The Gospel of

Luke

Chapters 1 through 11

Chapter 1

Introduction

1Since many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things fully attested among us, 2as delivered to us by the original eyewitnesses who became stewards of the word, 3it seemed good to me also, having meticulously traced everything again from the top, to write it down in sequence for you, O most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the reliability of things you have been told.

The Birth of John the Baptizer Foretold

5It came about in the time of Herod, king of Judea, that there was a priest, Zechariah by name, of the rotation of Abijah.   He had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  6Both were upright in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.  7But a child they did not have, because Elizabeth was barren.  And they were both advanced in age.

8And it came about, that once when his rotation was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, his lot fell 9(normal custom for the priesthood) to go into the temple of the Lord, and to burn incense.

10The hour of incense came, and all the people in the assembly were praying outside.  11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  12Seeing it disturbed Zechariah, and fear fell over him.  13But the angel said to him: "Fear not, Zechariah, for your request was heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  14Joy and gladness will be with you, and many will rejoice over his birth.  15For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.  Wine and intoxicating beverages by no means shall he drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, beginning yet in his mother's womb.  16He will turn many of the children of Israel toward the Lord their God.  17And he will procede in front of Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, such that the hearts of fathers will turn toward their children, and the disobedient toward the outlook of the righteous: a prepared people will be arranged for the Lord."

18Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this?  For I am old, and my wife is well advanced in age."

19In answer the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel, one who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you these glad announcements.  20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak, until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."

21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondering about his delay in the temple.  22And when he came out, he was not able to speak to them, and they knew: a vision he had seen in the temple.  He kept motioning to them, and remained mute.  23And when his days of service were completed, he went home.

24After those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she hid herself for five months.  25"The way the Lord has done this for me," she said, "these are days he has looked with concern upon me, to take away my disgrace among the people."

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent out from God, to a town in Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.  And the virgin's name was Mary.  28And the angel went in to her, and said, "Hail, O favored one!  The Lord is with you."

29But she was very troubled by the utterance, and wondered what sort of greeting this might be.  30Then the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31You shall conceive in your womb, and shall bear a son, and you are to call his name Jesus.  32This man will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen, since I am not knowing a man?"

35And in answer the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  For this reason also, the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.  36And behold, Elizabeth your relative, even she in her old age, has conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her, she who was called barren.  37Therefore with God, nothing will be impossible."

38"Here am I, the slave girl of the Lord," Mary said.  "May it be to me according to your statement."  Then the angel left her.

Mary Stays With Elizabeth

39At that time Mary got up and went with speed to the hill country, to a town of Judah, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth.  41And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb did leap, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  42And she shouted out in a loud voice, saying, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  43And why does it come to me, that to me the mother of my Lord should come?  44For when the sound of your greeting came into my ears, the baby in my womb did leap in exultation.  45Blessed is she who believed that there will be a completion of the things announced to her from the Lord!"

Mary's Song

46And Mary said:

"My soul does magnify the Lord,

47and my spirit did rejoice

            in God my Savior,

48because he looked toward

      the lowly station of his servant.

So behold: all the generations after now

            will consider me blessed,

49because the Mighty One

            did great things for me.

And holy will be his name,

50and his mercy

      to those who fear him,

            into age after age.

51Power he wrought with his arm.

He scattered those who were proud

      in the thoughts of their heart.

52He pulled down rulers from

            their thrones

      and lifted high the humble.

53Hungry ones he filled up

            with good things

      and rich ones he sent away empty.

54He helped his servant Israel,

      and remembered about mercy

55''to Abraham and his seed for ever,'

      as he said to our fathers."

56Mary remained with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John the Baptizer

57And the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth, and she produced a son.  58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59And it came about that on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were about to call him by the name of his father, Zechariah, 60and his mother responded and said, "No!  He shall be called John."

61And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives called by that name."

62Then they signaled to his father, to find out what he wanted him to be called.  63And he asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows, "His name is John."  Everyone was surprised.  64And immediately his mouth was opened, and also his tongue, and he spoke, blessing God.

65An awe came over everyone who lived around them, and all through the hill country of Judea these things were being discussed.  66And everyone who heard, kept thinking about it, saying, "What then will this child be?"  For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

Zechariah's Song

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

    68"Blessed be the Lord,

          the God of Israel,

   because he has turned to concern himself

          and has accomplished redemption for his people.

    69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

          in the house of David his servant

    70as he has said through the mouths

          of his holy prophets

               since eons ago,

    71salvation from our enemies

          and from the hand of all who hate us—

    72to demonstrate mercy to our fathers

          to remember his holy covenant,

73the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

    74to give us rescue from the hand

               of our enemies,

          that we may serve him without fear

75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

    76And you, child, will be called

               a prophet of the Most High;

          for you will go on before the Lord

               to prepare his paths,

    77to give his people the knowledge of salvation

          through the forgiveness of their sins,

78because of the tender feelings of our God

          with which the Sunrise from on high

               will look over us

    79to appear to those sitting in darkness

               and in the shadow of death,

          to guide our feet along a path of peace."

80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the deserts, until the days of his being presented to Israel.

Chapter 2

The Birth of Jesus

1And it came about in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that all the inhabited earth should be registered.  2This was the first registration that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3And all were making their way to be registered, each to his own town.

