1 Several people attempted to write an account about the events that we’re personally certain of 2 as the ones who were eyewitnesses and hearers of these accounts from the beginning handed them over to us. 3 So since we had followed all these events so carefully, it seemed like a good idea to write this account for you, honoured Theophilus, 4 so that you could know the definite background behind what you were taught.

5 [ref]It started with the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth at the time when Herod was the king of Yudea. (Zechariah was in the priestly division of Abijah, and Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.) 6 God considered them both good and blameless as they obeyed his commandments and regulations. 7 Elizabeth had never been able to have a child, so there was just the two of them as they were now getting older.

8 One time as he was taking his rostered turn to serve God along with his division, 9 he was chosen by lot (this was how the priests assigned tasks) to light the incense in the temple, and so he proceeded inside. 10 A lot of people would be praying outside the temple at the time when the incense was burnt. 11 At that moment, a messenger from God appeared to Zechariah, standing right there at the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah got a big fright at seeing him there and started to tremble. 13 But the messenger spoke, “Don’t be scared Zechariah, because your request has been listened to, and your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son and you’ll name him Yohan. 14 He’ll bring a lot of happiness to you and you’ll be proud of him—in fact many people will be glad. 15 [ref]He’ll be considered special in God’s eyes, but he won’t be allowed to drink wine or spirits. Even while he’s still in his mother’s womb, he’ll be filled with God’s spirit. 16 He will turn many children of Israel back to Yahweh, their God. 17 [ref]And he will go on ahead of God with the spirit and the power of Eliyah, to turn fathers back to loving their children and to turn career criminals towards the wisdom of godly people, to get the people ready for the master.”

18 Zechariah asked the messenger, “How will I know if this is true. Because I’m an older man and my wife is also getting old.”

19 [ref]Now the messenger rebuked him, “I am Gabriel who stood right in front of God and was commanded to come here and talk to you, and to tell all of this to you. 20 So hear this: Because you didn’t believe my message, you will be made silent and unable to speak until the day that all of these things happen, and they certainly will happen at the proper times.”

21 Meanwhile, the people outside were expecting Zechariah to come back out, and were wondering what could be holding him up there inside the temple. 22 But when he did emerge, he wasn’t able to speak to them. They wondering if maybe he’d seen a vision in the temple, and he nodded to confirm this although he remained mute. 23 And after he’d finished his rostered days in the temple, he returned home.

24 As time went on, Elizabeth became pregnant and secluded herself away for five months, saying, 25 “The master[fn] has done this for me. At this time he’s looked down at me and taken away the public shame of my being childless.”

26 When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent his messenger Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in the Galilee region. 27 [ref]Gabriel went to a young woman named Maria who was engaged to be married to Yosef, a descendant of King David, 28 and entering the room, spoke to her, “Hello there. The master is with you and he’s chosen you to be honoured.” 29 Maria was very puzzled by the statement and wondered what kind of greeting it could be 30 as the messenger continued, “Don’t be scared, Maria, because you have found God’s favour 31 [ref]and listen, you will conceive a baby and go on to give birth to a son, and you should name him Yeshua. 32 [ref]He will be very special and will be called the son of the highest one, and God the master will give him the throne of David, his ancestor. 33 He will reign over Yacob’s descendants throughout the ages, and his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How would this work,” Maria asked the messenger, “because I’ve never slept with a guy?”

35 “The holy spirit will come over you,” answered the messenger, “and the power of the highest one will overshadow you, and so the holy child that will be born will be called God’s son. 36 Also, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age—the one who was called barren is now six months pregnant 37 [ref]because with God, his statements always come to pass.”

38 “Look here,” said Maria, “I’m the master’s servant girl. May everything you said come true.” Then the messenger left her.

39 Several days later, Maria determined that she’d go to the town in the hills of Yudea 40 where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth, 41 and as soon as Elizabeth heard the greeting, her baby in her womb kicked, and she was filled with the holy spirit 42 and she called out loudly, “Out of all women, you have been blessed and the baby in your womb has been blessed. 43 How could this happen to me—that the mother of my master would come and visit me! 44 You see, as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb kicked with excitement, 45 and the woman who believed that everything the master told her will happen, she will be blessed.”

46 Maria said,

“My soul praises the master,

47 and my spirit is so happy about God, my saviour,

48 [ref]because he noticed his humble servant girl.

Look now, all the future generations will consider that I was blessed

49 because the powerful one treated me incredibly,

and his name is holy.

50 He shows his mercy to multiple generations;

to those who honour him.

51 His arm is powerful;

he scatters those who are proud in their hearts.

52 [ref]He knocks kings off their thrones,

and praises those who’re humble.

53 Those who’re hungry, he fills with good things,

but those who’re rich, he sends away empty handed.

54 He took good care of his servant, Israel,

to be reminded of mercy

55 [ref]as he spoke to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his descendants,

at the right time.”

56 So Maria stayed with Elizabeth for about three months before returning back to her own home.

57 When Elizabeth’s nine months were up, she gave birth and produced a son 58 and her neighbours and relatives heard that the master had shown great mercy to her, and so they celebrated along with her.

59 [ref]When the baby boy was eight days old, it was the time to circumcise him, and the relatives at the ceremony started calling him Zacharias after the name of his father, 60 but the baby’s mother spoke up and said, “No, he’s going to be named Yohan.”

61 “None of your relatives have that name,” they said 62 and they signalled to the father to tell them what name he wanted for the baby.

63 So Zacharias requested a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is Yohan.” Everyone was amazed 64 and then suddenly his mouth and tongue were freed and he was able to speak again and started praising God. 65 Everyone who lived nearby was a bit unnerved by all this, and the story about what happened was discussed in all the homes around the hills 66 and those who heard about it were thinking to themselves, “Who’s this young child going to turn out to be?”

67 Then the boy’s father, Zacharias, became filled with the holy spirit and prophesied,

68 “Blessed is the master, the god of Israel,

because he visited us and made a way for his people to be freed from slavery.

69 He brought us a voice that would lead to our salvation,

us citizens of the nation of King David, his servant

70 (as he spoke via the mouths of his holy prophets through the ages).

71 He saved us from our enemies,

and from the power of all the ones hating us,

72 to show mercy to our ancestors

and to remind them of his holy agreement,

73 that he had promised Abraham, our ancestor, that he would give us.

74 He rescued us from the power of our enemies,

so we could serve him without fear,

75 committed to obeying him

for the rest of our lives.

76 [ref]And you too my little child, will be called a prophet of the highest one—

going before the master to prepare his paths,

77 to give knowledge about salvation to his people

so their sins can be forgiven

78 because God has compassion on us and mercy.

Thus the light from heaven will visit us

79 [ref]to shine on those in darkness and sitting in the shadow of death;

to guide us onto the road of peace.”

80 The young boy grew and his spirit was also strengthened, and he lived in the wilderness until he started his ministry to the people of Israel.

2 At that time, Caesar Augustus sent a decree that everyone throughout the empire needed to register in a census. 2 (This census was conducted when Quirinius was the governor of Syria.) 3 Everyone had to officially register in the city of their birth.

4 Because Yosef was a descendant of King David, he left the town of Nazareth in the Galilee region and went down to David’s town of Bethlehem in Yudea 5 to register along with Maria, his pregnant fiancée. 6 While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to give birth 7 and so Maria bore her first son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and slept him in an empty feeding trough, because they had missed out on the guest room.

8 In that same area, there were some shepherds staying out in the fields where they kept watch over their flocks at night. 9 A messenger sent by the master approached them, and the master’s radiance shone around them, and they were very frightened. 10 “Don’t be scared,” the messenger told them, “because I’m bringing you a good message that will bring great happiness to all people 11 because a saviour for all people was born today in David’s town. He’s the messiah—the master—12 and this is how you’ll know him: you’ll find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and sleeping in a feeding trough.”

13 Then suddenly lots of heavenly soldiers joined the messenger, praising God and saying, 14 “Let all honour be given to God in the highest, and peace on earth to all people along with good will.”

15 Then as the messengers left them and went up into the sky, the shepherds said to each other, “Well, we’ll certainly go into Bethlehem so we can see what this was about that Yahweh has let us know about.”

16 So they hurried into town and asked around to find Maria and Yosef, and also the baby sleeping in the feeding trough. 17 When they met them, the explained what they had been told about the young baby. 18 Everyone who heard this was amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 but Maria treasured all of these messages in her heart and often thought about them. 20 Finally the shepherds returned back to their fields—they were worshipping and praising God for what they’d heard and how they’d seen it exactly like they’d been told.

21 [ref]When the baby was eight days old and hence the time for his circumcision, he was given the name Yeshua as instructed by God’s messenger even before he was conceived in the womb.

22 Then when the time of the mother’s purification was fulfilled as per Moses’ instructions, they took him down to Yerusalem to be dedicated to Yahweh 23 [ref]to follow what is written in Yahweh’s law: Every firstborn male is set aside for Yahweh 24 [ref]and hence a sacrifice has to be made, which according to that law is a pair of turtledoves or young doves.

25 Now listen, there was a man named Simeon in Yerusalem and he was godly and committed, waiting for God to rescue Israel. He was full of the holy spirit 26 and the spirit had told him that he wouldn’t die without seeing Yahweh’s messiah. 27 He had come to the temple listening to the spirit at just the same time as the parents brought in the baby Yeshua in order to follow the rituals for new parents. 28 Simeon took the baby into his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Now, Yahweh, you can send your slave away in peace as you promised 30 because I’ve set my eyes on your salvation 31 which you have prepared in front of everyone: 32 [ref]a light so the non-Jews can understand, and the greatest gift from and for your people of Israel.”

33 The baby’s parents were amazed at the things being spoken about him, 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Maria, “Listen, this boy has been chosen to cause both the rise and the fall of many people in Israel, and sent as a sign but one which many people will oppose. 35 Also even as you experience incredible grief in the future, it will allow the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed.”

36 Also there was a prophetess named Hanna (the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher). She was very elderly, having been married for seven years, 37 and then had been widowed for eighty-four years. She was always at the temple, serving night and day in prayer and fasting. 38 She also approached the baby around the same time, and praised God and spoke about the boy to everyone in Yerusalem who was waiting for God to free them.

39 [ref]When they had done all the rituals according to Yahweh’s instructions, they returned to their home town of Nazareth up in Galilee. 40 The young boy grew and got stronger, and started showing amazing wisdom and it was clear that God was blessing him.

41 [ref]Every year Yeshua’s family would go down to Yerusalem for the Passover celebrations. 42 One time when he was twelve years old, they went to celebrate the Passover there as usual, 43 and when it was all over and they started on their return, the lad stayed there in Yerusalem but his parents weren’t aware of it. 44 They thought he was with others in the group, but at the end of the day’s hiking when they looked for him among the relatives and acquaintances, 45 they couldn’t find him, so they returned to Yerusalem to look for him. 46 It was only after three days that they found him in the temple, sitting with the religious teachers there—sometimes listening to them, and sometimes asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard the conversations were amazed and his intelligence and knowledge. 48 When his parents found him, they were astonished and his mother asked, “Son, how could you do this to us? Your father and I have been frantic looking for you!”

