴ “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” ⁴⁵ But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Who Is the Greatest?

⁴⁶ An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and stood him by his side ⁴⁸ and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least[64] among you all is the one who is great.”

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

⁴⁹ John answered, “Instructor we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus

⁵¹ When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers before him, and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. ⁵³ But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But he turned and rebuked them.[65] ⁵⁶ And they went on to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were going along the road, a certain man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ⁵⁹ To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but permit me to say farewell to those at my home.” ⁶² Jesus said to him, “No man who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

CHAPTER 10

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy-two[66] others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every city and place where he himself was about to go. ² Then he was saying to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few; therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. ³ Go! Look! I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. ⁴ Carry no moneybag, no food pouch, no sandals, and greet no one along the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. ⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide,[67] for the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a city and they receive you, eat what is set before you. ⁹ And heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your city that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more endurable on that day for Sodom than for that city.

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

¹³ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the powerful works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented[68] long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades.[69]

¹⁶ “The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

The Return of the Seventy-Two

¹⁷ The seventy-two[70] returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ¹⁸ And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Look, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever[71] harm you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in the heavens.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Father’s Will

²¹ In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to young children. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in your sight. ²² All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²³ Then  turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see! ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ And behold, a lawyer[72] stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ And he said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷ And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied and said, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and laid blows upon and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, ³⁴ and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And on the next day, he took out two denarii[73] and gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Martha and Mary

³⁸ While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the feet of the Lord, listening to his word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him and said, “Lord, is it not a concern to you that my sister has left me alone to serve? Then tell her that she should help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

CHAPTER 11

The Lord’s Prayer

11 And it happened that while he was in a certain place praying, when he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” ² And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father,[74] hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.[75]
³ Give us each day our daily bread,
⁴ and forgive us our sins,[76]
    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

⁵ And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶ for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from inside and say, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. ⁹ And I say to you, keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone asking receives, and he who is seeking finds; and to him who is knocking, it will be opened. ¹¹ Which among you who is a father, if a son asks for a fish,[77] he will instead give him a serpent; ¹² or if he asks for an egg, he will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Jesus and Beelzebul

¹⁴ Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds were amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul,[78] the ruler of demons.” ¹⁶ And others, in order to test him, were demanding from him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself[79] falls. ¹⁸ So if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a[80] strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are safe.[81] ²² But when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. ²³ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

²⁴ “When the unclean spirit goes out of a[82] man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding it, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

True Blessedness

²⁷ Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” ²⁸ But he said, “happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!”

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ³¹ The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look, something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

The Light in You

³³ “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. ³⁵ Therefore pay careful attention that the light in you is not darkness. ³⁶ If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining does give you light.”

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷ And as he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him, and he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first bathed himself before the meal. ³⁹ But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inside is full of greediness[83] and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You foolish ones, did not he who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But give as alms[84] those things that are within, and behold, all things are clean for you.

⁴² “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ⁴³ Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” ⁴⁶ And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷ Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you are witnesses and you approve of the deeds of your fathers, because they killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and will persecute,’ ⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the house.[85] Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. ⁵² Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

⁵³ And when he departed from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly hostile, and to question him closely about many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

CHAPTER 12

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

12 In the meantime, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered together, so that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² But nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, and secret that will not be made known. ³ Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered[86] in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

Whom to Fear

⁴ “I say to you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that are not able to do anything more. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the one, who after he has killed, has authority to cast into Gehenna.[87] Yes, I tell you, fear him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two assarii?[88] And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confessing Christ before Men

⁸ “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, ⁹ but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes[89] against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. ¹¹ And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you should speak in your own defense or what you should say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ And he reasoned to himself, saying, ‘What should I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night they are demanding your soul from you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Be Anxious

²² And he said to his disciples, “For this reason I tell you, do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat, or for your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; to them there is neither storeroom nor barn, and God feeds them; how much more are you worth than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit[90] to his span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[91] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you? You men of little faith! ²⁹ And you, do not be seeking what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not be anxious. ³⁰ For all these are the things the nations of the world are eagerly seeking, but your Father knows you need these things. ³¹ Instead, keep seeking his[92] kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

³² “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your belongings and give gifts of mercy. Make money pouches that do not wear out, a never-failing treasure in the heavens, where no thief gets near, and no moth consumes. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Readiness of Servants

³⁵ “Let your loins be girded about,[93] and your lamps burning, ³⁶ and you should be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him. ³⁷ Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he returns! Truly I say to you that he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch,[94] or in the third,[95] and finds them awake, blessed are those slaves! ³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.[96] ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not think.”

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” ⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward,[97] whom his master will set over his servants, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful ones. ⁴⁷ And that slave who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will be beaten much. ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating,[98] will be beaten a few times. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Jesus the Cause of Division

⁴⁹ “I came to cast fire on the earth and would that it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am distressed until it is accomplished! ⁵¹ Do you think that I have come to grant peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on there will be five in one household, divided three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Time

⁵⁴ And he also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and so it happens. ⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be burning heat,’ and it happens. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret this present time?

Settle with Your Accuser

⁵⁷ And why do you not also judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ For as you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to come to a settlement with him[99] on the way, so that he will not drag you to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff will throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I say to you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last lepton.[100]

CHAPTER 13

Repent or Perish

13 Now there were some present at that very season who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² And he answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were sinners worse than all the Galileans, because they suffered these things? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ And he told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Behold, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ ⁸ And he answered him, ‘Master, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. ⁹ Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

The Healing of a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years, and she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your weakness.” ¹³ And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. ¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, answered and said to the crowd, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ the Lord answered him: “Hypocrites, does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his bull or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” ¹⁷ As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

¹⁸ He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of heaven[101] nested in its branches.”

²⁰ And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? ²¹ It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures[102] of flour, until it was all leavened.”

The Narrow Door

²² And he traveled through cities and villages, teaching and continuing on his journey to Jerusalem. ²³ Now a man said to him: “Lord, are those being saved few?” And he said to them, ²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of unrighteousness!’[103] ²⁸ There is where your weeping and the gnashing of your teeth will be, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown outside. ²⁹ And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And look, there are those last who will be first, and there are those first who will be last.”

Lament over Jerusalem

³¹ At that very hour some of the Pharisees came up and told him: “Get out and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.” ³² And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. ³³ Nevertheless, I must go on today, tomorrow, and the following day, because it cannot be that a prophet should be put to death outside of Jerusalem.[104] ³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together in the manner in which a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁵ Look, your house is abandoned to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’

CHAPTER 14

Healing of a Man on the Sabbath

14 And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him carefully. ² And look, a man who had dropsy was in front of him. ³ And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” ⁴ But they kept silent. And he took hold of him and healed him and sent him away. ⁵ And he said to them, “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” ⁶ And they were not able to make a reply to these things.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

⁷ Now he told a parable to those who had been invited when he noticed how they were choosing for themselves the places of honor, saying to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, ⁹ and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and recline at the table in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then it will be an honor to you in the presence of all those who are reclining at the table with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

¹² And he also said to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. ¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they have nothing with which to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection[105] of the righteous ones.”