4Thus Joseph also went up, from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and line of David; 5to be registered along with Mary, the one pledged to him, who was pregnant.  6And it came about that while they were there, the days for her to give birth were completed, 7and she bore her firstborn son.  And she swaddled him and placed him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds in that same region, camping out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.  9And an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them, and they were terrified.  10And the angel said to them, "Fear not.  For behold, I am announcing to you a great joy that will be with all the people.  11Because for you is born this day, in the town of David, a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord.  12And this will be a sign to you: you will find a baby swaddled, and lying in a feeding trough."

13And suddenly, there was with the angel a great company of the army of heaven, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest realms!  And on earth peace, good will toward men!"

15And it came about that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds were saying to one another, "Let's go over to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

16And they went speeding, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the feeding trough.  17And once they had seen, they gave an exact report of the message spoken to them concerning this child.  18And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  19As for Mary, she memorized these words, and pondered them in her heart.  20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, because of the fact that all the things which they had heard and seen, were just as it had been told to them.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

21And when the eighth day had arrived, the time to circumcise him, he was called the name Jesus, the name called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

22And when the days of their cleansing according to the Law of Moses had been completed, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male to open a womb shall be called holy to the Lord," 24and to offer a sacrifice, in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

25And behold, a man was in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.  This man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  26It had been communicated to him by the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Anointed.  27And he came by the Spirit into the temple, at the same time that the parents of the child Jesus brought him to do for him what the custom of the Law required.  28And Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

29"Now, Master, keeping your word,

   you are dismissing your slave in peace.

30For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31which you have prepared in the sight

          of all the peoples;

32a light to be a revelation for the Gentiles,

          and the glory of your people Israel."

33And the child's father and mother were amazed at the things being said about him.  34And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother: "Behold, this one is being laid down to cause the stumbling or rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be continually denounced— 35yes a sword will be run through your own soul too— so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed."

36And there was also a prophetess, Hannah, daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher.  This woman had grown to be very old, having lived with a husband for seven years after her virginity, 37and then being a widow to eighty-four years of age, one who hardly left the temple, but served night and day, in fasting and praying.  38And coming up at that very time, she gave thanks to God, and spoke about the child to all those expecting redemption in Jerusalem.

39And when they had completed everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their own town of Nazareth.  40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

41Now his parents would go every year to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover.  42And when he turned twelve years old, they went up, according to the custom of the Festival.  43And when the days were completed and they were returning home, the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and his parents were not aware of it.  44Thinking he was in their company, they went a day's journey, and then began looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances.  45And when they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.  46And it came about that after three days they found him, sitting in the temple, in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and questioning them.  47And all those who heard him were amazed at the understanding of his responses.  48And when his parents saw him, they were stunned.  His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us this way?  Look at how distressed your father and I are, searching for you."

49And he said to them, "Why would you be searching for me?  Shouldn't you have known that I would have to be among my Father's things?"  50But they did not understand what he said to them.

51Then he went down with them and arrived in Nazareth, and continued to subordinate himself to them.  But his mother was recording all these words in her heart.  52And Jesus kept growing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.

Chapter 3

John the Baptizer Prepares the Way

1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, with Pontius Pilate governor of Judea, and Herod as tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias as tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Hananiah and Kayafa, the word of God came upon John the son of Zechariah in the desert.  3And he appeared, in all the areas around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

"The voice of one calling in the desert,

        'Prepare the way for the Lord,

        make the paths straight for him.

5Every valley shall be filled up,

        every mountain and hill laid low.

The crooked places shall be made straight,

        the rough ways smooth.

6And all flesh shall see

        the salvation of God.'"

7So John would say to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You spawn of snakes!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  8Then produce fruit characteristic of repentance.  And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones.  9Even now the axe is poised at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

10And the crowds would ask him, "What should we do then?"

11And in answer he would say to them, "The person who has two tunics should give away to the one who has none, and the person who has foodstuffs should do the same."

12Revenue agents also came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

13He said to them, "Collect nothing in excess, beyond what is prescribed for you."

14Some soldiers were also questioning him, saying, "And us, what should we do?"

   And he told them, "You should no longer shake down anyone, nor frame anyone, always staying content with your pay."

15And all the people were waiting expectantly, wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Anointed One.

16John responded speaking to everyone, "I baptize you in water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: 17his winnowing fork is in his hand to clear out his threshing floor, gathering the wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn up in unquenchable fire."

18And with many and varied other exhortations John was preaching the good news to the people.

19But when Herod the Tetrarch was rebuked by him, regarding Herodias his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20Herod piled this on top of them all: he shut John up in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.  And as he was praying, the heavens were torn open, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the bodily form of a dove.  And a voice from heaven said, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

The Genealogy of Jesus

23And this Jesus, being about thirty years old, was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,

      the son of Eili, 24the son of Matthat,

      the son of Levi, the son of Melki,

      the son of Yannai, the son of Joseph,

25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,

      the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,

      the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath,

      the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,

      the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,

      the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,

      the son of Neri, 28the son of Melki,

      the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,

      the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,

      the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,

      the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon,

      the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,

      the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31the son of Melea, the son of Menna,

      the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,

      the son of David, 32the son of Jesse,

      the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,

      the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

33the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram,

      the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,

      the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob,

      the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,

      the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35the son of Serug, the son of Reu,

      the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,

      the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan,

      the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,

      the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,

      the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel,

      the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos,

      the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

      the son of God.

Chapter 4

The Temptation of Jesus

1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the desert, 2being tempted forty days by the devil.  And he ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3And the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, speak to this stone, that it become a loaf of bread."

4And Jesus responded to him, "It is written, 'A human being shall not live on bread alone.'"

5Then leading him up, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth, in a moment of time.  6And he said to Jesus, "All this authority and their glory I will give to you, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  7Now then, if you worship in front of me, it will all be yours."

