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◄ Moff LUKE ►

LUK

5 In the days of Herod king of Judaea there was a priest called Zechariah, who belonged to the division of Abijah; he had a wife who belonged to the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both just in the sight of God, blameless in their obedience to all the commands and regulations of God; 7 but they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren. Both of them were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was officiating before God in the due course of his division, 9 it fell to him by lot, as was the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, 10 the mass of the people all remaining in prayer outside at the hour of incense. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him he was troubled, and fear fell on him; 13 but the angel said to him, "Fear not, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard; your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you must call his name John.

It will be joy and gladness for you,

and many will rejoice over his birth:

for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord,

he will drink neither wine nor strong drink,

he will be filled with the holy Spirit from his very birth;

he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God,

he will go in front of Him with the spirit and power of Elijah

to turn the hearts of fathers to their children,

turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,

to make a people ready and prepared for the Lord."

18 Zechariah said to the angel, "But how am I to be sure of this? I am an old man myself, and my wife is advanced in years." 19 The angel replied, "I am Gabriel, I stand before God; I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 But you will be silent and unable to speak till the day this happens, because you have not believed what I told you; it will be accomplished, for all that, in due time."

21 Now the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering that he stayed so long inside the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out he could not speak to them, so they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary; he made signs to them and remained dumb. 23 Then, after his term of service had elapsed, he went home.

24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and for five months she concealed herself. 25 "The Lord has done this for me," she said, "he has now deigned to remove my reproach among men."

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazaret, 27 to a maiden who was betrothed to a man called Joseph, belonging to the house of David. The maiden's name was Mary. 28 The angel went in and said to her, "Hail, O favoured one! the Lord be with you!" 29 At this she was startled; she thought to herself, whatever can this greeting mean? 30 But the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, you have found favour with God. 31 You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must call his name Jesus.

He will be great, he will be called the Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father;

he will reign over the house of Jacob forever,

and to his reign there will be no end."

34 "How can this be?" said Mary to the angel, "I have no husband." 35 The angel answered her, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence what is born will be called holy, Son of God. 36 Look, there is your kinswoman Elizabeth! Even she has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month; 37 for with God nothing is ever impossible." 38 Mary said, "I am here to serve the Lord. Let it be as you have said." Then the angel went away.

39 In those days Mary started with haste for the hill-country, for a town of Judah; 40 she entered the house of Zechariah and saluted Elizabeth, 41 and when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leapt in her womb. Then Elizabeth was filled with the holy Spirit; 42 she called out with a loud cry,

"Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 What have I done to have the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 Why, as soon as the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the babe leapt for joy within my womb. 45 And blessed is she who believed that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled." 46 Then Mary said

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

My spirit has joy in God my Saviour:

for he has considered the humiliation of his servant.

From this time forth all generations will call me blessed,

for He who is Mighty has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

his mercy is on generation after generation,

for those who reverence him.

He has done a deed of might with his arm,

he has scattered the proud with their purposes,

princes he has dethroned and the poor he has uplifted,

he has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.

He has succoured his servant Israel,

mindful of his mercy--

as he promised our fathers,

to have mercy on Abraham and his offspring for ever." 56 Mary stayed with her about three months and then returned home.

57 Now the time for Elizabeth's delivery had elapsed, and she gave birth to a son. 58 When her neighbours and kinsfolk heard of the Lord's great mercy to her they rejoiced with her, 59 and on the eighth day came to circumcise the child. They were going to call it by the name of its father Zechariah, 60 but the mother told them, "No, the child is to be called John." 61 They said to her, "None of your family is called by that name." 62 Then they made signs to the father, to find out what he wanted the child to be called, 63 and he asked for a writing-tablet and wrote down, "His name is John," to the astonishment of all. 64 Instantly his mouth was opened, his tongue loosed, and he spoke out blessing God. 65 Then fear fell on all their neighbours, and all these events were talked of through the whole of the hill-country of Judaea. 66 All who heard of it bore it in mind; they said, "Whatever will this child become?" For the hand of the Lord was indeed with him.

67 And Zechariah his father was filled with the holy Spirit; he prophesied in these words,

"Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,

for he has cared for his people and wrought them redemption;

he has raised up a strong saviour for us

in the house of his servant David--

as he promised of old by the lips of his prophets

to save us from our foes and from the hand of all who hate us,

to deal mercifully with our fathers

and to be mindful of his holy covenant,

of the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that freed from fear and from the hand of our foes

we should worship him 75 in holiness and uprightness

all our days within his presence.

And you, my child, shall be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you shall go in front of the Lord to make his ways ready,

to bring his people the knowledge of salvation

through the remission of their sins--

thanks to the tender mercy of our God,

who will make the Dawn visit us from on high,

to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our steps into the way of peace."

80 And the child grew, he became strong in the Spirit and remained in the desert till the day when he made his appearance before Israel.

2 Now in those days an edict was issued by Caesar Augustus for a census of the whole world. 2 (This was the first census, and it took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 So everyone went to be registered, each at his own town, 4 and as Joseph belonged to the house and family of David he went up from Galilee to Judaea, from the town of Nazaret to David's town called Bethlehem, 5 to be registered along with Mary his wife. She was pregnant, 6 and while they were there the days elapsed for her delivery; 7 she gave birth to her firstborn son, and as there was no room for them inside the khan she wrapped him up and laid him in a stall for cattle.

8 There were some shepherds in the district who were out in the fields keeping guard over their flocks by night; 9 and an angel of the Lord flashed upon them, the glory of the Lord shone all round them. They were terribly afraid, 10 but the angel said to them, "Have no fear. This is good news I am bringing you, news of a great joy that is meant for all the People. 11 To-day you have a saviour born in the town of David, the Lord messiah. 12 And here is a proof for you: you will find a baby wrapped up and lying in a stall for cattle." 13 Then a host of heaven's army suddenly appeared beside the angel extolling God and saying,

"Glory to God in high heaven,

and peace on earth for men whom he favours!"

