Dedication to Theophilus
1 Since many have attempted to arrange a narrative about the matters
which have taken place among us,
2 just as those who from the
beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to
us,
3 it seemed good to me also, having followed up accurately
all things from above, to write to you in orderly fashion, most
distinguished Theophilus,
4 so that you may know the certainty of
those things in which you were instructed.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 And they were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blameless.
7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was
barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was,
that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his
division,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was selected
to burn incense when he entered into the temple of the Lord.
10 And all
the multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of
incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the
right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he
was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, "Do
not be afraid, Zacharias, because your prayer has been heard; and your
wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you shall call his name
John.
14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at
his birth.
15 For he shall be great before the Lord, and shall
drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the
Holy Spirit, while still in his mother's womb.
16 And he will
turn many of the sons of Israel 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 to the
wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord."
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know
this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in
years."
19 And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel,
who stands before God, and I was sent to speak to you and to proclaim
the good news to you of these things.
20 But behold, you shall be
silent and not able to speak until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their
season."
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and they
marveled at his delaying in the temple.
22 But having come out,
he was unable to speak to them; and they recognized that he had seen a
vision in the temple, for he was making signs to them and remained
speechless.
23 And it happened, as soon as the days of his
service were fulfilled, that he went away to his house.
24 Now
after those days Elizabeth his wife conceived; and stayed in seclusion
five months, saying,
25 "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days
when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city
of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named
Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And
the angel came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is
with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him,
she was greatly perplexed by his saying, and she wondered what sort of
greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Fear not,
Mary, for you have found grace with God.
31 And behold, you shall
conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His
name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of
the Most High; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father
David.
33 And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and
of His kingdom there shall be no end."
34 Then Mary said to the
angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
35 And the angel
answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the
power of the Most High shall overshadow you; therefore, also, that holy
child which is to be born shall be called the Son of God.
36 And
behold, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old
age; and this is now the sixth month for she who was called barren.
37
For with God nothing shall be impossible."
38 Then Mary said,
"Behold the maidservant of the Lord! May it be to me according to your
word." And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now Mary rose up in those days and traveled into the hill country
with haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias
and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary, that the baby leaped in her womb; and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 Then she spoke out
with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed
is the fruit of your womb!
43 And why am I favored thus, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, as soon as
the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby leaped for joy
in my womb.
45 And blessed is she who has believed, because there
shall be a fulfillment to the things having been spoken to her from the
Lord."
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit has
rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 Because He looked upon the lowly
state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will
call me blessed.
49 For He that is mighty has done great things
for me, and holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who
fear Him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength
with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their
hearts.
52 He has overthrown the mighty from their thrones, and
exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant
Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his seed forever."
56 And Mary remained with her
about three months, and she returned to her house.
57 Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she bore
a son.
58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord
had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
59 Now it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise
the child; and they started to call him by the name of his father,
Zacharias.
60 His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be
called John."
61 But they said to her, "There is no one among
your relatives who is called by this name."
62 So they made signs
to his father about what he wished him to be called.
63 And
asking for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying, "His name is John." And
they all marveled.
64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his
tongue loosed, and he started to speak, praising God.
65 Then
fear came on all who lived around them; and all these things were being
talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66 And all
those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of
child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he
prophesied, saying,
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He
has visited and redeemed 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, who have been since the world
began,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the
hand of all who hate us,
72 to perform the mercy promised to our
fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
73 the oath which He
swore to our father Abraham:
74 to grant us that we, being delivered
from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear,
75 in
holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you
will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 to
give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their
sins,
78 through the tender mercy of our God, with which the
Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 to give light to them
that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into
the way of peace."
80 So the child grew and became strong in
spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to
Israel.
LUKE CHAPTER 2
The Birth of Jesus
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar
Augustus that a census be taken of all the empire.
2 This census
was the first one while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 And all were
traveling to be registered, each to his own city.
4 Joseph also
went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and family of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed
wife, who was pregnant.
6 So it was, that while they were there,
the days were completed for her to bear.
7 And she bore her
firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a
manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And shepherds were in the same country, living in the fields and
keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel
of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to
them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy
which will be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this
will be the sign to you: You will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling
cloths, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
15 So it was, when the angels had departed from them into heaven, that
the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go then to Bethlehem and see
this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to
us."
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and
the Baby lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen Him, they made
widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18
And all those who heard it marveled about the things spoken by the
shepherds to them.
19 But Mary treasured all these things and
pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it
was spoken to them.
The Circumcision of Jesus
21 And when eight days were completed, so they could circumcise Him,
His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was
conceived in the womb.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 Now when the days of their purification according to the law of
Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to
the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every
male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),
24
and to offer a sacrifice according to what had been said in the law of
the Lord, "A pair of doves or two young pigeons."
The Song and Prophecy of Simeon
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and
this man was just 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 should see
the Lord's Christ.
27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple.
And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, that they might do for
Him according to the custom of the law,
28 he took Him up in his
arms and blessed God and said:
29 "Lord, now You are releasing
Your servant in peace, according to Your word;
30 for my eyes
have seen Your salvation
31 which You have prepared before the
face of all peoples,
32 a light for a revelation to the Gentiles,
and a glory to Your people Israel."
33 And Joseph and His mother
were marveling at the things being spoken about Him.
34 Then
Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child
is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign
which will be spoken against
35 (yes, a sword will pierce through
your own soul also), so that the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed."
The Testimony of Anna
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband
seven years from her virginity;
37 and she was a widow of about
eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God
with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And coming in that
instant she was giving thanks to the Lord, and was speaking about Him
to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the
Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
40
And the Child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, being filled
with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
The Young Jesus in the Temple
41 And His parents traveled to Jerusalem every year to the Feast of the
Passover.
42 And when He was twelve years old, when they went up
to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast,
43 and when
they completed the days, while they were returning, the Child Jesus
remained in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother did not know it.
44 But supposing Him to be in the caravan, they went a day's journey,
and sought Him among their relatives and among their
acquaintances.
45 And when they did not find Him, they returned
to Jerusalem, seeking Him.
46 Now it came to pass that after
three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the
teachers, both hearing them and questioning them. 47 And those
who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and His
answers.
48 And when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His
mother said to Him, "Child, why have You treated us this way? Look,
Your father and I were seeking You anxiously."
49 And He said to
them, "Why is it that you were seeking Me? Did you not know that I must
be about My Father's business?"
50 But they did not understand
the statement which He spoke to them.
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to
them. And His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and
men.
LUKE CHAPTER 3
The Ministry of John the Baptist
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while
Pontius Pilate was governing Judea, and while Herod governed as
tetrarch of Galilee, and while Philip his brother governed as tetrarch
of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and while Lysanias governed as
tetrarch of Abilene,
2 in the time of the high priest Annas and
the high priest Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of
Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he went into all the
surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for
the forgiveness of sins,
4 as it is written in the book of the
words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "A voice of one crying in the
wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths
straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and
hill shall be humbled; the crooked roads shall become straight, and the
rough roads shall become smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the
salvation of God.' "
John Preaches to the People
7 Then he said to the crowds which came out to be baptized by him,
"Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8
Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say
among yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you
that God is able to raise up children to Abraham out of these
stones.
9 And even now the ax is being laid to the root of the
trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down
and is thrown into the fire."
10 So the people were asking him,
saying, "What shall we do then?"
11 He answered and said to them,
"He who has two shirts, let him give to him who has none; and he who
has food, let him do likewise."
12 Then tax collectors also came
to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"
13
And he said to them, "Collect nothing more than the amount which has
been commanded to you."
14 Likewise the soldiers also were asking him,
saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate
anyone or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."
15 Now while the people waited, and all considered in their hearts
about John, whether he might be the Christ,
16 John answered,
saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than
I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire;
17 whose winnowing
shovel is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing
floor, and will gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will
burn up with unquenchable fire."
18 And with many other
exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.
19 But
Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his
brother’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 he also added this to all his other sins, and locked up John in the
prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
21 Now it came to pass that when all the people were baptized, that
Jesus also was baptized. And while He was praying, heaven was
opened;
22 and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a
dove upon Him, and a voice came out of heaven, saying, "You are My
beloved Son; in You I have found delight."
The Genealogy of Jesus
23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age,
being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of
Janna, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of
Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26
the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of
Joseph, the son of Judah,
27 the son of Joannas, 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 Elmodam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Jose, 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
Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan,
the son of Mattathah, 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, the
son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son
of Joram, 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 the son of
Cainan, 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 Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of
Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of
God.
LUKE CHAPTER 4
Jesus Tempted by the Devil
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the
Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 being
tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing,
and afterward, when they were completed, He was hungry.
