The Gospels/The Gospels.iso/mac/testi/LKLD.txt

Text File | 1993-10-31 | 141KB | 2,601 lines

|I: THE PROLOGUE|

|1|
   [1[Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the
events that have been fulfilled among us, [2[just as those who
were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word
have handed them down to us, [3[I too have decided, after
investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an
orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, [4[so that
you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.

|II: THE INFANCY NARRATIVE|

|Announcement of the Birth of John.|
   [5[In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named
Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. [6[Both were
righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. [7[But they had no child,
because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.
[8[Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn
before God, [9[according to the practice of the priestly service, he
was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn
incense. [10[Then, when the whole assembly of the people was
praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, [11[the angel
of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of
incense. [12[Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear
came upon him. [13[But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid,
Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.
[14[And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at
his birth, [15[for he will be great in the sight of (the) Lord. He will
drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the
holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, [16[and he will turn
many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. [17[He will
go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts
of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the
understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the
Lord." [18[Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know
this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
[19[And the angel said to him in reply, "I am Gabriel, who stand
before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you
this good news. [20[But now you will be speechless and unable to
talk until the day these things take place, because you did not
believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
[21[Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were
amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. [22[But when he
came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that
he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them
but remained mute. [23[Then, when his days of ministry were
completed, he went home. [24[After this time his wife Elizabeth
conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
[25[ "So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."

|Announcement of the Birth of Jesus.|
   [26[In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a
town of Galilee called Nazareth, [27[to a virgin betrothed to a man
named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was
Mary. [28[And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The
Lord is with you." [29[But she was greatly troubled at what was
said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. [30[Then
the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. [31[Behold, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. [32[He will be great
and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will
give him the throne of David his father, [33[and he will rule over
the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no
end." [34[But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I
have no relations with a man?" [35[And the angel said to her in
reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God. [36[And behold, Elizabeth,
your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is
the sixth month for her who was called barren; [37[for nothing
will be impossible for God." [38[Mary said, "Behold, I am the
handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your
word." Then the angel departed from her.

|Mary Visits Elizabeth.|
   [39[During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill
country in haste to a town of Judah, [40[where she entered the
house of Zechariah and greeted Eltzabeth. [41[When Elizabeth
heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and
Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, [42[cried out in a loud voice
and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb. [43[And how does this happen to me, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me? [44[For at the moment
the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my
womb leaped for joy. [45[Blessed are you who believed that what
was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

|The Canticle of Mary.|
   [46[And Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
[47[my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
[48[For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
[49[The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
[50[His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
[51[He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
[52[He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted
up the lowly.
[53[The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has
sent away empty.
[54[He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
[55[according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his
descendants forever."

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

|The Birth of John.|
   [57[When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she
gave birth to a son. [58[Her neighbors and relatives heard that
the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they
rejoiced with her. [59[When they came on the eighth day to
circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after
his father, [60[but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called
John." [61[But they answered her, "There is no one among your
relatives who has this name." [62[So they made signs, asking his
father what he wished him to be called. [63[He asked for a tablet
and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed.
[64[Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he
spoke blessing God. [65[Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country
of Judea. [66[All who heard these things took them to heart,
saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the
Lord was with him.

|The Canticle of Zechariah.|
   [67[Then Zechariah his father, filled with the holy Spirit,
prophesied, saying:

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

[80[The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the
desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

|2|
|The Birth of Jesus.|
   [1[In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that
the whole world should be enrolled. [2[This was the first
enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3[So all went
to be enrolled, each to his own town. [4[And Joseph too went up
from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of
David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and
family of David, [5[to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who
was with child. [6[While they were there, the time came for her
to have her child, [7[and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She
wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn. [8[Now there
were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the
night watch over their flock. [9[The angel of the Lord appeared to
them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were struck with great fear. [10[The angel said to them, "Do not
be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people. [11[For today in the city of David a
savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. [12[And
this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in
swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." [13[And suddenly there
was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God
and saying:

[14["Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

|The Visit of the Shepherds.|
   [15[When the angels went away from them to heaven, the
shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to
see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made
known to us." [16[So they went in haste and found Mary and
Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. [17[When they saw
this, they made known the message that had been told them
about this child. [18[All who heard it were amazed by what had
been told them by the shepherds. [19[And Mary kept all these
things, reflecting on them in her heart. [20[Then the shepherds
returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and
seen, just as it had been told to them.

|The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus.|
   [21[When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he
was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was
conceived in the womb.

|The Presentation in the Temple.|
   [22[When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to
present him to the Lord, [23[just as it is written in the law of the
Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to
the Lord," [24[and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or
two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in the law of
the Lord.
   [25[Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was
Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the
consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. [26[It had
been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see
death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord [27[He came in
the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the
child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
[28[he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
[29["Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,
according to your word,
[30[for my eyes have seen your salvation
[31[which you prepared in sight of all the peoples
[32[a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel."

   [33[The child's father and mother were amazed at what was
said about him; [34[and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary
his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of
many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted [35[
(and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of
many hearts may be revealed." [36[There was also a prophetess,
Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was
advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband
after her marriage, [37[and then as a widow until she was eighty-
four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with
fasting and prayer. [38[And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were
awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

|The Return to Nazareth.|
   [39[When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of
the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
[40[The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and
the favor of God was upon him.

|The Boy Jesus in the Temple.|
   [41[Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of
Passover, [42[and when he was twelve years old, they went up
according to festival custom. [43[After they had completed its
days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in
Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. [44[Thinking that he
was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him
among their relatives and acquaintances, [45[but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. [46[After three days
they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions, [47[and all who
heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
[48[When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his
mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your
father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."
[49[And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you
not know that I must be in my Father's house?" [50[But they did
not understand what he said to them. [51[He went down with
them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his
mother kept all these things in her heart. [52[And Jesus advanced
(in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

|III: THE PREPARATION FOR THE PUBLIC MINISTRY|

|3|
|The Preaching of John the Baptist.|
   [1[In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when
Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of
Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea
and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, [2[during
the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came
to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. [3[He went throughout
(the) whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins [4[as it is written in the
book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

"A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the
Lord, make straight his paths
[5[Every valley shall be filled and every mountain
and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
[6[and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "

   [7[He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him,
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming
wrath? [8[Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance;
and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our
father,' for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from
these stones. [9[Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut
down and thrown into the fire."
   [10[And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"
[11[He said to them in reply, "Whoever has two cloaks should
share with the person who has none. And whoever has food
should do likewise." [12[Even tax collectors came to be baptized
and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?" [13[He
answered them, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."
[14[Soldiers also asked him, "And what is it that we should do?"
He told them, "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse
anyone, and be satisfied with your wages." [15[Now the people
were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Messiah. [16[John answered them all,
saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is
coming I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals He
will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. [17[His winnowing
fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the
wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with
unquenchable fire." [18[Exhorting them in many other ways, he
preached good news to the people. [19[Now Herod the tetrarch,
who had been censured by him because of Herodias, his brother's
wife, and because of all the evil deeds Herod had committed,
[20[added still another to these by (also) putting John in prison.

|The Baptism of Jesus.|
   [21[After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had
been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened [22[and the
holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a
voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am
well pleased."