15 Now when the angels had left them and gone away to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us be off to Bethlehem to see this thing that the Lord has told us of." 16 So they made haste and discovered Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the stall for cattle. 17 When they saw this they told people about the word which had been spoken to them about the child; 18 all who heard it were astonished at the story of the shepherds, 19 and as for Mary, she treasured it all up and mused upon it. 20 Then the shepherds went away back, glorifying and extolling God for all they had heard and seen as they had been told they would.

21 When the eight days had passed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus — the name given by the angel before he had been conceived in the womb.

22 When the days for their purification in terms of the Mosaic law had elapsed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord: every male that opens the womb must be considered consecrated to the Lord) 24 and also to offer the sacrifice prescribed in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Symeon, an upright and devout man, who was on the outlook for the Consolation of Israel. The holy Spirit was upon him; 26 indeed it had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he was not to see death before he had seen the Lord messiah. 27 By an inspiration of the Spirit he came to the temple, and when the parents of the child Jesus carried him in to perform the customary regulations of the law for him, 28 then Symeon took him in his arms, blessed God, and said,

"Now, Master, thou canst let thy servant go,

and go in peace, as thou didst promise;

for mine eyes have seen thy saving power

which thou hast prepared for all peoples,

to be a light of revelation for the Gentiles

and a glory to thy people Israel." 33 His father and mother were astonished at these words about him, 34 but Symeon blessed them, and to his mother Mary he said, "This child is destined for the downfall as well as for the rise of many a one in Israel; destined to be a Sign for man's attack — 35 to bring out the secret aims of many a heart. And your own soul will be pierced by a spear."

36 There was also a prophetess, Hannah the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher; she was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her girlhood 37 and having been a widow for eighty-four years. She was never away from the temple; night and day she worshipped, fasting and praying. 38 Now at that very hour she came up, and she offered praise to God and spoke of him to all who were on the outlook for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When they had finished all the regulations of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazaret. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the favour of God was on him. 41 Every year his parents used to travel to Jerusalem at the passover festival; 42 and when he was twelve years old they went up as usual to the festival. 43 After spending the full number of days they came back, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know of this; 44 they supposed he was in the caravan and travelled on for a day, searching for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 45 Then, as they failed to find him, they came back to Jerusalem in search of him. 46 Three days later they found him in the temple, seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47 till all his hearers were amazed at the intelligence of his own answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astounded, and his mother said to him, "My son, why have you behaved like this to us? Here have your father and I been looking for you anxiously!" 49 "Why did you look for me?" he said, "Did you not know I had to be at my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said. 51 Then he went down along with them to Nazaret, and did as they told him. His mother treasured up everything in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man.

3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, Philip his brother tetrarch of the country of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert; 3 and he went into all the Jordan-district preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins — 4 as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah,

The voice of one who cries in the desert,

'Make the way ready for the Lord,

level the paths for him.

Every valley shall be filled up,

every hill and mound laid low,

the crooked made straight,

the rough roads smooth;

so shall all flesh see the saving power of God.' 7 To the crowds who came out to get baptized by him John said, "You brood of vipers, who told you to flee from the coming Wrath? 8 Now, produce fruits that answer to your repentance, instead of beginning to say to yourselves, "We have a father in Abraham." I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 9 The axe is lying all ready at the root of the trees; any tree that is not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

10 The crowds asked him, "Then what are we to do?" 11 He replied, "Let everyone who possesses two shirts share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise." 12 Taxgatherers also came to get baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what are we to do?" 13 He said to them, "Never exact more than your fixed rate." 14 Soldiers also asked him, "And what are we to do?" He said to them, "Never extort money, never lay a false charge, but be content with your pay."

15 Now as people's expectations were roused and as everybody thought to himself about John, "Can he be the Christ," 16 John said to them all,

"I baptize you with water,

but after me one who is mightier will come,

and I am not fit to untie the string of his sandals;

he will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing-fan is in his hand to purge his threshing-floor,

to gather the wheat into his granary and

burn the straw with fire unquenchable."

18 Thus with many another appeal he spoke his message to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife as well as for all the wickedness that he, Herod, had committed, 20 crowned all by shutting John up in prison.

21 Now when all the people had been baptized and when Jesus had been baptized and was praying, heaven opened 22 and the holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven,

"Thou art my son, the Beloved,

to-day have I become thy father."

23 At the outset Jesus was about thirty years of age; he was the son, as people supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Kosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, 30 the son of Symeon, the son of Judas, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jessai, the son of Jobed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Aminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nachor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Sala, 36 the son of Kainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Maleleel, the son of Kainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

4 From the Jordan Jesus came back full of the holy Spirit, 2 and for forty days he was led by the Spirit in the desert, while the devil tempted him. During these days he ate nothing, and when they were over he felt hungry. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are God's son, tell this stone to become a loaf." 4 Jesus replied to him, "It is written, Man is not to live on bread alone." 5 Then he lifted Jesus up and showed him all the realms of the universe in a single instant; 6 and the devil said to him, "I will give you all their power and grandeur, for it has been made over to me and I can give it to anyone I choose. 7 If you will worship before me, then it shall all be yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone. " 9 Then he brought him to Jerusalem and placing him on the pinnacle of the temple said to him, "If you are God's son, throw yourself down from this; 10 for it is written,

He will give his angels charge of you, to protect you, 11 and

They will bear you on their hands,

lest you strike your foot against a stone." 12 Jesus answered him, "It has been said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God." 13 And after exhausting every kind of temptation the devil left him till a fit opportunity arrived.

14 Then Jesus came back in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and the news of him spread over all the surrounding country. 15 He taught in their synagogues and was glorified by all. 16 Then he came to Nazaret, where he had been brought up, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue as was his custom. He stood up to read the lesson 17 and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah; on opening the book he came upon the place where it was written,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me:

for he has consecrated me to preach the gospel to the poor,

he has sent me to proclaim release for captives

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set free the oppressed,

to proclaim the Lord's year of favour.

20 Then, folding up the book, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him, 21 and he proceeded to tell them that "To-day, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and marvelled at the gracious words that came from his lips; they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" 23 So he said to them, "No doubt you will repeat to me this proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself!" "Do here in your own country all we have heard you did in Capharnahum."" 24 He added, "I tell you truly, no prophet is ever welcome in his native place. 25 I tell you for a fact,

In Israel there were many widows during the days of Elijah,

when the sky was closed for three years and six months,

when a great famine came over all the land:

yet Elijah was not sent to any of these,

but only to a widow woman at Zarephath in Sidon.