49 “Why did you all need to look for me?” he answered. “Didn’t you both know that it’s good for me to be in my father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t really understand what he meant.

51 After that, he went back to Nazareth with them and continued to be obedient to them, 52 [ref]and so Yeshua continued to grow wiser and taller, and in favour with both God and the people.

3 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius when Pontius Pilate was the governor of Yudea and Herod was the ruler of the Galilean quarter. His brother Philip was the ruler of the Iturean quarter and of the region of Traconitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of the Abilene quarter. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests in Yerusalem, and this was the time when Yohan (son of Zechariah) began preaching God’s message in the wilderness. 3 He went around all the areas surrounding the Yordan River, telling the people that they could get immersed in water as a sign they were turning away from disobeying God and requesting forgiveness 4 [ref]just like the prophet Isayah had written:

‘The voice shouting in the wilderness

prepare Yahweh’s road,

make his paths straight.

5 Every valley will be filled up,

and every mountain and hill will be levelled off.

What’s crooked will be made straight,

and the rough roads will be made smooth.

6 and everybody will see God’s salvation.’

7 [ref]Because of that, he was telling the crowds that went out there to be immersed by him, “Bunch of snakes! Who warned you all to flee from the severe anger that’s coming? 8 [ref]So then start demonstrating the qualities that show you have actually turned from your disobedience. And don’t start by telling me that you’re descendants of Abraham, because I can tell you all that God could make descendants out of these stones here. 9 [ref]The axe is already sitting at the base of the trees, so that every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

10 “What should we do then,” the crowds asked him.

11 “If you’ve got two jackets, give one to someone who doesn’t have one,” he replied, “and similarly if you’ve got food.”

12 [ref]Even some tax-collectors came to be immersed, and they asked Yohan, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 “Don’t collect any extra on top of what you’ve been told to collect,” he said.

14 “And what about us too,” some soldiers inquired.

“Don’t bully people or falsely accuse anyone,” Yohan answered, “and be content with your wages.”

15 The people were expecting that the messiah might come to save them and started wondering in their minds if maybe it was Yohan 16 but he explained to them all, “I’ve been immersing you all in water, but there’s one coming who’s greater than me, in fact I’m not even worthy to unlace his sandals. He will immerse you all with the holy spirit and with fire. 17 He’ll hold the winnowing fork so he can clear out the threshing floor, gathering the wheat into his barn and burning up the chaff with a fire that never goes out.”

18 Yohan preached the good message to the people and also encouraged them to change for the better. 19 [ref]But Herod who was the ruler of the Galilean quarter had been scolded by Yohan about taking his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, and about many other evil things that he’d done, 20 added to his evils when he locked Yohan up in prison.

21 One day along with all the other people being immersed, Yeshua had come and been immersed, and while he prayed, the sky opened up 22 [ref]and the holy spirit came down onto him in the bodily form of a dove, and a voice came from the sky, “You are my son that I love and take pleasure in.”

23 Yeshua was about thirty when he started his ministry. He was the son (as it was thought) of Yosef, son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Yannai, the son of Yosef, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Yosek, the son of Yoda, 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 Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Yudah, the son of Yosef, the son of Yonam, 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 Yesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Yudah, 34 the son of Yacob, 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 Yared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

4 Then Yeshua, full of the holy spirit, returned from the Yordan region and was led into the wilderness by the spirit 2 where he was tested by the devil for forty days. He didn’t eat anything during that time, and was hungry at the end.

3 So the devil told him, “If you’re God’s son, just turn this stone into bread.”

4 [ref]“It’s been written,” Yeshua replied, “that people don’t live just on food.”

5 Then the devil brought him up to a high point and in just a moment of time, showed him the vista of all the kingdoms of the world, 6 and he said, “I’ll give you this entire domain and the status of these kingdoms because it’s been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want, 7 so just bow down in front of me and it’ll all be yours.”

8 [ref]“It’s been written,” Yeshua answered, “that we should only bow down to Yahweh our God and only serve him.”

9 Then the devil led him to Yerusalem and they stood on the highest part of the temple, where he told him, “If you’re God’s son, throw yourself down from here, 10 [ref]because it’s written that God will command his messengers to guard you 11 and they will carry you in their hands, so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”

12 [ref]“It’s been written,” Yeshua responded, “that we shouldn’t test Yahweh our God.”

13 So after completing every temptation, the devil withdrew from him for a time.

14 So then Yeshua returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit, and the news about him spread into the surrounding region. 15 He started teaching in the meeting halls and everyone said how good it was.

16 When he got to Nazareth where he grew up, he went into the meeting hall as usual on the Rest Day and stood up to do the reading. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isayah was handed to him, and opening up the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

18 [ref]“Yahweh’s spirit is on me,

because he has chosen and equipped me

to preach the good message to the poor.

He has sent me out to proclaim freedom for captives

and to restore sight to the blind,

and for the oppressed to experience freedom.

19 He’s sent me to proclaim that this is the year that Yahweh has chosen.”

20 Then after rolling up the scroll and giving it back to the attendant, he sat down to give his commentary and every person in the room was studying him 21 as he began to speak, “Today this scripture that you’ve just heard has been fulfilled.”

22 Later everyone was telling others about him, and they were marvelling at his messages displaying God’s grace, and they asked each other, “Isn’t this Yosef’s son from down the road?”

23 Then Yeshua answered them, “I’m sure you’ll all be telling me that parable about the doctor who needed to heal himself, because you’ll be wanting me to do here in my hometown what I did in Capernaum. 24 [ref]I can assure you all that no prophet is accepted by his own hometown. 25 [ref]There were certainly many widows in Israel in the days of Eliyah when God stopped the rain for three and a half years and caused a terrible famine. 26 [ref]But Eliyah wasn’t sent to any of them—rather he was sent to a foreign widow in Zarephath in the Tsidon region. 27 [ref]“Also there were many people in Israel with leprosy in the days of the prophet Elisha and none of them were healed, but only Naaman from Syria.”

28 By now everyone in the meeting hall that heard this was furious 29 and they all stood up, planning to throw him out of the city. They led him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to throw him over the edge, 30 but somehow he just moved through the middle of them and left.

31 After that, Yeshua went to Capernaum, another town in Galilee, and taught in the meeting hall there on the Rest Days. 32 [ref]They were amazed at his teaching, because he presented his message with authority. 33 One week there was a man at the meeting hall with a demon spirit and he yelled out, 34 “Ha! What do we have in common with you, Yeshua the Nazarene? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are—you’re the holy one from God.”

35 Yeshua rebuked the demon, saying, “Be quiet! Now come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man to the floor right in the middle of them, and came out of him, and left him feeling perfectly fine.

36 This amazed everyone and they started asking each other, “What is this command that has such authority and power that he orders evil spirits around and they come out?” 37 After that, the reports of what he’d done were passed around to every part of the surrounding region.

38 After getting up and leaving the meeting hall, Yeshua went to Simon’s home where Simon’s mother-in-law had been struck with a high fever and they asked Yeshua about it. 39 Going over to where she was lying, Yeshua rebuked the fever and it left her, and she stood up straight away and got them something to eat.

40 In the evening, anyone who had a relative with any kind of disease brought their sick relatives to Yeshua and he placed his hands on each one of them and healed them. 41 Also demons came out from many people, yelling out, “You are God’s son.”

But he rebuked them and didn’t allow them to speak because they knew that he was the messiah.

42 The next day, Yeshua went off to a quiet place, but the crowds were looking for him and followed after him and insisted that he didn’t leave them, 43 but he told them, “I also need to preach this good message about God’s kingdom in other towns, because that’s why I was sent here.” 44 So then he went down to Yudea and preached in the meeting halls there.

5 [ref]One time when the crowd was pressuring Yeshua that they wanted to hear God’s message as he stood by Lake Galilee, 2 he saw two boats at the edge of the water, but the fishermen had left the boats so they could wash their nets. 3 Yeshua hopped into one of the boats which turned out to be Simon’s, and asked him just to row out a little way from the land. Then Yeshua sat there in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

4 Once he’d finished his speaking, he told Simon, “Go out to the deeper parts and lower your nets to catch some fish.”

5 [ref]“Master,” Simon answered, “we worked all through the night and didn’t catch anything, but ok, I’ll do what you say and lower the nets.” 6 [ref]When they lowered the nets, they quickly netted a huge catch of fish, so much so that their nets began to rip 7 and they had to signal to their companions in the other boat to come and help. When they got there, they filled both boats with so many fish that the weight began to sink them. 8 When Simon Peter had a moment to realise what had just happened, he knelt in the boat in front of Yeshua and said, “You must leave me, master, because I’m just a sinful man.”

9 Peter and all those with him were stunned at the size of the catch. 10 This included Yacob and Yohan (Zebedee’s sons) who were his fishing partners.

11 When they got the boats up onto the shore, they left everything there and followed after Yeshua.

12 In one of the towns that they visited, a man covered in leprous lesions lay face down in front of Yeshua when he saw him, and implored him, “Master, if you wanted you’d be able to heal me.”

13 Yeshua reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want it. Be free from this.” Immediately the man was clear of leprosy. 14 [ref]“Don’t tell others,” Yeshua instructed, “but go directly to the priest with the offering commanded by Moses and show yourself to him for clearance and as a testimony to them.”

15 However the news about Yeshua was spreading all around, and large crowds were gathering to listen to him and to be healed from their diseases 16 but then he would withdraw into the wilderness to pray.

17 Yeshua was teaching one day, and some from the Pharisee party and some religious teachers were sitting there listening. They had come from villages all around Galilee and Yudea, and also from Yerusalem, and the power of Yahweh was there enabling Yeshua to heal people. 18 Then, look, some men turned up carrying a paralysed man on a stretcher, and they tried to bring him inside and place him in front of Yeshua 19 but because of the crowd they couldn’t find a way in. So instead, they went up the stairs to the flat roof and removed some tiles in order to let the stretcher down right in front of Yeshua. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins have been forgiven.”

21 “Who is this guy who’s insulting God?” the teachers and Pharisees started to say among themselves. “Only God is able to forgive sins.”

22 But Yeshua knew what they were thinking and saying, and answered them, “Why are you reasoning about this in your minds? 23 Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins have been forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But I’ll demonstrate to you that humanity’s child does have the authority to forgive sins here on earth.” Then he turned to the paralysed man and told him, “Listen to me. Stand up and pick up your stretcher and go home.”

25 Immediately the man stood up right in front of them all, picked up what he’d been lying on, and headed off to his home praising God. 26 Everyone was astounded and they also praised God. But there was also a feeling of fear and they said, “We’ve witnessed something out-of-the-normal today!”

27 Yeshua went outside after that and he saw a tax-collector named Levi sitting in his office and told him, “Come and follow me.” 28 So Levi left everything and went and followed Yeshua.