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

|4|
|The Temptation of Jesus.|
   [1[Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert [2[for forty days, to be
tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and
when they were over he was hungry. [3[The devil said to him, "If
you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
[4[Jesus answered him, "It is written, One does not live by bread
alone.' " [5[Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms
of the world in a single instant. [6[The devil said to him, "I shall
give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed
over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. [7[ All this will
be yours, if you worship me." [8[Jesus said to him in reply, "It is
written:

╘You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.' "

   [9[Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the
parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, [10[for it is written:

'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,'
[11[and: 'With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.' "

   [12[Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, 'You shall not put
the Lord, your God, to the test.' " [13[When the devil had finished
every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

|IV: THE MINISTRY IN GALILEE|

|The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry.|
   [14[Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and
news of him spread throughout the whole region. [15[He taught in
their synagogues and was praised by all.

|The Rejection at Nazareth.|
   [16[He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went
according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read [17[and was handed a scroll of the prophet
Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was
written:

[18["The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
[19[and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

   [20[Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and
sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at
him. [21[He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled
in your hearing." [22[And all spoke highly of him and were
amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They
also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?" [23[He said to them,
"Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,'
and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard
were done in Capernaum.' " [24[and he said, "Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place. [25[Indeed, I tell
you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when
the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine
spread over the entire land. [26[It was to none of these that Elijah
was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
[27[again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of
Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only
Naaman the Syrian." [28[When the people in the synagogue heard
this, they were all filled with fury. [29[They rose up, drove him
out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their
town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. [30[But he
passed through the midst of them and went away.

|The Cure of a Demoniac.|
   [31[Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He
taught them on the sabbath, [32[and they were astonished at his
teaching because he spoke with authority. [33[In the synagogue
there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he
cried out in a loud voice, [34["Ha! What have you to do with us,
Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you
are-the Holy One of God!" [35[Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be
quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in
front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm.
[36[They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there
about his word? For with authority and power he commands the
unclean spirits, and they come out." [37[And news of him spread
everywhere in the surrounding region.

|The Cure of Simon's Mother in-Law.|

   [38[After he left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and
they interceded with him about her. [39[He stood over her,
rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and
waited on them.

|Other Healings.|
   [40[At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and
cured them. [41[And demons also came out from many, shouting,
"You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them and did not allow
them to speak because they knew that he was the Messiah.

|Jesus Leaves Capernaum.|
   [42[At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The
crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they
tried to prevent him from leaving them. [43[But he said to them,
"To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the
kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent."
[44[And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

|5|
|The Call of Simon the Fisherman.|
   [1[While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the
word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. [2[He
saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had
disembarked and were washing their nets. [3[Getting into one of
the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a
short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the
crowds from the boat. [4[After he had finished speaking, he said
to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a
catch." [5[Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all
night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower
the nets." [6[When they had done this, they caught a great
number of fish and their nets were tearing. [7[They signaled to
their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came
and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.
[8[When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and
said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." [9[For
astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and
all those with him, [10[and likewise James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not
be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." [11[When they
brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and
followed him.

|The Cleansing of a Leper.|
   [12[Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns
where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded
with him, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."
[13[Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do will
it. Be made clean." And the leprosy left him immediately. [14[
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but "Go, show yourself to
the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them." [15[The report about him spread all
the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be
cured of their ailments, [16[but he would withdraw to deserted
places to pray.

|The Healing of a Paralytic.|
   [17[One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of
the law were sitting there who had come from every village of
Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was
with him for healing. [18[And some men brought on a stretcher a
man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set
(him) in his presence. [19[But not finding a way to bring him in
because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him
on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of
Jesus. [20[When he saw their faith, he said, "As for you, your sins
are forgiven." [21[Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask
themselves, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God
alone can forgive sins?" [22[Jesus knew their thoughts and said to
them in reply, "What are you thinking in your hearts? [23[Which
is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and
walk'? [24[But that you may know that the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive sins"-he said to the man who was
paralyzed, "I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go
home." [25[He stood up immediately before them, picked up what
he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. [26[Then
astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck
with awe, they said, "We have seen incredible things today."

|The Call of Levi.|
   [27[After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi
sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." [28[And
leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. [29[Then
Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd
of tax collectors and others were at table with them. [30[The
Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,
"Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
[31[Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not
need a physician, but the sick do. [32[I have not come to call the
righteous to repentance but sinners."

|The Question about Fasting.|
   [33[And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and
offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but
yours eat and drink." [34[Jesus answered them, "Can you make
the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
[35[But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken
away from them, then they will fast in those days." [36[And he
also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak
to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece
from it will not match the old cloak. [37[Likewise, no one pours
new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst
the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
[38[Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. [39[
(And) no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he
says, 'The old is good.' "

|6|
|Debates about the Sabbath.|
   [1[While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his
disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their
hands, and eating them. [2[Some Pharisees said, "Why are you
doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?" [3[Jesus said to them in
reply, "Have you not read what David did when he and those
(who were) with him were hungry? [4[ (How) he went into the
house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests
could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions."
[5[Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."
   [6[On another sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
[7[The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he
would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason
to accuse him. [8[But he realized their intentions and said to the
man with the withered hand, "Come up and stand before us." And
he rose and stood there. [9[Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is
it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save
life rather than to destroy it?" [10[Looking around at them all, he
then said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so and his hand
was restored. [11[But they became enraged and discussed
together what they might do to Jesus.

|The Mission of the Twelve.|
   [12[In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he
spent the night in prayer to God. [13[When day came, he called
his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom
he also named apostles: [14[Simon, whom he named Peter, and
his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
[15[Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was
called a Zealot, [16[and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot,
who became a traitor.

|Ministering to a Great Multitude.|
   [17[And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of
level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of
the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of
Tyre and Sidon [18[came to hear him and to be healed of their
diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits
were cured. [19[Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

|Sermon on the Plain.|
   [20[And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:

"Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
[21[Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
[22[Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.

   [23[Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward
will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.

[24[But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
[25[But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
[26[Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.

|Love of Enemies.|
 ßß[27[But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, [28[bless those who curse you, pray for those
who mistreat you. [29[To the person who strikes you on one
cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes
your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. [30[Give to everyone
who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do
not demand it back. [31[Do to others as you would have them do
to you. [32[For if you love those who love you, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners love those who love them. [33[And if you do
good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same. [34[If you lend money to those from
whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even
sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. [35[But
rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend
expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you
will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the
ungrateful and the wicked. [36[Be merciful, just as (also) your
Father is merciful.

|Judging Others.|
 ßß[37[Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop
condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will
be forgiven. [38[Give and gifts will be given to you; a good
measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be
poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you." [39[And he told them a
parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both
fall into a pit? [40[No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when
fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. [41[Why do
you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive
the wooden beam in your own? [42[How can you say to your
brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when
you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You
hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then
you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye.

|A Tree Known by Its Fruit.|
 ßß[43[A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten
tree bear good fruit. [44[For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather
grapes from brambles. [45[A good person out of the store of
goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a
store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the
mouth speaks.

|The Two Foundations.|
   [46["Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I
command? [47[I will show you what someone is like who comes
to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. [48[That one is like
a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the
foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against
that house but could not shake it because it had been well built.
[49[But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who
built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river
burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely
destroyed."

|7|
|The Healing of a Centurion's Slave.|
   [1[When he had finished all his words to the people he entered
Capernaum. [2[A centurion there had a slave who was ill and
about to die, and he was valuable to him. [3[When he heard about
Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and
save the life of his slave. [4[They approached Jesus and strongly
urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for
him, [5[for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."
[6[And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short
distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him,
"Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you
enter under my roof. [7[Therefore, I did not consider myself
worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be
healed. [8[For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers
subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another,
'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does
it." [9[When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning,
said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel
have I found such faith." [10[When the messengers returned to
the house, they found the slave in good health.

|Raising of the Widow's Son.|
   [11[Soon afterward he journeyed to a city called Nain, and his
disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. [12[As he drew
near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being
carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A
large crowd from the city was with her. [13[When the Lord saw
her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not
weep." [14[He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the
bearers halted, and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" [15[The
dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his
mother. [16[Fear seized them all, and they glorified God,
exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen in our midst," and "God
has visited his people." [17[This report about him spread through
the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

|The Messengers from John the Baptist.|
   [18[The disciples of John told him about all these things. John
summoned two of his disciples [19[and sent them to the Lord to
ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for
another?" [20[When the men came to him, they said, "John the
Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?' " [21[At that time he cured many
of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight
to many who were blind. [22[And he said to them in reply, "Go
and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain
their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
[23[And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

|Jesus' Testimony to John.|
   [24[When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak
to the crowds about John. "What did you go out to the desert to
see-a reed swayed by the wind? [25[Then what did you go out to
see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress
luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces.
[26[Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you,
and more than a prophet. [27[This is the one about whom
scripture says:

'Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
he 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[ (All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and
who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the
righteousness of God; [30[but the Pharisees and scholars of the
law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for
themselves.) [31["Then to what shall I compare the people of this
generation? What are they like? [32[They are like children who
sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'