¹⁵ Now when one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” ¹⁶ But he said to him, “A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. ¹⁷ And at the time for the banquet he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. Please have me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ And the slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ ²² And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ ²³ And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”

The Cost of Discipleship

²⁵ Now large crowds were going along with him, and he turned around and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet the one coming against him with twenty thousand. ³² And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. ³³ So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Salt Without Taste Is Worthless

³⁴ Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? ³⁵ It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

CHAPTER 15

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners[106] kept gathering around him to hear him. ² And both the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ So he told them this parable, saying, ⁴ What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ Or what woman who has ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma,[107] does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? ⁹ And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma that I had lost.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

¹¹ And he said, A certain man had two sons ¹² And the younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that should come to me.’ So he divided his belongings between them. ¹³ And not many days later, the younger son gathered all his things together and traveled to a distant country and there squandered his property by debauched living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ And he went and hired himself out to[108] one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to tend swine. ¹⁶ “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

¹⁷ “But when he came to himself,[109] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸ ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. ”’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. ²¹ “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he summoned one of the slaves and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out and began pleading with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has squandered your belongings with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ ³¹ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found.’

CHAPTER 16

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward

16 And he also said to the disciples, “A certain man was rich, who had a manager. And charges were brought to him that this person was squandering his possessions. ² And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? render the account of your management; for you can no longer be manager.’ ³ And the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, because my master is taking away the management from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I am resolved what to do, that, when I am removed from the management, they will welcome me into their homes.’ ⁵ And he summoned each one of his own master’s debtors and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ And he said, ‘A hundred measures[110] of olive oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your written agreement and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures[111] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your written agreement and write eighty.’ ⁸ And the master praised the dishonest manager, because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. ⁹ And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous mammon,[112] so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

¹⁰ “The one who is faithful in the least thing is also faithful in much, and the one who is unrighteous in what is least is also unrighteous in much. ¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,[113] who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you that which is your own? ¹³ No servant can be a slave to two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves to God and to mammon.^[114]”

The Law and the Kingdom of God

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. ¹⁵ And he said to them,  “You are those who declare yourselves righteous before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted by men is a disgusting thing in the sight of God.

¹⁶ ““The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. ¹⁷ But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to go unfulfilled.

Divorce and Remarriage

¹⁸ “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And  a certain beggar[115] named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, ²¹ and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.[116] The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And in Hades,[117] being in torment,[118] he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who want to go over from here to you are not able to do so, nor can they cross over from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, so that he could warn them, in order that they also should not come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

CHAPTER 17

Stumbling, Forgiveness, and Faith

17 Then he said to his disciples: “It is unavoidable that causes for stumbling should come. Nevertheless, woe to the one through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea than for him to stumble one of these little ones. ³ Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in the day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Increase Our Faith

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Unworthy Slaves

⁷ “And which of you who has a slave plowing or tending sheep who comes in from the field will say to him, ‘Come here at once and recline at the table’? ⁸ Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something that I may eat, and clothe yourself to serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹ He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, will he? ¹⁰ So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’

Jesus Heals Ten Lepers

¹¹ While traveling to Jerusalem, he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as he was entering into a certain village, ten men with leprosy met him, but they stood at a distance ¹³ and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴ And when he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that as they were going, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ But one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶ and he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ So Jesus answered and said, “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? ¹⁸ Did no one else turn back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has saved you.”[119]

The Coming of the Kingdom

²⁰ Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with stunning signs to be observed; ²¹ nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

²² And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. ²³ And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or run after them. ²⁴ For just as lightning flashes from one part under heaven to another part under heaven, so will be the Son of Man.[120] ²⁵ But first it is necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. ²⁶ And just as it was in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man. ²⁷ They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; ²⁹ but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day, whoever is on the housetop and his goods are in the house must not come down to take them away, and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. ³² Remember the wife of Lot. ³³ Whoever seeks to keep his soul[121] safe will lose it, but whoever loses it will preserve it. ³⁴ I tell you that in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. ³⁵ There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left.” ³⁶ ——[122] ³⁷ And they answered and said to him, “Where, Lord?” So he said to them, “Where the dead body is, there also the eagles[123] will be gathered.”

CHAPTER 18

The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Judge

18 And he told them a parable about the need for them always to pray and not to give up, ² saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain city who had no fear of God and no respect for man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ ⁴ For a while he was unwilling, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Although I do not fear God or respect any man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps making me trouble, I will see that she gets justice  so that she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will not God surely see to it that justice is done to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? ⁸ I tell you that he will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find the faith[124] on the earth?”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed these things to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing at a distance, was not willing even to raise his eyes to heaven but kept beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus and the Children

¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to himself, saying, “Allow the children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a young child will not enter it.”

The Rich Ruler

¹⁸ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, by doing what will I inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’[125] ²¹ And he said, “All these things I have observed from my youth.” ²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens; and come, follow me.” ²³ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. ²⁴ Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ So those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” ²⁸ And Peter said, “Look, we have left our own things and followed you.” ²⁹ And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

³¹ Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. ³² For he will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, ³³ and after flogging him they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” ³⁴ And they understood none of these things, and this saying was concealed from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

³⁵ Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging. ³⁶ And when he heard a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸ And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ And those who were in front rebuked him, that he should be silent, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰ And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, that I may regain my sight. ⁴² And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” ⁴³ And immediately he regained his sight and began to follow him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

CHAPTER 19

Jesus Visits Zacchaeus

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. ² And look, there was a man called by the name of Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. ⁴ So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” ⁶ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. ⁷ When they saw this, they were all muttering: “He went as a guest to the house of a man who is a sinner.” ⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord: “Look! The half of my belongings, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and whatever I extorted from anyone, I am restoring four times over.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him: “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas

¹¹ As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. ¹² He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. ¹³ And he called ten of his slaves, he gave them ten minas,[126] and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ ¹⁵ “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. ¹⁶ The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹ And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ ²⁰ And another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; ²¹ for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man:[127] you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² He said to him, ‘I will judge you with your own words, you wicked slave! You knew that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ²⁶ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ²⁷ But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’

The Triumphal Entry

²⁸ And after he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ³² So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they put Jesus on it. ³⁶ And as he was going along, they were spreading out their garments on the road. ³⁷ Now as he was drawing near by this time to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began rejoicing to praise God with a loud voice for all the powerful works[128] that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ And he answered and said, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade of pointed stakes[129] around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

⁴⁵ And he entered into the temple and began to drive out those who sold, ⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

⁴⁷ And he was teaching daily in the temple, and the chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, ⁴⁸ but they did not find anything they could do, for the people one and all kept hanging on to him to hear him.