And in Israel there were many lepers in the time of the prophet Elisha,

yet none of these was cleansed,

but only Naaman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage; 29 they rose up, put him out of the town, and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, in order to hurl him down. 30 But he made his way through them and went off.

31 Then he went down to Capharnahum, a town of Galilee, and on the sabbath he taught the people; 32 they were astounded at his teaching, for his word came with authority. 33 Now in the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean daemon, who shrieked aloud, 34 "Ha! Jesus of Nazaret, what business have you with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, you are God's holy One!" 35 But Jesus checked it, saying, "Be quiet, come out of him." And after throwing him down before them the daemon did come out of him without doing him any harm. 36 Then amazement came over them all; they talked it over among themselves, saying, "What does this mean? He orders the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!" 37 And a report of him spread over all the surrounding country.

38 Rising to leave the synagogue he went to the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was laid up with a severe attack of fever, so they asked him about her; 39 he stood over her and checked the fever, and it left her. Then she instantly got up and ministered to them. 40 At sunset all who had any people ill with any sort of disease brought them to him; he laid his hands on everyone and healed them. 41 From many people daemons were also driven out, clamouring aloud, "You are God's son!" But he checked them and refused to let them say anything, as they knew he was the Christ. 42 When day broke he went away out to a lonely spot, but the crowds made inquiries about him, came to where he was, and tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 He answered them, "I must preach the glad news of the Reign of God to the other towns as well, for that is what I was sent to do." 44 So he went preaching through the synagogues of Judaea.

5 Now as the crowd were pressing on him to listen to the word of God, he saw, as he stood beside the lake of Gennesaret, 2 two boats on the shore of the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. 3 So he entered one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out to the deep water and lower your nets for a take." 5 Simon replied, "Master, we worked all night and got nothing! However, I will lower the nets at your command." 6 And when they did so, they enclosed a huge shoal of fish, so that their nets began to break. 7 Then they made signals to their mates in the other boat to come and assist them. They came and filled both the boats, till they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it he fell at the knees of Jesus, crying, "Lord, leave me; I am a sinful man." 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions at the take of fish they had caught; 10 as was the case with James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, who were partners of Simon. Then said Jesus to Simon, "Have no fear; from now your catch will be men." 11 Then they brought the boats to land, and leaving all they followed him.

12 When he was in one of their towns, there was a man full of leprosy who, on seeing Jesus, fell on his face and besought him, "If you only choose, sir, you can cleanse me." 13 So he stretched his hand out and touched him, with the words, "I do choose, be cleansed." And the leprosy at once left him. 14 Jesus ordered him not to say a word to anybody, but to "Go off and show yourself to the priest, and offer whatever Moses prescribed for your cleansing, to notify men." 15 But the news of him spread abroad more and more; large crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their complaints, 16 while he kept in lonely places and prayed.

17 One day he was teaching, and near him sat Pharisees and doctors of the Law who had come from every village of Galilee and Judaea as well as from Jerusalem. Now the power of the Lord was present for the work of healing. 18 Some men came up carrying a man who was paralysed; they tried to carry him inside and lay him in front of Jesus, 19 but when they could not find any means of getting him in, on account of the crowd, they climbed to the top of the house and let him down through the tiles, mattress and all among the people in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." 21 Then the scribes and Pharisees began to argue, "Who is this blasphemer? Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?" 22 Conscious that they were arguing to themselves, Jesus addressed them, saying, "Why argue in your hearts? 23 Which is the easier thing, to say, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Rise and walk"? 24 But to let you see the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins" — he said to the paralysed man, "Rise, I tell you, lift your mattress and go home." 25 Instantly he got up before them, lifted what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 And all were seized with astonishment; they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen incredible things to-day."

27 On going outside after this he noticed a taxgatherer called Levi sitting at the tax-office and said to him, "Follow me"; 28 he rose, left everything and followed him. 29 Levi held a great banquet for him in his house; there was a large company present of taxgatherers and others who were guests along with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with taxgatherers and sinners?" 31 Jesus replied to them,

"Healthy people have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill:

I have not come to call just men but sinners to repentance."

33 He was told, "The disciples of John fast frequently and offer prayers, as do the disciples of the Pharisees; but your adherents eat and drink." 34 Jesus said to them,

"Can you make friends at a wedding fast while the bride groom is beside them?

A time will come when the bridegroom is taken from them, and then they will fast at that time." 36 He also told them a parable:

"No one tears a piece from a new cloak and sews it on an old cloak;

otherwise he will tear the new cloak,

and the new piece will not match with the old.

No one pours fresh wine into old wineskins;

otherwise the fresh wine will burst the wineskins,

the wine will be spilt and the wineskins ruined.

No, fresh wine must be poured into new wineskins.

Besides, no one wants new wine [immediately] after drinking old; 'The old,' he says, 'is better.""

6 One sabbath it happened that as he was crossing the cornfields his disciples pulled some ears of corn and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2 Some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not allowed on the sabbath?" 3 But Jesus answered them, "And have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, took the loaves of the Presence and ate them, giving them to his men as well — bread that no one is allowed to eat except the priests." 5 And he said to them, "The Son of man is Lord even over the sabbath."

6 Another sabbath he happened to go into the synagogue and teach. Now a man was there who had his right hand withered, 7 and the scribes and Pharisees watched to see if he would heal on the sabbath, so as to discover some charge against him. 8 He knew what was in their minds; so he told the man with the withered hand, "Rise and stand forward." He rose and stood before them. 9 Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it right on the sabbath to help or to hurt, to save life or to kill?" 10 And glancing round at them all in anger he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was quite restored. 11 This filled them with fury, and they discussed what they could do to Jesus.