   [33[For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking
wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' [34[ he Son of
Man came eating and drinking and you said, Look, he is a glutton
and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' [35[But
wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

|The Pardon of the Sinful Woman.|
   [36[A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered
the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. [37[Now there was a
sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the
house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
[38[she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe
his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. [39[When the
Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this
man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of
woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." [40[Jesus
said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said. [41[ "Two people were in debt to a
certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the
other owed fifty. [42[Since they were unable to repay the debt,
he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?"
[43[Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt
was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly." [44[Then
he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this
woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water
for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped
them with her hair. [45[You did not give me a kiss, but she has
not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. [46[You did
not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with
ointment. [47[So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is
forgiven, loves little." [48[He said to her, Your sins are forgiven."
[49[The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even
forgives sins?" [50[But he said to the woman, "Your faith has
saved you; go in peace."

|8|
|Galilean Women Follow Jesus.|
   [1[Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to
another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the
kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve [2[and some
women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary,
called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
[3[Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many
others who provided for them out of their resources.

|The Parable of the Sower.|
   [4[When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town
after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable. [5["A
sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell
on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up.
[6[Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered
for lack of moisture. [7[Some seed fell among thorns, and the
thorns grew with it and choked it. [8[And some seed fell on good
soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After
saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to
hear."

|The Purpose of the Parables.|
   [9[Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this
parable might be. [10[He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries
of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest,
they are made known through parables so that 'they may look
but not see, and hear but not understand.'

|The Parable of the Sower Explalned.|
   [11["This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of
God. [12[Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the
devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they
may not believe and be saved. [13[Those on rocky ground are the
ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they
have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of
trial. [14[As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones
who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the
anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce
mature fruit. [15[But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are
the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a
generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

|The Parable of the Lamp.|
   [16["No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it
under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who
enter may see the light. [17[For there is nothing hidden that will
not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and
come to light. [18[Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who
has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what
he seems to have will be taken away."

|Jesus and His Family.|
   [19[Then his mother and his brothers came to him but were
unable to join him because of the crowd. [20[He was told, "Your
mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to
see you." [21[He said to them in reply, "My mother and my
brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

|The Calming of a Storm at Sea.|
   [22[One day he got into a boat with his disciples and said to
them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail,
[23[and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A squall blew over
the lake, and they were taking in water and were in danger.
[24[They came and woke him saying, "Master, master, we are
perishing!" He awakened, rebuked the wind and the waves, and
they subsided and there was a calm. [25[Then he asked them,
"Where is your faith?" But they were filled with awe and amazed
and said to one another, "Who then is this, who commands even
the winds and the sea, and they obey him?"

|The Healing of the Gerasene Demoniac.|
   [26[Then they sailed to the territory of the Gerasenes which is
opposite Galilee. [27[When he came ashore a man from the town
who was possessed by demons met him. For a long time he had
not worn clothes; he did not live in a house, but lived among the
tombs.[28[When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before
him; in a loud voice he shouted, "What have you to do with me,
Jesus, son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"
[29[For he had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man.
(It had taken hold of him many times, and he used to be bound
with chains and shackles as a restraint, but he would break his
bonds and be driven by the demon into deserted places.)
[30[Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied,
"Legion," because many demons had entered him. [31[And they
pleaded with him not to order them to depart to the abyss.
   [32[A herd of many swine was feeding there on the hillside,
and they pleaded with him to allow them to enter those swine;
and he let them. [33[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 swincherds saw what
had happened, they ran away and reported the incident in the
town and throughout the countryside. [35[People came out to see
what had happened and, when they approached Jesus, they
discovered the man from whom the demons had come out sitting
at his feet. He was clothed and in his right mind, and they were
seized with fear. [36[Those who witnessed it told them how the
possessed man had been saved. [37[The entire population of the
region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they
were seized with great fear. So he got into a boat and returned.
[38[The man from whom the demons had come out begged to
remain with him, but he sent him away, saying, [39["Return home
and recount what God has done for you." The man went off and
proclaimed throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for
him.

|Jairus's Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage.|
   [40[When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they
were all waiting for him. [41[And a man named Jairus, an official
of the synagogue, came forward. He fell at the feet of Jesus and
begged him to come to his house, [42[because he had an only
daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As he went,
the crowds almost crushed him. [43[And a woman afflicted with
hemorrhages for twelve years, who (had spent her whole
livelihood on doctors and) was unable to be cured by anyone,
[44[came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak.
Immediately her bleeding stopped. [45[Jesus then asked, "Who
touched me?" While all were denying it, Peter said, "Master, the
crowds are pushing and pressing in upon you." [46[But Jesus said,
"Someone has touched me; for I know that power has gone out
from me." [47[When the woman realized that she had not escaped
notice, she came forward trembling. Falling down before him, she
explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched
him and how she had been healed immediately. [48[He said to
her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace." [49[While
he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue official's
house arrived and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the
teacher any longer." [50[On hearing this, Jesus answered him, "Do
not be afraid; just have faith and she will be saved." [51[When he
arrived at the house he allowed no one to enter with him except
Peter and John and James, and the child's father and mother.
[52[All were weeping and mourning for her, when he said, "Do
not weep any longer, for she is not dead, but sleeping." [53[And
they ridiculed him, because they knew that she was dead. [54[gut
he took her by the hand and called to her, "Child, arise!" [55[Her
breath returned and she immediately arose. He then directed that
she should be given something to eat. [56[Her parents were
astounded, and he instructed them to tell no one what had
happened.

|9|
|The Mission of the Twelve.|
   [1[He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and
authority over all demons and to cure diseases, [2[and he sent
them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal (the sick). [3[He
said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick,
nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.
[4[Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
[5[And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that
town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them."
[6[Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming
the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

|Herod's Opinion of Jesus.|
   [7[Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and
he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, "John has
been raised from the dead"; [8[others were saying, "Elijah has
appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."
[9[But Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom
I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see him.

|The Return of the Twelve and the Feeding of the Five Thousand.|
   [10[When the apostles returned, they explained to him what
they had done. He took them and withdrew in private to a town
called Bethsaida. [11[The crowds, meanwhile, learned of this and
followed him. He received them and spoke to them about the
kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured.
[12[As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached
him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the
surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here." [13[He said to them, "Give
them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two
fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all
these people." [14[Now the men there numbered about five
thousand. Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in
groups of (about) fifty." [15[They did so and made them all sit
down. [16[Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and
looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. [17[They
all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were
picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

|Peter's Confession about Jesus.|
   [18[Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples
were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I
am?" [19[They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still
others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.' " [20[Then he said
to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The
Messiah of God." [21[He rebuked them and directed them not to
tell this to anyone.

|The First Prediction of the Passion.|
   [22[He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be
rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be
killed and on the third day be raised."

|The Conditions of Discipleship.|
   [23[Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
[24[For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake will save it. [25[What profit is there for
one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?
[26[Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man
will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of
the Father and of the holy angels. [27[Truly I say to you, there
are some standing here who will not taste death until they see
the kingdom of God."

|The Transfiguration of Jesus.|
   [28[About eight days after he said this, he took Peter, John, and
James and went up the mountain to pray. [29[While he was
praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became
dazzling white. [30[And behold, two men were conversing with
him, Moses and Elijah, [31[who appeared in glory and spoke of his
exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. [32[Peter
and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming
fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with
him. [33[As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
"Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one
for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know
what he was saying. [34[While he was still speaking, a cloud came
and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when
they entered the cloud. [35[Then from the cloud came a voice that
said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him." [36[After the voice
had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at
that time tell anyone what they had seen.

|The Healing of a Boy with a Demon.|
   [37[On the next day, when they came down from the mountain,
a large crowd met him. [38[There was a man in the crowd who
cried out, "Teacher, I beg you, look at my son; he is my only child.
[39[For a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams and it
convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it releases him only
with difficulty, wearing him out. [40[I begged your disciples to
cast it out but they could not." [41[Jesus said in reply, "O faithless
and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and endure
you? Bring your son here:" [42[As the was coming forward, the
demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion; but Jesus
rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and returned him to
his father. [43[And all were astonished by the majesty of God.

|The Second Prediction of the Passion.|
   While they were all amazed at his every deed, he said to his
disciples, [44["Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of
Man is to be handed over to men." [45[But they did not
understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so
that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask
him about this saying.

|The Greatest in the Kingdom.|
   [46[An argument arose among the disciples about which of
them was the greatest. [47[Jesus realized the intention of their
hearts and took a child and placed it by his side [48[and said to
them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and
whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one
who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest."