8In answer Jesus said to him, "It is written: 'You shall worship Yahweh your God, and him only shall you serve.'

9Then the devil led him into Jerusalem, and had him stand on the gable of the temple.  And he said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.  10For it is written:

      'He will command his angels

concerning you

      to guard you carefully;

11and they will bear you up in their hands,

      so you will not strike your foot

against a stone.'"

12Jesus answered and said to him, "It says: 'You shall not test Yahweh your God.'"

13And having carried out every sort of temptation, the devil left him until an opportune time.

Jesus Begins to Preach

14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and a rumor about him spread throughout the whole region.  15And he taught in their synagogues, being praised by everyone.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom.  And he stood up to read. 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.  Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it is written:

18"The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me,

               because he has anointed me;

          He has sent me

          to preach good news to the poor,

          to announce release for the prisoners

               and sight for the blind,

          to send off the crushed into liberty,

19to proclaim the year

               of Yahweh's favor..."

20And having closed the scroll, he gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.  21And he began to speak to them: "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

22All were speaking well of him and amazed at the gracious words coming from his mouth.  And they were saying, "Isn't this Joseph's son?"

23And he said to them, "No doubt you will quote to me this proverb: 'Physician, heal yourself!  The things we heard were happening in Capernaum, do here in your home town.'"

24And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his home town.  25I tell you, in Elijah's days, during the three years and six months that the sky was shut and there was a great famine covering the whole land, it is a fact that there were plenty of widows in Israel.  26Yet it was not to any of them that Elijah was sent, but to Zarephath in the country of Sidon, to a widow woman there.  27Again, in the case of Elisha the prophet, there were plenty of lepers in Israel, and not one of them was cleansed; only Naaman the Syrian."

28And all the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard these things.  29They got up and drove him outside the town, intending to throw him down the cliff.  30But he walked right through them, and went on his way.

Jesus' Teaching Has Authority

31And he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach them.  32And they were amazed at his teaching, because his word was authoritative.

33And in the synagogue there was a man who had a demon, an unclean spirit.  He shouted out with a very loud voice, 34"Ha!  What business do you have with us, Jesus, you Nazarene?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are— the Holy One of God!"

35And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!"  And the demon threw him down before them all and came out of him, doing him no damage.

36And astonishment overwhelmed them all, and they spoke to each other, saying, "What is this message, that with authority and power he commands unclean spirits, and they come out?"  37And a rumor went out about him into every place in that region.

Jesus Heals All in Capernaum

38And rising up out of the synagogue, he went into the home of Simon.  And Simon's mother-in-law was suffering a high fever, and they asked him about her.  39So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And she got up at once and proceeded to wait on them.

40And as the sun was setting, everyone who had anyone ill with various kinds of sickness brought them to him, and laying his hands on each one of them, he was healing them.  41Moreover, demons were coming out from many, shouting and saying, "You are the Son of God!"  And he would rebuke them, not allowing them to speak, because they knew him to be the Messiah.

Jesus Keeps Moving

42And when day came, he left and went off to a solitary place.  And the crowds were searching for him, and they came up to him and detained him from leaving them.  43But he said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because on that basis I was sent."  44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Jewdom.

Chapter 5

The Calling of Simon, Andrew, James, and John

1And it came about that as he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing urgently around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw two boats standing idle by the lake; the fishers had gotten out of them, washing the nets.  3And getting on board one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from shore.  And sitting down, he taught the people from the boat.

4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch."

5And in response Simon said, "Master, working hard through the whole night we took nothing.  But on the basis of your word, I will let down the nets."

6And when they had done so, they enclosed a great number of fish, and their nets were beginning to tear. 7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came, and they filled both the boats, such that they began to sink.

8And when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!"  9For astonishment had seized him and all those with him, at the catch of fish that they had taken, and likewise also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

10But Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid.  From now on you will be catching human beings."  11And when they had pulled the boats to shore, they gave it all up and followed him.

A Leper Healed Spreads the Word

12And it came about that he was in one of the towns, and behold, a man covered with leprosy.  And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can cleanse me."

13And reaching out his hand, he touched him, saying, "I am willing.  Be cleansed."  And immediately the leprosy left him.

14And he ordered him to tell no one, but "Go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

15But word about him was spreading all the more, and many crowds would walk alongside to listen, and to be healed of their sicknesses.  16And he would take retreat in deserted places, and pray.

The Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof

17And it came about during one of the days that, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the Torah also were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem.  And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.

18And behold, men carrying on a pallet a man who was paralyzed.  And they were trying to carry him in, to lay him before him.  19And not finding a way to carry in because of the crowd, they went up onto the roof, and lowered him with his bed down through the tiles, into the middle, in front of Jesus.

20And when Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."

21And the Torah scholars and Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy!  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

22But knowing their reasonings, Jesus in response said to them, "Why are you debating this in your hearts?  23Which is easier: to say 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?  24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..."  He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, pick up your mat and be on your way home."  25And immediately he stood up, in full view of them, and taking up that upon which he had been lying, he went away toward home, praising God.  26Everyone was stunned with amazement.  And they glorified God, and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen remarkable things today."

A Revenue Agent Joins Jesus

27And after these things he went out, and he saw a revenue agent by the name of Levi, sitting at the taxes post, and he said to him, "Follow me."  28And he rose up and followed him, giving it all up.

29Then Levi held a great banquet for him at his house.  And there was also a large crowd of revenue agents and others who were reclining with him.  30And the Pharisees and their Torah scholars grumbled to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with revenue agents and sinners?"