12 It was in these days that he went off to the hillside to pray. He spent the whole night in prayer to God, 13 and when day broke he summoned his disciples, choosing twelve of them, to whom he gave the name of "apostles": 14 Simon (to whom he gave the name of Peter), Andrew his brother, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon (who was called "the Zealot"), 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot (who turned traitor). 17 With them he came down the hill and stood on a level spot. There was a great company of his disciples with him, and a large multitude of people from all Judaea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to get cured of their diseases. 18 Those who were annoyed with unclean spirits also were healed. 19 Indeed the whole of the crowd made efforts to touch him, for power issued from him and cured everybody. 20 Then, raising his eyes he looked at his disciples and said:

"Blessed are you poor!

the Realm of God is yours.

Blessed are you who hunger to-day!

you shall be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep to-day!

you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when men will hate you,

when they will excommunicate you and denounce you and defame you as wicked on account of the Son of man;

rejoice on that day and leap for joy!

rich is your reward in heaven--

for their fathers did the very same to the prophets.

But woe to you rich folk!

you get all the comforts you will ever get.

Woe to you who have your fill to-day!

you will be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh to-day!

you will wail and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you!

that is just what their fathers did to the false prophets.

I tell you, my hearers,

love your enemies, do good to those who hate you:

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

If a man strikes you on the one cheek,

offer him the other as well:

if anyone takes your coat,

do not deny him your shirt as well;

give to anyone who asks you,

and never ask your goods back from anyone who has taken them.

As you would like men to do to you,

so do to them.

If you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you?

Why, even sinful men love those who love them.

If you help only those who help you, what merit is that to you?

Why, even sinful men do that.

If you only lend to those from whom you hope to get something, what credit is that to you?

Even sinful men lend to one another, so as to get a fair return.

No, you must love your enemies and help them,

you must lend to them without expecting any return;

then you will have a rich reward,

you will be sons of the Most High

for he is kind even to the ungrateful and the evil.

Be merciful,

as your Father is merciful.

Also, judge not, and you will not be judged yourselves:

condemn not, and you will not be condemned:

pardon, and you will be pardoned yourselves:

give, and you will have ample measure given you--

they will pour into your lap measure pressed down,

shaken together, and running over;

for the measure you deal out to others will be dealt back to yourselves." 39 He also told them a parabolic word:

"Can one blind man lead another?

will they not both fall into a pit?

A scholar is not above his teacher:

but if he is perfectly trained he will be like his teacher.

41 Why do you note the splinter in your brother's eye and fail to see the plank in your own eye? 42 How dare you say to your brother, "Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye," and you never notice the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite! take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see properly to take out the splinter in your brother's eye.

No sound tree bears rotten fruit,

nor again does a rotten tree bear sound fruit:

each tree is known by its fruit.

Figs are not gathered from thorns,

and grapes are not plucked from a bramble-bush.

The good man produces good from the good stored in his heart,

and the evil man evil from his evil:

for a man's mouth utters what his heart is full of.

46 Why call me, "Lord, Lord!" and obey me not? 47 Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like. 48 He is like a man engaged in building a house, who dug deep down and laid his foundation on the rock; when a flood came, the river dashed against that house but could not shake it, for it had been well built. 49 He who has listened and has not obeyed is like a man who built a house on the earth with no foundation; the river dashed against it and it collapsed at once, and the ruin of that house was great."

7 When he had finished what he had to say in the hearing of the people, he went into Capharnahum.

2 Now there was an army-captain who had a servant ill whom he valued very highly. This man was at the point of death; 3 so, when the captain heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and make his servant well. 4 When they reached Jesus they asked him earnestly to do this. "He deserves to have this favour from you," they said, 5 "for he is a lover of our nation; it was he who built our synagogue." 6 So Jesus went with them. But he was not far from the house when the captain sent some friends to tell him, "Do not trouble yourself, sir, I am not fit to have you under my roof, 7 and so I did not consider myself fit even to come to you. Just say the word, and let my servant be cured. 8 For though I am a man under authority myself, I have soldiers under me; I tell one man to go, and he goes, I tell another to come, and he comes, I tell my servant, "Do this," and he does it." 9 When Jesus heard this he marvelled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed he said, "I tell you, I have never met faith like this anywhere even in Israel." 10 Then the messengers went back to the house and found the sick servant was quite well.

11 It was shortly afterwards that he made his way to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. 12 Just as he was near the gate of the town, there was a dead man being carried out; he was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the town were with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he felt pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then he went forward and touched the bier; the bearers stopped, and he said, "Young man, I bid you rise." 15 Then the corpse sat up and began to speak; and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 All were seized with awe and glorified God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said, "God has visited his people." 17 And this story of Jesus spread through the whole of Judaea and all the surrounding country.

18 John's disciples reported all this to him. 19 So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to ask the Lord, "Are you the Coming One? Or are we to look out for someone else?" 20 When the men reached Jesus they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask if you are the Coming One or if we are to look out for someone else?" 21 Jesus at that moment was healing many people of diseases and complaints and evil spirits; he also bestowed sight on many blind folk. 22 So he replied, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard; that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached. 23 And blessed is he who is repelled by nothing in me!" 24 When John's messengers had gone, he proceeded to speak to the crowds about John:

"What did you go out to the desert to see?

A reed swayed by the wind?

Come, what did you go out to see?

A man arrayed in soft robes?

Those who are gorgeously dressed and luxurious live in royal palaces.

Come, what did you go out to see? A prophet?

Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.

This is he of whom it is written,

Here I send my messenger before your face,

to prepare the way for you. 28 I tell you, among the sons of women there is none greater than John, and yet the least in the Realm of God is greater than he is." 29 (On hearing this all the people and the taxgatherers acknowledged the justice of God, as they had been baptized with the baptism of John; 30 but the Pharisees and jurists, who had refused his baptism, frustrated God's purpose for themselves.)

"To what then shall I compare the men of this generation?

What are they like?

32 Like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

"We piped to you and you would not dance,

we lamented and you would not weep."

For John the Baptist has come, eating no bread and drinking no wine,

and you say, "He has a devil";

the Son of man has come eating and drinking,

and you say, "Here is a glutton and a drunkard,

a friend of taxgatherers and sinners!"