|Another Exorcist.|
   [49[Then John said in reply, "Master, we saw someone casting
out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because
he does not follow in our company." [50[Jesus said to him, "Do not
prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."

|V: THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM: LUKE'S TRAVEL NARRATIVE|

|Departure for Jerusalem; Samaritan Inhospitality.|
   [51[When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he
resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, [52[and he sent
messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan
village to prepare for his reception there, [53[but they would not
welcome him because the destination of his journey was
Jerusalem. [54[When the disciples James and John saw this they
asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to
consume them?" [55[Jesus turned and rebuked them, [56[and
they journeyed to another village.

|The Would-be Followers of Jesus.|
   [57[As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to
him, "I will follow you wherever you go." [58[Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of
Man has nowhere to rest his head." [59[And to another he said,
"Follow me." But he replied, "(Lord,) let me go first and bury my
father." [60[But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." [61[And another
said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my
family at home." [62[ (To him) Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand
to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the
kingdom of God."

|10|
|The Mission of the Seventy-two.|
   [1[After this the Lord appointed seventy(-two) others whom he
sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to
visit. [2[He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the
laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out
laborers for his harvest. [3[Go on your way; behold, I am sending
you like lambs among wolves. [4[Carry no money bag. no sack, no
sandals; and greet no one along the way. [5[Into whatever house
you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' [6[If a peaceful
person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will
return to you. [7[Stay in the same house and eat and drink what
is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not
move about from one house to another. [8[Whatever town you
enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, [9[cure
the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God is at hand for
you.' [10[Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say, [11[╒The dust of your town that
clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know
this: the kingdom of God is at hand. [12[I tell you, it will be more
tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.

|Reproaches to Unrepentant Towns.|
 ßß[13[Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the
mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and
Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and
ashes. [14[But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the
judgment than for you. [15[And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you
be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.'
[16[Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you
rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

|Return of the Seventy-two.|
   [17[The seventy(-two) returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even
the demons are subject to us because of your name." [18[Jesus
said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
[19[Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents'
and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing
will harm you. [20[Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits
are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in
heaven."

|Praise of the Father.|
   [21[At that very moment he rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and
said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for
although you have hidden these things from the wise and the
learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such
has been your gracious will. [22[All things have been handed
over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the
Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom
the Son wishes to reveal him."

|The Privileges of Discipleship.|
   [23[Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the
eyes that see what you see. [24[For I say to you, many prophets
and kings desired to see what you see, but did not seeßit, and to
hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

|The Greatest Commandment.|
   [25[There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and
said, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" [26[Jesus
said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read
it?"[27[He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with
all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and
with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." [28[He replied
to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."

|The Parable of the Good Samaritan.|
   [29[But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?" [30[Jesus replied, "A man fell victim
to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They
stripped and beat him and went off leaving him halfdead. [31[A
priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw
him, he passed by on the opposite side. [32[Likewise a Levite
came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the
opposite side. [33[But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight. [34[He approached the
victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and
cared for him. [35[The next day he took out two silver coins and
gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of
him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay
you on my way back.' [36[Which of these there, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" [37[He answered, "The one
who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do
likewise."

|Martha and Mary.|
   [38[As they continued their journey he entered a village where
a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. [39[She had a
sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening
to him speak. [40[Martha, burdened with much serving, came to
him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by
myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." [41[The Lord said
to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried
about many things. [42[There is need of only one thing. Mary has
chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

|11|
|The Lord's Prayer.|
   [1[He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as
John taught his disciples." [2[He said to them, "When you pray,
say:

father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
[3[Give us each day our daily bread
[4[and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in
debit  to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

|Further Teachings on Prayer.|
   [5[And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to
whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves
of bread, [6[for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a
journey and I have nothing to offer him, [7[and he says in reply
from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give
you anything.' [8[I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the
loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him
whatever he needs because of his persistence.

|The Answer to Prayer.|
   [9["And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will
find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [10[For everyone
who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one
who knocks, the door will be opened. [11[What father among you
would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? [12[Or hand
him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? [13[If you then, who are
wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who
ask him?"

|Jesus and Beelzebul.|
   [14[He was driving out a demon (that was) mute, and when the
demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were
amazed. [15[Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the
prince of demons, he drives out demons." [16[Others, to test him,
asked him for a sign from heaven. [17[But he knew their thoughts
and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be
laid waste and house will fall against house. [18[And if Satan is
divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say
that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. [19[If I, then
drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people
drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. [20[But if it
is by the finger of God that (I) drive out demons, then the
kingdom of God has come upon you. [21[When a strong man fully
armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. [22[But when
one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away
the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.
[23[Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not
gather with me scatters.

|The Return of the Unclean Spirit.|
   [24[When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams
through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says,
'I shall return to my home from which I came.' [25[gut upon
returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. [26[Then it
goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself
who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that
person is worse than the first."

|True Blessedness.|
   [27[While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out
and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the
breasts at which you nursed." [28[He replied, "Rather, blessed are
those who hear the word of God and observe it."

|The Demand for a Sign.|
   [29[While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to
them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but
no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. [30[Just as Jonah
became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this
generation. [31[At the judgment the queen of the south will rise
with the men of this generation and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom
of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.
[32[At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this
generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah
they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

|The Simile of Light.|
   [33["No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it (under
a bushel basket), but on a lampstand so that those who enter
might see the light. [34[The lamp of the body is your eye. When
your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled with light, but
when it is bad, then your body is in darkness. [35[Take care, then,
that the light in you not become darkness. [36[If your whole body
is full of light, and no part of it is in darkness, then it will be as
full of light as a lamp illuminating you with its brightness."

|Denunciation of the Pharisees and Scholars of the Law.|
   [37[After he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his
home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. [38[The Pharisee
was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed
washing before the meal. [39[The Lord said to him, "Oh you
Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the
dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. [40[You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? [41[But as
to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean
for you. [42[Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of
rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to
judgment and to love for God. These you should have done,
without overlooking the others. [43[Woe to you Pharisees! You
love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in
marketplaces. [44[Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over
which people unknowingly walk." [45[Then one of the scholars of
the law said to him in reply, "Teacher, by saying this you are
insulting us too." [46[And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the
law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you
yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them. [47[Woe to you!
You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors
killed. [48[Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the
deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the
building. [49[Therefore, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to
them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and
persecute' [50[in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of
the world, [51[from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell
you, this generation will be charged with their blood! [52[Woe to
you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of
knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those
trying to enter." [53[When he left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him
about many things, [54[for they were plotting to catch him at
something he might say.

|12|
|The Leaven of the Pharisees.|
   [1[Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together that
they were trampling one another underfoot. He began to speak,
first to his disciples, "Beware of the leaven-that is, the hypocrisy-
of the Pharisees.

|Courage under Persecution.|
   [2["There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor
secret that will not be known. [3[Therefore whatever you have
said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have
whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the
housetops. [4[I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who
kill the body but after that can do no more. [5[I shall show you
whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the
power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
[6[Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of
them has escaped the notice of God. [7[Even the hairs of your
head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more
than many sparrows. [8[I tell you, everyone who acknowledges
me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the
angels of God. [9[But whoever denies me before others will be
denied before the angels of God.

|Sayings about the holy Spirit.|
 ßß[10[Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will
be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the holy Spirit
will not be forgiven. [11[When they take you before synagogues
and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or
what your defense will be or about what you are to say. [12[For
the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should
say."

|Saying against Greed.|
   [13[Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother
to share the inheritance with me." [14[He replied to him, "Friend,
who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?" [15[Then he
said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for
though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."

|Parable of the Rich Fool.|
   [16[Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose
land produced a bountiful harvest. [17[He asked himself, 'What
shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' [18[And
he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and
build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods
[19[and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many
good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"
' [20[But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be
demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom
will they belong?' [21[Thus will it be for the one who stores up
treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

|Dependence on God.|
   [22[He said to (his) disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and
what you will wear. [23[For life is more than food and the body
more than clothing. [24[Notice the ravens: they do not sow or
reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn, yet God feeds them.
How much more important are you than birds! [25[Can any of you
by worrying add a moment to your life-span? [26[If even the
smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious
about the rest? [27[Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil
or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was
dressed like one of them. [28[If God so clothes the grass in the
field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will
he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? [29[As
for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to
drink, and do not worry anymore. [30[All the nations of the world
seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
[31[Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be
given you besides. [32[Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for
your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. [33[Sell your
belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves
that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no
thief can reach nor moth destroy. [34[For where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.