31And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick.  32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

33They then said to him, "The disciples of John are often fasting and making prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."

34And Jesus said to them, "Can you make the members of the bridegroom's party fast during days in which the bridegroom is with them?  35But the days will come.  Yes, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then in those days they will fast."

36And he also spoke a parable to them: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and places it onto an old garment.  For then, he will both tear the new and the patch from the new will not match the old.  37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins.  For then, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  38On the contrary, new wine must be put into new wineskins.  39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "

Chapter 6

Man Over the Sabbath

1And he happened during a Sabbath to be passing through grainfields, and his disciples were plucking and eating the heads, rubbing them in their hands.  2But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what on a Sabbath is not permissible?"

3And in answer to them Jesus said, "Have you never read what David did when he and those with him were hungry?  4How he went into the house of God, and taking the loaves of offering, he ate, and gave to the ones with him, which was not permissible to eat, except for the priests only?"

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

6And it came about that on another Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.  7And the Torah scholars and the Pharisees were carefully watching him, whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to obtain cause to prosecute him.  8But he knew their reasoning, and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in view."  And he got up and stood.

9Then he said to them, "I ask you, is it permissible on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"

10And looking around at them all, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand."  He did so, and his hand was restored.  11And they were filled with rage, and discussed with each other what they should do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

12And it came about in those days that he went out into the hills to pray, and spent the whole night praying to God.  13And when it was day, he called his disciples to him, and from them he selected twelve, whom he then designated apostles: 14Simon, whom he also named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15Matthew and Thomas; James son of Halphaeus and Simon the Zealot; 16and Judas son of James; and Judas of Kerioth, who became a betrayer.

Blessings and Woes

17And when he came down, he stopped at a level place with them and with a large crowd of his disciples, and with a great multitude of the people from all of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coastal areas of Tyre and Sidon 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.  And those oppressed by unclean spirits were being cured.  19And the entire crowd was trying to touch him, because power was going out from him, and curing everyone.

20And he lifted his eyes toward his disciples, and began to speak:

 "Blessed are you who are poor,

            for yours is the kingdom of God.

21Blessed are you who go hungry now,

            for you will be satisfied.

 Blessed are you who aweep now,

            for you will laugh.

22Blessed are you when people hate you,

            excommunicate you and shame you

and cast out your name as evil,

            because of the Son of Man.

23"Rejoice in that day, and skip for joy!  For behold, great is your reward in heaven, because the same things their ancestors did to the prophets.

24"But woe to you who are rich,

        because you have received

yourcomfort.

25Woe to you who are well fed now,

        for you will go hungry.

Woe to those who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

26Woe to you when all people

            speak well of you,

        for the same their ancestors did

            to the false prophets.

Love Your Enemies

27"But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies, treat well the ones hating you, 28bless the ones cursing you, pray for the ones insulting you.  29To the one striking you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also.  And the person taking your jacket, do not prevent him from taking your shirt as well.  30To everyone asking you, give, and from the one forcefully taking your things, do not demand them back.  31And just as you wish people would do to you, do likewise to them.

32"And if you love the ones loving you, what credit is that to you?  For the sinners also love the ones loving them.  33And if you do good to the ones doing good to you, what credit is that to you?  The sinners also do the same.  34And if you lend to the ones from whom you foresee repayment, what credit is that to you?  Sinners also lend to sinners, in such a way they may receive the equal back.  35But love your enemies, and do good and lend, expecting nothing, and great will be your reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and evil.  36Be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

The Law of Reciprocity

37"Do not be judgmental, and you will not be judged.  Do not be condemning, and you will not be condemned.  Be forgiving, and you will be forgiven.

38"Be giving, and it will be given to you.  A generous container: compacted, shaken and running over they will hand into your arms.  For with the standard you measure out, it will be measured back to you."

Correcting Others

39And he also spoke a parable to them: "Can a blind person lead a blind person?  Will they not both fall into a ditch?  40A student is not above the teacher; but every student fully trained will be like his teacher.

41"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but the log that is in your eye you do not consider?  42How are you able to say to your brother, 'Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye,' while you are not seeing the log that is in your eye?  You hypocrite, first get the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly the speck that is in your brother's eye, to remove it.

A Tree and its Fruit

43"Now there is no good tree producing bad fruit, nor again a bad tree producing good fruit.  44For each tree is known by its own fruit.  For they do not gather figs from thornbushes, neither do they pick a grape from a brier.

45"The good person, out of the good stockpile of his heart, brings forth good, and the evil person out of the evil, brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart one's mouth speaks.

The Two Kinds of Builders

46"And why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord,' and yet not do the things which I say?  47Anyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what that person is like.  48That person is like a man building a house, who dug and deepened and laid a foundation on the rock.  And when a flood occurred, the river dashed against that house, but was not able to shake it, because it was well built.

49"But the one who has heard them and not done them, is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which dashed the river, and very soon it collapsed, and the destruction of that house was great."

Chapter 7

One Centurion's Faith with Authority

1When he had finished all his sayings in the ears of the people, he entered Capernaum.  2And the slave of a certain centurion, who was very valuable to him, was sick and about to die.  3And having heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his slave.  4So when they came to Jesus, they were pleading earnestly with him, saying, "He is worthy that you confer this upon him, 5for he loves our nation, and he built us the synagogue."

6So Jesus went with them.  And when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends saying to him as follows: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I am not fit that you should enter under my roof.  7So also neither did I consider myself worthy to come to you.  But say with a word that my slave must be healed.  8For I too am a man stationed under authority, having soldiers under myself.  And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does."