CHAPTER 20

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

20 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came ² and said to him: “Tell us, by what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority?” ³ He answered them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell me, ⁴ was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”[130] ⁵ And they discussed this with one another, saying, “If we say ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” ⁷ So they answered that they did not know where it came from. ⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

⁹ And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenant farmers and went into another country for a long while. ¹⁰ When the time came, he sent a slave to the tenant farmers, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ And he proceeded to send another slave, but they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² And he sent yet a third; this one also they wounded and threw out. ¹³ Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ ¹⁴ But when the tenant farmers saw him, they began to reason with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance will become ours.’ ¹⁵ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard this, they said, “May this never happen!” ¹⁷ But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone’?[131]

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

¹⁹ The scribes and the chief priests then sought to get their hands on him in that very hour, but they feared the people, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them. ²⁰ So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, saying, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality,[132] but teach the way of God in truth. ²² Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ²³ But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, ²⁴ “Show me a denarius.[133] Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” ²⁵ And he said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²⁶ And they were not able to catch him in a statement before the people, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

²⁷ Now there came to him some of the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection,[134] ²⁸ and they questioned him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children, ³⁰ and the second ³¹ and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. ³² Afterward the woman also died. ³³ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, ³⁶ for neither can they die anymore, because they are like the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. ³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” ³⁹ And some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” ⁴⁰ For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

⁴¹ But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? ⁴² For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
⁴³ until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’

⁴⁴ David therefore calls him ‘Lord,’ and how is he his son?”

The Denouncing of the Scribes

⁴⁵ And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, ⁴⁶ “Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁷ who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive a heavier judgment.”[135]

CHAPTER 21

The Widow’s Offering

21 And he looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury box, ² and he saw a certain poor widow putting in there two small copper coins.[136] ³ And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. ⁴ For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

⁵ As certain ones were speaking concerning the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated offering,[137] he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” ⁷ And they asked him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. ⁹ And when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified. For these things must take place first, but the end will not occur immediately.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. ¹² “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. ¹³ This will result in a testimony for you.[138] ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your hearts,[139] not to meditate beforehand how to answer, ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶ But you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know[140] that its desolation has come near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and let those who are in the midst of the city depart and let not those who are out in the country enter it; ²² for these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; ²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

²⁹ And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things coming to pass,[141] you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Exhortation to Watch

³⁴ “But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare. ³⁵ For it will come upon all those dwelling on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷ And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. ³⁸ And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him.

CHAPTER 22

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. ² And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put him to death; for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

³ And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. ⁴ And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple captains how he might betray him to them. ⁵ And they were glad and agreed to give him money. ⁶ And he consented and began looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them apart from the crowd.

The Preparation of the Passover

⁷ Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁸ And he sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” ⁹ They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” ¹⁰ And he said to them, “Look, when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters. ¹¹ And you will say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ¹² And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” ¹³ And they went and found everything just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I say to you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”[142] ²⁰ And he did the same with the cup after they had the evening meal, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. ²¹ But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. ²² “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” ²³ And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.

The Dispute about Greatness

²⁴ And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. ²⁵ And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ You, though, are not to be that way. But let the one who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am in your midst as the one who serves.

²⁸ “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, ²⁹ and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, ³² but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ But he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” ³⁴ And he said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me!”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

³⁵ And he said to them, “When I sent you out without a money bag and a food bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” And they said, “Nothing.” ³⁶ And he said to them, “But now the one who has a money bag must take it, and likewise a food bag. And the one who does not have a sword must sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” ³⁸ And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

³⁹ And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰ And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” ⁴¹ And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw and knelt down and began to pray, ⁴² saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” ⁴³ —— ⁴⁴ ——[143] ⁴⁵ And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, behold, there came a crowd, and the one named Judas, one of the twelve, leading them; and he approached Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?” ⁴⁹ And when those who were around him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹ But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And he touched his ear and healed him. ⁵² And Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come out against him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber? ⁵³ While I was with you in the temple day after day, you did not lay your hands on me; but this is your hour and the authority of darkness.”

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

⁵⁴ They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house; but Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵ And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶ And a certain female slave, seeing him sitting in the light and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him.” ⁵⁷ But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him. ⁵⁸ A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” ⁵⁹ After about an hour had passed, another man was insisting, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he is also a Galilean.” ⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² And he went out and wept bitterly.

The Mocking and Beating of Jesus

⁶³ Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. ⁶⁴ And they blindfolded him, and were asking him, saying, Prophesy! who is the one who struck you? ⁶⁵ And they were saying many other things against him, reviling him.

Jesus Before the Council

⁶⁶ When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, saying, ⁶⁷ “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, ⁶⁸ and if I ask you, you will not answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” ⁷⁰ So they all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” ⁷¹ And they said, “Why do we have need of further testimony? For we ourselves have heard it from his mouth.”

CHAPTER 23

Jesus Before Pilate

23 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” ³ And Pilate asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” ⁴ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” ⁵ But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all of Judea, from Galilee even as far as this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷ And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem in these days.[144] ⁸ Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see him because he had heard about him and was hoping to see some sign performed by him. ⁹ So he began to question him at length, but he gave him no answer. ¹⁰ And the chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod together with his soldiers treated him with contempt, and he mocked him by clothing him with a splendid[145] garment and then sent him back to Pilate. ¹² And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

¹³ Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them: “You brought this man to me as one inciting the people to revolt. Now look! I examined him in front of you but found in this man no grounds for the charges you are bringing against him. ¹⁵ No, nor has Herod, for he sent him back to us; and look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. ¹⁶ I will therefore punish him and release him.” ¹⁷ —[146]

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

¹⁸ But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!” ¹⁹ (This man had been thrown into prison for insurrection that had taken place in the city and for murder.) ²⁰ Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ²¹ but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” ²² And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in him no guilt demanding death. Therefore I will punish him and release him.” ²³ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ²⁴ And Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵ And he released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

²⁶ And as they led him away, they seized Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. ²⁸ But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ ³¹ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

³² Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³ And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. ³⁴ ——[147] And they cast lots, dividing up his garments among themselves. ³⁵ And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” ³⁶ And the soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ And there was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged was insulting[148] him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other answered and rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour,[149] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[150] ⁴⁵ because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle. ⁴⁶ And Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was righteous!” ⁴⁸ And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. ⁴⁹ And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

⁵⁰ And look, a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man ⁵¹ (This man had not consented to their plan and action), from Arimathea, a city of the Judeans, and was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. ⁵⁴ And it was the day of preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. ⁵⁵ And the women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶ And they returned and prepared spices and ointments. And on the Sabbath, they rested according to the commandment.