29 Then Levi prepared a large meal in his home for Yeshua, plus there were also a lot of tax-collectors and others who were sitting with them. 30 [ref]Some from the Pharisees party and religious teachers grumbled at Yeshua’s followers, complaining, “Why are you all eating and drinking with tax collectors and other low-life?”

31 But it was Yeshua that answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—only those who’re sick. 32 I didn’t come to call those who’re ‘righteous’, but to call sinners to come and turn from disobeying God.”

33 Then the religious leaders complained, “Yohan’s followers often fast and bring their needs to God, as do the Pharisees, but your followers are eating and drinking.”

34 “You can’t make the best men fast at a wedding,” Yeshua responded, “not while the groom is with them. 35 But yes, there will be a future time when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they’ll fast.”

36 Then he went on to tell them this parable, “No one repairs their old clothes by putting on a patch of new material. If they did, the new patch will likely tear off again, plus it wouldn’t look right anyway. 37 Similarly, no one puts new wine to mature into old wineskins. If they did, the new wine would certainly burst the old wineskin and it would all pour out and the wineskin would be ruined as well. 38 New wine needs to be put into a new wineskin. 39 And no one who’s used to the old ways wants the new, because he’ll claim that the old is good enough.”

6 [ref]One Rest Day, Yeshua was walking through some fields of grain and his followers were plucking the heads of grain and rubbing them apart in their hands, then chewing the grains. 2 But some from the Pharisees party asked, “Why are you doing that? It’s prohibited to harvest on a Rest Day.”

3 “Haven’t you read about David,” Yeshua answered, “when him and his men were hungry and what they did? 4 [ref]“He went into God’s temple and took the ‘bread of the presence’ and ate some and gave some to his men, even though it’s only priests that are allowed to eat that.” 5 Then he added, “Humanity’s child is the master of the rest days.”

6 On a different Rest Day, Yeshua went into a meeting hall and was teaching the congregation. There was a man there with a clawed right hand 7 and the religious teachers and Pharisees were watching Yeshua closely to see if he might heal the man on the Rest Day so they’d have something to accuse him of. 8 But he knew their plans and spoke to the man with the deformed hand, “Stand up and come into the middle.” So the man got up and stood in front of them. 9 “I want to ask all of you,” said Yeshua, “whether or not it’s allowable to do good on the Rest Day, or only evil—to save life or to destroy it?” 10 Turning slowly and looking at them all, he then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did it and his hand was healed, 11 but the religious leaders were mad with anger and discussed among themselves about what they could do to Yeshua.

12 One day, Yeshua climbed a hill to pray, and then he spent the night there praying to God. 13 In the morning, he called together his followers, and chose twelve of them that he then called missionaries: 14 Simon (who he also named Peter) and his brother Andrew, Yacob and Yohan, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, Jacob (Alphaeus’ son), Simon (the one known as a Zealot), 16 Yudas (son of Yacob), and Yudas Iscariot (who eventually betrayed him).

17 Then coming down the hill with them, Yeshua stood on a flat area along with a large crowd of his followers. There was also a large number of people from all around Yudea and Yerusalem and the coastal areas of Tyre and Tsidon 18 who came to hear what he had to say, as well as getting healed from their various diseases. 19 All the people in the crowd wanted to touch him, because power would come out from him and he was healing everyone.

20 Then looking up at his followers, he said,

“Blessed are the poor, because God’s kingdom is yours.

21 Blessed are those who don’t have enough to eat now, because you’ll all be satisfied.

Blessed are those who are weeping now, because you’ll all be laughing.

22 [ref]You’re all blessed when people hate you and snob you, and when they deride you and slander your reputations as evil, all on account of humanity’s child. 23 [ref]Be happy at that time and dance with happiness, because you’ll have a large reward in heaven. Their ancestors did the same sorts of things to the prophets.

24 However it’s tragic for all you rich people, because you’ve already enjoyed all those comforts.

25 It’s tragic for all of you who are full now, because you’ll all be hungry.

It’s tragic for all of you who are laughing now, because you’ll all be mourning and crying.

26 It’s tragic for you whenever all the people say they admire you, because their ancestors did the same to the false prophets.

27 “But I’ll tell all of you who’re listening: Love your enemies and be kind to those who hate you. 28 Give a blessing to those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you all. 29 When someone slaps you on the face, offer them the other side, and when someone forces you to hand over your coat, don’t resist if they want your shirt as well. 30 Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes your stuff, don’t go demanding it back. 31 [ref]However you’d all like people to treat you, that’s how you should be treating them.

32 “And if you only love those who love you, how good is that? Even those who disobey God love those who love them. 33 If you only do good things to people who’re good to you, how good is that? Even those who disobey God do that. 34 And if you only lend money to people that you’re expecting to repay you, how good is that? Even those who disobey God lend to others like them, knowing they’ll get their money back. 35 Instead, you all should love your enemies and do good and lend out even when you expect to get nothing back. Then your reward will be large and you’ll all be sons of the highest God because he is good to ungrateful and evil people. 36 You should be compassionate towards others, because your father is compassionate.

37 “Don’t judge others, then you definitely won’t be judged. Don’t condemn others, then you definitely won’t be condemned. 38 Give to others, and then you’ll be given to generously. The returned amount will be really packed in to the container and even overflowing, because however you measure things out for others, that’s how things will be measured out for you.”

39 [ref]Then Yeshua told them a parable: “Surely a blind person can’t be a guide for someone else who’s blind. Won’t both of them fall into a ditch? 40 [ref]A trainee isn’t above their teacher, but can become like their teacher once they’re fully trained.

41 “How come you notice the speck in someone else’s eye, yet don’t even notice the log that’s in your own eye? 42 How can you tell that person, ‘Hey, let me get that speck out of your eye,’ when you can’t even see the log in your eye? You hypocrite, get the log out of your eye and then you’ll be able to see clearly so you can remove the speck in the other person’s eye.

43 “A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit, and nor does a bad tree produce good fruit 44 [ref]but each tree is recognised by the fruit it produces. You don’t pick figs thistles or pick grapes from thorn bushes. 45 [ref]A good person produces good deeds as a result of all the good things inside them, and an evil person produces evil deeds as a result of the evil inside, because what comes out of your mouth originates in your mind.

46 “So why do you all call me ‘master, master,’ yet you don’t do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to me and listens to my messages and puts them into practice, I’ll show you who that person is like: 48 That person is like a man building a house. He dug and drilled and laid a foundation on the rock, and then when there was a flood that dashed against that house, it didn’t shake it because it was built well. 49 But the person who listens and doesn’t put the message into practice is like a man that just built his house on the ground with no foundation, and when the flood dashed against it, the house immediately collapsed and bust into many pieces.”

7 After Yeshua had finished sharing those messages with the people, he entered the town of Capernaum. 2 A Roman army commander there had a slave that he valued, but who was sick and expected to die. 3 He had heard about Yeshua, so he asked the local Jewish elders to talk to Yeshua on his behalf and to ask him to come to heal his slave. 4 When the elders got to Yeshua, they earnestly implored him saying, “The man you’d be helping is worth it 5 because he loves us Jews and he built the local meeting hall for us.”

6 So Yeshua went with them but as they got closer to the house, the commander had sent some friends to tell him, “Master, don’t trouble yourself because I’m not worthy enough to have you enter my home 7 and that’s why I never came to you personally. However, just issue a command and then my boy will be healed 8 because I’m appointed under authority and have other soldiers under me. When I tell one of them to go, he goes, and when I tell one to come, he comes, and when I tell my slave to do something, he does it.”

9 When he heard that, Yeshua was amazed and turned to face the crowd that was following him and said, “I can tell you that never before in all of Israel have I encountered so much faith!”

10 By the time that the commander’s friends had gotten back to the house, they found that the slave was already well again.

11 The next day, Yeshua went to a town called Nain, and his followers went with him as well as a large crowd of people. 12 As he got near the town gate, look, a dead boy was being carried out to the cemetery. The mother was now a widow and he had been their only son, and a large number of the local residents were with her. 13 When he saw her, the master felt sorry for her and said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he went up closer and touched the coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. Then he spoke, “Young man, I’m talking to you: get up.” 15 The dead son sat up and started talking, and Yeshua led him to his mother. 16 Everyone felt a bit apprehensive and they praised God saying, “A powerful prophet appeared among us,” and “God has been here with his people.”

17 Then the news about Yeshua spread all around Yudea and all the surrounding area.

18 The apprentices of Yohan-the-Immerser reported all these things back to him and he choose two of his apprentices 19 and sent them to Yeshua to ask, “Are you the promised one, or should we wait for someone else?”

20 So when they got to Yeshua, the two men told him, “Yohan-the-Immerser sent us here to ask you if you’re the promised one, or should we wait for someone else?”

21 While they were still there, he healed many people from their diseases and difficulties, as well as evil spirits and some blind people being able to see again, 22 [ref]so then he answered them, “Go and tell Yohan everything that you’ve seen and heard here: how blind people can see again, lame people are walking now, people with leprosy are clear, some dead have come back to life, and the good message is being preached to the poor. 23 God will bless those who don’t misjudge me.”

24 When Yohan’s messengers had left, Yeshua started asking the crowds about Yohan, “What did you all go out into the wilderness to see? A reed waving in the wind? 25 Yes, but what did you all go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Well, those in nice clothes and living in luxury are in fine homes. 26 So what was it that you went out to see? A prophet? Yes, I’ll tell you that he is more important than any old prophet. 27 [ref]He is the one that was written about: ‘See, I’m sending my messenger ahead of you and he will prepare your path before you get there.’ 28 I’m telling all of you, no one who’s been born from a woman is greater than Yohan, yet the lowest person in God’s kingdom is greater than him.”

29 [ref](When all the people and the tax-collectors that had been immersed by Yohan heard that, they concurred that God’s way is fair, 30 however the Pharisees and the lawyers who had not been immersed by him, they rejected God’s plan for them.)

31 “So what can I compare this generation with?” asked Yeshua. “Who are they similar to? 32 They’re like little children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other, ‘We played the flute for you all but you didn’t dance, then we played a sad song but you all didn’t weep.’ 33 Because Yohan-the-Immerser came and he didn’t eat bread or drink wine, so you all said that he has a demon. 34 Then humanity’s child came and ate and drank and you all said, ‘Look, he’s a glutton and a drunkard—a friend of tax-collectors and those who disobey God.’ 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

36 Another time, someone from the Pharisees party invited Yeshua to go to his place for a meal, and so he went there and reclined on a flat couch. 37 [ref]Then wow, a sinful woman from the city who knew that he was reclining in there, came into the room and carrying a beautiful carved stone flask of scented skin-cream. 38 She stood weeping behind Yeshua’s feet, wetting his feet with her tears. Then she used her hair to wipe off the tears and kissed his feet and rubbed the lotion into them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited Yeshua saw this, he said to himself, “If that man was a prophet, he’d know who she is and what kind of woman it is that’s touching him, because she breaks God’s laws.”

40 “Simon,” Yeshua asked him, “I need to tell you something.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he replied.