|Vigilant and Faithful Servants.|
   [35[Gird your loins and light your lamps [36[and be like
servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready
to open immediately when he comes and knocks. [37[Blessed are
those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at
table, and proceed to wait on them. [38[And should he come in
the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants. [39[Be sure of this: if the master of
the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he
would not have let his house be broken into. [40[You also must be
prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will
come." [41[Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or
for everyone?" [42[And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the
faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge
of his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper
time? [43[Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival
finds doing so. [44[Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge
of all his property. [45[But if that servant says to himself, 'My
master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants
and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, [46[then
that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an
unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a
place with the unfaithful. [47[That servant who knew his master's
will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely; [48[and the servant who was ignorant of
his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person
entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the
person entrusted with more.

|Jesus: A Cause of Division.|
   [49[ "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it
were already blazing! [50[There is a baptism with which I must
be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
[51[Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the
earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. [52[From now on a
household of five will be divided, three against two and two
against three; [53[a father will be divided against his son and a
son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a
daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-
law." Signs of the Times. [54[He also said to the crowds, "When
you see (a) cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is
going to rain-and so it does; [55[and when you notice that the
wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot-
and so it is. [56[You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the
appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how
to interpret the present time?

|Settlement with an Opponent.|
   [57["Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? [58[If
you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an
effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent
will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to
the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. [59[I say
to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last
penny."

|13|
|A Call to Repentance.|
   [1[At that time some people who were present there told him
about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the
blood of their sacrifices. [2[He said to them in reply, "Do you think
that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were
greater sinners than all other Galileans? [3[By no means! But I tell
you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! [4[Or
those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam
fell on them-do you think they were more guilty than everyone
else who lived in Jerusalem? [5[By no means! But I tell you, if you
do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"

|The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.|
   [6[And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who
had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search
of fruit on it but found none, [7[he said to the gardener, 'For three
years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have
found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?'
[8[He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and l
shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; [9[it may bear
fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.' "

|Cure of a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath.|
   [10[He was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. [11[And a
woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a
spirit; she was bent over completely incapable of standing erect.
[12[When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you
are set free of your infirmity." [13[He laid his hands on her, and
she at once stood up straight and glorified God. [14[But the leader
of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply, "There are six days when work should
be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."
[15[The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one
of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and
lead it out for watering? [16[This daughter of Abraham, whom
Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have
been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?"[17[When
he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole
crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

|The Parable of the Mustard Seed.|
   [18[Then he said, "What is the kingdom of God like? To what
can I compare it? [19[It is like a mustard seed that a person took
and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a
large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.' "

|The Parable of the Yeast.|
   [20[Again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of
God? [21[It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed (in) with
three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was
leavened."

|The Narrow Door Salvation and Rejection.|
   [22[He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went
and making his way to Jerusalem. [23[Someone asked him, "Lord,
will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, [24[ "Strive
to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will
attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. [25[After the
master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you
stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.'
He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.'
[26[And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and
you taught in our streets.' [27[Then he will say to you, 'I do not
know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!'
[28[And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of
God and you yourselves cast out. [29[And people will come from
the east and the west and from the north and the south and will
recline at table in the kingdom of God. [30[For behold, some are
last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

|Herod's Desire to Kill Jesus.|
   [31[At that time some Pharisees came to him and said, "Go
away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you." [32[He
replied, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and I
perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I
accomplish my purpose. [33[Yet I must continue on my way
today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a
prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.'

|The Lament over Jerusalem.|
   [34["Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone
those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your
children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling! [35[Behold, your house will be
abandoned. (But) I tell you, you will not see me until (the time
comes when) you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord.' "

|14|
|Healing of the Man with Dropsy on the Sabbath.|
   [1[On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the
leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him
carefully. [2[In front of him there was a man suffering from
dropsy. [3[Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in
reply, asking, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?" [4[But
they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him,
dismissed him. [5[Then he said to them, "Who among you, if your
son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out
on the sabbath day?"[6[But they were unable to answer his
question.

|Conduct of Invited Guests and Hosts.|
   [7[He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing
how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. [8[When
you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline
at table in the place of honor.
   A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by
him, [9[and the host who invited both of you may approach you
and say, `Give your place to this man,' and then you would
proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. [10[Rather,
when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when
the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a
higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your
companions at the table. [11[For everyone who exalts himself will
be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
[12[Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a
lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or
your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite
you back and you have repayment. [13[Rather, when you hold a
banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
[14[blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay
you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

|The Parable of the Great Feast.|
   [15[One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, "Blessed
is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God." [16[He replied to
him, "A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
   [17[When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his
servant to say to those invited, 'Come, everything is now ready.'
[18[But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first
said to him, 'I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I
ask you, consider me excused.' [19[And another said, 'I have
purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.' [20[And another said, 'I have
just married a woman. and therefore I cannot come.' [21[The
servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of
the house in a rage commanded his servant, 'Go out quickly into
the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and
the crippled, the blind and the lame.' [22[The servant reported,
'Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.'
[23[The master then ordered the servant, 'Go out to the highways
and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be
filled. [24[For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will
taste my dinner.' "

|Sayings on Discipleship.|
   [25[Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and
addressed them, [26["If anyone comes to me without hating his
father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and
even his own life he cannot be my disciple. [27[Whoever does not
carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
[28[Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit
down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its
completion? [29[Otherwise, after laying the foundation and
finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should
laugh at him [30[and say, 'This one began to build but did not
have the resources to finish.' [31[Or what king marching into
battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten
thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? [32[But if not,
while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for
peace terms. [33[In the same way, everyone of you who does not
renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

|The Simile of Salt.|
   [34["Salt is good, but if salt itself loses its taste, with what can
its flavor be restored? [35[It is fit neither for the soil nor for the
manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear ought to
hear."

|15|
|The Parable of the Lost Sheep.|
   [1[The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen
to him, [2[but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain,
saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." [3[So to
them he addressed this parable. [4["What man among you having
a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the
ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds
it? [5[And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with
great joy [6[and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his
friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because
I have found my lost sheep.' [7[I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninetynine righteous people who have no need of
repentance.

|The Parable of the Lost Coin.|
   [8["Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not
light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she
finds it? [9[And when she does find it, she calls together her
friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because
I have found the coin that I lost.' [10[In just the same way, I tell
you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one
sinner who repents."

|The Parable of the Lost Son.|
   [11[Then he said, "A man had two sons, [12[and the younger
son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate
that should come to me.' So the father divided the property
between them. [13[After a few days, the younger son collected all
his belongings and set off to a distant country where he
squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. [14[When he
had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need: [15[So he hired himself out to
one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the
swine. [16[And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the
swine fed, but nobody gave him any. [17[Coming to his senses he
thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than
enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. [18[I shall
get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. [19[I no longer deserve to
be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired
workers." ' [20[So he got up and went back to his father. While he
was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was
filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and
kissed him. [21[His son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your
son.' [22[But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the
finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals
on his feet. [23[Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us
celebrate with a feast, [24[because this son of mine was dead, and
has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the
celebration began. [25[Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound
of music and dancing. [26[He called one of the servants and asked
what this might mean. [27[The servant said to him, 'Your brother
has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.' [28[He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and
pleaded with him. [29[He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all
these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my
friends. [30[But when your son returns who swallowed up your
property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened
calf.' [31[He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always-
everything I have is yours. [32[ gut now we must celebrate and
rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life
again; he was lost and has been found.' "

|16|
|The Parable of the Dishonest Steward.|
   [1[Then he also said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property. [2[He
summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Prepare
a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be
my steward.' [3[The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, now
that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. [4[I
know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the
stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.' [5[He
called in his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said,
'How much do you owe my master?' [6[He replied, 'One hundred
measures of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Here is your promissory
note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.' [7[Then to another
he said, 'And you, how much do you owe?' He replied, 'One
hundred kors of wheat.' He said to him, `Here is your promissory
note; write one for eighty.' [8[And the master commended that
dishonest steward for acting prudently.