CHAPTER 24

The Resurrection

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. ² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, look, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. ⁵ And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here but has risen. Remember how he spoke to you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.” ⁸ And they remembered his words, ⁹ and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. ¹¹ And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they refused to believe them. ¹² But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went away to his home marveling at what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

¹³ And look, on that same day, two of them were traveling to a village named Emmaus that was about seven miles[151] from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, while they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What are these matters that you are debating between yourselves as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ And one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” ¹⁹ And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹ But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. ²² But also some women from among us astonished us, who were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and when they did not find his body, they came back saying they had seen even a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” ²⁵ And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

²⁸ And they drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he was going farther. ²⁹ And they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening, and by this time the day is far spent.” And he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ And as he was reclining at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and began giving it to them. ³¹ And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. ³² And they said one to another, “Were not our heart burning within us, while he spoke to us in the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” ³³ And they rose up that very hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, ³⁴ saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ And they began describing what happened on the road, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

³⁶ And as they were saying these things, he himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” ³⁷ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. ³⁸ And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹ But while they were still not believing for joy and amazement, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat here?” ⁴² So they gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate before them.

⁴⁴ And he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And look, I am sending upon you what my Father promised, you stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰ And he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands he blessed them. ⁵¹ And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. ⁵² And they bowed down before him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple blessing God.[152]

[1] Lit in their days

[2] Or intoxicating drink

[3] Lit in her days

[4] Or she kept herself secluded

[5] Being barren in that culture, Elizabeth would have been viewed as an object of reproach. Therefore, she gave thanks to the Lord for giving her a child even though she was “advanced in years.” (1:19) This was a common theme in the Old Testament with Sarah (Gen. 21:6), Rachel (Gen. 30:23), and Hannah. (1 Sam. 1-2) Hence, ‘the Lord looked upon Elizabeth with favor.’

[6] Nazareth: (Ναζαρά Nazara) Nazareth is a secluded town in the lower central part of Galilee, where Jesus lived most of his earthly life, along with his half-brothers and half-sisters. (Lu 2:51, 52; Matt. 13:54-56).

[7] Virgin: (παρθένος parthenos) In the Jewish culture “virgins” were young women (maidens), who were fourteen years of age or younger. The Greek can refer to a female virgin (Matt. 1:23; 25:1, 7, 11; Lu 1:27, 27; Ac 21:9; 1 Cor. 7:25, 28, 34, 36, 37, 38; 2 Cor. 11:2) or a male virgin (Rev. 14:4) However, it can also refer to an unmarried person who is not necessarily a virgin. (1 Cor. 7:25) Yet, the main use of this term in the NT is speaking of a young woman, who has reached puberty but is not married and has never had sexual intercourse, i.e., a virgin.

[8] Betrothed: (μνηστεύω mnēsteuō) This refers to a person who was promised in marriage. The Greek means ‘to be engaged, to be promised in marriage.’ According to ancient cultural customs of the Jewish people, “to be betrothed to a man,” namely, engaged, was to be legally bound to future marriage. The engaged couple was already viewed as though they were already married, which means they could not just break off the engagement but rather would have to seek a bill of divorce by law. (Matt. 1:19) It was so binding that the young woman could not marry another until she was freed by due process of law. Even though a young Jewish couple was viewed as already being married, they did not begin living together as husband and wife until after the wedding formalities. – Matt. 1:18; Lu 1:27; 2:5.

[9] The original words were “The Lord is with you.” (א B L W Ψ f 565 700 cop). A variant reading is “The Lord is with you. You are blessed among women.” (A C D Θ f¹³ 33 Maj).

[10] That is, I am not having sexual relations with a man

[11] Or believed, for there will be

[12] That is My whole being

[13] Thought(s), Intention, Purpose: (διάνοια dianoia) This refers to the mind, the place of reason, understanding thinking (Eph. 4:18), a mental disposition, a way of thinking, a manner of thought (Col. 1:21). It also can refer to the thought(s), that is, the content of what one is thinking. (Lu 1:51) It can also refer to preparing one’s mind for action (mental perception). – 1 Pet. 1:13.

[14] Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, a distinguished Roman senator, is mentioned only once in the Bible. Quirinius served as governor (or, legate) in Syria for two distinct terms.

[15] Question, Ask Questions: (ἐπερωτάω eperōtaō; ἐρωτάω erōtaō; akin to ἔρομαι eromai) The Greek word eperotao, which means to ask, to question, to demand of, for “questioning” was far more than the Greek word erotao, which meant to ask, to request, to entreat, such as a boy’s curiosity. Eperotao refers to questioning, which one might hear in a judicial hearing, such as a scrutiny, inquiry, counter questioning, even probing question, a sort of interrogation. “After three days they [Joseph and Mary] found him [12-year-old Jesus] in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and questioning (eperotao) them [Jewish religious leaders].” The Jewish religious leaders “were astounded.” – Matt. 16: 27:11; Lu 2:46; Mark 5:9.

[16] Astounded: (ἐκπλήσσω ekplēssō) This one is extremely astounded or amazed, so much so that the person loses their mental self-control, as they are overwhelmed emotionally. – Matt. 7:28; Mark 1:22; 7:37; Lu 2:48; 4:32; 9:43; Ac 13:12.

[17] A quotation from Isa 40:3-5

[18] Ie an extra garment

[19] Baptism; Baptize: (βάπτισμα baptisma; βαπτίζω baptizō) The Greek verb baptizo means to immerse, submerse, someone underwater in a symbol of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John the Baptist baptized Jews, which served as a public demonstration and symbol of the individual’s repentance, seeking forgiveness for sins they had committed against the Law, i.e., God, the author of that Law. Jesus made Baptism a requirement for all who see to be his disciples. Baptism does not wash away sins, but the repentance and changing of one’s ways, as well as faith in Jesus Christ. There is no infant baptism. (Ac 2:14, 22, 38, 41) There is no baptism on behalf of those who died in an unbaptized state. (1 Cor. 15:29; See Matt 28:19; Ac 2:41; 8:12; 13:24; Rom 6:3, for one must ‘accept the word,’ believe,’ and ‘repent.’) What then does it mean to be “baptized on behalf of the dead”? Paul referred to (vicarious baptism), a practice that he did not approve of, persons being baptized on behalf of friends and family who had died without being baptized. We notice that he referred to those involved in this unbiblical practice in the third person, “what do people mean,” distancing himself from them. So, the point being made is, why would people deny the resurrection and yet commit this unbiblical practice of vicarious baptism. The Scriptures also refer to baptism with Holy Spirit, and baptism with fire, baptism into Jesus’ death. – Matt. 3:11, 16; 28:19; John 3:23; 1 Pet. 3:21; Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27; Col. 1:18.