3 And the
devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, speak to this stone that
it may become bread."
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is
written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'
"
5 Then the devil, leading Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all
the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said to
Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; because it
has been given to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7
Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."
8
And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! It is
written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall
serve.' "
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him 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 shall give His
angels charge over You, to guard You,'
11 "and, 'In their hands
they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.' "
12
And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not
tempt the Lord your God.' "
13 Now when the devil had completed every
temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news
about Him went out through all the surrounding region.
15 And He
taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His
custom was, He entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He
stood up to read.
17 And the book of Isaiah the prophet was given
to Him. And having unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was
written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to
preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19
to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
20 And having rolled
up the scroll, when He had given it to the attendant, He sat down. And
the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were looking intently at
Him.
21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing."
22 And all were bearing witness to
Him, and were marveling at the gracious words which came out of His
mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"
23 He said to
them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal
yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in
Your hometown.' "
24 Then He said, "Assuredly I say to you, no prophet
is accepted in his hometown.
25 But I tell you truly, there were
many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut
up three years and six months, and there was a great famine all over
the land;
26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to
Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a widow woman.
27 And there
were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none
of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."
28 So all those
in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 and rising up they threw Him out of the city; and brought Him to the
brow of the hill on which their city was built, in order to throw Him
down.
30 But having passed through the midst of them, He went
on.
Ministry in Capernaum
31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was
teaching them on the Sabbath.
32 And they were astonished at His
teaching, because His word was with authority.
33 Now in the
synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he
cried out with a loud voice,
34 saying, “Ah! What have we
to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know
who You are—the Holy One of God!"
35 But Jesus rebuked him,
saying, "Be silenced, and come out from him!" And when the demon had
thrown him down in their midst, it came out from him, and did not hurt
him.
36 And amazement came upon all, and they spoke among
themselves, 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 of the surrounding
region.
Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed
38 And when He arose from the synagogue, He entered into the house of
Simon. But Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they
made request of Him about her.
39 And when He stood over her, He
rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately rising up, she
began to serve them.
40 Now when the sun was setting, all those
who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him;
and He laid His hands on each one of them and healed them.
41 And
also demons were coming out of many, crying out and saying, "You are
the Christ, the Son of God!" And rebuking them, He did not allow them
to speak, because they knew that He was the Messiah.
42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And
the crowds were searching for Him, and they came to Him, and tried to
restrain Him from leaving them;
43 but He said to them, "I must
proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also,
because for this purpose I have been sent."
44 And He was
preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
LUKE CHAPTER 5
The Call of the Disciples
1 Now it came to pass, while the crowd pressed upon Him to hear the
word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
2 and He
saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen, after getting
out of them, were washing their nets.
3 Then He got into one of
the boats, which was Simon's, and He asked him to put out a little from
the land. And sitting down, He began to teach the crowds from the
boat.
4 Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Put
out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch."
5 But Simon
answered and said to Him, "Master, we have labored all night and caught
nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will lower the net."
6 And
when they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and
their net was tearing.
7 So they beckoned to their partners who
were in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled
both the boats, so that they were sinking.
8 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 gripped him and all who
were with him at the haul of fish which they had taken.
10 And likewise
also it gripped James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners
with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear; from now on you
shall be catching men."
11 And having brought the boats to land,
they left everything and followed Him.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12 And it came to pass while He was in a certain city, that behold,
there was a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, falling on his
face he begged Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can cleanse
me."
13 And reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, "I am
willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14 And He ordered him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the
priest, and bring an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to
them, just as Moses prescribed."
15 But the report about Him spread all
the more; and great crowds came together to hear, and to be healed by
Him from their sicknesses.
16 But He Himself would withdraw into the
wilderness and would pray.
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic
17 Now it happened on a certain day that He was teaching, and Pharisees
and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come out of every
village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was
present to heal them.
18 And behold, men were carrying on a bed a
man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and to lay
him before Him.
19 And when they could not find how they might
bring him in, because of the crowd, going up on the roof, they lowered
him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst in front of
Jesus.
20 And seeing their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins
have been forgiven you."
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees
began to reason, saying, "Who is this Man who speaks blasphemies? Who
can forgive sins except God alone?"
22 But when Jesus perceived
their reasonings, He 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, 'Arise and walk'?
24 But that you may
know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins"—He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise,
take up your bed, and go to your house."
25 Immediately he rose
up before them, taking up the bed which he had been lying on, he went
off to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And amazement gripped
them all, and they were glorifying God, and they were filled with fear,
saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today!"
The Calling of Levi (Matthew)
27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi,
sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me."
28
And leaving everything, he arose and followed Him.
29 Then Levi
made a great banquet for Him in his own house. And there was a great
number of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them to
eat.
30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His
disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with the tax collectors
and sinners?"
31 Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are
healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are ill.
32 I
have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
The Superiority of the New
33 Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and
make prayers, and likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but
Yours eat and drink?"
34 And He said to them, "Can you make the
groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35 But the days
will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they
will fast in those days."
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: "No
one puts a patch of a new garment on an old one; otherwise both the new
garment tears, and also the patch that was taken out of the new garment
does not match with the old garment.
37 And no one puts new wine
into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the wineskins and
it will be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38 But one
must put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved
together.
39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately
desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'
"
LUKE CHAPTER 6
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
1 Now it came to pass on the second chief Sabbath, that He
was going through the grain fields. And His disciples were picking the
heads of grain and were eating them, rubbing them in their hands.
2 But some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why do you do what is not
lawful to do on the Sabbath?"
3 But Jesus answering them said,
"Have you not even read this, what David did when he became hungry, he
and those who were with him:
4 how he entered into the house of
God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him,
which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"
5 And He
said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
6 Now
it happened that on another Sabbath, He entered the synagogue and was
teaching. And there was a man there whose right hand was
withered. 7 And the scribes and Pharisees were observing if
whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an
accusation against Him.
8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to
the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand in the midst." And
he arose and stood.
9 Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you
one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to
save life or to kill?"
10 And when He had looked around at them
all, He said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his
hand was restored as whole as the other.
11 But they were filled
with fury, and they were discussing with one another what they might do
to Jesus.
The Twelve Apostles
12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain
to pray, and He was spending the night in prayer to God.
13 And
when it became day, He summoned His disciples, and having chosen twelve
from them, whom He also named apostles:
14 He chose Simon, whom
He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and
Bartholomew;
15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus,
and Simon called the Zealot;
16 Judas the son of James, and Judas
Iscariot who also became a traitor.
17 And having come down with them, He stood on a level place, with a
crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea
and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to
hear Him and be healed of their diseases,
18 as well as those who were
tormented by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.
19 And
all the crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was going out from
Him, and was healing them all.
The Beatitudes
20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed
are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed
are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who
weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men shall
hate you, and when they shall exclude you, and shall revile you, and
cast out your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23 Rejoice
in that day and leap for joy! For behold, your reward is great in
heaven; for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
Jesus Pronounces Woes
24 "But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your
consolation.
25 Woe to you who have been filled, for you shall be
hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when men speak well of you, for in like manner their
fathers would do 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 him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.
And from him who takes your outer garment, do not forbid the tunic
either.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes
away your belongings, do not ask for them back.
31 And just as
you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 But
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 hope to receive it
back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners, so
that they may receive the same amount back.
35 But love your enemies,
and do good, and lend, hoping to receive nothing back; and your reward
shall be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind
to the unthankful and evil.
36 Therefore be compassionate, just as your
Father also is compassionate.
Do Not Judge
37 "And do not judge, and you shall not be judged. Do not condemn, and
you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.
38 Give, and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down and
shaken and running over they shall give into your bosom. For with the
same measure that you use, it shall be measured back to you."
39
And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will
they not both fall into the ditch?
40 A disciple is not above his
teacher, but everyone, having been fully trained, will be like his
teacher.
41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but
do not notice the plank in your own eye?
42 Or how can you say to
your brother, 'Brother, permit me to remove the speck which is in your
eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?
Hypocrite! First remove the plank out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to remove the speck which is in your brother's
eye.
43 "For a good tree does not produce corrupt fruit, nor does a corrupt
tree produce good fruit.
44 For each tree is known by its own fruit.
For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from
a thorn bush.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart
brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil
treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil. For out of the
abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Build on the Rock
46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which
I say?
47 Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words and does them, I
will show you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man building a
house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. And
when a flood occurred, the stream burst upon that house, and could not
shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
49 But he who hears and
does not do is like a man building a house on the ground without a
foundation, against which the stream burst upon; and immediately it
fell. And the destruction of that house was
great."
LUKE CHAPTER 7
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
1 Now when He finished all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He
entered Capernaum.