41 Then Yeshua told him this story: “Once there were two people who had borrowed from a money lender: one borrowed five-hundred coins and the other borrowed fifty. 42 But neither of them was able to repay him, so he wrote-off both of their debts. Now after that, which one of them do you think would appreciate him more?”

43 “I suppose,” answered Simon, “that it was the one who was forgiven the biggest debt.”

“You’re right,” said Yeshua. 44 Then looking at the woman he said to Simon, “You see this woman? I came into your house but you didn’t give me any water to wash my feet, yet she wet my feet with her tears and then wiped them off with her hair. 45 You didn’t kiss me when I entered, but this woman hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You didn’t offer olive oil for my head, but she anointed my feet with this lotion, 47 so that’s why I’ll tell you this: Her many sins have been forgiven because she showed a lot of love, but the one who has been forgiven little, is loving little.”

48 Then he said to the woman, “Your sins have been forgiven.”

49 The others who were reclining in the room started to ask to each other, “Who does he think he is to be able to even forgive sins.”

50 “Your faith has saved you,” Yeshua said to the woman, “Go in peace.”

8 After that, Yeshua started travelling around all the towns and villages, preaching and sharing the good message about God’s kingdom. His twelve trainees were with him 2 [ref]along with some women who had been healed from evil spirits and sicknesses: Maria from Magdala (that seven demons had came out of), 3 Yoanna who’s Chusa’s wife and one of King Herod’s managers, Susanna, and many others, who used the group’s assets to look after their needs.

4 A large crowd gathered around Yeshua, including many who had travelled out from the city, and he told them this parable:

5 “One day a farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered the seeds, some of them fell along the path where they got trampled on and the birds ate them. 6 Some of the seeds landed in a rocky area where they then sprouted, but then they withered up because they didn’t have enough moisture. 7 Some of the seeds landed in a patch of thistles, and as the plants started to grow, they were choked our by the thistles. 8 Some of the seeds fell onto good soil, and then the plants grew up to produce a harvest of one hundred times as much.”

As he was saying this, he was also telling them, “Anyone who wants to hear, listen carefully.”

9 After this, his apprentices asked him, “What’s that parable all about?” 10 [ref]“You’re permitted to know the mysteries of God’s kingdom,” responded Yeshua, “but the others get parables so that when they look, they won’t see, and when they listen, they won’t understand.

11 “So this is what the parable means: the seeds are God’s message. 12 The seeds along the road are those who hear the message, but afterwards the devil comes along and snatches the message away from their hearts, so that they don’t believe and get saved. 13 The seeds among the rocks are those who happily accept the message but don’t put down any roots, so they believe for a short time, and then when temptations come they pull back from God. 14 The seeds among the thistles are those who heard the message but get choked under worries and wealth and the good life, and so they never reach maturity. 15 But the seeds in the good soil are those good people with good hearts and after hearing the message, they follow it, and produce fruit from their endurance.

16 [ref]“No one lights a lamp and then puts a cover over it or puts it under a bed, but rather it’s placed on a lampstand so that everyone coming into the room can see the light.

17 [ref]“Similarly, nothing is hidden that won’t eventually become visible, and nothing is secret that won’t become known and exposed.

18 [ref]“So take care in what you listen to, because anyone who has now will be given more, and anyone who doesn’t have, whatever they think they do have will be taken away from them.”

19 Then Yeshua’s mother and brothers arrived but they couldn’t get close to him because of the crowd. 20 “Your mother and brothers are standing outside,” someone told him, “and they want to see you.”

21 “My mother and my brothers,” Yeshua responded, “are anyone who’s listening to God’s message and who put it into practice.”

22 One day Yeshua and his apprentices got into a boat and he asked them to go across to the other side of Lake Galilee. So they set off 23 but once they were moving, Yeshua fell asleep. The a big storm descended onto the lake and the boat was being swamped by the waves and they were in danger of sinking. 24 The apprentices went and woke Yeshua, “Master, we’re going to drown!”

Now awake, he spoke sternly to the wind and the waves in the lake, and they stopped and it became calm. 25 “Where’s your faith?” he asked them.

From being terrified, they were now astounded and asked each other, “Who is this guy really? He can just tell the wind and the water what to do, and they obey him!”

26 Then they sailed across to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 As they got out of the boat, a demon-possessed man who had come out of the city had met him there. He didn’t live in a house, but lived in a cemetery, and he wasn’t wearing a lot. 28 He yelled out when he saw Yeshua and knelt down before him, and spoke loudly, “What business do you and I have together, Yeshua, son of the highest God? I beg you, don’t torture me.” 29 He said this because Yeshua had commanded the evil spirit to come out from the man. The demon had animated him many times and he’d needed to be put in chains and shackles, but he would break them off and the demon would drive him into the wilderness.

30 “What is your name?” Yeshua asked.

“Thousands,” he answered because many thousands of demons had entered him 31 and now they were pleading with him not to command them to go back to the bottomless pit.

32 They could see a herd of pigs being fed on a hill, and they requested Yeshua to let them go into the pigs, and he agreed to that. 33 So the demons rushed out of the man and into the pigs, and all the pigs then rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

34 When the workers feeding the pigs saw this happen, they took off and told everyone in the nearby town and round about. 35 So lots of people went there to the edge of the lake to see for themselves, and they found the man who had been demon-possessed now dressed and sitting at Yeshua’s feet with his full faculties, and they were frightened. 36 The people who had seen it happen told the new-comers how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all those people from the Gerasenes region asked Yeshua to leave the area, because they were quite terrified, so he got back into the boat and they headed back to the other side.

38 The man who the demons had come out of had asked Yeshua if he could go with him, but Yeshua sent him away, saying, 39 “Go back to your house and tell them there about what God has done for you.”

So he went around the town telling everyone what Yeshua had done for him.

40 When Yeshua got back to the other side of the lake, the crowd there had been waiting for him and welcomed him. 41 Then, wow, a man named Yairus came and knelt down in front of Yeshua. He was the leader at the local meeting hall and he pleaded for Yeshua to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a twelve-year old, was dying.

Then while Yeshua was on his way squeezing through the crowd, 43 a woman who’d had internal bleeding for twelve years and who couldn’t be helped by any doctor, 44 worked her way up behind Yeshua and touched the edge of his robe. Immediately her bleeding stopped 45 and Yeshua stopped and said, “Who touched me?”

No one owned up, and Peter said, “Master, there’s people all around you and they’re pressing against you.”

46 “Someone touched me,” Yeshua responded, “because I felt power going out from me.” 47 Then the woman now saw that she wouldn’t get away with it, came to Yeshua shaking, and knelt down at his feet. She told him in front of all the people why she had touched his clothes and how she’d been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” Yeshua said, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the meeting hall leader’s home and told him, “Don’t bother the teacher any further. Your daughter just passed away.”

50 But Yeshua heard this and turned to Yairus and said, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe and she will be healed.”

51 So they continued to the house, but Yeshua didn’t allow anyone inside other than Peter and Yohan and Yacob, along with the girl’s parents. 52 Everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But he said, “Don’t cry. She isn’t dead—just asleep.”

53 But they were ridiculing Yeshua, because they knew that she had died. 54 He took hold of her hand, and called, “Girl, get up.” 55 Then her spirit returned and she got up immediately, and he asked them to get her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he instructed them not to tell anyone what had happened.

9 Then Yeshua called together his twelve trainees and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases, 2 and then sent them out to preach about God’s kingdom and to heal those who were sick. 3 “Don’t take anything for the journey,” he told them. “Don’t take a walking stick or a backpack or food or money or spare clothes. 4 When someone invites you into their home, stay in that one house until you leave that place, 5 [ref]but when the people don’t want to hear from you, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony to them that they’re now responsible to God for their own actions.”

6 So they headed off, preaching the good message and healing the people as they walked from village to village.

7 [ref]Herod the ruler of the Galilean quarter heard about everything that was going on and was completely puzzled, because some people said that Yohan the immerser had come back to life, 8 while others said that Eliyah had been spotted, and others that one of the other ancient prophets had come back to life. 9 “I beheaded Yohan,” King Herod said, “so who is this man that I’m hearing so much about?” So he tried to find a way to see him.

10 When the twelve apprentices returned back to Yeshua, they reported back to him everything they’d done. Then he took them to the town of Bethsaida for some private time, 11 but the crowds saw where he went and followed after them, so he welcomed them and taught them about God’s kingdom as well as healing those who needed it.

12 As the day was coming to an end, the twelve approached him and said, “Send the crowd away so that they can go into the nearby towns and countryside to find somewhere to stay and something to eat, because this place is very isolated.”

13 But Yeshua told them, “You all give them something to eat.”

“We don’t have anything more than just five breadrolls and two fish, unless we go and buy some food for all these people.” 14 There were about 5,000 men (not counting women and children).

Then he told his apprentices, “Sit them down in rows of about fifty each.” 15 So they did that and everyone sat down. 16 Then Yeshua took the five breadrolls and the two fish and looking up to the sky, he blessed them and broke them into pieces to give to the apprentices to distribute to the crowd. 17 Everyone ate until they were satisfied, and then twelve baskets of leftover pieces were collected up afterwards.

18 Later when it was the time to pray and Yeshua and the twelve moved away from the crowd, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

19 [ref]“Some say Yohan-the-Immerser,” they answered, “while others say Eliyah, and others say that some other ancient prophet came back to life.”

20 [ref]“And so who do you guys say I am?” he asked.

“You’re God’s messiah,” Peter answered.

21 Then Yeshua warned them—instructing them not to tell this to anyone else, 22 saying, “Humanity’s child needs to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the religious teachers, and then to be executed and to be brought back to life on the third day.”

23 [ref]Yeshua said, “If anyone wants to become my follower, then that person needs to renounce their own desires and follow me, even in suffering and death, 24 [ref]because anyone who wants to save their own life will lose it, but anyone who is prepared to lose their live on account of me, they’ll be saving their life. 25 How would it benefit a person if they gained the wealth of the whole world, but then ended up lost or destroyed? 26 Because anyone who’s ashamed of me and my teachings, humanity’s child will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his splendour and with the splendour of the father and of God’s messengers. 27 But I can certainly tell you that some of those who’re standing here won’t die until they see God’s kingdom.

28 It was about eight days later that Yeshua took Peter and Yohan and Yacob, and climbed a hill to pray. 29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes turned brilliant white. 30 Then, look, there were two men talking with him—Moses and Eliyah! 31 Those two who’d been in heaven were talking about the end of his time here which was about to actioned in Yerusalem. 32 Peter and the others had been exhausted and fallen asleep, but when they woke up they saw the radiance of Yeshua and the other two standing there with him, 33 but when it was time for the two to leave, Peter said to Yeshua, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We could make three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Eliyah.” (But he didn’t really know what he was saying.)

34 While he was still speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them and they were afraid as they entered the fog. 35 [ref]Then a voice came out of the cloud that said, “This is my son, the one that has been chosen. Listen to him.”