[20] Other mss read Sala

[21] P⁷⁵ and D do not contain “son of Cainan,” in agreement with Gen. 10:24; Gen. 11:12, 15; 1Ch 1:18. Some manuscripts contain a second “Cainan,” between Arphaxad and Shelah. (Lu 3:35-36; compare Gen 10:24; 11:12; 1Ch 1:18, 24.) Most scholars take this to be a copyist’s error. “Cainan” is not found in this same position in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Samaritan texts, nor the Targums, but it is found in the Greek Septuagint (Alexandrine Manuscript of the fifth century C.E.). However, it seems likely that it was not in the earlier copies of the Septuagint, as Josephus, who normally follows the Septuagint, lists Seles (Shelah) next as the son of Arphaxades (Arpachshad). (Jewish Antiquities, I, 146 [vi, 4]) Irenaeus, Africanus, Eusebius, and Jerome rejected the second “Cainan” in copies of Luke’s account as an interpolation. Arpachshad was the father of Shelah. (Genesis 10:24; 11:12) The weightiest manuscripts with the exception of P⁷⁵ support the inclusion of the expression “son of Cainan;” therefore, it is in almost all Bible translations. Let’s just say, the issue does not lie with Luke as though he somehow made a mistake or that he may have used a faulty manuscript, as he was moved along by the Holy Spirit. While this could likely be a copyist error, the weightiest textual evidence says that it “son of Cainan” is original. It is possible that “Cainan” at Luke 3:36 is possibly a corruption of the term “Chaldeans.” If it was; then, the original text could have read, “the son of Chaldean Arpachshad.” Then, again, it is possible that P⁷⁵ and D are the original reading. P⁷⁵ is the absolute best Greek NT manuscript, the weightiest of them all. It is for this reason that the Updated American Standard Version has placed [the son of Cainan] in square brackets, which indicates that there is some doubt as to its originality.

[22] The original words were “Man does not live by bread alone.” (א B L W syr^s cop^sa). Quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3. A variant reading is “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word of God.” (A (D) Θ Ψ f^1, 33 Maj).

[23] Or a roll

[24] Or roll

[25] Or the gospel

[26] Or roll

[27] Leprosy: (צָרַעַת tsaraath; λεπρός lepros) is a disease mainly affecting the skin and nerves that can cause tissue change and, in severe cases, loss of sensation and disfigurement. In Bible times, it could affect homes and clothing as well as humans. It is transmitted following close personal contact and has an incubation period of 1-30 years. – Lev. 13:1-46; Deut. 24:8; 2 Ki 5:3, 6, 7, 27; 2 Ch. 26:19; Matt. 8:2; 10:8; 11:5; 26:6; Mark 1:40; 14:3; Lu 4:27; 7:22; 17:12.

[28] Astounded: (ἐκπλήσσω ekplēssō) This one is extremely astounded or amazed, so much so that the person loses their mental self-control, as they are overwhelmed emotionally. – Matt. 7:28; Mark 1:22; 7:37; Lu 2:48; 4:32; 9:43; Ac 13:12.

[29] Lit What is there to us and to you, which is a Hebrew idiom; a revolting question indicating objection. It is found in the Hebrew Scriptures, namely, in Josh. 22:24; Judg. 11:12; 2Sa 16:10; 19:22; 1 Ki 17:18; 2 Ki 3:13; 2 Ch. 35:21; Hos. 14:8. The demons are asking in a disgusted tone, ‘what do we have in common with you?’ In the Greek New Testament, it is found in in Matt. 8:29; Mk 1:24; 5:7; Lu 4:34; 8:28; John 2:4.

[30] Astonished: (θαμβέω thambeō; derivative of thambos) This one is experiencing astonishment, to be astounded, or amazed because of some sudden and unusual event, which can be in a positive or negative sense. – Mark 1:27; 10:32; Lu 4:36; 5:9; Acts 3:10.

[31] Lit about her

[32] Astonished: (θαμβέω thambeō; derivative of thambos) This one is experiencing astonishment, to be astounded, or amazed because of some sudden and unusual event, which can be in a positive or negative sense. – Mark 1:27; 10:32; Lu 4:36; 5:9; Acts 3:10.

[33] That is, covered with leprosy

[34] Sinner: (חָטָא chata ἁμαρτωλός hamartōlos) In the Scriptures “sinners” is generally used in a more specific way, that is, referring to those willfully living in sin, practicing sin, or have a reputation of sinning. – Matt. 9:10; Mark 2:15; Luke 5:30; 7:37-39; John 9:16; Rom. 3:7; Gal. 2:15; 1 Tim. 1:15; Heb. 7:26; Jam. 4:8; 1 Pet 4:18; Jude 1:15.

[35] Lit sons of the bridal-chamber

[36] ἐν σαββάτῳ “on the Sabbath” is the original reading based on the earliest and best manuscripts. (𝔓⁴ 𝔓⁷⁵ א B L W f 33 cop^[36]). Another reading εν σαββατω δευτεροπρωτω “on the second-first Sabbath” has a few early manuscripts (A C D Θ Ψ f Maj), but is the result of a scribal error.

[37] That is, fortunate or prosperous

[38] “Blessed are those who [are poor in spirit] recognize that they are spiritually helpless …” (GOD’S WORD Translation) The Greek word ptochos means “beggar.” The “poor in spirit” is an alternative literal rendering. The meaning is that the “beggar/poor in spirit” is aware of his or her spiritual needs, as if a beggar or the poor would be aware of their physical needs.

[39] This (Gr. chiton) is a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin.

[40] This combination of two Greek negative particles οὐ µή (ou mē) and the aorist subjunctive with reference to a future event is the strongest negation possible in Greek, meaning absolutely not at all, in no way, by no means in any way to something in the future, this being known as the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation.

[41] Lit release

[42] That is, army officer over a hundred soldiers

[43] Lit to whom he was honorable

[44] Or Jewish elders

[45] That is, save the life of his slave

[46] Leprosy was a term that applied to several skin diseases.

[47] Sinner: (חָטָא chata ἁμαρτωλός hamartōlos) In the Scriptures “sinners” is generally used in a more specific way, that is, referring to those willfully living in sin, practicing sin, or have a reputation of sinning. – Matt. 9:10; Mark 2:15; Luke 5:30; 7:37-39; John 9:16; Rom. 3:7; Gal. 2:15; 1 Tim. 1:15; Heb. 7:26; Jam. 4:8; 1 Pet 4:18; Jude 1:15.

[48] That is, Immoral woman

[49] Denarius: (dēnarion; Roman, silver) The denarius was equivalent to a day’s wages for a common laborer (12 hours). It was sixty-four quadrantes. It had an image of Caesar on one side. It was the “head tax” coin demanded by the Roman government from their subjects.–Matt. 20:2, 9; Mark 14:5; Lu 10:35; 20:24; John 6:7; Rev. 6:6.

[50] Or to

[51] Or endurance; patient endurance.

[52] The earliest and best manuscripts (P⁷⁵ B D) support the original reading Gerasenes; others (א L Θ Ξ f¹ 33) Gadarenes; others (A W Ψ f Maj) Gergesenes.

[53] Lit what to me and to you

[54] Abyss: (ἄβυσσος abussos) It is a very deep place, which is rendered “the bottomless pit” in some versions (KJV). This is found in the NT and refers to a place or condition, where Satan and his demons will be confined for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:1-3) Abaddon rules over the abyss (Rev. 9:11) The beast is of Satan’s design and will rise from the abyss in the last days. (Rev. 11:7) The beast will go off into destruction. (Rev 17:8) It is used at times to refer to the grave as well. – Lu 8:31; Rom. 10:7; Rev. 20:3.