9And when Jesus heard these words, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, not in Israel have I found such faith."

10And when the ones who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

Jesus Raises a Dead Man at Nain

11And it came about that on the next day, he went into a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.  12And as he approached the town gate, behold, a dead person was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.  And a considerable crowd from the town was with her.  13When he saw her, the Lord was moved with pity for her, and he said to her, "Don't cry."

14And he went up to the coffin and touched it, and the pallbearers stood still.  And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise up!"  15And the dead man sat up, and began to speak.  And he gave him back to his mother.

16And fear took hold of all, and they praised God, saying, "A great prophet has been raised up among us," and, "God has come to help his people."  17And this news about him spread throughout the land of the Jews and the surrounding country.

Jesus and John the Baptizer

18And John's disciples reported to him about all these things.  And after calling two of his disciples to him, John 19sent word to the Lord, as follows: "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect another?"

20And when they had come to him, the men said, "John the Baptizer sent us to you saying, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect another?'"

21In that same hour he healed many people of diseases and sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.  22And in answer, he said to them, "Go and report back to John what things you saw and heard: The blind see again, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor.  23And tell him, 'Blessed be whoever is not offended on account of me.' "

24And as John's messengers were leaving, he began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see?  A reed being swayed to and fro by the wind?  25On the contrary, what did you go out to see?  A man dressed in delicate clothes?  Behold, those in expensive clothes and living in luxury are in royal palaces.  26On the contrary, what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes indeed I tell you, and more than a prophet.  27This is the one about whom it is written:

'Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,

            who will prepare your way before you.'

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

29(And all the people who heard, even the revenue agents, vindicated God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  30But the Pharisees and the lawyers, not baptized by him, rejected the purpose of God for themselves.)

31"To what, then, shall I compare the people of this generation?  And what are they like?  32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out one to the other and saying:

'We played the flute for you,

         and you didn't dance;

we sang a dirge,

         and you didn't cry.'

33For John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of revenue agents and sinners.'  35Regardless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

A Prostitute Washes Jesus' Feet with her Tears

36But one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined.  37And behold, a woman who was being a sinner in that town came, who having learned that he is reclining at the Pharisee's house, had brought an alabaster bottle of perfume, 38and appeared behind Jesus, weeping at his feet.  And with the tears she began to bathe his feet.  And with the hairs of her head she was wiping off, and earnestly kissing his feet, and anointing them with the perfume.

39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he thought to himself as follows, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and of what sort is the woman touching him— that she is a sinner."

40And Jesus spoke up, and said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

   "Tell me, teacher," he says.

41"Two men were debtors to a moneylender.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  42And as they did not have the money to pay him back, he freely forgave them both.  Now which of them will love him more?"

43In answer Simon said, "I suppose the one whom he freely forgave more."

   And he said to him, "You have judged correctly."  44And turning toward the woman, he was saying to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  Your house I entered.  Water you did not give me for my feet, but this woman bathed my feet with her tears, and wiped them off with her hair.  45A kiss you did not give me, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped earnestly kissing my feet.  46With oil you did not anoint my head, but this woman with perfume anointed my feet.  47For which reason, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, that she loved much.  But someone who has been forgiven little, loves little."

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

49And those reclining with him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

50But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go with peace."

Chapter 8

Jesus' Financiers

1And it came about after this that he traveled about through one city and village after another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.  The Twelve were with him, 2and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come out; 3and Joanna the wife of Kuza, the manager of Herod's household; and Susanna; plus many others; these women were providing for them out of their own means.

The Parable of the Sower

4And when a great crowd was coming together, people from every one of those towns coming toward him, he spoke by means of a parable: 5"The sower went out to sow his seed.  And in the process of sowing, some seed fell beside the way and was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it.  6And other seed fell on rock, and after it grew, it withered, having no way to get moisture.  7And other seed fell in the midst of thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  8And other seed fell into good soil, and when grown it produced fruit a hundredfold."

   After he said these things, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear, hear."

The Parable of the Sower Explained

9And his disciples asked him the intent of this parable, 10and he said, "To you it is given such that you will know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, so that,

"'Though seeing, they will not see,

   and though hearing,

they will not understand.'

11 "This, then, means the parable: The seed is the word of God.  12And the ones beside the way are those who when they hear, next comes the devil, and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.  13And the ones on the rock are those who when they hear, receive the word with joy.  They are also ones who have no root, and believe for a time, and in the time of trial shrink back.  14And the seed falling in the thorns, these are those who hear, and as they go, are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and do not bear fruit to the end.  15And the seed in good soil, these are those who when they hear the word, retain it in a good and worthy heart, and bear fruit with perseverance.

16"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bucket, or puts it under a bed, but instead puts it on the lamp stand, so that those coming in may see the light. 17For there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest, nor secret, that will not become clearly known, and come into illumination.  18Watch therefore how you listen, for whoever has, it will be granted him, and whoever has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away from him."

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

19And his mother and brothers came to him, and were not able to get near him because of the crowd.  20And it was reported to him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."

21But he in answer said to them, "These are my mother and brothers, the ones hearing and doing the word of God."

Jesus Commands the Elements

22And it came about during one of those days when he and his disciples had gotten into a boat, that he said to them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they put out to sea.

23And as they sailed, he fell asleep.  And a storm of wind came down onto the lake, and they were being swamped, and in great danger.

24And after approaching him, they roused him, saying, "Master, we are going to die!"

   And when he was awake, he rebuked the wind and the roughness of the water, and they stopped, and it was calm.  25And he said to them, "Where is your faith?"