36 By the time that the voice had spoken, they could only see Yeshua in front of them. After this event, they kept what had happened to themselves and didn’t tell anyone else about what they had seen.

37 When they came back down the hill the next day, a big crowd was waiting for them. 38 Then, look, a man in the crowd shouted out, “Teacher, I implore you to come and look at my son, because he’s my only child. 39 A spirit takes control of him and suddenly he cries out and it makes him convulse and foam at the mouth, and only leaves him after a long time when he’s bruised and battered. 40 I tried to get your apprentices to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

41 “Oh you unbelieving and perverted generation,” Yeshua answered, “how much longer do I have to be with you and put up with all of you? Bring your son here.”

42 While they were still approaching, the demon attacked the boy and threw him in a convulsion, but Yeshua rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy and led him back to his father. 43 Everyone there was astounded at God’s power.

While all the people were still amazed at what he’d done, Yeshua turned and said to his apprentices, 44 “Remember everything that’s been said, because humanity’s child is going to be turned in and placed into the hands of these people.” 45 But the apprentices didn’t know what he meant as it was hidden from them so they couldn’t comprehend it, plus they were afraid to ask him to explain further.

46 [ref]Then the apprentices got themselves into a discussion about who was the greatest among them. 47 But Yeshua knew what was going on, so he took a young child and stood the child there alone 48 [ref]and told them, “Anyone who accepts a young child in my name is accepting me, and anyone who accepts me is accepted the one who sent me here. Because it’s the person who is the least among you that is great.”

49 “Master,” Yohan answered, “we saw someone driving out demons using your name, and we told him to stop because he’s not one of us.”

50 “Don’t forbid people like him,” Yeshua replied, “because anyone who’s not against you all, is for you.”

51 It was now coming to the time when the events leading to his ascension would start happening, so Yeshua firmed his resolve to head towards Yerusalem 52 and he sent his apprentices ahead of him.

So they started off and arrived at a Samaritan village and went to get ready for his arrival, 53 but the people there didn’t welcome them because Yeshua’s resolve was to get to Yerusalem. 54 [ref]Seeing this, his apprentices Yacob and Yohan asked, “Master, will you let us call fire down from the sky to burn them up?”

55 However, Yeshua turned around and told them off, 56 so they headed off to another village.

57 As they headed down the road, someone told Yeshua, “I’ll follow you wherever you go to.”

58 “Foxes have their burrows,” he responded, “and the birds have their nests, but humanity’s child has no home where he can lie down and relax.”

59 Later he told a different person, “Follow me.”

But the man replied, “Master, just let me first go and bury my father.”

60 “Leave those who’re dead to bury the dead by themselves,” Yeshua said, “but you go and tell people about God’s kingdom.”

61 [ref]Also, another person said, “I’ll follow after you, master, but first let me go back and say goodbye to everyone at home.”

62 But Yeshua responded, “No one who starts ploughing a field and then starts looking backwards is suitable for God’s kingdom.”

10 After all this, the master appointed seventy-two others and he sent them out in pairs to go ahead of him to every town and village that he would pass through. 2 [ref]He told them, “There’s a large harvest ready, but there’s only a few workers. So ask the owner of the crop to send out more workers to help with his harvest. 3 [ref]So get moving—see, I’m sending you out like lambs with wolves all around. 4 Don’t take a wallet or backpack or spare sandals, and don’t greet people on the road.

5 “Whenever you’re welcomed into a home, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if there’s someone there worthy of peace[fn], then your peace will rest on that home, but if not, your peace will return to you. 7 [ref]Then stay in that same house and eat and drink what they give you, because the worker is worthy of his compensation. Don’t be moving from house to house. 8 Whenever you all go into some place and the locals accept you, then eat what they give you. 9 Heal the sick there and tell them that God’s kingdom is near. 10 [ref]But if you all go into some place and they don’t accept you, then go out to the roads and announce, 11 [ref]‘We’re wiping off even the dust from your place that stuck to our footwear, however you all need to know anyway that God’s kingdom is near.’ 12 [ref]I’m telling you that it will be more bearable for the people of Sodom in that day, than for the people in that place.

13 [ref]“You won’t end well, Chorazin. And you won’t end well, Bethsaida. Because if the miracles that were done in your places had been done in Tyre and Tsidon, they would have turned around from disobeying God and shown their humility long ago 14 hence it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Tsidon on judgement day than it will be for you all. 15 [ref]And you, Capernaum, don’t think you’ll be heading up to heaven, because it’ll be down to hell for you.

16 [ref]“Anyone who listens to all of you, will be hearing from me, and anyone who rejects you all will be rejecting me, and anyone who rejects me is rejecting the one who sent me here.

17 In time the seventy-two that had been sent out came back excited, saying, “Master, even the demons listened to us when we used your name and authority.”

18 “I saw Satan,” Yeshua replied, “when he fell out of heaven like lightning. 19 [ref]Listen, I’ve given you all the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and to overcome the enemy’s power, and nothing at all will be able to injure you. 20 However, don’t get excited that the evil spirits obeyed you, but rather be happy that your names have been written down in the heavens.”

21 At the same time, the holy spirit got Yeshua excited and he said, “I’m aware father, master of heaven and earth, that you’ve hidden these things away from those who’re intelligent and well-educated, and instead revealed them to infants. Yes, father, that was what you decided.

22 [ref]Everything has been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows who the son is except for the father, and who the father is except for the son and those who the son decides to reveal him to.”

23 Then he turned to his apprentices and said discreetly, “Blessed are those who get to see what you all are seeing 24 because I can tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you all are seeing, but they didn’t get to see what you’ve seen, nor to hear what you all have heard.”

25 [ref]Then look, a lawyer stood us to test him, asking, “Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “Well, what’s written in the scriptures?” responded Yeshua. “How do you understand them?”

27 [ref]“You must love the master, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, and all your strength and all your mind,” he replied. “Also, you must love your neighbour as yourself.”

28 [ref]“You’ve answered correctly,” answered Yeshua, “so do that and you’ll live forever.”

29 But the lawyer wanted to justify his lifestyle, so he asked, “And who’s my neighbour?”

30 Yeshua replied with this: “Once a man was walking downhill from Yerusalem to Yericho when a group of robbers who grabbed him and took everything including his clothes, then took off leaving him there wounded and half-dead. 31 Then it so happened that a priest came down that same road, but when he saw him he continued past on the other side of the road. 32 Similarly, a priestly worker (a Levite) arrived at that place and when he saw him he too passed by the on other side. 33 [ref]Then a man from Samaria[fn] who was on a trip came across him, and when he saw him he felt sorry for him 34 and went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil and wine on them, then put him on his own animal and to him to a roadhouse and looked after him. 35 The next day he took out two coins and gave them to their host, instructing, ‘Look after this guy and if it costs more than this, I’ll reimburse you on my way back.’

36 “So which of those three do you think acted like the neighbour of the one attacked by robbers?”

37 “The one who cared for him,” replied the lawyer.

“Then you go and do the same,” Yeshua told him.

38 [ref]When it was time to leave, Yeshua went into a village and there was a woman there named Martha who welcomed him in. 39 She had a sister named Maria who was also sitting there on the floor by Yeshua’s feet listening to his teaching. 40 But Martha kept getting pulled away to keep the household running, and after a while approached Yeshua and asked, “Master, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left all the housework to me? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 “Martha, Martha,” Yeshua answered, “you are worried and concerned about many things, 42 but only one thing really matters. Maria chose the best thing, and it won’t be taken away from her.”

11 One time Yeshua was at a place praying, and when he finished some of his followers asked him, “Master, Yohan-the-Immerser taught his apprentices how to pray. You teach us as well.”

2 So Yeshua told them, “Whenever you all pray, say this:

Father, may your name be honoured.

May your kingdom come to pass.

3 Every day give us the food that we need.

4 Forgive us for our sins because we’ve forgiven those who owed us money.

Don’t bring us into situations where we’re tempted.”

5 Then he told them, “Imagine you had a friend and went to them at midnight and asked, ‘Friend, lend me some bread 6 because a travelling friend of mine arrived at my place, and I haven’t got anything to give him to eat.’ 7 And the one in the other house might reply, ‘Don’t bother me now because the house is locked and the kids are asleep beside me here in the bed. I can’t get up and get anything for you.’ 8 I’m telling all of you that even if that friend wouldn’t get up and give them anything because of their friendship, then the friend will certainly get up and give them some food if they persist in knocking. 9 So this is what I’m telling you: Keep submitting your requests and it’ll be given to you all, keep searching and you’ll all find what you’re looking for, keep knocking and the door will be opened for you all, 10 because everyone who requests will receive, and everyone who searches will find, and everyone who knocks will have opened doors. 11 How many of you fathers, if your child asked you for some fish, and instead of that you’d give them a snake? 12 Or the child would ask for an egg and you’d pass them a scorpion? 13 So if you all know how to give good things to your children despite your being evil, how much more the father in heaven will give the holy spirit to those who ask him.”

14 Then Yeshua drove out a demon that caused muteness, and after the demon departed, the man was able to speak. The crowds were amazed, 15 [ref]but yet some of them said, “He’s driving out demons because he’s Beelzebul the leader of the demons.”

16 [ref]Others who wanted to test who he was, asked Yeshua to send a sign from the sky, 17 but he knew their thoughts and told them, “Any kingdom that’s divided against itself is doomed, and any household that’s divided will self-destruct. 18 So if Satan was fighting against himself, how come his kingdom even remain? Yes, I know that you’re all saying that I must be Beelzebul in order to drive out demons. 19 But if I have Beelzebul’s power over demons, then whose power do your apprentices use to drive out demons? 20 However if I’m driving out demons with power that comes from God, then that means that God’s kingdom is right in the middle of you all.

21 “Whenever a strong landowner arms himself and guards his nice home, everything remains there peacefully, 22 but when someone stronger than him arrives and overpowers him, he’ll even take the body armour that the landowner put his trust in, and then relieve him of all his goods.

23 [ref]“Anyone who doesn’t follow me is against me, and anyone who doesn’t gather with us, wants to scatter us.

24 “Whenever an evil spirit leaves a person, it roams through inhospitable places looking for somewhere to rest, and when it doesn’t find a home, it says, ‘Ah, I’ll return to the home that I recently left.’ 25 Then when it gets back there, it finds the home swept out and tidied up 26 so it goes and finds seven other spirits more evil than itself. They all move in and live there, so the result is that the person ends up worse in the end than at the beginning.”

27 While Yeshua was teaching these things, a women in the crowd shouted out, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and the one who raised you.”

28 “Actually,” Yeshua replied, “the ones who will be blessed are all those who listen to God’s message and put it into practice.”

29 [ref]The crowds had grown even larger, but Yeshua told them, “This generation is evil because they’re requesting a miracle and the only miracle that will be given to them will be the miracle of Yonah. 30 [ref]In the same way that Yonah became a sign to the citizens of Ninevah, so too humanity’s child will also be to this generation. 31 [ref]The queen from the south will come back to life on judgement day along with the people from this generation, and she’ll condemn them, became she travelled a long distance to hear Solomon’s wisdom, and now, someone’s here who’s greater than Solomon. 32 [ref]The people of Ninevah will stand up on judgement day along with the people from this generation and they’ll condemn this generation because those from Ninevah turned from their disobedience after Yonah’s preaching, and now, someone’s here who’s greater than Yonah.