[55] The earliest and best manuscripts (𝔓⁷⁵ B C* D 0279) support the original reading Gerasenes; others (א*^, (C) L P Θ f^1, 33) Gadarenes; others (א² A W Ψ Maj) Gergesenes.

[56] Convincing Evidence P⁷⁵ B (D) 0279 syr^s cop^sa Origen, a widespread grouping of manuscripts that is very compelling, which indicates that this is an even higher-level proof that the shorter reading (“who could not be healed by anyone”) could have been original in that it is enough to accept something as substantially far more likely than not unless proven otherwise. The longer reading is also suggestive of the synoptic parallel in Mark 5:26, which means that it is very much likely that a scribe condensed the words of Mark. The expanded reading [ἰατροῖς προσαναλώσασα ὅλον τὸν βίον; spent all her living on physicians] is supported by א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ f^1, 33 Maj. While the longer reading is found in the Nestle-Alans text, it is bracketed because of uncertainty about whether it should be included. The early, weighty, and widespread witnesses make the longer reading very much unlikely. It is simply the case of a later scribe(s) harmonizing the Gospel Luke with the Gospel of Mark.

[57] Or made you well

[58] The shorter text, without τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς (“the sick”), which is supported by B sy^s.c; Mcion^A gives us considerable weight to the shorter reading. The other readings τους ασθενεις (“the sick”) א A D L Ξ Ψ 070 ƒ¹ 33. 579. 1241 and τους ασθενουντας (“the weak” or “the sick”) C K W Γ Δ Θ ƒ¹³ 565. 700. 892. 1424 Maj seems to be scribal expansions added by copyists in order to provide an object for the verb. While Metzger’s point is well taken that this was Luke’s style to have an infinitive followed by an object, when we have two variant readings, this suggests to us that we have copyists expanding the text.

[59] Or life

[60] Or life

[61] This combination of two Greek negative particles οὐ µή (ou mē) and the aorist subjunctive with reference to a future event is the strongest negation possible in Greek, meaning absolutely not at all, in no way, by no means in any way to something in the future, this being known as the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation.

[62] That is, as bright as a flash of lightning

[63] Astounded: (ἐκπλήσσω ekplēssō) This one is extremely astounded or amazed, so much so that the person loses their mental self-control, as they are overwhelmed emotionally. – Matt. 7:28; Mark 1:22; 7:37; Lu 2:48; 4:32; 9:43; Ac 13:12.

[64] Greek lesser.

[65] The original words were “But he turned and rebuked them.” (P⁴⁵ P⁷⁵ א A B C L W Δ Ξ Ψ 33). Two variant readings are (1) “But he turned and rebuked them and he said, ‘You do not know of what spirit you are.’” (D it^d), (2) “But he turned and rebuked them and he said, ‘You do not know of what spirit you are, ⁵⁶ for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’” (K Γ Θ f^,13 700 it syr^c,h,p).

[66] The original wording “seventy-two” (ἑβδομήκοντα δύο) in verse 1 of chapter 10 of Luke is found in the earliest extremely good manuscripts (P⁷⁵ B D 0181 syr^c,s cop^sa) and having diverse support, as well as WH NU GENTI. We have a variant, “seventy” (ἑβδομήκοντα), which is found in early and good manuscripts as well (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ f^1, Maj) and the TR.

[67] Lit “the things from them”

[68] Repentance: The (μετανοέω metanoeō and μεταμέλομαι metamelomai) means to repent, to change one’s way, repentance. It means that we change our minds about our sinful actions or conduct, being dissatisfied with that personality trait. We feel regret, contrition, or compunction for what we have done or failed to do. We change our way of life because we have changed our view, way of thinking, mindset, attitude, and disposition regarding our sinful behavior. We have a change of heart and mind, abandoning our former way of thinking, feeling, and acting. The result is our becoming a new self, with new behavior, and having a genuine regret over our former ways. No one can testify but our own spirit that we have repented; we may make professions of repentance, and the world may believe we are thoroughly sincere, but our own spirit may tell us that our profession is false. In other words, genuine repentance will bring about results that we know to be true. – Matt. 3:2; 12:41; Mark 1:15; Lu 10:13; 15:10; 17:3; Ac 2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 2 Cor. 12:21; Rev. 2:5-3:19.

[69] Hades (ᾅδης hadēs) is the standard transliteration of the Greek into English, which occurs ten times in the UASV. (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Lu 10:15; 16:23; Ac 2:27, 31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.) It has the underlying meaning of ‘a place of the dead, where they are conscious of nothing, awaiting a resurrection, for both the righteous and the unrighteous.’ (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15) It corresponds to “Sheol” in the OT. It does not involve torment and punishment. Adam was told, “in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) The Bible says, “the soul that sins will die.” (Eze 18:4, 20) The apostle Paul says, “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23) Paul also said, “those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These ones will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, from before the Lord.” – 2 Thessalonian 1:8-9.

[70] The original wording “seventy-two” (ἑβδομήκοντα δύο) in verse 17 of chapter 10 of Luke is found in the earliest extremely good manuscripts (P⁴⁵ P⁷⁵ B D syr^c,s cop^sa) and having diverse support, as well as WH NU GENTI. We have a variant, “seventy” (ἑβδομήκοντα), which is found in early and good manuscripts as well (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ 0115 f^1, 33 Maj) and the TR.

[71] This combination of two Greek negative particles οὐ µή (ou mē) and the aorist subjunctive with reference to a future event is the strongest negation possible in Greek, meaning absolutely not at all, in no way, by no means in any way to something in the future, this being known as the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation.

[72] That is an expert in the Mosaic Law

[73] Denarius: (denarion; Roman, silver) The denarius was equivalent to a day’s wages for a common laborer (12 hours). It was sixty-four quadrantes. It had an image of Caesar on one side. It was the “head tax” coin demanded by the Roman government from their subjects. – Matt. 20:2, 9; Mark 14:5; Lu 10:35; 20:24; John 6:7; Rev. 6:6.

[74] The original words were “Father” (P⁷⁵ א B syr^s Marcion Origen) A variant reading is “Our Father who is in heaven” (A C D W Θ Ψ 070 f¹³ 33^vid Maj it syr^c,,p cop).

[75] The original words were “your kingdom come” P⁷⁵ א A B C L W Δ Θ Ψ f^,13 33 it^,b,c, syr cop). Three variant readings are (1) “let your kingdom come upon us” (D it^d), (2) “let your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us” (700 Gregory of Nyssa (Tertullian) Maximus-Confessor), (3) “let your Holy Spirit come, let your kingdom come” (Marcion^{according to Tertullian}).

[76] The original words were “and forgive us our sins” (P⁷⁵ א¹ A B C D W Maj). A variant reading is “and forgive us our debts” (D 2542 it^,b,c).