   But they were amazed and fearful, saying to one another, "Who then is this?  For he even commands the wind and the water, and they obey him!"

The Legion of Demons Near Gadara

26And they sailed down into the territory of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  27And as he was going on shore, a man from the town met him, demon-possessed, and not having put clothes on for quite some time, and who was living not in a house but in the tombs.

28And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him crying out, and in a loud voice he said: "What business is there between you and me, O Jesus, you son of the Most High God?  I beg you, do not torture me!"

29For Jesus was commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man.  For many times it had possessed him, and he would be bound with chains and leg irons and guarded, but tearing the bonds apart, he would be driven by the demon into solitary places.

30And Jesus questioned him: "What is your name?"

   And he said, "Legion."  For many demons had entered into him.  31And they were pleading with him that he not order them to depart into the Abyss.

32And a considerable herd of pigs was feeding there on a hillside, and they begged him to allow them to enter into them, and he allowed them.

33So coming out from the man, the demons entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and drowned.

34And seeing what had happened, the herders fled, and reported it to the town and to the farms.  35And they came out to see what had happened.  And they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed, and in his right mind, and they were afraid.  36And the ones who had seen reported to them how the demon-possessed man had been cured.  37And all the population of the neighborhood of the Gadarenes asked him to go away from them, for they were overcome with great fear.  So he got into the boat and turned back.

38But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging to accompany him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39"Return to your house, and recount all the things God has done for you."  And he went, throughout the whole town, proclaiming what things Jesus had done for him.

A Dead Damsel and a Sick Woman

40And it came about that upon his return, a crowd was welcoming him, for they were all expecting him.  41And behold, a man had come whose name was Jairus, and this man was a synagogue ruler.  And falling at Jesus' feet, he begged him to come to his house, 42because he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

   And as he was on his way, the crowds were pinching him in.  43And a woman suffering a flow of blood since twelve years, who had spent everything she owned on doctors and not been able to get healing from anyone, 44came up behind and touched the tassel of his cloak, and immediately her flow of blood stopped.

45And Jesus said, "Who was it touching me?"

   When everyone denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are pushing in together and jostling you."

46But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I sensed power go out from me."

47Then the woman, seeing that she was not going unnoticed, came, trembling.   And falling at his feet, she related before all the people the reason she had touched him, and how she had been instantly healed.  48And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go with peace."

49While he was still speaking, someone comes from the synagogue ruler's, saying, "Your daughter has died.  Don't trouble the teacher any more."

50But having heard, Jesus responded to him, "Don't be afraid.  Only believe, and she will be healed."

51And when he went into the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him except Peter and John and James, and the father of the maiden and the mother.  52And all were weeping and wailing for her.  But he said, "Do not weep.  She is not dead but sleeping."  53And they laughed scornfully at him, knowing that she had died.

54Then, holding her hand, he called out, as follows: "Damsel, wake up!"  55And her spirit returned, and she stood up at once, and he ordered that she be given something to eat.  56And her parents were astonished.  Then he charged them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Chapter 9

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

1And having called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and diseases, in order to heal.  2And he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to cure, 3and said to them: "Take nothing for the journey— neither staffs, nor knapsack, nor bread, nor silver, neither have two tunics each.

4"And into whatever house you might enter, there remain, and from there go forward.  5And all the places that do not welcome you, going forth from that town, shake the dust off your feet, as a testimony against them."

6And going forth they went throughout all the villages, preaching the good news, and healing everywhere.

Herod Hears of Jesus

7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on, and kept becoming perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8and by some that Elijah had appeared, and still others that a prophet, one of the Ancients, had come back to life.

9But Herod said, "John, I beheaded.  Who, then, is this I hear such things about?"  And he tried to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

10And when the apostles returned, they reported to him what things they had done.  Then he took them, and retreated in private toward a town called Bethsaida.  11But the crowds who knew, followed him.  So, welcoming them, he spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and the ones having need of healing, he cured.

12But the daylight began to decline, and the twelve approached and said to him, "Dismiss the crowd, so they can go to the surrounding villages and farms to sleep and find supplies.  Because here, we are in a remote place."

13And he said to them, "You give them something to eat."

   But they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we were to go and buy food for all this crowd."  14For there were about five thousand men.

   And he said to his disciples, "Get them to recline in groups of about fifty each."  15And they did so, and got them all to recline.  16And taking the loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them and broke them, and gave to the disciples to set before the people.

17And they all ate and were satisfied, and their leftovers picked up were twelve large baskets of fragments.

Peter's Confession of Messiah

18And it came about that, when he was praying in private, the disciples were with him, and he queried them, saying, "Who do the crowds maintain me to be?"

19And they in answer said, "John the Baptizer; and others, Elijah; and others that a prophet, one of the Ancients, has risen again."

20And he said to them, "But you, who do you maintain me to be?"

   And Peter in answer said, "The Christ of God."

Jesus Predicts His Death

21But he, admonishing them, charged them to tell this to no one, 22saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and Torah scholars, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again."

23Then toward everyone he was saying, "If someone wants to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake, this one will save it.  25For how does it benefit a human being when he has gained the whole world, but has lost or been forfeited his very self?  26For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, that person the Son of Man will be ashamed of, when he comes in his glory, and of the Father, and of the holy angels.  27But truly I say to you: There are some, of the ones standing here, who will certainly not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

The Transfiguration

28And it came about, something like eight days after these words, that having taken Peter and John and James, he went up into the mountain, to pray.  29And it came about that as he prayed, the appearance of his face was different, and his clothes were a glistening white.  30And behold, two men were conversing with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31who, having been made visible in glory, were relating about the exodus of him, which was soon to be coming true in Jerusalem.