|Application of the Parable.|
   "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with
their own generation than are the children of light. [9[I tell you,
make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when
it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. [10[The
person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also
trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in
very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. [11[If,
therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who
will trust you with true wealth? [12[If you are not trustworthy
with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?
[13[No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and
love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and mammon."

|A Saying against the Pharisees.|
   [14[The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and
sneered at him. [15[And he said to them, "You justify yourselves
in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of
human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.

|Sayings about the Law.|
   [16["The law and the prophets lasted until John; but from then
on the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone who enters
does so with violence. [17[It is easier for heaven and earth to
pass away than for the smallest part of a letter of the law to
become invalid.

|Sayings about Divorce.|
   [18["Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery; and the one who marries a woman divorced
from her husband commits adultery.

|The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.|
   [19["There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and
fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. [20[And lying at his
door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, [21[who
would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the
rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
[22[When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to
the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried,
[23[and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he
raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
[24[And he cried out, ╘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send
Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.' [25[Abraham replied,
'My child, remember that you received what was good during
your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but
now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
[26[Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to
prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our
side to yours or from your side to ours.' [27[He said, 'Then I beg
you, father, send him to my father's house, [28[for I have five
brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this
place of torment.' [29[But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses
and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' [30[He said, 'Oh no,
father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they
will repent.' [31[Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to
Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if
someone should rise from the dead.' "

|17|
|Temptations to Sin.|
   [1[He said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably
occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. [2[It
would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these
little ones to sin. [3[Be on your guard! If your brother sins,
rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
   [4[And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to
you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him."

|Saying of Faith.|
   [5[And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." [6[The
Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you
would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in
the sea,' and it would obey you.

|Attitude of a Servant.|
   [7["Who among you would say to your servant who has just
come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here
immediately and take your place at table'? [8[Would he not
rather say to him, `Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your
apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and
drink when I am finished'? [9[Is he grateful to that servant
because he did what was commanded? [10[So should it be with
you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were
obliged to do.' "

|The Cleansing of Ten Lepers.|
   [11[As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled
through Samaria and Galilee. [12[As he was entering a village, ten
lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him [13[and
raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
[14[And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the
priests." As they were going they were cleansed. [15[And one of
them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a
loud voice; [16[and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan. [17[Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed,
were they not? Where are the other nine? [18[Has none but this
foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" [19[Then he said to
him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

|The Coming of the Kingdom of God.|
   [20[Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would
come, he said in reply, "The coming of the kingdom of God cannot
be observed, [21[and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or,
'There it is.' For behold, the kingdom of God is among you."

|The Day of the Son of Man.|
   [22[Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when you
will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will
not see it. [23[There will be those who will say to you, 'Look,
there he is,' (or) 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off, do not run in
pursuit. [24[For just as 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 suffer greatly and be rejected by this
generation. [26[As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the
days of the Son of Man; [27[they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered
the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. [28[Similarly,
as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building; [29[on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
[30[So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. [31[On
that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings
are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a
person in the field must not return to what was left behind.
[32[Remember the wife of Lot. [33[Whoever seeks to preserve his
life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. [34[I tell you, on
that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken,
the other left. [35[And there will be two women grinding meal
together; one will be taken, the other left." [36[ [37[They said to
him in reply, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather."

|18|
|The Parable of the Persistent Widow.|
   [1[Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to
pray always without becoming weary. He said, [2["There was a
judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any
human being. [3[And a widow in that town used to come to him
and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.'
[4[For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he
thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any
human being, [5[because this widow keeps bothering me I shall
deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'
" [6[The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge
says. [7[Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer
them? [8[I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them
speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?"

|The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.|
   [9[He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced
of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. [10["Two
people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee
and the other was a tax collector. [11[The Pharisee took up his
position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that
I am not like the rest of humanity-greedy, dishonest, adulterous-
or even like this tax collector. [12[I fast twice a week, and I pay
tithes on my whole income.' [13[But the tax collector stood off at a
distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his
breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' [14[I tell
you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone
who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles
himself will be exalted."

|Saying on Children and the Kingdom.|
   [15[People were bringing even infants to him that he might
touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.
[16[Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, "Let
the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the
kingdom of God belongs to such as these. [17[Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not
enter it."

|The Rich Official.|
   [18[An official asked him this question, "Good teacher, what
must I do to inherit eternal life?" [19[Jesus answered him, "Why
do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. [20[You know
the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery; you shall not
kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor
your father and your mother.' " [21[And he replied, "All of these I
have observed from my youth." [22[When Jesus heard this he
said to him, "There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you
have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me." [23[But when he heard this he
became quite sad, for he was very rich.

|On Riches and Renunciation.|
   [24[Jesus looked at him (now sad) and said, "How hard it is for
those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! [25[For it is
easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a
rich person to enter the kingdom of God." [26[Those who heard
this said, "Then who can be saved?" [27[And he said, "What is
impossible for human beings is possible for God." [28[Then Peter
said, "We have given up our possessions and followed you."
[29[He said to them, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has
given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the
sake of the kingdom of God [30[who will not receive (back) an
overabundant return in this present age and eternal life in the
age to come."

|The Third Prediction of the Passion.|
   [31[Then he took the Twelve aside and said to them, "Behold,
we are going up to Jerusalem and everything written by the
prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. [32[He will be
handed over to the Gentiles and he will be mocked and insulted
and spat upon; [33[and after they have scourged him they will
kill him, but on the third day he will rise." [34[gut they
understood nothing of this; the word remained hidden from them
and they failed to comprehend what he said.

|The Healing of the Blind Beggar.|
   [35[Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by
the roadside begging, [36[and hearing a crowd going by, he
inquired what was happening. [37[They told him, "Jesus of
Nazareth is passing by." [38[He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have
pity on me!" [39[The people walking in front rebuked him, telling
him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of
David, have pity on me!" [40[Then Jesus stopped and ordered that
he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
[41[What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord,
please let me see." [42[Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has
saved you." [43[He immediately received his sight and followed
him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave
praise to God.

|19|
|Zacchaeus the Tax Collector.|
   [1[He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
[2[Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax
collector and also a wealthy man, [3[was seeking to see who Jesus
was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was
short in stature. [4[So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree
in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. [5[When he
reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus,
come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." [6[And
he came down quickly and received him with joy. [7[When they
all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay
at the house of a sinner." [8[But Zacchaeus stood there and said to
the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the
poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it
four times over." [9[And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has
come to this house because this man too is a descendant of
Abraham. [10[For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save
what was lost."

|The Parable of the Ten Gold Coins.|
   [11[While they were listening to him speak, he proceeded to tell
a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that
the kingdom of God would appear there immediately. [12[So he
said, "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the
kingship for himself and then to return. [13[He called ten of his
servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, 'Engage in
trade with these until I return.' [14[His fellow citizens, however,
despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, 'We do
not want this man to be our king.' [15[But when he returned after
obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he
had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading.
[16[The first came forward and said, 'Sir, your gold coin has
earned ten additional ones.' [17[He replied, 'Well done, good
servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take
charge of ten cities.' [18[Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.' [19[And to this servant
too he said, 'You, take charge of five cities.' [20[Then the other
servant came and said, 'Sir, Here is your gold coin; I kept it stored
away in a handkerchief, [21[for I was afraid of you, because you
are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.' [22[He said to him, 'With
your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You
knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay
down and harvesting what I did not plant; [23[why did you not
put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have
collected it with interest.' [24[And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has
ten.' [25[But they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten gold coins.' [26['I tell
you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one
who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [27[Now as for
those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring
them here and slay them before me.' "

|VI: THE TEACHING MINISTRY IN JERUSALEM|

|The Entry into Jerusalem.|
   [28[After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to
Jerusalem. [29[As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the
place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples.
[30[He said, "Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it
you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it
and bring it here. [31[And if anyone should ask you, 'Why are
you untying it?' you will answer, 'The Master has need of it.' "
[32[So those who had been sent went off and found everything
just as he had told them. [33[And as they were untying the colt,
its owners said to them, "Why are you untying this colt?"
[34[They answered, "The Master has need of it." [35[So they
brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped
Jesus to mount. [36[As he rode along, the people were spreading
their cloaks on the road; [37[and now as he was approaching the
slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they
had seen. [38[They proclaimed:

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."