Nevertheless, Wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to dinner, and entering the house of the Pharisee he reclined at table. 37 Now there was a woman in the town who was a sinner, and when she found out that Jesus was at table in the house of the Pharisee, she brought an alabaster flask of perfume 38 and stood behind him at his feet in tears; her tears began to wet his feet, so she wiped them with the hair of her head, pressed kisses on them, and anointed them with the perfume. 39 When his host the Pharisee noticed this, he said to himself, "If he was a prophet he would know what sort of a woman this is who is touching him; for she is a sinner." 40 Then Jesus addressed him. "Simon," he said, "I have something to say to you." "Speak, teacher," he said. 41 "There was a moneylender who had two debtors; one owed him fifty pounds, the other five. 42 As they were unable to pay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, now, which of them will love him most?" 43 "I suppose," said Simon, "the man who had most forgiven." "Quite right," he said. 44 Then turning to the woman he said to Simon, "You see this woman? When I came into your house,

you never gave me water for my feet,

while she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair;

you never gave me a kiss,

while ever since she came in she has kept pressing kisses on my feet;

you never anointed my head with oil,

while she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 Therefore I tell you, many as her sins are, they are forgiven, for her love is great; whereas he to whom little is forgiven has but little love." 48 And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 His fellow guests began to say to themselves, "Who is this, to forgive even sins?" 50 But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

8 Shortly afterwards he went travelling from one town and village to another preaching and telling the good news of the Reign of God; he was accompanied by the twelve 2 and by some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses, Mary called Magdalene (out of whom seven daemons had been driven), 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza the chancellor of Herod, Susanna, and a number of others, who ministered to him out of their means.

4 As a large crowd was gathering and as people were resorting to him from town after town, he addressed them in a parable.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed,

some seed fell on the road and was trampled down,

and the wild birds ate it up;

some other seed dropped on the rock,

but it withered away when it sprang up because it had no moisture;

some other seed fell among thorns,

and the thorns sprang up along with it and choked it;

some other seed fell on sound soil,

and springing up bore a crop, a hundredfold." When he said this he called out, "He who has an ear, let him listen to this." 9 The disciples questioned him about the meaning of the parable; 10 so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that

for all their seeing they may not see,

and for all their hearing they may not understand. 11 This is what the parable means. The seed is the word of God. 12 Those "on the road" are people who hear; but then the devil comes and carries off the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those "on the rock" are people who on hearing the word welcome it with enthusiasm, but they have no root; they believe for a while and fall away in the hour of trial. 14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, that means people who hear but who go and get choked with worries and money and the pleasures of life, so that they never ripen. 15 As for the seed in the good soil, that means those who hear and hold fast the word in a good and sound heart and so bear fruit stedfastly.

No one lights a lamp and hides it under a vessel or puts it below the bed:

he puts it on a stand so that those who come in can see the light.

For nothing is hidden that shall not be disclosed,

nothing concealed that shall not be known and revealed.

So take care how you listen;

for he who has, to him shall more be given,

while as for him who has not, from him shall be taken even what he thinks he has."

19 His mother and brothers reached him but they were unable to join him for the crowd. 20 Word was brought to him that "your mother and brothers are standing outside; they wish to see you." 21 But he answered, "My mother and brothers are those who listen to the word of God and obey it."

22 It happened on one of these days that he embarked in a boat alone with his disciples and said to them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail. 23 During the voyage he fell asleep. But when a gale of wind came down on the lake and they were being swamped and in peril, 24 they went and woke him up. "Master, master," they cried, "we are drowning!" So he woke up and checked the wind and the surf; they ceased and there was a calm. 25 Then he said to them, "Where is your faith?" They marvelled in awe, saying to one another, "Whatever can he be? He gives orders to the very winds and water, and they obey him!"

26 They put in at the country of the Gergesenes, on the shore facing Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land he was met by a man from the town who had daemons in him; for a long while he had worn no clothing, and he stayed not in a house but among the tombs. 28 On catching sight of Jesus he shrieked aloud and prayed him with a loud cry, "Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? Do not torture me, I beg of you." 29 (For he had charged the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many a time when it had seized hold of him, he had been fastened secure in fetters and chains, but he would snap his bonds and be driven by the daemon into the desert.) 30 So Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he said, for a number of daemons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to order them off to the abyss. 32 Now a considerable drove of swine was grazing there on the hillside, so the daemons begged him for leave to enter them. He gave them leave, 33 and the daemons came out of the man and went into the swine; the drove rushed down the steep slope into the lake and were suffocated. 34 When the herdsmen saw what had occurred they fled and reported it to the town and the hamlets. 35 The people came out to see what had occurred and when they reached Jesus they discovered the man whom the daemons had left, seated at the feet of Jesus, clothed and sane. That frightened them. 36 They got a report from those who had seen how the lunatic was cured, 37 and then all the inhabitants of the surrounding country of the Gergesenes asked him to leave them, they were so seized with terror. He embarked in the boat and went back. 38 The man whom the daemons had left begged that he might accompany him. Jesus, however, sent him away, saying, 39 "Go home and describe all that God has done for you." So he went off to proclaim through the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

40 On his return Jesus was welcomed by the crowd; they were all looking out for him. 41 A man called Jairus came, who was a president of the synagogue, and falling at the feet of Jesus entreated him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years old and she was dying. As Jesus went the crowds kept crushing him, 43 and a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years which no one could cure, 44 came up behind him and touched the tassel of his robe. Her hemorrhage instantly ceased. 45 Jesus said, "Who touched me?" As everyone denied it, Peter and his companions said, "Master, the crowds are all round you pressing hard!" 46 Jesus said, "Somebody did touch me, for I felt power had passed from me." 47 So when the woman saw she had not escaped notice, she came trembling, and falling down before him she told before all the people why she had touched him and how she had been instantly cured. 48 "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well; depart in peace." 49 He was still speaking when someone came from the house of the synagogue-president to say, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher any further." 50 But when Jesus heard it he said to him, "Have no fear, only believe and she shall get well." 51 When he reached the house he would not allow anyone to come in with him except Peter and James and John, and the child's father and mother. 52 Everyone was weeping and bewailing her, but he said, "Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep." 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her hand and called to her, "Rise, little girl." 55 And her spirit returned, she got up instantly, and he ordered them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were amazed, but he charged them not to tell anyone what had happened.