32But Peter and the ones with him were heavy-eyed with sleepiness.  But when they had fully waken up, they saw his glory, and the two men standing with him.  33And it came about that as those were moving off from Jesus, Peter said to him, "O Master, it is good for us to be here, and we should make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."  (Not knowing what he is saying.)

34And as he was saying these things, a cloud came, and it began to overshadow them.  And they were afraid as they went into the cloud.  35And a voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to him."  36And when the voice happened, they found Jesus alone.  And they kept quiet and told no one in those days anything that they had seen.

The Disciples Accused of Impotence to Heal

37And it came about that during the following day, as they were coming down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.  38And behold, a man in the crowd shouted out, saying, "Teacher, I beg of you to look at my son; because he is my only born, 39and behold, a spirit takes over him and he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him with foaming at the mouth.  And it hardly goes away from him, wearing him out.  40And I pleaded with your disciples that they cast it out, and they were not able to."

41And in response Jesus said, "O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long must I be with you, and put up with you?  Bring your son here."

42And even as he was approaching Him, the demon dashed him to the ground, and thrashed him back and forth.  But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and the child was restored to wholeness, and He gave him back to his father.  43And all were struck by the majesty of God.

   And while everyone marvelled at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, 44"You place into your ears these words.  For the Son of Man is about to be transferred into the hands of human beings."

45But they were not understanding this statement, and the meaning was being kept hidden from them, with the result that they did not see it.  And they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

Who Is the Greatest?

46So contention came into them, as to who of them was greatest.

47And Jesus, knowing the contention of their hearts, took a child by the hand, and stood him next to himself.  48And he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child on the basis of my name, is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me, is welcoming the one who sent me.  For the person who is smallest among you all, that is who is great."

Do Not Hinder Other Camps of God's People

49And in response, John said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him; for he is not following you together with us."

50But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop such, for someone who is not against you is for you."

Jesus Rejected by a Samaritan Village

51And it came about that the days leading to his being taken up were running out, and he set his face to head toward Jerusalem.  52And he sent out messengers before his face.  And when they proceeded forth they went into a Samaritan village, so as to prepare it for him.  53And they did not welcome him, because his face was heading toward Jerusalem.

54And when they saw this, the disciples James and John said, "Lord, do you will that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

55But when he turned to them, he rebuked them.  56And they moved on, to a different village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

57And as they were proceeding on the way, someone said to him, "I will follow you, wherever you might go."

58And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky, nestling places, but the Son of Man has nowhere he can lay his head."

59And to another man, he said, "Follow me."

   But he said, "Lord, give me leave to first go and bury my father."

60But Jesus said to him, "Leave those who are dead to bury their dead themselves; and you, after you have come away, you publicize the kingdom of God."

61And another also said, "I will follow you, Lord.  But first give me leave to say farewell to my household."

62But Jesus said, "No one putting hand to plow and looking back to the things behind, is cut out for the kingdom of God."

Chapter 10

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

1And after these things, the Lord appointed another seventy-two, and sent them out two by two before his face, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.  2And he was saying to them, "The crop is large, but the workers are few.  Request therefore of the lord of the harvest, that he send out workers into his harvest.  3Be on your way.  Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves.  4You must carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one along the way.

5"And into whatever house you enter, first you say, 'Peace to this house.' 6And if a child of peace is there, your peace will settle upon him.  Otherwise, it will bounce back onto you.  7And in that same house you are to remain, eating and drinking the things belonging to them; for the worker is worthy of his pay; you are not to be moving from house to house.

8"And into whatever town you enter that they welcome you, eat the things being set before you, 9and heal the sick in it, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has drawn over you.'  10But into whatever town you enter that they do not welcome you, go out into the streets of it, and say, 11'Even the dust sticking to us from your town onto our feet, we are shaking off to you.  Even so, know this, that the kingdom of God has drawn near.'  12I assure you, it will be more bearable for Sodom in That Day, than for that town.

13"Woe to you, Khorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the miracles that took place in you took place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  14In any case, it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.  15And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted up to heaven?  You will go down to Hades!

16"The person who listens to you is listening to me, and the one rejecting you, is rejecting me.  And the one rejecting me, is rejecting the one who sent me."

17And the seventy-two returned, with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons submit themselves to us in your name."

18And he said to them, "I was watching as Satan fell from heaven like lightning.

19"Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will by any means harm you.  20Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you; but rejoice that your names are written down in heaven."

21In that same hour, he exulted in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise you, Father, O Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the learned and intelligent, and revealed them to babes.  Yes, O Father, for that is what was pleasing in your sight.

22"Everything has been turned over 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 those to whom the Son decides to reveal it."

23And after he had turned toward his disciples privately, he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.  24For I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you are seeing, and did not see it, and to hear what you are hearing, and did not hear it."

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25And behold, a lawyer arose, testing him, saying, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

26And he said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"

27And he in answer said, "You shall love Yahweh your God from your whole heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

28And Jesus said, "You have answered correctly.  Do this, and you will live."

29But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply, Jesus said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among bandits.  And they, when they had stripped him and inflicted wounds, went away, leaving him half dead.  31And by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he avoided him.  32And likewise also a Levite, when he came near that place and saw, passed on around.  33But a Samaritan man came traveling by him, and when he saw, was moved with pity.  34And he approached and stopped up his wounds, and applied olive oil and wine.  And mounting him on his own animal, he took him to an inn and took care of him.  35And on the morrow, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him, and whatever you spend beyond this, I will reimburse you when I return.'