2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was highly
valued by him, was sick and about to die.
3 And when he heard
about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him that He
might come and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus,
they begged Him earnestly, saying he was worthy for whom He should
grant this,
5 for he loves our nation, and he himself has built us a
synagogue."
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already
not far away from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying
to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You
should enter under my roof.
7 Therefore I did not even consider
myself worthy to come to You. But just say the word, and my servant
shall be healed.
8 For I also am a man appointed under authority,
having soldiers under myself. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and
to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he
does it."
9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him,
and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, "I say to you, I have
not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
10 And when
those who were sent returned to the house, they found the servant well
who had been sick.
Jesus Raises a Dead Man in Nain
11 Now it happened on the next day, that He went into a city called
Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a great crowd.
12 And when He came near the gate of the city, that behold, a dead man
was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.
And many people from the city was with her.
13 When the Lord saw
her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."
14
Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him
stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."
15 So
he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He gave him to his
mother.
16 Then fear took hold of all, and they were glorifying
God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has
visited His people."
17 And this report about Him went out in all
Judea, and all the surrounding region.
Jesus and John the Baptist
18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these
things.
19 And summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to
Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for
another?"
20 And when they came to Him, the men said, "John the
Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we
look for another?' " 21 And in that very hour He healed many from
diseases, and torments, and evil spirits; and to many blind people He
granted sight.
22 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and
report to John what you have seen and heard: that the blind regain
sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, the poor are evangelized.
23 And blessed is he who is
not offended because of Me."
24 Now when John’s messengers had departed, He began to speak to
the crowds concerning John: "What have you gone out into the wilderness
to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
25 But what have you gone out
to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously
appareled and live in luxury are in royal palaces.
26 But what
have you gone out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more
than a prophet.
27 This is he about whom it is written: 'Behold,
I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before
You.'
28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is
not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the
kingdom of God is greater than he."
29 And when all the people
heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized
with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers
rejected the counsel of God for themselves, because they had not been
baptized by him.
31 "Therefore to what shall I compare the men of
this generation, and what are they like?
32 They are like
children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:
'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned for
you, and you did not weep.'
33 "For John the Baptist has come
neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a
demon.'
34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you
say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and
sinners!'
35 And so wisdom is justified by all her children."
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And entering
into the Pharisee's house, He reclined to eat.
37 And behold, a
woman in the city who was a sinner, when she found out that He was
reclining in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of
perfume,
38 and standing by His feet behind Him weeping; and she began
to wash His feet with her tears, and was wiping them with the hair of
her head; and she was kissing His feet and anointing them with the
perfume.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this,
he spoke within himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would
know who and what sort of woman this is who touches Him, for she is a
sinner."
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have
something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, say it."
41
There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred
denarii, and the other owed fifty.
42 And when they had nothing
with which to pay back, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me,
therefore, which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon answered
and said, "I suppose it is the one to whom he forgave more." And He
said to him, "You have judged correctly."
44 And turning to the
woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered into your
house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but this woman has washed My
feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
45
You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not stopped kissing My feet
since the time I came in.
46 You did not anoint My head with oil,
but this woman has anointed My feet with perfume.
47 For which
reason I say to you, her many sins have been forgiven, because she
loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves
little."
48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49 And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say
within themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50 Then
He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in
peace."
LUKE CHAPTER 8
Many Women Minister to Jesus
1 Now it came to pass afterward, that He was traveling through every
city and village, preaching and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom
of God, and the twelve were with Him,
2 and certain women who had
been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary called Magdalene,
from whom seven demons had gone out,
3 and Joanna the wife of
Chuza, a supervisor of Herod, and Susanna, and many others who were
ministering to them from their belongings.
The Parable of the Sower
4 And when a large crowd had gathered, and the people came to Him from
every city, He spoke by a parable:
5 The sower went out to sow
his seed. And as he sowed, some fell alongside the road; and it was
trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And other
seed fell on rock; and when it grew up, it withered away because it had
no moisture.
7 And other seed fell among thorns, and when the
thorns grew up with it, they choked it.
8 But other seed fell
into good ground, and when it grew up, it produced fruit a
hundredfold." Saying these things He was calling out, "He who has ears
to hear, let him hear!"
9 Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable
mean?"
10 And He said, "To you it has been given to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are in parables,
that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not
understand.'
The Parable of the Sower Explained
11 "Now this is the parable: The seed is the word of God.
12 And
those beside the road are they that hear; then the devil comes and
takes away the word from their hearts, lest they believe and be
saved.
13 But those on the rock are they that, whenever they
hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe
for a while and in time of testing fall away.
14 And that which fell
among thorns, these are those, who when they heard, go out and are
choked with anxieties, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no
fruit to maturity.
15 But that which fell on the good ground,
these are such who when they heard the word, with a noble and good
heart, hold on to it and bear fruit with endurance.
16 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it
under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may
see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden which will not
become manifest, nor anything concealed which will not be known and
come to light.
18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever
has, more shall be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what
he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."
Jesus and His Family
19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him
because of the crowd.
20 And it was told Him by some, who said,
"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 the Storm
22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He got into a boat with
His disciples. And He said to them, "Let us go across to the other side
of the lake." And they put out to sea.
23 But as they sailed, He
fell asleep. And a windstorm came down onto the lake, and they were
being filled with water, and were in danger.
24 And they came to
Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He
arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they
ceased, and there was a calm.
25 But He said to them, "Where is
your faith?" But becoming afraid, they marveled, saying to one another,
"Who then is this? For He commands both the winds and the water, and
they obey Him!"
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man
26 Then they sailed to the region of the Gadarenes, which is opposite
Galilee.
27 And when He got out on the land, there met Him a
certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore
no clothes, nor did he live in a house, but among the tombs.
28
And seeing Jesus and crying out, he fell down before Him, and with a
loud voice he said, "What have I to do with You, 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 from the man. For it had seized him at
times, and he was bound, kept under guard, with chains and shackles;
and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the
wilderness.
30 Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And
he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered into him.
31
And he kept imploring Him that He would not command them to go out into
the abyss.
32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on
the mountain. And they kept imploring Him that He would permit them to
enter them. And He permitted them.
33 Then when the demons came
out from the man, they entered into the swine, and the herd ran
violently down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34 And
when those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and reported
it in the city and in the country.
35 Then they went out to see
what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom
the demons had come out of, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and
being of sound mind. And they were afraid.
36 And those also who
saw reported to them how the demon-possessed man was healed.
37
Then the whole multitude from the surrounding region of the Gadarenes
asked Him to go away from them, because they were gripped with great
fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
38 Now the man from whom
the demons had come out was begging Him that he might be with Him. But
Jesus sent him away, saying,
39 "Return to your house, and tell what
great things God has done for you." And he departed, proclaiming
throughout the whole city all the things that Jesus did for him.
Restoration and Healing
40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the crowd welcomed Him, for
they were all waiting for Him.
41 And behold, there came a man
named Jairus, and he was a leader of the synagogue. And falling at the
feet of Jesus, he was imploring Him to enter into his house,
42
for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was
dying. But as He was going, the crowds were pressing against Him.
43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who though she
had spent her whole livelihood on physicians, was not able to be healed
by anyone,
44 approaching from behind, touched the hem of His garment.
And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said,
"Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said,
"Master, the crowds are pressing You hard and crowding You, and You
say, 'Who touched Me?'
46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched Me,
for I perceived that power has gone out from Me."
47 Now when the
woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down
before Him, she recounted to Him before all the people the reason why
she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And He
said to her, "Take courage, daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in
peace."
49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the
ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter has died.
Do not trouble the Teacher."
50 But when Jesus heard it, He
answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be
healed."
51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to
enter except Peter, John, and James, and the father and mother of the
child.
52 Now all were weeping and mourning for her; but He said,
"Do not weep; she is not dead, but asleep."
53 And they were
ridiculing Him, knowing that she had died.
54 But He sent them
all outside, and having grasped her hand, He called, saying, "Child,
arise."
55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.
And He commanded something to be given to her to eat.
56 And her
parents were amazed, but He charged them to tell no one what had
happened.
LUKE CHAPTER 9
The Sending of the Twelve Apostles
1 And having called together the twelve, He gave them power and
authority over all demons, and to heal diseases. 2 And He sent
them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He
said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor
knapsack nor bread nor silver; and do not have two tunics apiece.