[77] The original words were “if a son asks for a fish, will he instead give him a serpent?” (P⁴⁵ P⁷⁵ B it syr cop^sa) A variant reading is “if a son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? [if] a fish, will he instead give him a serpent?”

(א) A C (D) L W Θ Ψ f^1, 33 Maj).

[78] Beelzebub: (בַּעַל זְבוּב Baal Zebub; Βεελζεβούλ Beelzeboul) In the OT BaalZebub meaning “Owner of the Flies,” was local pagan god worshiped by the Philistines at Ekron. (2 Ki 1:2, 3, 6, 16) In the NT, also a designation applied to Satan, the Devil, the prince, the ruler of the demons. (Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Lu 11:15, 18, and 19) The Jewish religious leaders blasphemously said that Jesus casts out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.

[79] Lit a house

[80] Lit the

[81] Lit in peace

[82] Lit the

[83] Or plunder; robbery

[84] That is, gifts of mercy

[85] Or temple

[86] Lit. spoke toward the ear

[87] Gehenna: (γέεννα geenna) occurs twelve times and is the Greek name for the Valley of Hinnom, southwest of Jerusalem (Jer. 7:31), where the horrendous worship of Moloch took place, and it was prophetically said that this was where dead bodies would be thrown. (Jer. 7:32; 19:6) It was an incinerator where trash and dead bodies were destroyed, not a place to be burned alive or tormented. Jesus and his disciples used Gehenna to symbolize eternal destruction, annihilation, or the “second death,” an eternal punishment of death.

[88] Assarion: (ἀσσάριον assarion) A Roman and provincial, copper or bronze coin called an “as,” or lengthened to assarion. It was four quadrantes, which was one-sixteenth of a denarius. The denarius was equivalent to a day’s wages for a common laborer (12 hours). – Matt. 10:29; Lu 12:6.

[89] Blasphemy: (βλασφημία blasphēmia) This is speaking abusively against another in such a way to harm or injure their reputation, ‘profane speech, to revile, to defame, to blaspheme, reviling, denigration, disrespect, slander.’ The term is also used for anyone who willfully and knowingly blasphemed the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit by claiming God’s powers, attributes, or rights or assigning these to themselves, another, or a thing. (Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30; Lu 12:10; Ac 12:21-22) This is referred to as the unforgivable sin. This unforgivable sin also applies to any who came to be a Christian, gained an accurate knowledge of the truth, received the Holy Spirit, and then deliberately, willfully, and knowingly turned from God’s pure worship by speaking abusively of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the faith, and biblical truth. – Hebrews 10:26-27.

[90] “A cubit” is the literal rendering, which is about 17.5 inches. Most scholars take (ἡλικία hēlikia) to figuratively mean “lifetime” or “life span,” while others understand it to literally mean “stature,” “bodily height.” Either way, the point being made is that by being anxious over life, no one can add a single hour to one’s life, or add a cubit to one’s height.

[91] D syr^c,s (it^a Marcion according to Tertullian) Clement reads “how it [the lily] neither spins nor weaves”

[92] The original reading ζητειτε την βασιλειαν αυτου (“seeking his kingdom”) is found in א B D* L Ψ, which was then shortened to ζητειτε την βασιλειαν (“seek the kingdom”) in P⁷⁵ and was expanded to ζητειτε την βασιλειαν του θεου (“seek the kingdom of God”) in P⁴⁵ A D¹ Q W Θ 070 f^,13 Maj (so TR). The latter was an attempt at conforming the reading to Matt. 6:33. A few versions (vg^cl eth) harmonize this entirely to Matt 6:33, “seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness.”

[93] That is, Let your loins be girded about is figuratively describing the eagerness and willingness for spiritual action on the part a servant of God.

[94] That is, 9 p.m. to midnight

[95] That is, midnight to 3 a.m.

[96] NU “he would not have allowed his house to be broken into”(P⁷⁵ א* (D) it^,i syr^c, Marcion^{according to Tertullian}); TR WH “he would have kept watch and not allowed his house to be broken into” (א¹ (A) B L Q W Δ Θ Ψ 070 f^1, 33 Maj).

[97] Or, the faithful steward, or house manager, or household, or the wise man whom etc.

[98] Lit blows

[99] Lit be released from him

[100] That is, extraordinarily little value; 1/128 of a day’s wages

[101] Or sky, air

[102] Lit., seah measures; Gr., sata

[103] Or workers of evil!

[104] Lit., to be destroyed outside of Jerusalem

[105] Resurrection: A rising up from death. The Greek (ἀνάστασις anastasis) means “a standing up, i.e., a resurrection, a raising up, rising.” The event at Jesus’ second coming when some of humanity will be restored to life in a body. Usually, the future rising of all believers from the dead; sometimes, unbelievers are also in view. Acts 24:15 speaks of “a hope in God, which hope these men await, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”

[106] That is, unbelieving Jews

[107] A drachma was a Greek silver coin that weighed 3.40 g (0.109 oz t). It was almost equal to the Roman denarius, which was worth one day’s wages for a common worker.

[108] Lit was joined to

[109] That is, to his senses

[110] Gr a bath measure equaled 22 L (5.81 gal).

[111] Gr a kor equaled 220 L (200 dry qt).

[112] The Greek noun (μαμωνᾶς mamōnas; transliteration of an Aramaic word) refers to worldly wealth, riches regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion. – Mt 6:24; Lk 16:9, 11, 13.

[113] See 16:9 fn.

[114] See 16:9 fn.

[115] Or poor man

[116] This is when someone is reclining in front of another on a couch at a meal.

[117] Hades (ᾅδης hadēs) is the standard transliteration of the Greek into English, which occurs ten times in the UASV. (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Lu 10:15; 16:23; Ac 2:27, 31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.) It has the underlying meaning of ‘a place of the dead, where they are conscious of nothing, awaiting a resurrection, for both the righteous and the unrighteous.’ (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15) It corresponds to “Sheol” in the OT. It does not involve torment and punishment. Adam was told, “in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) The Bible says, “the soul that sins will die.” (Eze 18:4, 20) The apostle Paul says, “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23) Paul also said, “those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These ones will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, from before the Lord.” – 2 Thessalonian 1:8-9.

[118] Luke 16:19-31 is a parable just like Jesus’ other 54 parables found in Luke, Mark, and Matthew and is not to be taken literally. It is merely an illustration of the rich man (Jewish religious leaders) trading places (favored position) with the Lazarus the beggar (the common Jew) who was oppressed by the Jewish religious leaders. If it were taken literally, several aspects of the parable would be impossible, and it would conflict with other parts of the Bible.