9 Calling the twelve apostles together he gave them power and authority over all daemons as well as to heal diseases. 2 He sent them out to preach the Reign of God and to cure the sick. 3 And he told them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither stick nor wallet nor bread nor silver, and do not carry two shirts. 4 Whatever house you go into, stay there and leave from there. 5 Whoever will not receive you, leave that town and shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them." 6 So they went out from village to village preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

7 When Herod the tetrarch heard all that was going on, he was quite at a loss; for some said that John had risen from the dead, 8 some that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. 9 Herod said, "John I beheaded. But who is this, of whom I hear such tales?" And he made efforts to see him.

10 Then the apostles came back and described all they had done to Jesus. He took them and retired in private to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned this and followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of the Reign of God, and cured those who needed to be healed. 12 Now as the day began to decline the twelve came up to him and said, "Send the crowd off to lodge in the villages and farms around and get provisions there, for here we are in a desert place." 13 He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They said, "We have only got five loaves and two fish. Unless — are we to go and buy food for the whole of this people?" 14 (There were about five thousand men of them.) He said to his disciples, "Make them lie down in rows of about fifty." 15 They did so, and made them all lie down. 16 Then taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven he blessed them, broke them in pieces and handed them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and had enough. What they had left over was picked up, twelve baskets full of fragments.

18 Now it happened that while he was praying by himself his disciples were beside him. So he inquired of them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" 19 They replied, "John the Baptist, though some say Elijah and some say that one of the ancient prophets has arisen." 20 He said to them, "And who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "The Christ of God." 21 Then he forbade them strictly to tell this to anyone. 22 The Son of man, he said, has to endure great suffering, to be rejected by the elders and high priests and scribes, to be killed, and on the third day to be raised.

23 He said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross day after day, and so follow me;

for whoever wants to save his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 What profit will it be for a man to gain the whole world and lose or forfeit himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you plainly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death till they see the Reign of God." 28 It was about eight days after he said this, when he took Peter, John, and James, and went up the hillside to pray. 29 While he was praying the appearance of his face altered and his dress turned dazzling white. 30 There were two men conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in a vision of glory and said he must go through with his death and departure at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions had been overpowered with sleep, but on waking up they saw his glory and the two men who were standing beside him. 33 When they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is a good thing we are here; let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (not knowing what he was saying). 34 As he spoke, a cloud came and overshadowed them. They were awestruck as they passed into the cloud, 35 but a voice came from the cloud, "This is my Son, my Chosen one; listen to him." 36 When the voice ceased, they found themselves alone with Jesus. And in those days they kept silence and told nobody anything of what they had seen.

37 Next day, when they came down the hill, a large crowd met him. 38 "Teacher," shouted a man from the crowd, "look at my son, I beg of you, for he is my only boy, 39 and a spirit gets hold of him till he suddenly shrieks; it convulses him till he foams; indeed it will hardly leave off tearing him to pieces. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not." 41 Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long must I still be with you and bear with you? Fetch your son here." 42 Before the boy could reach Jesus, the daemon dashed him down and convulsed him, but Jesus checked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and handed him back to his father. 43 And all were astounded at this grand display of God. But while all marvelled at all he did, he said to his disciples, 44 "Let these words sink into your ears: "the Son of man is to be betrayed into the hands of men."" 45 But they did not understand this saying — indeed it was kept a secret from them, to prevent them from fathoming it — and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

46 A dispute arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus knew the dispute that occupied their minds, so he took hold of a little child and set it by his side; 48 then he said to them,

"Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me,

and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

For it is the lowliest of you all who is great."

49 John said to him, "Master, we saw a man casting out daemons in your name, but we stopped him because he is not a follower of ours." 50 Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; he who is not against you is for you."

51 As the time for his assumption was now due, he set his face for the journey to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers in front of him. They went and entered a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, 53 but the people would not receive him because his face was turned in the direction of Jerusalem. 54 So when the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, will you have us bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But he turned and checked them. 56 Then they journeyed to another village. 57 And as they journeyed along the road a man said to him, "I will follow you anywhere." 58 Jesus said to him,

"The foxes have their holes,

wild birds have their nests,

but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." 59 He said to another man, "Follow me"; but he said, "Let me go and bury my father first of all." 60 Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; you go and spread the news of the Reign of God." 61 Another man also said to him, "I will follow you, Lord. But let me first say good-bye to my people at home." 62 Jesus said to him, "No one is any use to the Reign of God who puts his hand to the plough and then looks behind him."

10 After that the Lord commissioned other seventy disciples, sending them in front of him two by two to every town and place that he intended to visit himself. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few; so pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to gather his harvest. 3 Go your way; I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no wallet, no sandals. Do not stop to salute anybody on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace be to this household!" 6 Then, if there is a soul there breathing peace, your peace will rest on him; otherwise it will come back to you. 7 Stay at the same house, eating and drinking what the people provide (for the workman deserves his wages); you are not to shift from one house to another. 8 Wherever you are received on entering any town, eat what is provided for you, 9 heal those in the town who are ill, and tell them, "The Reign of God is nearly on you." 10 But wherever you are not received on entering any town, go out into the streets of the town and cry, 11 "The very dust of your town that clings to us, we wipe off from our feet as a protest. But mark this, the Reign of God is near!" 12 I tell you, on the great Day it will be more bearable for Sodom than for that town. 13 Woe to you, Khorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! Had the miracles performed in you been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have been sitting penitent in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, O Capharnahum! Exalted to heaven? No, you will sink to Hades!

He who listens to you listens to me,

he who rejects you rejects me,

and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

17 The seventy came back with joy. "Lord," they said, "the very daemons obey us in your name." 18 He said to them, "Yes, I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 I have indeed given you the power of treading on serpents and scorpions and of trampling down all the power of the Enemy; nothing shall injure you. 20 Only, do not rejoice because the spirits obey you: rejoice because your names are enrolled in heaven." 21 He thrilled with joy at that hour in the holy Spirit, saying, "I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for concealing this from the wise and learned and revealing it to the simple-minded; yes, Father, I praise thee that such was thy chosen purpose." Then turning to the disciples he said,

"All has been handed over to me by my Father:

and no one knows who the Son is except the Father,

or who the Father is except the Son,

and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

turning to the disciples he said privately,

"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!