4 Whatever house you may enter, stay there, and from there go
out. 5 And as many as will not receive you, when you go out from
that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony
against them." 6 As they went out, they were going about village
by village, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Herod Seeks to See Jesus
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all the things being done by Him; and
he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from
the dead, 8 and by others that Elijah had appeared, and by others
that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. 9 And Herod said,
"John I have beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he was seeking to see Him.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
10 And the apostles, when they had returned, recounted to Him all that
they had done. And taking them along, He withdrew privately into a
deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But
when the crowds found out, they followed Him; and He welcomed them, and
was speaking to them about the kingdom of God, and He cured those who
needed healing. 12 Now when the day began to decline, the twelve
came and said to Him, "Dismiss the crowd, so that they may go into the
surrounding villages and farms, and they may find lodging and find
provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." 13 But He said
to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no
more than five loaves of bread and two fish, unless we go and buy food
for all these people." 14 For there were about five thousand men.
And He said to His disciples, "Make them recline in groups of
fifty." 15 And they did so, and made them all recline. 16
And taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before
the crowd. 17 So they all ate and were satisfied, and twelve
baskets of the remaining fragments were taken up by them.
The Confession of Peter
18 And it came to pass, while He was alone praying, that His disciples
joined Him, and He questioned them, saying, "Who do the crowds
pronounce Me to be?" 19 So they answered and said, "John the
Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the ancient
prophets has arisen." 20 He said to them, "But who do you
pronounce Me to be?" Peter answered and said, "The Christ of
God."
Jesus Foretells of His Death and Resurrection
21 And He strictly 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 to be killed, and to be
raised on the third day."
A Call to Discipleship
23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 24 For
whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake shall save it. 25 For what is a man profited if
he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will
be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of
the holy angels. 27 “But I tell you truly, there are some
standing here who will by no means taste death until they see the
kingdom of God."
Jesus Transfigured on the Mount
28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these words, that He
took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became
different, and His clothing became white and glistening. 30 And
behold, two men were talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah,
31 who appearing in glory were talking about His decease which He was
about to accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him
were heavy with sleep; but becoming fully awake, they saw His glory and
the two men who stood with Him. 33 And it happened, as they were
parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us
to be here; and let us make three tents: one for You, one for Moses,
and one for Elijah," not knowing what he was saying. 34 Now as he
said these things, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them; and they
were afraid as they entered into the cloud. 35 And a voice came
out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Listen to
Him!" 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But
they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the
things they had seen.
A Boy is Healed
37 Now it happened on the next day, when they came down from the
mountain, that a great crowd met Him. 38 And behold, a man from
the crowd cried out, saying, "Teacher, I beg You, look upon my son, for
he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he
suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth,
and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. 40
So I begged Your disciples that they might cast it out, but they could
not." 41 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverted
generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your
son here." 42 And as he was still coming, the demon threw him
down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and
healed the child, and gave him back to his father.
Jesus Again Foretells of His Death
43 And they were all amazed at the majesty of God. But while everyone
marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His
disciples, 44 Let these words sink down into your ears, for the
Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men." 45 But
they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them so
that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about
this saying.
Who is the Greatest?
46 Then a dispute came up among them as to which of them might be the
greatest. 47 But Jesus, having seen the thought of their heart,
taking a little child, He stood him beside Himself, 48 and said
to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me;
and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least
among you all shall be great."
49 Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out
demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with
us." 50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is
not against us is for us."
A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior
51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received
up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and
sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a
village of the Samaritans, so they might prepare for Him. 53 But
they did not receive Him, because He was determined to go to
Jerusalem. 54 And when they saw this, James and John His
disciples said, "Lord, do You wish that we should call down fire from
heaven and consume them, as Elijah did?" 55 But turning, He
rebuked them, and said, "You do not know of what sort of spirit you
are. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives
but to save them." And they went to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to
Him, "Lord, 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 Then He said to another,
"Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my
father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own
dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 And another
also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but first permit me to say
farewell to those who are at my house." 62 But Jesus said to him,
"No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for
the kingdom of God."
LUKE CHAPTER 10
The Seventy Sent Out
1 Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and He
sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He
Himself was about to come. 2 Then He said to them, "The harvest
indeed is great, but the workers are few; therefore pray to the Lord of
the harvest that He may send forth workers into His harvest. 3
Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Do
not carry a money bag, nor a knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one
along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace
to this house.' 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will
rest upon it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in that
very house, eating and drinking what they have, for the worker is
worthy of his wages. Do not move from house to house. 8 And into
which ever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before
you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of
God has drawn near to you.' 10 But whatever city you enter, and
they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11
‘The very dust from your city which clings to us we wipe off
against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has drawn
near to you.' 12 I say to you that it will be more tolerable in
that Day for Sodom than for that city.
Jesus Pronounces Woes to Impenitent Cities
13 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! Because if the
miracles which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14
Nevertheless it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the
judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to
heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 He who hears you hears
Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him
who sent Me."
The Return of the Seventy
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons
are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I saw
Satan having fallen like lightning out of heaven. 19 Behold, I
give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over
all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to
you, but rejoice because your names have been written in heaven."
Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I praise You,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things
from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to babes. Yes,
Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” 22 And
turning to His disciples He said, “All things have been delivered
to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills
to reveal Him." 23 And turning to His disciples He said
privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see; 24 for I
tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see,
and they did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and they did not
hear it."
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying,
"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to
him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" 27 So he
answered and said, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, 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 shall live." 29 But
he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my
neighbor?" 30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man was
going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and encountered bandits, who
after having stripped him of his clothing and having wounded him,
departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by coincidence a certain
priest was coming down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on
the opposite side. 32 Likewise a Levite, arriving at the place,
came and saw, and passed by on the opposite side. 33 But a
certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came by him; and when he saw him, he
was moved with compassion. 34 And coming to him, he bandaged his
wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and putting him on his own animal, he
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day,
when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the
innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever you spend
in addition, when I come back, I will repay you.' 36 So which of
these three does it seem to you proved to be a neighbor to the man who
fell among the bandits?" 37 And he said, "the one who showed
mercy to him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Mary and Martha
38 Now it came to pass as they traveled, that He entered into a certain
village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her
house. 39 And the woman had a sister called Mary, who also sat at
Jesus' feet and was listening to His word. 40 But Martha was
distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord,
don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Therefore tell her to help me." 41 And Jesus answered and said to
her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many
things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good
part, which shall not be taken away from
her."
LUKE CHAPTER 11
Instructions on Prayer
1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He
ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray,
just as John also taught his disciples." 2 So He said to them,
"Whenever you pray, say: Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be Your
name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive
us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him
at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for
a friend has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set
before him'; 7 and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not
trouble me; the door has already been shut, and my children are with me
in bed; I cannot get up and give to you'? 8 I say to you, even if
he will not get up and give to him, because he is his friend, yet on
account of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he
needs.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
9 "So I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone
who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
will be opened. 11 And which father among you, if his son asks
for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he
give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an
egg, will he give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, by how much more will
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Jesus and Beelzebub
14 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the
demon came out, that the mute man spoke; and the crowds marveled.
15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler
of the demons." 16 But others, testing Him, were seeking from Him
a sign from heaven. 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to
them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolate, and a
house divided against a house falls. 18 And if Satan also is
divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say
that I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons
by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will
be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons by the finger of God,
then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man,
fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are in peace.
22 But when someone stronger than he comes upon him, he overcomes him,
and he takes away his full armor in which he had trusted, and
distributes his spoils. 23 He who is not with Me is against Me,
and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
24 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through waterless
places, seeking rest; and not finding any, he says, 'I will return to
my house from where I came out.' 25 And coming, he finds it swept
and adorned. 26 Then he goes and takes along seven other spirits
more wicked than himself, and they come and dwell there; and the last
state of that man is worse than the first."
Keeping the Word
27 And it happened, while He spoke these things, that a certain woman
from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb
which bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" 28 But He
said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and
keep it!"
Seeking a Sign
29 Now as the crowds gathered even more, He began to say, "This
generation is evil. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 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 shall rise up in the
judgment with the men of this generation and shall condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon; and indeed one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men
of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation and
shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and
indeed one greater than Jonah is here.
The Lamp of the Body
33 "No one, having lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a
basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the
light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your
eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye
is evil, your body also is dark. 35 Therefore take heed that the
light which is in you is not darkness. 36 Therefore if your whole
body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full
of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives light to
you."
Jesus Pronounces More Woes
37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked that He would eat with
him. And having entered, He reclined to eat. 38 And when the
Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before the
meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the
outside of the cup and of the dish, but the inside of you is full of
greed and evil. 40 Fools! Did not He who made the outside also
make the inside? 41 Nevertheless give what is inside as alms; and
see, all things are clean to you. 42 But woe to you Pharisees!
Because you pay a tithe of mint and rue and every vegetable, and you
pass over justice and the love of God. These things you ought to have
done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees!
Because you love the first seat in the synagogues and greetings in the
marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
Because you are like unmarked graves, and the men walking over them do
not know it."