33 [ref]“No one lights a lamp and then hides it somewhere or puts it under a basket, but rather they put it on a lampstand so they everyone entering the room can see the light from it. 34 Your eyes are like the lamp for your body. Whenever your eyes are healthy, your entire body will be bright, but when your eyes are evil, your body is also dark, 35 so take care in case the light in you has gone dark. 36 Therefore if your whole body is bright without any dark areas, it will be bright all over, like when a lamp shines on you to illuminate you.”

37 When Yeshua had a break from speaking, a member of the Pharisee party invited him over for breakfast, so he went into the house and sat down 38 and the man was very surprised that he didn’t observe the handwashing ceremony before he ate. 39 But the master said to his host, “Yes, all of you in the Pharisee party clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but your insides are full of theft and wickedness. 40 How stupid! Didn’t God who made the outside part also make what’s inside? 41 However, if you sacrificially give what’s inside, then everything would then become clean for you.

42 [ref]“But you Pharisees won’t end well, because you give a tenth of your herbs and vegetables, yet you all ignore giving justice and loving God, both of which need to be done and cannot be ignored.

43 “You Pharisees won’t end well, because you all love the best seats in the meeting halls and the honoured greetings in the marketplaces. 44 You all won’t end well, because you’re like unmarked graves that people walk all over without even realising—the people simply don’t know that you’re dead inside.”

45 One of the experts in religious rules there answered him back, “Teacher, you’re insulting us also when you say that.”

46 “Well, you law experts won’t end well,” Yeshua responded, “because you put unbearably heavy burdens onto the shoulders of the people, yet you wouldn’t move your little fingers to touch those burdens yourselves. 47 You all won’t end well, because you all build fancy tombs for the prophets that your own ancestors executed. 48 Because of that, you’re all actually admitting and agreeing to what your ancestors did, because they killed them and then you build their tombs. 49 That’s why God in his wisdom said, ‘I’ll send prophets and missionaries to them, which they will then persecute and kill’ 50 so that the blood of those prophets which was spilt from the creation of the world onwards would then be charged to this generation. 51 [ref]This goes all the way back to to the blood of Abel, right up to the blood of Zechariah who was recently killed between the altar and the temple sanctuary. Yes, I’m telling all of you, those crimes will be charged to this generation.

52 “You religious law experts won’t end well, because you took away the key to knowledge—not only did you not enter, but you also forbade others from entering.”

53 Once Yeshua left that house, the religious teachers and the Pharisee party started strongly resenting him, and started a plan of asking him more questions 54 in the hope of catching an answer that could be used to condemn him.

12 [ref]By then the crowd had grown to many thousands, so much so that they were trampling on each other. Meanwhile Yeshua started telling his followers, “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees party which is hypocrisy. 2 [ref]But everything that’s covered up now, will be uncovered in the future, and everything that’s now hidden will revealed. 3 Anything that you whispered in the dark will be heard in the light, and anything that was only for certain ears in a private room will be announced from the rooftops.

4 “And I’m telling you, my friends, that you shouldn’t be afraid of those who can kill your body (and after that they don’t have anything more that they can do). 5 But I’ll tell you who you should be afraid of: Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you’re dead—yes, that’s who you should be afraid of.

6 “Aren’t five small birds sold for just a couple of small coins? Yet not one of those birds is forgotten by God. 7 Yes, God even knows the number of hairs on your head so don’t worry, each one of you is off more value than a whole flock of birds.

8 “I’m telling you that everyone who admits in public to following me, so too humanity’s child will tell your name to God’s messengers, 9 but anyone who disowns me in public will be disowned in front of God’s messengers.

10 [ref]“Everyone who says something against humanity’s child will be forgiven, but those who speak against the holy spirit won’t be forgiven.

11 [ref]“Whenever you get dragged into the meeting halls or in front of rulers or authorities, don’t worry about how you’ll defend yourselves or what you’ll say, 12 because the holy spirit will show you all the right thing to say at the right time.”

13 Then someone in the crowd said, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me a share of our father’s estate.”

14 “Man,” Yeshua responded, “who said that I’m the judge or arbitrator over you all?” 15 Then he told them, “Keep alert to avoid all greediness, because a person’s life is not about gaining lots of possessions.”

16 Then he told them all this parable, “One time a rich man’s farm produced a really good harvest. 17 So he started figuring out what do do, ‘What should I do because I don’t have anywhere to store my harvest.’ 18 ‘Ah,’ he said, ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll knock down my barns and build bigger ones, and then I’ll store all my grain and other produce in there. 19 Then I’ll be able to tell my soul: Soul, you’ve got enough good things now to be able to relax for many years of resting, eating, drinking, and being happy.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘How foolish! Tonight I’ll be requesting your soul and then who will everything you stored up go to?’

21 “So that’s the end of someone who accumulated so much for himself, but wasn’t rich in God’s eyes.”

22 Then Yeshua told his followers, “That’s why I’m telling you all not to worry about your lifestyle: what to eat or what to wear, 23 because your life is more than food and your body is more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant seeds or harvest crops and they have no storerooms or barns, yet God keeps them fed, and humans are worth a lot more than birds. 25 Which of you can add even an hour to your life by spending more time worrying? 26 So if you can’t even do something small like that, why worry about bigger things. 27 [ref]Look at how the lilies grow. They don’t go to work or make fabric, yet even King Solomon at the height of his fame wasn’t dressed as well as one of them. 28 So if God dresses the weeds in the paddock that are here today and incinerated tomorrow, how much more would he look after you all—you with little faith?

29 “So don’t all be looking for what to eat or to drink, and don’t waste time by worrying 30 because people in every country in the world are looking for that, but your father already knows that you need those things. 31 Rather you should be striving to enter his kingdom, and then all these things will come as a bonus.

32 “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because actually your father takes pleasure in giving you the entire kingdom. 33 Sell what you own and give to the poor and so store your wealth in heaven where it won’t deteriorate or get lost or stolen from you, 34 because where your wealth is stored, that’s where your mind will be focused.

35 [ref]“Get up and get dressed and get the lamps burning 36 [ref]like someone who’s waiting for their master. When he leaves the wedding celebrations and comes and knocks, you’ll be ready to immediately open the door. 37 The master would bless the slaves that are ready, watching for when he arrives. I can assure you that he’ll dress himself and then he’ll seat them on couches and come and serve them there himself. 38 If he arrives around midnight or even in the small hours of the morning, he’ll find them ready. Yes, they’ll be blessed. 39 [ref]But you should also know this: if the home-owner knew what time the thief would arrive, he’d be ready watching and not allow his house to be burgled. 40 So you all need to be ready because you don’t know when humanity’s child is going to arrive.”

41 Then Peter asked, “Master, is that parable just for us, or is it for everyone?”

42 The master answered, “So what would a faithful and wise slave be like that the master might make into a manager over all his slaves, the one to give them their rations? 43 That slave will be blessed when his master arrives and finds him doing everything he should. 44 I can assure you all that the master will put him in charge of everything he owns. 45 In contrast, if that slave thought to himself that the master might be away for a long time, he might start beating the slave boys and slave girls, and start ordering feasts, and drinking and getting drunk, 46 then his master is sure to arrive when he’s not expecting him, and the master will give him a gruesome execution and he’ll be in hell with the unbelievers.

47 “Any slave who knows what their master wants, yet doesn’t get anything ready or start doing what’s wanted, they’ll get a good beating, 48 yet a slave that didn’t know what was expected, even if they might have done things worthy of a beating, they’ll just get a couple of blows. Everyone who’s given much is expected to do much, and everyone who’s entrusted with many things, will have much more expected back from them.

49 “I came to throw fire onto the earth, and how I wish that it was already kindled, 50 [ref]but I have to undergo an immersion into suffering, and until it’s achieved, the weight of it coming crushes my soul. 51 You all probably expect that I came to bring peace to the earth? No, I’m telling you, not peace but conflict, 52 because from now on, if there’s five people in one house, they’ll be split with three against two and two against three. 53 [ref]Father will be in conflict with their son, and son with father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

54 Yeshua also told the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud coming from the west, you all say that it’s going to rain, and sure enough it does.” 55 Likewise if there’s a wind from the south, you all say that it’s going to be a scorcher, and sure enough it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the sky and the ground, but you all don’t know how to scrutinise this time period.

57 “Even for yourselves, can’t you judge what is right and wrong? 58 Because as you’re on the way with your opponent to an arbitrator, think hard about how to resolve the case, because if you don’t he might drag you off to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the constable, and the constable will toss you into a prison cell. 59 I’m telling you that you won’t get out of there until every last coin has been repaid.”

13 There were some people there at the time that had reported to Yeshua how that Governor Pilate had killed some Galileans when they were sacrificing. 2 Yeshua asked the people, “Do you think that these Galileans were the most disobedient to God in all Galilee that they were made to suffer so much? 3 No, I’m telling you all, but on the other hand if you don’t turn from your own disobedience and request forgiveness, you all will perish likewise. 4 What about those eighteen who were killed when the Siloam tower collapsed on them. Do you think they had bigger debts than all the people living in Yerusalem? 5 No, I’m telling you all that if you don’t turn from your own disobedience and request forgiveness, you all will perish likewise.”

6 Then Yeshua told them this parable, “There was a landowner who had planted a fig tree in his vineyard, and he went to see if it had any fruit on it, but there wasn’t any 7 so he told his manager, ‘I’ve been coming and checking for fruit on this tree for three years, but there’s none. Chop it down because it’s not good use of the land.’ 8 ‘Master,’ he answered, ‘give me one more year to dig around it and fertilise it 9 and see if it fruits. If it doesn’t, then certainly you can chop it down.’ ”

10 On the Rest Days, Yeshua was teaching in one of the meeting halls 11 and, look, a woman who’d had a spirit of sickness for eighteen years was there. She was bent over and unable to stand up straight 12 and when Yeshua saw her, he called out, “Woman, your disease has been sent away.” 13 Then he placed his hands on her and she was immediately restored and started praising God.

14 [ref]But the hall leader was angry because it was the Rest Day when Yeshua had healed her and started telling the crowd, “There’s six days when it’s fine to work, so come then to be healed—not on the Rest Day!”

15 “You hypocrites!” Yeshua responded. “Doesn’t every one of you untie his ox on the Rest Day, or untie the donkey from the feeding trough and led it away for a drink? 16 This woman is a descendant of Abraham who’s been handicapped by Satan for eighteen years, and yet you say that it’s wrong to break that bond on the Rest Day!” 17 When he said that, the people opposing him were disgraced and all the crowd was excited about the wonderful things he was doing.

18 So he told them, “What is God’s kingdom similar to? What can I use to describe it? 19 It’s like a mustard seed, which a person might take and throw into their garden and then it grows in a bush and the birds make their nests in its branches.”