   [39[Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher,
rebuke your disciples." [40[He said in reply, "I tell you, if they
keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

|The Lament for Jerusalem.|
   [41[As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it,
[42[saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace-but
now it is hidden from your eyes. [43[For the days are coming
upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. [44[They will
smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they
will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did
not recognize the time of your visitation."

|The Cleansing of the Temple.|
   [45[Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive
out those who were selling things, [46[saying to them, "It is
written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made
it a den of thieves.' " [47[And every day he was teaching in the
temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the
people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, [48[but
they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all
the people were hanging on his words.

|20|
|The Authority of Jesus Questioned.|
   [1[One day as he was teaching the people in the temple area
and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and scribes,
together with the elders, approached him [2[and said to him, "Tell
us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is the
one who gave you this authority?" [3[He said to them in reply, "I
shall ask you a question. Tell me, [4[was John's baptism of
heavenly or of human origin?" [5[They discussed this among
themselves, and said, "If we say, 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say,
'Why did you not believe him?' [6[But if we say, 'Of human
origin,' then all the people will stone us, for they are convinced
that John was a prophet." [7[So they answered that they did not
know from where it came. [8[Then Jesus said to them, "Neither
shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."

|The Parable of the Tenant Farmers.|
   [9[Then he proceeded to tell the people this parable. "(A) man
planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and then went on
a journey for a long time. [10[At harvest time he sent a servant to
the tenant farmers to receive some of the produce of the
vineyard. But they beat the servant and sent him away empty-
handed. [11[So he proceeded to send another servant, but him
also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed.
[12[Then he proceeded to send a third, but this one too they
wounded and threw out. [13[The owner of the vineyard said,
'What shall I do? I shall send my beloved son; maybe they will
respect him.' [14[But when the tenant farmers saw him they said
to one another, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him that the
inheritance may become ours.' [15[So they threw him out of the
vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do
to them? [16[He will come and put those tenant farmers to death
and turn over the vineyard to others." When the people heard
this, they exclaimed, "Let it not be so!" [17[But he looked at them
and asked, "What then does this scripture passage mean:

'The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone'?

   [18[Everyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces;
and it will crush anyone on whom it falls." [19[The scribes and
chief priests sought to lay their hands on him at that very hour,
but they feared the people, for they knew that he had addressed
this parable to them.

|Paying Taxes to the Emperor.|
   [20[They watched him closely and sent agents pretending to be
righteous who were to trap him in speech, in order to hand him
over to the authority and power of the governor. [21[They posed
this question to him, "Teacher, we know that what you say and
teach is correct, and you show no partiality, but teach the way of
God in accordance with the truth. [22[Is it lawful for us to pay
tribute to Caesar or not?" [23[Recognizing their craftiness he said
to them, [24["Show me a denarius; whose image and name does it
bear?" They replied, "Caesar's." [25[So he said to them, "Then
repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs
to God." [26[They were unable to trap him by something he might
say before the people, and so amazed were they at his reply that
they fell silent.

|The Question about the Resurrection.|
   [27[Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a
resurrection, came forward and put this question to him,
[28[saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother
dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.' [29[Now there were
seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless.
[30[Then the second [31[ and the third married her, and likewise
all the seven died childless. [32[Finally the woman also died.
[33[Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For
all seven had been married to her." [34[Jesus said to them, "The
children of this age marry and remarry; [35[but those who are
deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the
resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.
[36[They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are
the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.
[37[That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the
passage about the bush, when he called 'Lord' the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; [38[and he is not
God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
[39[Some of the scribes said in reply, "Teacher, you have
answered well." [40[And they no longer dared to ask him
anything.

|The Question about David's Son.|
   [41[Then he said to them, "How do they claim that the Messiah
is the Son of David? [42[For David himself in the Book of Psalms
says:

'The Lord said to my lord,
"Sit at my right hand
[43[till I make your enemies your footstool." '

   [44[Now if David calls him 'lord,' how can he be his son?"

|Denunciation of the Scribes.|
   [45[Then, within the hearing of all the people, he said to (his)
disciples, [46[ "Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go
around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of
honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. [47[They
devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy
prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

|21|
|The Poor Widow's Contribution.|
   [1[When he looked up he saw some wealthy people putting
their offerings into the treasury [2[and he noticed a poor widow
putting in two small coins. [3[He said, "I tell you truly, this poor
widow put in more than all the rest; [4[for those others have all
made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her
poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

|The Destruction of the Temple Foretold.|
   [5[While some people were speaking about how the temple was
adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, he said, [6["All
that you see here-the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

|The Signs of the End.|
   [7[Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And
what sign will there be when all these things are about to
happen?" [8[He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for
many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has
come.' Do not follow them! [9[When you hear of wars and
insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen
first, but it will not immediately be the end." [10[Then he said to
them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. [11[There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and
plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs
will come from the sky.

|The Coming Persecution.|
   [12["Before all this happens, however, they will seize and
persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to
prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name. [13[It will lead to your giving testimony.
[14[Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand
[15[for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your
adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. [16[You will
even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death. [17[You will be hated by
all because of my name, [18[but not a hair on your head will be
destroyed. [19[By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

|The Great Tribulation.|
 ßß[20[When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know
that its desolation is at hand. [21[Then those in Judea must flee to
the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let
those in the countryside not enter the city, [22[for these days are
the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled.
[23[Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful
judgment upon this people. [24[They will fall by the edge of the
sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem
will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the
Gentiles are fulfilled.

|The Coming of the Son of Man.|
   [25[There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and
on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of
the sea and the waves. [26[People will die of fright in anticipation
of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens
will be shaken. [27[And then they will see the Son of Man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory. [28[But when these signs
begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your
redemption is at hand."

|The Lesson of the Fig Tree.|
    [29[He taught them a lesson. "Consider the fig tree and all the
other trees. [30[When heir buds burst open, you see for
yourselves and know that summer is now near; [31[in the same
way, when you see these things happening, know that the
kingdom of God is near. [32[Amen, I say to you, this generation
will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
[33[Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass
away.

|Exhortation to be Vigilant.|
   [34["Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from
carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and
that day catch you by surprise [35[like a trap. For that day will
assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. [36[Be
vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to
escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the
Son of Man."

|Ministry in Jerusalem.|
   [37[During the day, Jesus was teaching in the temple area, but
at night he would leave and stay at the place called the Mount of
Olives. [38[And all the people would get up early each morning to
listen to him in the temple area.

|VII: THE PASSION NARRATIVE|

|22|
|The Conspiracy against Jesus.|
   [1[Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was
drawing near, [2[and the chief priests and the scribes were
seeking a way to put him to death, for they were afraid of the
people. [3[Then Satan entered into Judas, the one surnamed
Iscariot, who was counted among the Twelve, [4[and he went to
the chief priests and temple guards to discuss a plan for handing
him over to them. [5[They were pleased and agreed to pay him
money. [6[He accepted their offer and sought a favorable
opportunity to hand him over to them in the absence of a crowd.

|Preparations for the Passover.|
   [7[When the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, the
day for sacrificing the Passover lamb, [8[he sent out Peter and
John, instructing them, "Go and make preparations for us to eat
the Passover." [9[They asked him, "Where do you want us to
make the preparations?" [10[And he answered them, "When you
go into the city, a man will meet you carrying a jar of water.
Follow him into the house that he enters [11[and say to the
master of the house, 'The teacher says to you, "Where is the guest
room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" ' [12[He
will show you a large upper room that is furnished. Make the
preparations there." [13[Then they went off and found everything
exactly as he had told them, and there they prepared the
Passover.

|The Last Supper.|
   [14[When the hour came, he took his place at table with the
apostles. [15[He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer, [16[for, I tell you, I shall not
eat it (again) until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
[17[Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and
share it among yourselves; [18[for I tell you (that) from this time
on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of
God comes." [19[Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke
it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be
given for you; do this in memory of me." [20[And likewise the cup
after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my
blood, which will be shed for you.

|The Betrayal Foretold.|
   [21["And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is
with me on the table; [22[for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has
been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed."
[23[And they began to debate among themselves who among
them would do such a deed.