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by
saying these things You insult us also." 46 And He said, "Woe to
you lawyers as well! Because 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! Because you build the tombs of the
prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Consequently, you bear
witness to and approve of the deeds of your fathers; because they
indeed killed them, but you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the
wisdom of God also said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles,
and some of them they will kill and persecute,' 50 so that the
blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the
world may be required from this generation, 51 from the blood of
Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the
temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this
generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! Because you have taken away
the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter in, and those who
were entering in you hindered." 53 And as He said these things to
them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be dreadfully hostile, and
to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him,
and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, so that they might
accuse
Him.
LUKE CHAPTER 12
Beware of Hypocrisy
1 Now in the meantime, as an innumerable crowd had gathered together so
that they were stepping on one another, He began to say to His
disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which
is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that shall not be
unveiled, and nothing secret that shall not be made known. 3
Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark shall be heard in the
light, and what you have spoken in the ear in behind closed doors shall
be proclaimed on the housetops.
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God
4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the
body, and after that have nothing further they can do. 5 But I
will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who after He kills, has
authority to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 Are
not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is
forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head have all
been numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many
sparrows.
Whoever Confesses Christ
8 "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of
Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who
denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And
anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven
him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be
forgiven. 11 Now whenever they bring you to the synagogues and rulers
and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or
what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in
that very hour what you must say."
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Then someone from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother
to divide the inheritance with me." 14 But He said to him, "Man,
who appointed Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" 15 And He
said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life
does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16 Then He told a parable to them, saying: "The field of a certain rich
man produced well. 17 And he reasoned within himself, saying,
'What shall I do, because I have nowhere to gather my crops?' 18
So he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and I will build
bigger ones, and there I will gather all my crops and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid away for
many years; relax; eat, drink, and be merry." ' 20 But God said
to him, 'You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then
whose will those things be which you have prepared?' 21 So is he
who accumulates treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God."
Do Not Worry
22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will
wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than
clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap,
which have neither storeroom nor barn; and yet God feeds them. How much
more are you worth than birds? 25 And which of you by worrying
can add one cubit to his stature? 26 Therefore if you cannot do a
very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider
the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to
you, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of
these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, although it is in the
field today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, by how much rather
will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 And do not seek
what you may eat or what you may drink, and do not be anxious. 30
For all these things the nations of the world seek after, but your
Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom
of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, because your Father is well
pleased to give to you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and
give alms; make for yourselves money bags which do not grow old, an
unfailing treasure in the heavens, where a thief does not come near,
nor does a moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
35 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you
yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return
from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks,
immediately they may open to him. 37 Blessed are those servants
whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly I say to
you, that he will gird himself and have them recline to eat, and he
will come and serve them. 38 And if he comes in the second watch,
or comes in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those
servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had
known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have kept watch, and
not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be
ready, for in an hour that you think not, the Son of Man comes."
41 Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us,
or to all people?" 42 And the Lord said, "Who then is a faithful
and wise manager, whom his master will make ruler over his household,
to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is
that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44
Truly I say to you, that he will appoint him over all his
possessions. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master
is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female
servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of
that servant will come on a day which he does not expect, and at an
hour which he does not know, and he will cut him in two and appoint him
his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew
his master's will, and did not get ready or do according to his will,
shall be beaten with many blows. 48 But he who did not know, yet
did things worthy of blows, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to
whom much is given, from him much will be demanded; and to whom much
has been entrusted, of him they will ask much more.
Christ Brings Division
49 "I came to cast fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already
kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how
distressed I am till it is completed! 51 Do you think that I came
to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather
division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided:
three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be
divided against a son and a son against father, a mother against a
daughter and a daughter against a mother, a mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
Discerning the Times
54 Then He also said to the crowds, "Whenever you see a cloud rising
from the west, immediately you say, 'A rainstorm is coming'; and it
happens thus. 55 And whenever you see the south wind blow, you
say, 'There will be hot weather'; and it happens. 56 Hypocrites!
You know how to discern the face of the earth and of the sky, but how
is it you do not discern this time? 57 "And why do you not judge
what is right, even of yourselves? 58 When you go with your adversary
to the magistrate, make an effort to make a settlement with him on the
road, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the
bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. 59 I tell you,
you shall by no means depart from there till you have paid the very
last mite."
LUKE CHAPTER 13
A Call to Repent
1 And some people were present at that very time, reporting to Him
about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their
sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you think
that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans,
because they suffered such things? 3 Not at all, 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 these were
offenders more than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 Not
at all, I tell you; but unless you repent you will all likewise
perish."
6 He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in
his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7
Then he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years I have come
looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I haven’t found any. Cut
it down; why does it even waste the ground?' 8 But he answered and said
to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and
fertilize it. 9 And if it produces fruit, fine. But if not, in the
coming year, you can cut it down.' "
Healing 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 a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
and she was bent over and was not able to straighten herself up. 12 And
seeing her, Jesus called her to Him and said, "Woman, you are loosed
from your infirmity." 13 And He laid His hands on her, and
immediately she was made straight, and was glorifying God. 14 But the
ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had
healed on the Sabbath, and he said to the crowd, "There are six days in
which one should work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on
the Sabbath day." 15 The Lord then answered him and said,
"Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or
donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought
not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound these
eighteen years, should she not be loosed from this bond on the
Sabbath?" 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries
were put to shame; and all the crowd was rejoicing over all the
glorious things which were done by Him.
The Kingdom of God
18 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I
compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and
put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds
of the air nested in its branches."
20 Again He said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21
It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal
until it was all leavened."
The Narrow Gate
22 And He was traveling through various cities and villages, teaching,
and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, "Lord,
are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, 24
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, because many, I say to
you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master
of the house has risen up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand
outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,'
and answering He will say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are
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 you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you
workers of iniquity.' 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in
the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out. 29 And they
will come from the east and the west, and the north and the south, and
will recline to eat in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, there
are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be
last." 31 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him,
"Get out and go from here, for Herod wants to kill You." 32 And
He said to them, "Go and say to that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons
and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be
perfected.' 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and
the next day; for it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of
Jerusalem.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones
those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were
not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and I
say to you, you shall by no means see Me until the time comes when you
say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'
"
LUKE CHAPTER 14
Healing Again on the Sabbath
1 Now it came to pass, when He came into the house of one of the rulers
of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching
Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who
had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees,
saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" 4 But they were
silent. And taking hold of him, He healed him, and let him go. 5 Then
He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has
fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath
day?" 6 And they were not able to answer Him regarding these things.
Taking the Lowly Place
7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how
they chose the places of honor, saying to them: 8 Whenever you
are invited by someone to a wedding celebration, do not sit down in the
place of honor, lest one more honorable than you be invited by
him; 9 and he who invited you and him shall come and say to you,
'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the
last place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the
last place, so that when he who invited you comes, he shall say to you,
'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of
those who recline with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself
shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or
a supper, do not call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your
relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you
be repaid. 13 But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor,
the crippled, the lame, the blind; 14 and you will be blessed,
because they do not have anything to repay you; for it will be repaid
to you in the resurrection of the just."
The Parable of the Great Supper
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these
things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat dinner in the
kingdom of God!" 16 Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a
great banquet, and he invited many, 17 and he sent his servant at
supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are
now ready.' 18 But they all with one accord began to excuse
themselves. The first said to him, 'I bought a field, and I must go and
see it. I ask you, have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I
bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you, have
me excused.' 20 Still another said, 'I have married a wife,
therefore I cannot come.' 21 So that servant came and reported
these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry,
said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the
city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the
blind.' 22 And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you
commanded, and still there is room.' 23 Then the master said to
the servant, 'Go out into the roads and hedges, and compel them to come
in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none
of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.' "
Counting the Cost
25 Now great crowds were traveling with Him. And turning, He said to
them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and
mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life
also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his
cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of
you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count up
the cost, whether he has the resources to complete it? 29 Lest
perhaps after he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all
those who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to
build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going to
engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and consider
whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him
with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far
away, he sends a delegation and asks the terms for peace. 33 So
likewise, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be My disciple.
34 "Salt is good; but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it
be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill,
but men cast it out. He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!"
LUKE CHAPTER 15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to Him
to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes were grumbling,
saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 And He
told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you,
having a hundred sheep, and loses one of them, does not leave behind
the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and goes after the one which is lost
until he finds it? 5 And having found it, he puts it on his own
shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And coming into the house, he calls together
his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have
found my sheep which was lost!' 7 I say to you that likewise
there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting than over
ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does
not light a lamp and sweep the house, and search carefully until she
finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and
neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin
which I lost!' 10 Just so, I say to you, there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger
of them said to his father, 'Father, give to me the share of the wealth
which falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And
not many days after, having gathered together all things, the younger
son went on a journey to a distant country, and there wasted his
possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent
everything, there arose a severe famine throughout that country, and he
began to be in need. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a
citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed
swine. 16 And he was longing to fill his stomach with the carob
pods which the swine were eating, and no one gave him anything.
