Day 304: Luke 15 - 17

Chapter 15

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

1: Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 

2: And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 

3: So he told them this parable: 

4: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 

5: When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 

6: And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 

7: Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

 

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8: "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 

9: When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 

10: Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

The Parable of the Lost Son

11: Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 

12: The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. 

13: A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 

14: When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 

15: So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 

16: He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 

17: But when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 

18: I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 

19: I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." ' 

20: So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 

21: Then the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 

22: But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe-the best one-and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 

23: And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 

24: for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. 

25: "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 

26: He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 

27: He replied, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.'

28: Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 

29: But he answered his father, "Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 

30: But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' 

31: Then the father said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 

32: But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.' "

Chapter 16

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward

1: Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property.

2: So he summoned him and said to him, "What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' 

3: Then the manager said to himself, "What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 

4: I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' 

5: So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, "How much do you owe my master?' 

6: He answered, "A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, "Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' 

7: Then he asked another, "And how much do you owe?' He replied, "A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, "Take your bill and make it eighty.' 

8: And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.

9: And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. 

10: "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.

11: If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 

12: And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 

13: No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." 

14: The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. 

15: So he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.

 

The Law and the Kingdom of God

16: "The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force. 

17: But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped.

 

Jesus' Teaching on Divorce

18: "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

 

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19: "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 

20: And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 

21: who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 

22: The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 

23: In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 

24: He called out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' 

25: But Abraham said, "Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 

26: Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' 

27: He said, "Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house- 

28: for I have five brothers-that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' 

29: Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' 

30: He said, "No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 

31: He said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Chapter 17

Causing to Sin

1: Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 

2: It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 

3: Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 

4: And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, "I repent,' you must forgive."

Increase Our Faith

5: The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 

6: The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

 

The Servant's Duty

7: "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, "Come here at once and take your place at the table'? 

8: Would you not rather say to him, "Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? 

9: Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 

10: So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, "We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!' "

 

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

11: On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee.

12: As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 

13: they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 

14: When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. 

15: Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 

16: He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 

17: Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 

18: Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 

19: Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

The Coming of the Kingdom

20: Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; 

21: nor will they say, "Look, here it is!' or "There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you." 

22: Then he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 

23: They will say to you, "Look there!' or "Look here!' Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. 

24: For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 

25: But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. 

26: Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 

27: They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 

28: Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 

29: but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 

30: -it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 

31: On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back.

32: Remember Lot's wife. 

33: Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. 

34: I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 

35: There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left." 

36:  37: Then they asked him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

Day 303: Luke 12 - 14

Chapter 12

A Warning against Hypocrisy

1: Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy.

2: Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 

3: Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.

 

Whom to Fear

4: "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 

5: But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 

6: Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. 

7: But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

 

Confessing Christ before Men

8: "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; 

9: but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. 

10: And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 

11: When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; 

12: for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say."

 

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13: Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 

14: But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 

15: And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 

16: Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 

17: And he thought to himself, "what should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 

18: Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 

19: And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 

20: But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 

21: So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Care and Anxiety

22: He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 

23: For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 

24: Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 

25: And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 

26: If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 

27: Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 

28: But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you-you of little faith! 

29: And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 

30: For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 

31: Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

 

Treasure in Heaven

32: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 

33: Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 

34: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

Watchful Servants

35: "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 

36: be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 

37: Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 

38: If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 

39: "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 

40: You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

The Unfaithful Servant

41: Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?" 

42: And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? 

43: Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. 

44: Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. 

45: But if that slave says to himself, "My master is delayed in coming,' and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 

46: the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. 

47: That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. 

48: But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

Jesus the Cause of Division

49: "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50: I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 

51: Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 

52: From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 

53: they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Discerning the Times

54: He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, "It is going to rain'; and so it happens. 

55: And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, "There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. 

56: ou hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

 

Agree with Your Adversary

57: "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 

58: Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. 

59: I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny."

Chapter 13

Repent or Perish

1: At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 

2: He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 

3: No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 

4: Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 

5: No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

6: Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 

7: So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?'

8: He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 

9: If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.' "

 

A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

10: Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 

11: And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 

12: When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." 

13: When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 

14: But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." 

15: But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 

16: And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" 

17: When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

 

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

18: He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? 

19: It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."

 

The Parable of the Leaven

20: And again he said, "To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 

21: It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

 

The Narrow Gate

22: Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.

23: Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He said to them, 

24: "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 

25: When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, "Lord, open to us,' then in reply he will say to you, "I do not know where you come from.' 

26: Then you will begin to say, "We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 

27: But he will say, "I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!' 

28: There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. 