36"Which of these three seems to you to be a neighbor for the one who fell among bandits?"

37And he said, "The one who did the mercy with him."

   And Jesus said to him, "Go yourself and do likewise."

Jesus at Mary and Martha's House

38And when he moved on, he entered a certain village.  And a woman by the name of Martha hosted him for dinner.  39There was also a sister to that one, named Mary, and she having sat down at the Lord's feet, was listening to his word.

40But Martha was being drawn away by many chores of hospitality.  But when she did come over, she said, "Lord, doesn't it concern you that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her therefore that she should help carry the load with me."

41But in answer, Jesus said to her, "Martha, Martha.  You are getting concerned and agitated over many things.  42But there is only one thing that warrants it.  For Mary has selected the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Chapter 11

Prayer

1And it came about when he was praying in a certain place, that as he was finishing, a one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, even as John taught his disciples."

2And he said to them, "When you pray, say:

" 'Father, hallowed be your name.

May your kingdom come.

3Give us each day our daily bread.

4And forgive us our sins,

      for we ourselves also forgive

            everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.' "

5And he said to them, "Suppose one of you shallhave a friend, and will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6because a friend of mine has shown up, from a journey toward me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

7"That one inside may say in answer, 'Do not cause me hassles.  The door is already shut up, and my children are in bed with me.  I can't get up to give you something.'  8I tell you, even if he will not get up and give you something because of being your friend, yet because of brash persistence on your part he will get up, and give you as much as you need.

9"So I say to you: Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.  10For everyone who keeps asking, receives; and the person who keeps seeking, finds; and to the one who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.

11"And which father among you, if his child will ask for a fish, will hand him a snake instead?  12Or again, if he asks for an egg, will hand him a scorpion?  13If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

Jesus and Baalzibbul

14And he was casting out a demon of muteness.  And it came about that after the demon went out, the mute man spoke.  And the crowd was amazed.

15But some of them said, "It is by Ba'al-zibbul, the prince of demons, that he drives out demons."  16And others, testing him, wanted from him a sign out of heaven.

17But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is desolated, and a house divided against itself falls.  18So also, if Satan was divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  I say this because you claim I drive out demons by Baal-zibbul.  19Now if I drive out demons by Baal-zibbul, by whom do your followers drive them out?  So then, they will be your judges.  20But if I am driving 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 castle, his possessions are safe.  22But when a stronger one than he comes and overpowers him, he takes away the armor upon which his confidence was based, and divides out the spoils.

23"The person who is not with me is against me, and the one not gathering with me is scattering."

24"When an evil spirit comes out of a human being, it goes through waterless places, seeking rest.  And not finding it, at that timeit says, 'I will return to the house from which I came out.'  25And when it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.  26Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come inside and live there.  And the final condition of that human is worse than the first."

27And it came about that as Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd lifted up her voice and said to him, "Blessed are the womb that bore you, and the breasts which you sucked on."

28But he replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

The Sign of Jonah

29And as the crowds were pressing together upon him, he began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it asks for a sign.  And no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.  30For just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  31The Queen of the South will be raised at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.  32The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.

The Light of the Body

   33"No one after lighting a lamp puts it out of view, or under a basket, but rather on the lamp stand, so that those who come in may see the light.  34The lamp of the body is your eye.  When your eye is open and generous, your entire body is brightly lit also.  But when your eye is suspicious and stingy, your body is in darkness also.  35See to it, therefore, that the light in you is not darkness.  36If then your whole body is brightly lit, not having any part dark, it will all be lighted, like when the lamp by its brightness illumines you."

Six Woes

    37And as he was speaking, a Pharisee asks him to have lunch with him; so having gone inside, he reclined.  38And the Pharisee when he saw, was shocked that he did not first baptize before the meal.

   39And the Lord said to him, "As it is, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and platter, but the inside of you is loaded with acquisitiveness and wickedness.

   40"O foolish ones!  Did not the one who made the outside, make the inside also?  41But the things lying within give to the poor, and behold, all things are now clean for you.

   42"But woe to you, Pharisees!  For you tithe the mint, and even the rue and every kind of garden herb, and neglect the justice and the love of God.  But these latter things you ought to practice, without leaving the former undone.

   43"Woe to you, Pharisees!  For you love the prominent seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.

   44"Woe to you!  For you are like graves that are not marked, and the people when walking over them do not know it."

   45And in response, someone from the class of lawyers says to him, "Teacher, in saying these things, you are insulting us also."

   46But he said, "And to you lawyers also, woe!  For you make people carry loads oppressive to bear, and you yourselves, not one of your fingers do you touch to such loads.

   47"Woe to you!  For you build mausoleums for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who murdered them.  48So then, approving witnesses you are, to the deeds of your forefathers; for they do the killing of them, and you do the building.

   49"For this reason also the wisdom of God has said, 'I am sending to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill, and some of them they will persecute,' 50with the result that the blood of all the prophets spilled since the founding of the world will be demanded of this generation, 51from the blood of Abel, up until the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary; yes, I tell you, all will be demanded of this generation.

   52"Woe to you, lawyers!  For you have taken away the key to the door of knowledge.  You yourselves have not gone in, and the ones going in you have barred."

   53And then as he went forth from there, the Torah scholars and Pharisees began to be extremely hostile, and to provoke him to speak unpreparedly about a great variety of topics, 54ambushing him, to pounce on something coming from his mouth.

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