17 But having come to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired
servants have an abundance of bread, and I am perishing with
hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to
him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and
I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your
hired servants." ' 20 And he arose and went to his father. But
when he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with
compassion, and he ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21
And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22
But the father said to his servants, '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 fatted calf here and slaughter it, and let us eat and be
merry; 24 for this my son was dead and came to life, and he was
lost and was found.' And they began to be merry.
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 having summoned
one of the servants, he was inquiring what these things might be. 27
And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received
him back in good health, your father has killed the fatted calf.' 28
But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and
began to plead with him. 29 So he answered and said to his
father, 'Lo, so many years I have been serving you and I never
transgressed your commandment; and yet you never gave me a young goat,
that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours
came, who has devoured your livelihood with prostitutes, you
slaughtered the fatted calf for him.' 31 And he said to him,
'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 But it
was necessary to be merry and to rejoice, because your brother was dead
and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'
"
LUKE CHAPTER 16
The Parable of the Unjust Steward
1 He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had
a manager, and this man was accused to him as squandering his
possessions. 2 And calling him, he said to him, 'What is this I hear
about you? Render an account of your management, for you can no longer
be manager.' 3 "Then the manager said within himself, 'What shall I do?
For my master is taking the management away from me. I cannot dig; I am
ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do, so that whenever I am
removed from the management, they will receive me into their
houses.' 5 And having summoned each one of his master's debtors
to him, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6
And he said, 'A hundred baths of olive oil.' So he said to him, 'Take
your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to
another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of
wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8
So the master praised the unrighteous manager because he had dealt
shrewdly. For the sons of this age are shrewder in their own generation
than the sons of light. 9 And I say to you, make friends for
yourselves by the mammon of unrighteousness, so that whenever you fail,
they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10 “He that is faithful in what is least is faithful also in
much; and he that is unjust in what is least is also unjust in
much. 11 Therefore if you were not faithful with the unrighteous
mammon, who will entrust to you what is genuine? 12 And if you
were not faithful in what belongs to another, who will give to you what
is yours? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will
hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one
and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
More Warnings about the Pharisees
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were hearing all these
things, and they were mocking Him. 15 And He said to them, "You are
those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.
Because that which is exalted among men is an abomination before God.
16 The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the
kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone enters forcibly into it.
17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one
tittle of the law to fail.
18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits
adultery; and everyone who marries a woman who is divorced from her
husband commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 "Now there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine
linen, enjoying himself splendidly every day. 20 But there was a
certain beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, who had been placed
at his gate, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which fell
from the rich man's table. And even the dogs came and would lick his
sores. 22 And it came to pass that the beggar died, and he was
carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died
and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up
his eyes and saw Abraham from afar, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24
Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my
tongue; for I am suffering in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Son,
remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and
likewise Lazarus bad things, but now here he is comforted and you are
suffering. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great
gulf has been fixed, so that those who desire to cross over from here
to you are not able, nor may those from there cross over to us.' 27
Then he said, 'Therefore I beseech you, father, that you would send him
to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may
testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'
29 Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.' 30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone from
the dead should go to them, they will repent.' 31 But he said to him,
'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded should one rise from the dead.'
"
LUKE CHAPTER 17
Jesus Warns of Offenses
1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible for offenses not to
come, but woe to the one through whom they do come! 2 It would be
better for him if a millstone were around his neck, and he be cast into
the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you
seven times in a day, and seven times in a day he returns, saying, 'I
repent,' you shall forgive him."
Jesus on Faith and Duty
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." 6 So the
Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this
mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it would
obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending
sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come and
recline to eat'? 8 But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for
me to eat, and gird yourself and serve me until I eat and drink, and
afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank that servant
because he did the things that were commanded? I think not. 10 So
likewise you, whenever you do all the things having been commanded to
you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what we ought to
do.' "
Ten Lepers Cleansed
11 And it happened while He was traveling to Jerusalem that He passed
through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a
certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood at a
distance. 13 And they lifted their voice and said, "Jesus, Master, have
mercy on us!" 14 And seeing them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves
to the priests." And so it was that as they went away, they were
cleansed. 15 And one of them, seeing that he was healed, turned back,
glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and fell down on his face at
His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered
and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were
not any found returning to give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19
And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."
The Coming of the Kingdom
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was
coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come
with observation; 21 neither will they say, 'Look here!' or
'Look, there it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is among
you." 22 Then He said to the disciples, " Days will come when you
will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not
see it. 23 And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do
not go forth, nor follow them. 24 For just as the lightning which
flashes out of the one part under heaven shines to the other part under
heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must
suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And just as
it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the
Son of Man. 27 They were eating, they were drinking, they were
marrying, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered
the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise
also as it happened 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 brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 In the
same way it shall be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 In
that day, he who shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house,
let him not come down to take them away. And likewise he who is in the
field, let him not turn back for the things left behind. 32 Remember
Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it, and
whoever loses his life shall preserve it. 34 I say to you, in that
night two shall be on one bed: one shall be taken, and the other shall
be left. 35 Two shall be grinding together: one shall be taken,
and the other shall be left. 37 And they answered and said to
Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there
the eagles will be gathered
together."
LUKE CHAPTER 18
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that one must always pray and not
lose heart, 2 saying: "A certain judge was in a certain city, who
did not fear God nor have regard for men. 3 Now there was a widow
in that city; and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give justice to me
against my adversary.' 4 And he did not want to for a time; but
afterward he said within himself, 'although I do not fear God, nor have
regard for man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me I will give
justice to her, lest she wear me out by forever coming to me.' 6
Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And God,
shall He not execute justice for His own elect, who cry out day and
night to Him, and yet He is patient with them? 8 I tell you that
He will execute justice for them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son
of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, and despised the others: 10 “Two men
went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, unjust,
adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a
week, I tithe on all things, as many as I acquire.' 13 And the
tax collector, standing far away, would not so much as lift his eyes
towards heaven, but beat on his chest, saying, 'God, be merciful to me
a sinner!' 14 I say to you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall
be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
Jesus Blesses Little Children
15 And they were bringing infants to Him, that He might touch them; but
when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus,
summoning them, said, "Allow the little children to come to Me, and do
not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Assuredly
I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child will by no means enter into it."
The Rich Young Ruler
18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I
do to inherit eternal life?" 19 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call
Me good? No one is good except One, that is, God. 20 You know the
commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not
steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your
mother.' " 21 And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth." 22 So
when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "Still one thing you
lack: sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 23 But when he heard
this, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
The Snare of Riches
24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sad, He said, "How hard it is
for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it
is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And those who heard it said,
"Who then is able to be saved?" 27 But He said, "These things
which are impossible with men are possible with God." 28 Then
Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You." 29 So He
said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has left
house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the
kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this
present time, and in the age to come eternal life."
Jesus a Third Time Foretells of His Death and Resurrection
31 Then taking the twelve aside, He said to them, "Behold, we are going
up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be
betrayed to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and insulted and spit
upon, 33 and having scourged Him, they will kill Him. And on the
third day He will rise again." 34 But they understood none of
these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know
what was being said.
Jesus Heals a Blind Man
35 Now it came to pass, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain
blind man sat alongside the road begging. 36 And hearing a crowd
traveling through the city, he asked what this was. 37 And they
reported to him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. 38 And he
shouted, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 Then
those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried
out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!" 40 And having
stopped, Jesus commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he drew
near, He asked him, 41 saying, "What do you desire that I should do for
you?" And he said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." 42 Then Jesus
said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."
43 And immediately he received his sight, and was following Him,
glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw this, gave praise to
God.