20 Again he asked them, “What can I liken God’s kingdom to? 21 It’s like some yeast that a woman took and hid in a sack of flour, until eventually it affected all of it.”

22 Then Yeshua started on his journey towards Yerusalem and as he passed through each town or village, he would teach the people there 23 and one day someone asked him, “Master, will only a few people be saved?”

Yeshua replied, 24 Make an effort to get in through the narrow door, because I’m telling you that many people want to come in but they won’t be able to. 25 Once the home-owner gets up and locks the door, even if you get there now and stand outside knocking and calling out, ‘Master, open us for us,’ he’ll answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ 26 ‘You saw us eating and drinking,’ you’ll start saying, and, ‘You taught along our roads.’ 27 [ref]But he’ll reply to you all, ‘I’ve got no idea where you’re all from, so go away you who do evil deeds.’ 28 [ref]There’ll be crying and much anguish when you all see Abraham and Isaak and Yacob and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, but all of you will be being thrown out. 29 Others will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and they will be comfortably seated in God’s kingdom, 30 [ref]so listen: the last people will be the first ones, and the first ones will end up last.”

31 At that time, some members of the Pharisee party approached Yeshua and told him, “You need to leave here because Herod wants to kill you.”

32 Yeshua responded, “Go and tell that fox: ‘I’m driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, but I’ll be finished the following day.’ 33 Yes, I need to keep moving today and tomorrow, because it wouldn’t do for a prophet to come to his end away from Yerusalem.

34 “Yerusalem, Yerusalem—the city that kills the prophets and throws rocks at those who have been sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you all didn’t want it. 35 [ref]So now, see, your temple will be left without a congregation. I’m telling you all that you certainly won’t see me again until you say: ‘Blessed is the person who comes in the name and authority of the master.’ ”

14 One day Yeshua went to the house of one of the Pharisee party leaders for a meal on a Rest Day and they were watching him closely. 2 Then, look, there was a man there with badly swollen limbs. 3 Yeshua responded to the thoughts of the lawyers and Pharisees by asking, “Is it allowable to heal on the Rest Day or not?”

4 However, they just stayed silent, so he took hold of the man and healed him and sent him away. 5 [ref]Then he asked them, “Which of you if your child or your animal fell into a pit wouldn’t immediately pull them out, even if it was a Rest Day?”

6 But they didn’t have any answer for that.

7 Then he told a parable to all the invited guests after he’d noticed them choosing the best places around the table, telling them, 8 [ref]“Whenever you’re invited to a wedding celebration, don’t go and sit in the best place in case someone more important than you might be called over by the host 9 and then your host might come over to you and ask you to let the other guest sit where you were and then you might end up humiliated at the bottom of the table. 10 Rather, when you’re invited, sit down at the end so that the host might come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better spot.’ Then you’ll be honoured in front of all the other guests 11 [ref]because the person who thinks a lot of themself will be humbled, and the person who humbles themself will be honoured.”

12 Then Yeshua also spoke to the man who had invited him, “Whenever you host a brunch or dinner, don’t invite your friends or siblings, or your other relatives or your wealthy neighbours, because they can invite you back and so repay you. 13 Instead when you’re celebrating, invite the poor and the crippled, the lame and the blind, 14 and then you’ll be rewarded by God because those people won’t be able to repay you, hence you’ll be repaid instead when those who please God come back to life.”

15 Now one of the people at the meal heard all this and commented, “Blessed is anyone who gets to have a meal in God’s kingdom.”

16 But Yeshua responded, “There was a home-owner who was putting on a large dinner and invited many people. 17 When the meal was ready, he sent out his slave to go and tell everyone who’d been invited, ‘Come over now because the food is ready.’ 18 However they all started giving excuses. The first one said, ‘I bought a field and I need to go and inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another one said, ‘I’ve bought five pairs of oxen and I need to check them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Yet another said, ‘I just got married so I can’t really come.’ 21 So when the slave got back, he reported all this to his master. The home-owner got angry and told the slave, ‘Well then, hurry out into the roads and streets of the city and bring back the poor and crippled and blind and lame people.’ 22 When he’d done that, the slave said, ‘Master, I’ve done what you instructed and there’s still room at the table.’ 23 So the master instructed him, ‘Well go along the roads and fences and force them to come so that my house will fill up, 24 because I’m telling you that none of those invited guests will get a taste of this meal of mine.’ ”

25 Large crowds were following Yeshua when he turned and spoke to them, 26 [ref]“If anyone comes to me but doesn’t love me more than they love their parents and their siblings, and their spouse and children, and even their own life, then that person is unable to become my follower. 27 [ref]Anyone who doesn’t give up everything in this life and come after me is unable to become my follower, 28 because none of you would want to build a tower without first counting the cost and figuring out if you’ll have enough to complete it. 29 Otherwise you might lay the foundation and not be able to finish it. Then everyone watching might begin to mock 30 and say, ‘This person started a building project but wasn’t able to finish it.’ 31 Or what king would go off to war against another king, if he hadn’t previously sat down with his generals to figure out if their ten thousand soldiers are powerful enough to fit the other king bringing twenty thousand against him? 32 If they can’t, then while the other army is still far away, the king will send ahead a delegation to try to make peace. 33 So too for every one of you who doesn’t leave behind everything they own, you won’t be able to become a follower of mine.

34 “Salt is good, but if it became tasteless, what could you use to make it salty again? 35 It’d be no use on the soil or for fertiliser—they’d just have to throw it away. Let any person who wants to hear, listen carefully.”

15 [ref]Many tax-collectors and others regarded as sinners had come closer so they could hear what Yeshua was teaching, 2 but those from the Pharisee party and the religious teachers were grumbling, “This man accepts sinners and even eats with them!” 3 So Yeshua told them this parable:

4 “If you had a hundred sheep and one of them went missing, which of you wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine there in the wilderness and go and search for the missing sheep until you found it? 5 And once you found it, you would carry it home on your shoulders feeling very happy. 6 When you got back to the house, surely you’d call your friends and neighbours and tell them, ‘Come and celebrate with me because I found my lost sheep.’ 7 I’m telling you all that there’s similar celebration in heaven when one person turns from their disobedience and obeys God—more than over ninety-nine guiltless people who have no need to change.

8 “Or what woman who had ten silver coins and lost one, wouldn’t light a lamp and sweep the house and search thoroughly until she found it? 9 Then she’d invite her friends and neighbours saying, ‘Come and celebrate with me because I found the money that I’d lost.’ 10 I’m telling you all that there’s similar celebration by God’s messengers in heaven over one person who turns from their disobedience and obeys God.”

11 Then Yeshua told them, “Once there was a man with two sons. 12 The younger son asked his father to give him his inheritance in advance, so the father divided everything up. 13 Then a few days later, that younger son went off to a distant country where he used his inheritance to enjoy an affluent and carefree lifestyle. 14 However after he’d used up all his funds, a terrible famine hit that country, and he started to become needy, 15 so he went and signed up to work for one of the local farmers who assigned him to feed the pigs out in the fields. 16 As the pigs were eating their carob pods, their food started to look desirable to him, but he wasn’t given any. 17 But he eventually came to his senses and said to himself, ‘Even my father’s workers have plenty of good, but here I am in this place dying of starvation. 18 I’m going to leave and go back to my father to tell him, “Father, I’ve disobeyed God and dishonoured you 19 and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Take me on as one of your workers.” ’

20 “So he got up and headed back to his father, but his father saw him coming from a distance and felt sorry for him. He ran and hugged his son and kissed him, 21 and the son said, ‘Father, I’ve disobeyed God and dishonoured you and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father ordered his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and dress him in it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 Then get the grain-fed calf and slaughter it so we can celebrate with a feast, 24 because my son was dead but he’s now here alive—he was lost but now he’s found.’

25 “The man’s older son was out working in a field, and when he was heading home and got near the house, he could hear the sound of music and dancing 26 so he called out to one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come home,’ he replied, ‘and your father has slaughtered the grain-fed calf to celebrate because he got back safely.’ 28 But the older son was angry and didn’t want to go in, however his father came out and implored him to join them. 29 ‘Listen,’ said the older son to his father, ‘I’ve worked for you for however many years and I’ve never disobeyed you, yet you never gave me even a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 Yet when this son of yours comes home after using up your money living with prostitutes, then you slaughter the fattened calf for him!’ 31 ‘Son,’ answered the father, ‘you have always been here with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But it’s right to be happy and excited, because your brother was dead and now he’s alive again—he was lost and now he’s found.’ ”

16 Yeshua also told this to his followers, “Once there was a rich man who had a manager who worked for him. A whistle-blower reported that the manager had been abusing the owner’s possessions 2 so the owner called him and asked, ‘What’s this I’m hearing about you? Give back the ledgers because I don’t want you as a manager any more.’ 3 Then the manager thought to himself, ‘Oh dear, what will I do now that I’m losing this management job? I’m not strong enough to be out digging and I’d be too ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I’ll do so that when I lose my job, I’ll still be popular with everyone else.’ 5 So he called in each person who owed money to his master. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil,’ he replied. ‘Well, bring the contract here and change it quickly to fifty,’ the manager said. 7 Then he asked the next one, ‘How much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred containers of wheat,’ the man replied. ‘Get the contract form and change it to eighty,’ said the manager. 8 When he heard, the landowner praised the dishonest manager for his shrewdness because the modern generation are better at working the system than the children of light in their generation.

9 “So I’m telling you all to use worldly money to make friends for yourselves, so that whenever it runs out, they’ll accept you all into the eternal homes.[fn] 10 Anyone who’s faithful with a little is also faithful with much, and the person who’s dishonest with a little is also dishonest with a lot. 11 Because of that, if you aren’t faithful with worldly money, who would entrust true wealth to you all? 12 If you’re not faithful in your treatment of strangers, who would give you anything for yourselves?

13 [ref]“No household servant can serve two masters, because either they’ll hate the one and love the other, or they’ll support the one and despise the other.”

14 All those from the Pharisee party were listening carefully because they love money, and they were sneering at Yeshua 15 so he said to them, “You all justify yourselves to the people but God knows your hearts, because what people value most is abhorrent to God.

16 [ref]“The Hebrew scriptures were preached until Yohan-the-Immerser started preaching the good message about God’s kingdom, now everyone is striving to get into it, 17 [ref]but it’s easier for the sky and the earth to disappear than it is for one small part of the law to fall.

18 [ref]“Every man who dismisses his wife and marries another is committing adultery, and the one marrying the woman he dismissed is committing adultery.