29: Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 

30: Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

 

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

31: At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 

32: He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, "Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 

33: Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' 

34: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 

35: See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "

Chapter 14

Jesus Heals the Man Who Had Dropsy

1: On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. 

2: Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 

3: And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?" 

4: But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 

5: Then he said to them, "If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?" 

6: And they could not reply to this.

 

A Lesson to Guests and a Host

7: When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 

8: "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 

9: and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, "Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 

10: But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, "Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 

11: For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 

12: He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 

13: But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 

14: And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

The Parable of the Great Supper

15: One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 

16: Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 

17: At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, "Come; for everything is ready now.' 

18: But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, "I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' 

19: Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' 

20: Another said, "I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.' 

21: So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 

22: And the slave said, "Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' 

23: Then the master said to the slave, "Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 

24: For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.' "

 

The Cost of Discipleship

25: Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 

26: "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 

27: Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 

28: For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 

29: Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 

30: saying, "this fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 

31: Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 

32: If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 

33: So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.i

Tasteless Salt

34: "Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? 

35: It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"

Day 301: Luke 6 - 8

Chapter 6

The Disciples Pluck Grain on the Sabbath

1: One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 

2: But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" 

3: Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 

4: He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?" 

5: Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."

The Man with a Withered Hand

6: On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. 

7: The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him.

8: Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." He got up and stood there. 

9: Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?" 

10: After looking around at all of them, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was restored. 

11: But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve

12: Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 

13: And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 

14: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 

15: and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 

16: and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude

17: He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 

18: They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 

19: And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Blessings and Woes

20: Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 

21: "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 

22: "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 

23: Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 

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

25: "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 

26: "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Love for Enemies

27: "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 

28: bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 

29: If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 

30: Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 

31: Do to others as you would have them do to you. 

32: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 

33: If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 

34: If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 

35: But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

36: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 

Judging Others

37: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 

38: give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." 

39: He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 

40: A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 

41: Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 

42: Or how can you say to your neighbor, "Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

43: "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 

44: for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 

45: The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

The House Built on a Rock

46: "Why do you call me "Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you? 

47: I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 

48: That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 

49: But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house."

Chapter 7

A Centurion's Servant Healed

1: After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.
2: A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death.
3: When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave.
4: When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him,
5: for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us."
6: And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;
7: therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.
8: For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, "Go,' and he goes, and to another, "Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, "Do this,' and the slave does it."
9: When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
10: When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Jesus Raises the Widow's Son at Nain

11: Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him.
12: As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.
13: When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep."
14: Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!"
15: The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
16: Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!"
17: This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

The Messengers from John the Baptist

18: The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples

19: and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" 

20: When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?' " 

21: Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. 

22: And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. 

23: And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." 

24: When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 

25: What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. 

26: What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 

27: This is the one about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 

28: I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." 

29: (And all the people who heard this, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John's baptism. 

30: But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves.) 

31: "To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 

32: They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.' 

33: For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, "He has a demon'; 

34: the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' 

35: Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

Jesus at the Home of Simon the Pharisee

36: One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 

37: And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 

38: She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 

39: Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him-that she is a sinner." 

40: Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "speak." 

41: "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 

42: When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" 

43: Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." 

44: Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 

45: You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 

46: You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 

47: Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." 

48: Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 

49: But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 

50: And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Chapter 8

Some Women Accompany Jesus

1: Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 

2: as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 

3: and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

The Parable of the Sower

4: When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 

5: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 

6: Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. 

7: Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.

8: Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold." As he said this, he called out, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" 

9: Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant.

10: He said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that "looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.'

11: "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 

12: The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 

13: The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. 

14: As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 

15: But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

 

A Light under a Vessel

16: "No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 

17: For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. 

18: Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away."

 

Jesus' Mother and Brethren

19: Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 

20: And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." 

21: But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."

 

Jesus Calms a Storm

22: One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side of the lake." So they put out, 

23: and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. 

24: They went to him and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. 

25: He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"

The Gadarene Demoniac Healed

26: Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 

27: As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 

28: When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me"- 

29: for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 

30: Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 

31: They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 

32: Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 

33: Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 

34: When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 

35: Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 

36: Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 

37: Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 

38: The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 

39: "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Jairus' Daughter and the Woman Who Touched Jesus' Garment

40: Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 

41: Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his house, 

42: for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. 

43: Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her.

44: She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 

45: Then Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you." 

46: But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me." 

47: When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.

48: He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." 

49: While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer." 

50: When Jesus heard this, he replied, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved." 

51: When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother. 

52: They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." 

53: And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 

54: But he took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" 

55: Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. 

56: Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.