For I tell you many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see,

but they have not seen it:

and to hear what you hear,

but they have not heard it."

25 Now a jurist got up to tempt him. "Teacher," he said, "what am I to do to inherit life eternal?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He replied, "You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, with your whole strength, and with your whole mind. Also your neighbour as yourself." 28 "A right answer!" said Jesus; "do that and you will live." 29 Anxious to make an excuse for himself, however, he said to Jesus, "But who is my neighbour?" 30 Jesus rejoined, "A man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among robbers who stripped and belaboured him and then went off leaving him half-dead. 31 Now it so chanced that a priest was going down the same road, but on seeing him he went past on the opposite side. 32 So did a Levite who came to the spot; he looked at him but passed on the opposite side. 33 However a Samaritan traveller came to where he was and felt pity when he saw him; 34 he went to him, bound his wounds up, pouring oil and wine into them, mounted him on his own steed, took him to an inn, and attended to him. 35 Next morning he took out a couple of shillings and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, "Attend to him, and if you are put to any extra expense I will refund you on my way back." 36 Which of these three men, in your opinion, proved a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The man who took pity on him." Jesus said to him, "Then go and do the same."

38 In the course of their journey he entered a certain village, and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the feet of the Lord to listen to his talk. 40 Now Martha was so busy attending to them that she grew worried; she came up and said, "Lord, is it all one to you that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Come, tell her to lend me a hand." 41 The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, 42 Mary has chosen the best dish, and she is not to be dragged away from it."

11 He was praying at a certain place, and when he stopped one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2 He said to them,

"When you pray, say--Father,

thy name be revered,

thy Reign begin;

give us our bread for the morrow day by day,

and forgive us our sins for we do forgive everyone who has offended us;

and lead us not into temptation." 5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend, let me have three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine travelling has come to my house and I have nothing to set before him." 7 And suppose he answers from the inside, "Don't bother me; the door is locked by this time, and my children are in bed with me. I can't get up and give you anything." 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give you anything because you are a friend of his, he will at least rise and give you whatever you want, because you persist. 9 So I tell you,

ask and the gift will be yours,

seek and you will find,

knock and the door will open to you;

for everyone who asks receives,

the seeker finds,

the door is opened to anyone who knocks.

What father among you, if asked by his son for a loaf, will hand him a stone?--

or, if asked for a fish, will hand him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 or, if asked for an egg, will he hand him a scorpion?

Well, if for all your evil you know to give your children what is good,

how much more will your Father give the holy Spirit from heaven to those who ask him?"

14 He was casting out a dumb daemon, and when the daemon had gone out the dumb man spoke. The crowds marvelled, 15 but some of them said, "It is by Beelzebul the prince of daemons that he casts out daemons." 16 Others by way of tempting him demanded he should give them a Sign from heaven. 17 He knew what they were thinking about, so he said to them,

"Any realm divided against itself comes to ruin,

house after house falls down;

if Satan is divided against himself,

how can his realm stand?

You say I am casting out daemons by Beelzebul?

If I cast out daemons by Beelzebul,

by whom do your sons cast them out?

Thus they will be your judges.

But if it is by the finger of God that I cast daemons out,

then the Reign of God has reached you already. 21 When the strong man in armour guards his homestead, his property is undisturbed; 22 but when a stronger man attacks and conquers him, he seizes the panoply on which he relied and divides up the spoil.

He who is not with me is against me,

and he who does not gather with me scatters.

24 When an unclean spirit leaves a man, it roams through dry places in search of refreshment. As it finds none, then it says, "I will go back to the house I left," 25 and when it comes it finds the house clean and in order. 26 Then it goes off to fetch seven other spirits worse than itself; they go in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

27 While he was saying this, a woman shouted to him out of the crowd, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts you sucked!" 28 But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear and who observe the word of God!"

29 As the crowds were thronging to him, he proceeded to say,

"This is an evil generation: it demands a Sign,

but no Sign will be given to it except the Sign of Jonah;

for as Jonah was a Sign to the Ninivites,

so shall the Son of man be to this generation.

The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them;

for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here is One greater than Solomon.

The men of Ninive will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it;

for when Jonah preached they did repent,

and here is One greater than Jonah.

No one lights a lamp to put it in a cellar or under a bowl,

but on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

Your eye is the lamp of the body:

when your eye is sound, then the whole of your body has light,

but if your eye is diseased, then your body is darkened.

(Look! perhaps your very light is dark.) 36 So if your whole body has light, without any corner of it in darkness, it will be lit up entirely, as when a lamp lights you with its rays."

37 When he finished speaking, a Pharisee asked him to take a meal in his house; so he went in and lay down at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he had not washed before the meal, 39 but the Lord said to him,

"You Pharisees do clean the outside of the cup and the plate,

but your inner life is filled with rapacity and malice.

Foolish men! did not He who made the outside make the inside of things too?

Better cleanse what is within; then nothing will be unclean for you.

But woe to you Pharisees!

you tithe mint and rue and every vegetable,

but justice and the love of God you disregard; these latter you ought to have practised — without omitting the former.

Woe to you Pharisees!

you love the front bench in the synagogues

and salutations in the marketplaces.

Woe to you!

you are like unsuspected tombs;

men walk over them unawares."

45 One of the jurists said to him, "Teacher, when you say this you are insulting us as well." 46 He said,

"And woe to you jurists! you load men with irksome burdens,

and you will not put a single finger to their burdens.

Woe to you! you build tombs for the prophets whom your own fathers killed:

thus you testify and consent to what your fathers did, for they killed and you build. 49 This is why the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, some they will kill and some they will persecute"; 50 it was that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world might be charged upon this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah who was slain between the altar and the House of God — yes, I tell you, it will all be charged upon this generation.

Woe to you jurists! you have taken the key that unlocks the door of knowledge;

you have not entered yourselves,

and you have stopped those who were entering."