19 “Once there was a rich man who dressed like a king and had everything in life to make him happy and content. 20 At the same time there was a poor beggar named Lazarus who was covered in ulcers. He had been carried to the rich man’s gate 21 where he lay, hoping to get any food that might fall off the rich man’s table. The dogs even came and licked his ulcers, 22 and eventually he died and was carried away by God’s messengers to recline at the table next to Abraham. Then the rich man also died and was buried 23 and was tormented in hell. However, when he looked up, he saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus reclining next to him 24 so he called out, ‘Father Abraham, be merciful to me and send Lazarus here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool down my tongue because I’m very distressed here in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham replied, ‘Son, don’t forget that you enjoyed the good life while you were alive, whereas Lazarus had it bad, but now he’s here being comforted and you’re suffering. 26 Anyway, there’s a deep chasm that’s been established between us, so that anyone here who wanted to go to you can’t, nor can anyone from there cross over here to us.’ 27 ‘I have one request then,’ said the man who’d been rich. ‘Send Lazarus to my father’s house 28 because I have five brothers. Then he can warn them about this place of torment so that they won’t also come here.’ 29 ‘They have the scriptures,’ answered Abraham, ‘so they can find out what they say.’ 30 But the man insisted, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead went to them, then they’d turn from their sins.’ 31 ‘Well, if they ignore the scriptures,’ he answered, ‘even if someone from the dead went to them, they still wouldn’t be persuaded.’ ”

17 Then Yeshua told his followers, “It’s impossible that temptations will disappear, but a bad future awaits whoever brings them. 2 If would be better if that person had a heavy weight tied to them and got thrown into the sea than if they cause a younger one to stumble. 3 [ref]Take great care.

If a fellow-believer disobeys God, scold them, and then if they stop and request forgiveness, forgive them. 4 Even if they wrong you seven times in a day and then seven times come and tell you that they’re turning away from it, forgive them.”

5 Then the apprentices requested the master, “Give us more faith.” 6 “If you all had faith like a small mustard seed,” the master replied, “you would be able to order a mulberry bush, ‘Get out of the ground and plant yourself in the sea,’ and it would obey you all.

7 “Imagine that you had a slave that was out in the field ploughing or looking after the sheep. When he came back to the house, which of you would tell him, ‘The meal’s ready so come in now and sit down to eat.’ 8 No, you’d be saying, ‘Get the meal ready for me and then after you’ve changed, come and wait on me as I eat and drink, then after that you can eat and drink.’ 9 And no, slaves don’t get thanked for just doing what they’ve been told to do. 10 So too when you all do what you’ve been told to do, just say, ‘We are useless slaves—we’ve just done what we were told.’ ”

11 Soon it was time to continue on towards Yerusalem and so they walked through Galilee and Samaria. 12 In one village, they came across ten men with leprosy, who stood back at a distance 13 and called out, “Yeshua, master, show mercy to us.”

14 [ref]When he saw them, Yeshua called back, “Go and ask the priests to inspect you.” So they went off, and as they were walking, they were healed. 15 One of them, seeing that his skin was healed, came back and could be heard loudly praising God, 16 and he knelt down in front of Yeshua and thanked him. This man was from Samaria. 17 “Weren’t there ten of you that were healed?” Yeshua asked. “Where’s the other nine? 18 Have none of them returned to praise God—only this foreigner?” 19 Then he told him, “Get up and go now. Your faith has healed you.”

20 One time Yeshua was approached by some from the Pharisee party and asked when God’s kingdom is coming, and he answered, “The arrival of God’s kingdom is not some visible thing, 21 and they won’t be shouting, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’, because you see, God’s kingdom is inside you all.”

22 Then he told his followers, “The time will come when you’ll be wanting to see humanity’s child again even for a day, but you won’t see him. 23 Some people will tell you all, ‘Look, there he is!’ or ‘Hey, here he is!’ but don’t go looking or following them 24 because when humanity’s child returns, it’ll be like lightning that flashes from one side of the sky and shines right across to the other side. 25 However, before that he needs to suffer many things and to be rejected by this generation. 26 [ref]The time of the return of humanity’s child will be just like it was in Noah’s time: 27 [ref]people were eating and drinking, and getting engaged and married right until that day when Noah went into the barge and the flood came and destroyed everything. 28 [ref]It was similar in Lot’s time: people were eating and drinking, and buying and selling, and planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot walked out of Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from the sky and destroyed everything. 30 So that’s how it will be when humanity’s child is revealed.

31 [ref]“On that day, anyone who’s just outside the house should not go back in to get their valuables. Similarly, anyone who’s out on the farm shouldn’t return to the house to get their possessions. 32 [ref]Don’t forget the disaster that happened to Lot’s wife. 33 [ref]Anyone who tries to save their live will lose it, and anyone who’s sacrificed their lifestyle, will retain life. 34 I’m telling you, two people will be in one bed on that night and one will be taken and the other one will be left behind. 35 Two people will be preparing food at the same place and one will be taken and the other one will be left behind.”

36 ◘ 37 “Where will this happen, master,” they asked.

“Where the body is,” he answered, “that’s where the vultures will be gathering.”

18 Then he told them another parable because it’s good to always be praying and not to be discouraged: 2 “Once there was a city judge who didn’t revere God and nor did he allow anyone to sway him. 3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept going to him saying, ‘Get me justice against my adversary.’ 4 At first, he wasn’t interested in the case, but eventually he said to himself, ‘Even if I don’t fear God and I’m not easily pushed around by anyone, 5 this widow is making trouble for me. I’ll fight her case for her so she’ll stop harassing me.’ ”

6 Then the master continued, “Listen to what the ungodly judge is saying 7 and won’t God also bring justice for his chosen people when they call out to him day and night? He’ll patiently listen to them. 8 I’m telling you that he’ll quickly bring justice to the situation. However, when humanity’s child comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

9 Then Yeshua also told this parable to some who felt that they were guiltless before God because of their own goodness, and so they scorned others: 10 “Once two men went into the temple to pray—one was a Pharisee party member and the other was a tax-collector. 11 The Pharisee stood there praying quietly, ‘I thank you, God, that I’m not like the rest of the people: swindlers, sinners, adulterers, and even that tax-collector. 12 I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13 But the tax-collector stood at a distance, not even willing to raise his head, instead beating his chest and saying, ‘God, I’m a sinner, take away my guilt.’ 14 [ref]I’m telling you all that this man went home after being declared guiltless, not the other one, because all those who praise themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be praised.”

15 The people also brought their babies to Yeshua so that he would touch them and bless them, but the apprentices scolded them when they saw it. 16 However, Yeshua called out to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them because God’s kingdom consists of those like them. 17 I can assure you that anyone who doesn’t accept God’s kingdom like a little child, certainly won’t be able to enter it.”

18 One time a local leader asked Yeshua, “Good teacher, what do I need to do to gain eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Yeshua answered. “No one is good other than God himself. 20 [ref]You know the commandments: Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie in court, and honour your parents.”

21 “I’ve obeyed all of those since I was young,” the leader replied.

22 “Then you’re lacking only one more thing,” Yeshua responded. “Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor and you’ll have treasure in the heavens. Then come and follow me.” 23 But when he heard this, the man was very upset because he was extremely wealthy.

24 As Yeshua looked at him, he said, “It’s so difficult for those who’re wealthy to enter into God’s kingdom— 25 it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter God’s kingdom.”

26 Those around who heard asked, “Then who’s able to be saved?”

27 “What’s humanly impossible,” he replied, “is quite possible with God.”

28 Peter spoke up, “Hey, we left everything and followed you!”

29 “I can assure you all,” Yeshua responded, “that no one who left their home or spouse or siblings, or parents or children on account of God’s kingdom 30 will not be repaid many times over in this age as well as gaining eternal life in the coming age.”

31 Then taking the twelve aside, Yeshua told them, “Listen, we’re go down to Yerusalem and everything that the prophets wrote about humanity’s child is about to happen. 32 He’ll be handed over to non-Jews and will be mocked and insulted and spat on, 33 then they’ll flog him and kill him, but he’ll come back to life on the third day.”

34 But they didn’t understand any of that—the meaning of this statement was hidden from them and they didn’t realise what was being said.

35 As Yeshua got close to the city of Yericho, there was a blind man sitting beside the road begging. 36 When he heard a crowd passing through, he started asking what was going on 37 and they told him that Yeshua from Nazareth was passing by, 38 so he started shouting, “Yeshua, David’s offspring, be merciful to me!”

39 Some of the people walking past him told him to be quiet, but he just shouted louder, “David’s offspring, be merciful to me!”

40 Then Yeshua stopped and ordered that the man be brought across to him. When he came, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

He answered, “Master, I want to be able to see!”

42 “Then receive your sight,” Yeshua said, “because your faith has healed you.”

43 Immediately he was able to see and followed along after Yeshua praising God, and the people that saw it happen also praised God.

19 After that, Yeshua entered Yericho and continued walking through it. 2 Then, look, there was a man named Zacchaeus and he was a chief tax-collector and pretty wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who this Yeshua was, but couldn’t see over the crowd because he was rather short 4 so he ran along ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see Yeshua as he walked past. 5 However, as Yeshua came to that place, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry up and get down because I think it would be good to stay at your place.” 6 So he hurried down the tree and happily welcomed him.

7 But everyone who had observed it was grumbling, “Hoy, he’s going to stay with a sinful man.”

8 At dinner, Zacchaeus stood and said to the master, “Listen, master, I’m giving half of everything I own to the poor, and anyone that I defrauded, I’ll pay them back four times over.”

9 “Salvation came to this home today,” responded Yeshua, “as this man has also shown that he’s Abraham’s offspring 10 [ref]because humanity’s child came to look for those who’re lost and save them.”

11 Then Yeshua went on to tell a parable to those who heard all that because he was getting near to Yerusalem and they had assumed that God’s kingdom was going appear straight away. 12 Because of that, he told them, “Once a man of high status was going to a distant country to inherit a kingdom, and then to return after that. 13 So he called his ten slaves and gave them ten silver coins and told them to put them to work until he got back. 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation out to him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’

15 “But he received his kingdom and then he headed back and sent for those slaves that he had given the silver to, to find out how well they’d traded. 16 The first slave arrived and said, ‘Master, I used your silver coin to earn ten more coins.’ 17 ‘Well done good slave,’ he said, ‘and because you were faithful with a little, I’ll put you in charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second slave came and said, ‘Your silver master, gained five more coins.’ 19 ‘You too,’ the master said, ‘will be put in charge of five cities.’ 20 Then another slave came and said, ‘Master, look, here’s your silver that I kept hidden away wrapped in a handkerchief 21 because I was scared of you, knowing that you’re a hard man—picking up what you didn’t put down, and harvesting where you didn’t sow.’ 22 ‘I’ll judge you by your own words,’ the master said, ‘you evil slave! You knew that I’m a hard man, picking up what I didn’t put down, and harvesting what I didn’t sow. 23 So why didn’t you take my silver to the bank? Then went I returned, at least I would have been able to collect some interest.’ 24 Then the master told the others who were standing there, ‘Take the silver coin away from him and give it to the slave who has the ten.’ 25 But they protested, ‘Master, he already has ten coins.’ 26 [ref]‘I’m telling you all,’ the master replied, ‘that everyone who has, will be given more, but the person who doesn’t have, even what they have will be taken away from them. 27 [ref]However, about those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them: bring them here and strike them down in front of me.’ ”