|The Role of the Disciples.|
   [24[Then an argument broke out among them about which of
them should be regarded as the greatest. [25[He said to them,
"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority
over them are addressed as 'Benefactors'; [26[but among you it
shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the
youngest, and the leader as the servant. [27[For who is greater:
the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one
seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves. [28[It is
you who have stood by me in my trials; [29[and I confer a
kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me,
[30[that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and
you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

|Peter's Denial Foretold.|
   [31["Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you
like wheat, [32[but I have prayed that your own faith may not
fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your
brothers." [33[He said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to go to prison
and to die with you." [34[But he replied, "I tell you, Peter, before
the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know
me."

|Instructions for the Time of Crisis.|
   [35[He said to them, "When I sent you forth without a money
bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No,
nothing," they replied. [36[He said to them, "But now one who has
a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who
does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. [37[For I
tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, 'He
was counted among the wicked'; and indeed what is written
about me is coming to fulfillment." [38[Then they said, "Lord,
look, there are two swords here." But he replied, "It is enough!"

|The Agony in the Garden.|
   [39[Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of
Olives, and the disciples followed him. [40[When he arrived at the
place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test."
[41[After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and
kneeling, he prayed, [42[saying, "Father, if you are willing, take
this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done."
([43[And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to
him. [44[He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that
his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.)
[45[When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he
found them sleeping from grief. [46[He said to them, "Why are
you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the
test."

|The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus.|
   [47[While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in
front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to
Jesus to kiss him. [48[Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying
the Son of Man with a kiss?" [49[His disciples realized what was
about to happen, and they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a
sword?" [50[And one of them struck the high priest's servant and
cut off his right ear. [51[But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of
this!" Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him. [52[And
Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who
had come for him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with
swords and clubs? [53[Day after day I was with you in the temple
area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for
the power of darkness."

|Peter's Denial of Jesus.|
   [54[After arresting him they led him away and took him into
the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance.
[55[They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around
it, and Peter sat down with them. [56[When a maid saw him
seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, "This man
too was with him." [57[But he denied it saying, "Woman, I do not
know him." [58[A short while later someone else saw him and
said, "You too are one of them"; but Peter answered, "My friend, I
am not." [59[About an hour later, still another insisted,
"Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean."
[60[But Peter said, "My friend, I do not know what you are
talking about." Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed,
[61[and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter
remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him,
"Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times."
[62[He went out and began to weep bitterly. [63[The men who
held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him. [64[They
blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is it
that struck you?" [65[And they reviled him in saying many other
things against him.

|Jesus before the Sanhedrin.|
   [66[When day came the council of elders of the people met,
both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their
Sanhedrin. [67[They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us," but he
replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, [68[and if I
question, you will not respond. [69[But from this time on the Son
of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."
[70[They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to
them, "You say that I am." [71[Then they said, "What further need
have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth."

|23|
|Jesus before Pilate.|
   [1[Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him
before Pilate. [2[They brought charges against him, saying, "We
found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of
taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king."
[3[Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to
him in reply, "You say so." [4[Pilate then addressed the chief
priests and the crowds, "I find this man not guilty." [5[But they
were adamant and said, "He is inciting the people with his
teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even
to here."

|Jesus before Herod.|
   [6[On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; [7[and
upon learning that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him
to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. [8[Herod was very
glad to see Jesus: he had been wanting to see him for a long time,
for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him
perform some sign. [9[He questioned him at length, but he gave
him no answer. [10[The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile,
stood by accusing him harshly. [11[ (Even) Herod and his soldiers
treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing
him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. [12[Herod
and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had
been enemies formerly. [13[Pilate then summoned the chief
priests, the rulers, and the people [14[and said to them, "You
brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to
revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and
have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought
against him, [15[nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no
capital crime has been committed by him. [16[Therefore I shall
have him flogged and then release him." [17[

|The Sentence of Death.|
   [18[But all together they shouted out, "Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us." [19[ (Now Barabbas had been imprisoned
for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.)
[20[Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
[21[but they continued their shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
[22[Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man
done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall
have him flogged and then release him." [23[With loud shouts,
however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their
voices prevailed. [24[The verdict of Pilate was that their demand
should be granted. [25[So he released the man who had been
imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and
he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.

|The Way of the Cross.|
   [26[As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a
Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying
the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. [27[A
large crowd of people Followed Jesus, including many women
who mourned and lamented him. [28[Jesus turned to them and
said, "Daughters of Jerusalem. do not weep for me; weep instead
for yourselves and for your children, [29[for indeed, the days are
coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs
that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' [30[At that
time people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the
hills, 'Cover us!' [31[for if these things are done when the wood is
green what will happen when it is dry?" [32[Now two others, both
criminals, were led away with him to be executed.

|The Crucifixion.|
   [33[When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified
him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.
[34[ (Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what
they do.") They divided his garments by casting lots. [35[The
people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at
him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the
chosen one, the Messiah of God." [36[Even the soldiers jeered at
him. As they approached to offer him wine [37[they called out, "If
you are King of the Jews, save yourself." [38[Above him there was
an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."
   [39[Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus,
saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." [40[The
other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of
God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? [41[And
indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we
received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done
nothing criminal." [42[Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when
you come into your kingdom." [43[He replied to him, "Amen, I say
to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

|The Death of Jesus.|
   [44[It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole
land until three in the afternoon [45[because of an eclipse of the
sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
[46[Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I
commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his
last. [47[The centurion who witnessed what had happened
glorified God and said, "This man was innocent beyond doubt."
[48[When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw
what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts;
[49[but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the
women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.

|The Burial of Jesus.|
   [50[Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph
who, though he was a member of the council, [51[had not
consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town
of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. [52[He went
to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. [53[After he had taken
the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a
rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried. [54[It was
the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin.
[55[The women who had come from Galilee with him followed
behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which
his body was laid in it, [56[they returned and prepared spices
and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to
the commandment.

|VIII: THE RESURRECTION NARRATIVE|
|24|
|The Resurrection of Jesus.|
   [1[But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the
spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. [2[They found
the stone rolled away from the tomb; [3[but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. [4[While they were
puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments
appeared to them. [5[ They were terrified and bowed their faces
to the ground. They said to them, "Why do you seek the living
one among the dead? [6[He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
[7[that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be
crucified, and rise on the third day." [8[And they remembered his
words. [9[Then they returned from the tomb and announced all
these things to the eleven and to all the others. [10[The women
were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
[11[but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe
them. [12[But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and
saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home amazed at what
had happened.

|The Appearance on the Road to Emmaus.|
   [13[Now that very day two of them were going to a village
seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, [14[and they were
conversing about all the things that had occurred. [15[And it
happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus
himself drew near and walked with them, [16[but their eyes
were prevented from recognizing him. [17[He asked them, "What
are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking
downcast. [18[One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the
things that have taken place there in these days?" [19[And he
replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The
things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, [20[how
our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence
of death and crucified him. [21[But we were hoping that he would
be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the
third day since this took place. [22[Some women from our group,
however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the
morning [23[and did not find his body; they came back and
reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who
announced that he was alive. [24[Then some of those with us
went to the tomb and found things just as the women had
described, but him they did not see." [25[And he said to them,
"Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets spoke! [26[Was it not necessary that the Messiah should
suffer these things and enter into his glory?" [27[Then beginning
with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what
referred to him in all the scriptures. [28[As they approached the
village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he
was going on farther. [29[But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it
is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to
stay with them.  [30[And it happened that, while he was with
them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave
it to them. [31[With that their eyes were opened and they
recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. [32[Then they
said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while
he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
[33[So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they
found gathered together the eleven and those with them [34[who
were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to
Simon!" [35[Then the two recounted what had taken place on the
way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the
bread.

|The Appearance to the Disciples in Jerusalem.|
   [36[While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their
midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." [37[But they were
startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
[38[Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do
questions arise in your hearts? [39[Look at my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does
not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." [40[And as he
said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. [41[While they
were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them,
"Have you anything here to eat?" [42[They gave him a piece of
baked fish; [43[he took it and ate it in front of them.
   [44[He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that everything written about me in
the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be
fulfilled." [45[Then he opened their minds to understand the
scriptures. [46[ And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the
Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day
[47[and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be
preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from
Jerusalem. [48[You are witnesses of these things. [49[And
(behold) I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but
stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

|The Ascension.|
   [50[Then he led them (out) as far as Bethany, raised his hands,
and blessed them. [51[As he blessed them he parted from them
and was taken up to heaven. [52[They did him homage and then
returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53[and they were
continually in the temple praising God.