[119] Or has made you well

[120] The likely original wording “so will be the Son of Man” (ουτως εσται ο υιος του ανθρωπου) is the earliest reading according to the two earliest and weightiest manuscripts P⁷⁵ B as well as D it cop^sa. This was expanded to “so the Son of Man will be in his day” (οὕτως ἔσται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου [ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ αὐτοῦ]), which is supported by א A L W Θ Ψ f^1, Maj. It would seem that the scribes added “in his day” later.

[121] That is, life

[122] The earliest and most reliable manuscripts (P⁷⁵ א A B L W Δ Θ Ψ f¹ 33 cop^,bo[122]) does not contain 17:36, while later manuscripts (D f 700 it syr) does contain verse 36, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.” This is likely a scribal interpolation taken from Matthew 24:40. This verse is missing from Tyndale’s version (1534) and the Geneva Bible (1557). Even the King James Version translators had their doubts about 17:36, as it reads in the original 1611 edition and a sidenote in good quality editions today, “This 36^th verse is wanting in most of the Greek copies.”

[123] Or vultures

[124] Or find this faith

[125] A quotation from Ex. 20:12–16; Deut. 5:16–20

[126] A Gr. mina weighed 340 g (10.9 oz t) and was about 90 days wages for a common laborer.

[127] Or an exacting man

[128] Or miracles

[129] Barricade: (χάραξ charax) The Greek noun means pointed stakes, poles, used as a tall wall or enclosure driven into the ground side by side to keep out enemies or intruders. However, it can be used to keep enemies within an ancient fortified city. In 70 C.E., Titus, the Roman general, surrounded Jerusalem with a barricade. – Luke 19:43.

[130] or of human origin?

[131] Or the chief cornerstone or the head of the corner

[132] Lit do not receive a face

[133] A denarius is a Roman silver coin that weighed 3.85 g (0.124 oz t) and was worth about day’s wages for a common laborer.

[134] Resurrection: A rising up from death. The Greek (ἀνάστασις anastasis) means “a standing up, i.e., a resurrection, a raising up, rising.” The event at Jesus’ second coming when some of humanity will be restored to life in a body. Usually, the future rising of all believers from the dead; sometimes, unbelievers are also in view. Acts 24:15 speaks of “a hope in God, which hope these men await, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”

[135] Or the greater condemnation

[136] That is two lepta, which was the smallest Jewish copper or bronze coin of very little value.

[137] That is, having been made or declared sacred

[138] Or will result in your giving a witness

[139] Or minds

[140] Or then recognize

[141] Or taking place

[142] That is, as my memorial

[143] The original words were no verses (P⁶⁹ P⁷⁵ א A B N T W it^f syr^s cop^sa some Greek MSS^{according to Anastasius} MSS^{according to Jerome} some Greek and Old Latin MSS^{according to Hilary} Marcion Clement Origen). A variant reading is added [[⁴³ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ And being in an agony he prayed very fervently; and his sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.]] (א*^, D L Θ Ψ 0171 0233 f Maj (with asterisks or obeli: Δ^c Π^c 892^c 1079 1195 1216 cop^mss) most Greek MSS^{according to Anastasius} MSS^{according to Jerome} MSS^{according to Epiphanius, Hilary} Justin Irenaeus Hippolytus Eusebius). The manuscript evidence for this textual variant is strongly in favor of it being excluded. So, did Luke pen this section and it was deleted later because some felt Jesus being overwhelmed was not in harmony with his deity, or did some copyists add this section later. It is highly unlikely that Luke penned them based on the evidence. Westcott and Hort also believed Luke 22:43–44 to be an early (second-century) interpolation, which they felt was added from an oral tradition regarding Jesus’s life. (Westcott and Hort 1882, 64–67) Bruce M. Metzger is certain that these words were absent in the original Luke. “The absence of these verses in such ancient and widely diversified witnesses as P^(69vid),  א A B T W syr^s cop^sa,  arm^mss geo Marcion Clement Origen al, as well as their being marked with asterisks or obeli (signifying spuriousness) in other witnesses (Δ Π 892^c  1079 1195 1216 cop^bo) and their transferal to Matthew’s Gospel (after 26:39) by family 13 and several lectionaries (the latter also transfer ver. 45a), strongly suggests that they are no part of the original text of Luke. Their presence in many manuscripts, some ancient, as well as their citation by Justin, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Eusebius, and many other Fathers, is proof of the antiquity of the account. On grounds of transcriptional probability it is less likely that the verses were deleted in several different areas of the church by those who felt that the account of Jesus being overwhelmed with human weakness was incompatible with his sharing the divine omnipotence of the Father, than that they were added from an early source, oral or written, of extra-canonical traditions concerning the life and passion of Jesus. – (Metzger B. M., A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 1994, p. 151) Philip W. Comfort observes, “The RSV [1946] translators were the only ones to exclude both passages (Luke 22:43–44 and John 7:53–8:11). Outside pressures forced them to place John 7:53–8:11 back into the text after its first printing (see comments on John 7:53–8:11), but they did not do so with Luke 22:43–44.” – (Comfort P. W., New Testament Text and Translation Commentary: Commentary on the Variant Readings of the Ancient New Testament Manuscripts and How They Relate to the Major English Translations, 2008, p. 234).

[144] Or at that time

[145] That is bright; shining

[146] The original words were no verse (P⁷⁵ A B L T 070 892^txt it^a cop^sa). A variant reading is added “it was necessary for him to release one [prisoner] for them at the festival” (א W (Θ Ψ) f^1, 892 Maj (D syr^,s after 23:19). Another indication of it being an interpolation is its appearing in different places and in different forms.

[147] The original words were no verse (P⁷⁵ א¹ B D* W Θ 070 it syr cop). A variant reading is added “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” (א*^, (A) C D (E with obeli) L Ψ 0250 f^1,() Maj syr^c,,p Diatessaron Hegesippus). If Jesus’ words were original, he would have been forgiving the Romans who were executing him, as verse 33 says, “And when they [the Romans] came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him.” (UASV) Therefore, when Jesus says in verse 34, “forgive them,” it was a reference to the Roman executioners. Thus, the argument that the later scribes removed the original reading for anti-Semitic purposes, as Jesus was supposedly forgiving the Jews does not hold. WH argued that the words came from an oral tradition. They wrote, “They can only be a fragment from the traditions, written or oral, which were, for a while at least, locally current beside the canonical Gospels, and which doubtless included matter of every degree of authenticity and intrinsic value. These verses and the first sentence of 23:34 may be safely called the most precious among the remains of this evangelic tradition which were rescued from oblivion by the scribes of the second century.” (Westcott and Hort 1882, 67) Comfort argues that they were “added to make Jesus the model for Christian martyrs—of offering forgiveness to one’s executioners.” (Comfort 2008, 240) We know why the words are found in the TR, but WH and the NU go against excellent external and good internal evidence and retain the reading in double brackets, signifying their strong doubts about its presence in the original.

[148] Or blaspheming

[149] That is, noon

[150] That is, 3 p.m.

[151] Lit sixty stadia

[152] Or praising God, namely, for his sending the Son