LUKE CHAPTER 19
Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House
1 And having entered, He passed through Jericho. 2 And behold,
there was a man named Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and
this man was rich. 3 And he was trying to see who Jesus was, but
could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 And
running up ahead in front, he went up into a sycamore tree so that he
might see Him, because He was about to pass by that way. 5 And when He
came upon that place, Jesus looked up and saw him, and said to him,
"Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay in your
house." 6 So he hurried and came down, and received Him,
rejoicing. 7 But when they saw it, they all were complaining,
saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a sinful man." 8 Then
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my
possessions to the poor; and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I
restore fourfold." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has
come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for
the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
The Parable of the Minas
11 Now as they heard these things, He told another parable, because He
was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would
appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman
went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to
return. 13 And having called ten of his servants, he gave them
ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' 14 But
his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We
will not have this man to reign over us.' 15 And so it was that when he
returned, having received the kingdom, that he commanded those servants
to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, so that he might
know who gained what by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying,
'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well
done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have
authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying,
'Master, your mina made five minas.' 19 Likewise he said to him,
'You also be over five cities.' 20 Then another came, saying,
'Master, behold your mina, which I had laid away in a handkerchief. 21
For I feared you, because you are a harsh man. You take up what you did
not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 And he said to
him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You
knew that I was a harsh man, taking up what I did not deposit, and
reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not give my money
to a bank, and when I came, I would have collected it with
interest?' 24 And he said to those standing by, 'Take the mina
away from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' 25 "But
they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.' 26 For I say to you
that to everyone who has, more shall be given; and from him who does
not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 27
Nevertheless bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to
reign over them, and slay them before me.' "
The Triumphal Entry
28 And having said these things, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 And it came to pass, as He drew near to Bethsphage and Bethany, to
the mountain which is called Olivet, that He sent two of His
disciples, 30 saying, "Go into the village opposite you, in which
when you enter you will find a colt tied up, on which no one of men has
ever sat. Loose him and bring him here. 31 And if anyone asks
you, 'Why are you loosing him?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the
Lord has need of him.' " 32 So those who were sent departed and
found it just as He told them. 33 But as they were loosing the
colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the
colt?" 34 And they said, "The Lord has need of him." 35
Then they brought him to Jesus. And when they threw their own clothes
on the colt, they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, they were
spreading their clothes under Him on the road. 37 And as He was
approaching the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of
the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all
the miracles which 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 said to Him from the crowd,
"Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." 40 But He answered and said to them,
"I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would
immediately cry out."
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
41 And as He drew near, seeing the city, He wept over it, 42 saying,
"If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things
pertaining to your peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an
embankment around you, surround you and hem you in from every side, 44
and they will level you to the ground, and your children with you; and
they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not
know the season of your visitation."
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
45 And when He entered into the temple, He began to drive out those
buying and selling in it, 46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My
house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'
" 47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief
priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were seeking to
destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the
people were very attentive to hear
Him.
LUKE CHAPTER 20
Jesus’ Authority Questioned
1 Now it came to pass on one of those days, as He taught the people in
the temple and preached the gospel, that the priests and the scribes,
together with the elders, confronted Him 2 and they spoke to Him,
saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who
is he who gave You this authority?" 3 But He answered and said to
them, "I also will ask you one thing, and so tell Me: 4 The
baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?" 5 And they
debated among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will
say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 6 But if we say, 'From
men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John
was a prophet." 7 So they answered that they did not know where
it was 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 Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a
vineyard, leased it to farmers, and went on a journey for a long
time. 10 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the farmers,
that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the
farmers flogged him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And again
he sent another servant; and they flogged him also, treated him
shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And again he sent
a third; and they wounded him also and threw him out. 13 Then the
owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved
son. Perhaps when they see him they will respect him.' 14 But
when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This
is the heir. Come, let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be
ours.' 15 And casting him out of the vineyard, they killed him. What
then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and
destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others." And when they
heard it they said, "May it never be!" 17 Then He looked at them
and said, "What then is this which is written: 'The stone which the
builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'? 18 "Everyone
who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it
falls, it will grind him to powder." 19 And the chief priests and
the scribes sought to lay hands on Him that very hour, but they were
afraid—for they knew that He had spoken this parable against
them.
The Question of Paying Taxes
20 And having watched Him closely, they sent spies who pretended to be
righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him
to the rule and the authority of the governor. 21 Then they asked Him,
saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do
not show favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: 22 Is it
lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" 23 But perceiving
their craftiness, He said to them, "Why do you test Me? 24 Show
Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" They answered
and said, "Caesar's." 25 And He said to them, "Render therefore to
Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are
God's." 26 But they could not catch Him in His words in front of
the people. And marveling at His answer, they kept silent.
The Question About the Resurrection
27 Then some of the Sadducees, those who deny that there is a
resurrection, coming to Him and asked Him, 28 saying: "Teacher, Moses
wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and this man
dies childless, that his brother should take his wife and raise up
offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. And
the first, having taken a wife, died childless. 30 And the second took
her as wife, and this man died childless. 31 Then the third took her,
and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and they
died. 32 Last of all the woman died also. 33 Therefore, in the
resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as
wife." 34 And Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this
age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who have been
counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead,
neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die
anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being
sons of the resurrection. 37 Now even Moses revealed that the dead are
raised, in the burning bush passage, when he called the Lord 'the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' 38 "For
He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all are alive to
Him." 39 Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have
spoken well." 40 But after that they dared not question Him
anymore.
The Question About the Son of David
41 And He said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son
of David? 42 Even David himself said in the Book of Psalms, 'The Lord
said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, 43 till I make Your enemies a
footstool for Your feet." ' 44 "Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how
is He then his Son?"
Beware of the Scribes
45 And as all the people listened, He said to His disciples, 46
“Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk about in long robes,
and love greetings in the marketplaces, and the first seats in the
synagogues, and the places of honor at dinners, 47 who devour widows'
houses, and for a show make long prayers. These will receive greater
condemnation."
LUKE CHAPTER 21
The Widow’s Two Mites
1 And looking up, He saw the rich putting their gifts into the
treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two
mites. 3 And He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow
has put in more than all. 4 For all these out of their abundance
have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all
the livelihood which she had."
Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple
5 Then, as some spoke about the temple, how it was adorned with
beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6 “These things
which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be
left upon another that shall not be thrown down."
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
7 So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, when will these things be? And
what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?" 8
And He said: "Take heed that no one deceive you. For many will come in
My name, saying, 'I AM,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do
not go after them. 9 But whenever you hear of wars and
insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must happen first,
but the end will not come immediately." 10 Then He said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11
And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and
pestilences; and there will be fearful events and great signs from
heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on
you and they will persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues
and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers on account of
My name. 13 But it shall turn out for you for a testimony. 14 Put it
then in your hearts not to practice beforehand giving your
defense; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your
adversaries will not be able to contradict, nor to withstand. 16 You
will be betrayed even by parents and relatives, friends and brothers;
and they will put some of you to death. 17 And you will be hated
by all people for My name's sake. 18 But not a hair of your head
shall by any means perish. 19 By your patient endurance you shall
possess your souls.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its
desolation has drawn near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea
flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart,
and let not those who are in the fields enter into her. 22 For these
are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that has been written. 23 But
woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing a baby in
those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath
among this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the
sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be
trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are
fulfilled.
The Coming of the Son of Man
25 "And there shall be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars;
and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, as the sea and
the waves roar, 26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the
expectation of those things which are coming upon the earth, for the
powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son
of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when
these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because
your redemption draws near."
The Parable of the Fig Tree
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the
trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for
yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these
things coming to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32
Assuredly I say to you, this generation shall by no means pass away
till all things are fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but My words shall by no means pass away.
Be Ready!
34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with
carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, and that Day come upon you
unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who live on
the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, praying always that
you may be counted worthy to escape everything that is about to happen,
and to stand before the Son of Man."
37 And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He
went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. 38 Then early in the
morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear
Him.
LUKE CHAPTER 22
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called
Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they
might kill Him, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered into
Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 And he
went off and spoke with the chief priests and captains about how he
might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him
money. 6 And he promised, and was seeking an opportunity to
betray Him to them in the absence of the crowd.
Preparations for the Passover
7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Pascal Lamb must be
killed. 8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the
Passover for us, so that we may eat it." 9 So they said to Him,
"Where do You desire that we shall prepare it?" 10 And He said to
them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you
carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he goes
in. 11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says
to you, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with
My disciples?" ' 12 And that man will show you a large, furnished upper
room; there prepare it." 13 So they went and found it just as He had
said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
14 When the hour had come, He reclined to eat, and the twelve apostles
with Him. 15 Then He said to them, "I have fervently desired to eat
this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, that
no longer will I eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of
God." 17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this
and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, that I will
by no means drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God
comes." 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave
it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in
remembrance of Me." 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper,
saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for
you. 21 Nevertheless behold, the hand of him that betrays Me is
with Me on the table. 22 And indeed the Son of Man goes according to
what is determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!" 23
Then they began to discuss with one another, which of them might be the
one who was about to do this.
The Disciples Argue About Greatness
24 And there arose also a dispute among them, as to which one of them
was the greatest. 25 But He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles
lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are
called 'benefactors.' 26 But it is not this way with you; but let
the greatest among you, let him be as the youngest, and he who leads as
he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table,
or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among
you as the One who serves. 28 Now you are those who have remained with
Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father
bestowed one upon Me, 30 so 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 Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan has asked for you,
that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that
your faith should not fail; and when you have turned back, strengthen
your brothers." 33 But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with
You, both to prison and to death." 34 Then He said, "I say to you,
Peter, the rooster will by no means crow this day before you will deny
three times that you know Me."
35 And He said to them, "When I sent you without a money bag, and a
knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" And they said,
"Nothing." 36 Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money
bag, let him take it, and likewise also a knapsack; and he who has no
sword shall sell his garment and buy one. 37 For I say to you
that this which has been written must still be accomplished in
Me—the saying, 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For
the things concerning Me have a fulfillment." 38 So they said,
"Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is
enough."
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
39 And going out, He went to the Mount of Olives, according to His
custom, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 And having come
to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into
temptation." 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's
throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if You
will, remove this cup from Me—nevertheless not My will, but
Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven,
strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more
fervently. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down
onto the ground. 45 And rising up from prayer, coming to the
disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. 46 Then He said to
them, "Why do you sleep? Rise up and pray, lest you enter into
temptation."
Betrayal and Arrest at Gethsemane
47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a crowd; and he who was
called Judas, one of the twelve, was going before them and drew near to
Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, "Judas, do you
betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" 49 And those around Him,
seeing what was about to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we
strike with the sword?" 50 And a certain one of them struck the
servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But
Jesus answered and said, "Stop right there." And touching his ear, He
healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of
the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as
against a bandit, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you
daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your
hour, and the power of darkness."
Peter Denies Jesus, Weeps Bitterly
54 And having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the house
of the high priest. And Peter was following from a distance. 55 Now
when they had lit a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down
together, Peter sat in their midst. 56 And a certain servant
girl, seeing him sitting at the fire and gazing at him, said, "This man
was also with Him." 57 But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know
Him." 58 And after a little while another person saw him and said, "You
also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" 59 Then
after about one hour had passed, another was firmly insisting, saying,
"Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." 60 But
Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" And immediately,
while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord
turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord,
how He had said to him, "Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three
times." 62 And going outside, Peter wept bitterly.
Jesus Mocked and Beaten
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus were mocking Him and beating
Him. 64 And having blindfolded Him, they were striking His face
and asking Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck
You?" 65 And many other things they blasphemously spoke against
Him.
Jesus and the Sanhedrin
66 And when it became day, the council of the elders of the people, the
chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their
council, saying, 67 "If You are the Messiah, tell us." But He
said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68
But if I also question you, you will by no means answer Me or release
Me. 69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the
power of God." 70 Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of
God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." 71 And
they said, "What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it
ourselves from His own mouth!"
LUKE CHAPTER 23
Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate
1 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. 2
And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this Man perverting the
nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself
is Christ, a King." 3 Then Pilate questioned Him, saying, "Are
You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "You are saying
what is so." 4 But Pilate said to the chief priests and the
crowds, "I find no guilt in this Man." 5 But they insisted, saying, "He
stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from
Galilee to here."
Jesus and Herod
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a
Galilean. 7 And when he found out that He belonged to Herod's
jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem in those
days. 8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he
had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many
things about Him, and he was hoping to see some miracle being done by
Him. 9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him
nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood, vehemently
accusing Him. 11 Then Herod, with his men of war, having treated Him
with contempt, and having mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe,
and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That very day Pilate and Herod
became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity
with each other.
Jesus or Barabbas?
13 And Pilate, having called together the chief priests, the rulers,
and the people, 14 said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, on
the charge of misleading the people. And indeed, when I examined Him in
your presence, I found no guilt in this Man in the matters which you
bring as charges against Him; 15 and neither did Herod, for I
sent you back to him; and indeed nothing worthy of death has been done
by Him. 16 Therefore when I have flogged Him, I will release
Him." 17(for it was necessary for him to release one to them at
the feast). 18 But they all cried out together, saying, "Away
with this Man, and release to us Barabbas"— 19 who because of a
certain insurrection having occurred in the city had been thrown into
prison, and for murder. 20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release
Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they cried out, saying,
"Crucify, crucify Him!" 22 Then he said to them the third time,
"Why, what evil did He do? I have found no guilt deserving death in
Him. Therefore when I have flogged Him, I will release Him." 23
But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be
crucified. And their voices and those of the chief priests
prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their request should be
carried out. 25 And he released whom they were requesting, who
because of insurrection and murder had been thrown into prison; but he
delivered Jesus to their will.
Jesus Crucified
26 And as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a
Cyrenian, as he was coming from the country, and on him they laid the
cross, that he might carry it behind Jesus. 27 And a great multitude of
the people followed Him, and women who also were mourning and lamenting
Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do
not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are
the barren, and the wombs which did not give birth, and breasts which
did not nurse!' 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 in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?" 32 And
they also were leading two others with Him, evildoers, to be put to
death. 33 And when they came to the place which is called
Calvary, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right,
and one on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do." And dividing His garments, they cast
lots. 35 And the people stood, observing. And the rulers with
them also were sneering, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself
if He is the Christ, the elect of God." 36 The soldiers also
mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, "If You
are the King of the Jews, save Yourself." 38 And an inscription also
was written over Him, in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew letters: THIS IS THE
KING OF THE JEWS. 39 Then one of the evildoers who were hanged
blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear
God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed
justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this Man
did nothing wrong." 42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when
You come in Your kingdom." 43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I
say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
The Death of Jesus
44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came upon the whole
land until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the
veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, calling out
with a loud voice, said, "Father, 'into Your hands I will commit My
spirit.' " And after He said these things, He expired. 47 And
when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying,
"Certainly this was a righteous Man!" 48 And all the crowds which
came together for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, beat
their own chests and returned. 49 But all His acquaintances, and the
women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching
these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50 And behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good
and just man 51 (this man had not agreed to their decision and
deed), from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting
for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the
body of Jesus. 53 And having taken it down, he wrapped it in a
linen cloth, and put it in a tomb cut out of rock, where no one had
ever lain before. 54 That day was the Preparation; the Sabbath was
drawing near. 55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee
followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was placed.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested
on the Sabbath, according to the
commandment.
LUKE CHAPTER 24
The Resurrection of Jesus
1 And on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they,
and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices
which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone having been
rolled away from the tomb. 3 And going in they did not find the
body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly
perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in dazzling
apparel. 5 Then, as they became afraid and bowed their faces to
the ground, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the
dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to
you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, 'The Son of Man must
be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the
third day rise again.' " 8 And they remembered His words. 9
And returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the
eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna,
Mary the mother of James, and the rest with them, who told these things
to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed like nonsense before
them, and they disbelieved them. 12 But Peter rose up and ran to
the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen strips lying by
themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had
happened.
The Road to Emmaus
13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village
called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And
they were conversing with one another about all these things which had
happened. 15 So it was, as they were conversing and discussing, that
Jesus Himself drew near and started to travel with them. 16 But their
eyes were restrained, so that they did not recognize Him. 17 And He
said to them, "What are these words which you are exchanging with one
another as you walk, and you have a gloomy look?" 18 Then the one
whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only
stranger in Jerusalem, and do not know what has happened in it in these
days?" 19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to
Him, "The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a man
who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the
people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him
over to be condemned to death, and they crucified Him. 21 But we
were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed,
besides all this, today is the third day since these things
happened. 22 Moreover certain women of our group astonished us,
after they arrived early at the tomb. 23 And not finding His
body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who
said He was alive. 24 And certain 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 Then He said to them, "O you foolish, and slow of
heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought
not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His
glory?" 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He
expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning
Himself.
The Disciples’ Eyes Opened
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He
made as though He was going farther. 29 But they constrained Him,
saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far
spent." And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass,
as He was reclining to eat with them, having taken bread, He blessed
and broke it, and He gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were
opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 And they said to one another, "Was not our heart burning within us
while He was speaking to us on the road, and while He was interpreting
the Scriptures to us?" 33 So they rose up that very hour and
returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and those who were
with them gathered together, 34 saying, "The Lord is risen
indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35 And they described the
things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in
the breaking of bread.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of
them, and said to them, "Peace to you." 37 But being alarmed and
becoming fearful, they thought they saw a spirit. 38 And He said
to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your
hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.
Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you
see I have." 40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands
and His feet. 41 But as they still disbelieved for joy, and
marveled, He said to them, "Do you have any food here?" 42 So
they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43
And taking it, He ate it in their presence.
Jesus’ Final Commission
44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me." 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might
comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is
written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of
sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I
am sending the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of
Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
Jesus Taken up to Heaven
50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He
blessed them. 51 And it happened, while He blessed them, that He was
parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And after they had
worshipped Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and they
were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.
Amen.