53 After he had gone away, the scribes and Pharisees commenced to follow him up closely and cross-question him on many points, 54 lying in ambush to catch a word from his lips.

12 Meanwhile as the crowd was gathering in its thousands till they trod on one another, he proceeded to say to his disciples first of all, "Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy,

Nothing is hidden that shall not be revealed,

or concealed that shall not be made known.

So all you utter in the dark will be heard in the light,

and what you whisper in chambers will be proclaimed on the housetops, 4 I tell you, my friends,

have no fear of those who kill the body but after that can do no more;

I will show you whom to fear--

fear Him who after he has killed has power to cast you into Gehenna.

Yes, I tell you, fear Him.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?

Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

But the very hairs on your head are all numbered;

fear not, you are worth far more than sparrows.

I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men,

the Son of man will acknowledge him before the angels of God;

and he who disowns me before men

will be disowned before the angels of God.

Everyone also who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven for it,

but he who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven.

11 When they bring you before synagogues and the magistrates and authorities, do not trouble yourselves about how to defend yourselves or what to say, 12 for the holy Spirit will teach you at that hour what you should say."

13 A man out of the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of our inheritance"; 14 but he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over your affairs?" 15 Then he said to them, "See and keep clear of covetousness in every shape and form, for a man's life is not part of his possessions because he has ample wealth." 16 And he told them a parable. "A rich man's estate bore heavy crops. 17 So he debated, "What am I to do? I have no room to store my crops." 18 And he said, "This is what I will do. I will pull down my granaries and build larger ones, where I can store all my produce and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample stores laid up for many a year; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."" 20 But God said to him, "Foolish man, this very night your soul is wanted; and who will get all you have prepared?" 21 So fares the man who lays up treasure for himself instead of gaining the riches of God."

To his disciples he said, "Therefore I tell you,

never trouble about what you are to eat in life,

nor about what you are to put on your body;

life is something more than food,

and the body is something more than clothes.

Look at the crows! they neither sow nor reap,

no storehouse or granary have they,

and yet God feeds them. How much more are you worth than birds?

Which of you can add an ell to his height by troubling about it?

and if you cannot manage even this, why trouble over other things?

Look how the lilies neither spin nor weave;

and yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his grandeur was never robed like one of them. 28 Now if God so clothes grass which blooms to-day in the field and is thrown to-morrow into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you? O men, how little you trust him! 29 So do not seek food and drink and be worried; 30 pagans make food and drink their aim in life, but your Father knows quite well you need that; 31 only seek his Realm, and it will be yours over and above. 32 Fear not, you little flock, for your Father is delighted to give you the Realm.

Sell what you possess and give it away in alms,

make purses for yourselves that never wear out:

get treasure in heaven that never fails,

that no thief can get at, no moth destroy.

For where your treasure lies,

your heart will lie there too.

35 Keep your loins girt and your lamps lit, 36 and be like men who are expecting their lord and master on his return from a marriage-banquet, so as to open the door for him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the lord and master finds awake when he comes! I tell you truly, he will gird himself, make them recline at table, and come forward to wait on them. 38 Whether he comes in the second or the third watch of the night and finds them thus alert, blessed are they! 39 Be sure that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 So be ready yourselves, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us, or is it for all and sundry?" 42 The Lord said, "Well, where is the trusty, thoughtful steward whom the lord and master will set over his establishment to give out supplies at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant if his lord and master finds him so doing when he arrives! 44 I tell you plainly, he will set him over all his property. 45 But if that servant says to himself, "My lord and master is long of arriving," and if he starts to beat the menservants and maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that servant's lord and master will arrive on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know; he will cut him in two and assign him the fate of unbelievers.

The servant who knew his lord and master's orders and did not prepare for them,

will receive many lashes;

whereas he who was ignorant and did what deserves a beating,

will receive few lashes.

He who has much given him

will have much required from him,

and he who has much entrusted to him

will have all the more demanded of him.

I have come to throw fire on earth.

Would it were kindled already!

I have a baptism to undergo--

what tension I suffer, till it is all over!

You think I am here to make peace on earth?

No, I tell you, it is dissension.

After this there will be five at issue in one house,

three divided against two and two against three,

father against son and son against father,

mother against daughter and daughter against mother,

mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." 54 To the crowds he said,

"When you see a cloud rise in the west,

you say, "There is a shower coming," and so it is:

when you feel the south wind blow,

you say, "There will be heat," and so it is.

You hypocrites, you know how to decipher the look of earth and sky;

how is it you cannot decipher the meaning of this era?

57 And why do you not yourselves settle what is right? 58 Thus, when you go before the magistrate with your opponent, do your utmost to get quit of him on the way there, in case he hales you before the judge; then the judge will hand you over to the jailer and the jailer will throw you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out till you pay the last farthing of your debt."

13 It was at this time that some people came to tell him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 But he replied to them,

"Do you think, because they suffered this, that these Galileans were worse sinners than the rest of the Galileans?

I tell you, no; unless you repent you will all perish as they did.

Or those eighteen men killed by the fall of the tower at Siloam?

do you think they were worse offenders than the rest of the residents in Jerusalem?

I tell you, no;

unless you repent you will all perish as they did." 6 And he told this parable. "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; he came in search of fruit on it but he found none. 7 So he said to the vinedresser, "Here have I come for three years in search of fruit on this fig tree without finding any; cut it down, why should it take up space?" 8 But the man replied, "Leave it for this year, sir, till I dig round about it and put in manure. 9 Then it may bear fruit next year. If not, you can have it cut down.""

10 When he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath, 11 there was a woman who for eighteen years had suffered weakness from an evil spirit; indeed she was bent double and quite unable to raise herself. 12 Jesus noticed her and called to her, "Woman, you are released from your weakness." 13 He laid his hands on her, and instantly she became erect and glorified God. 14 But the president of the synagogue was annoyed at Jesus healing on the sabbath, and he said to the crowd, "There are six days for work to be done; come during them to get healed, instead of on the sabbath." 15 The Lord replied to him, "You hypocrites, does not each of you untether his ox or ass from the stall on the sabbath and lead it away to drink? 16 And this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for all these eighteen years, was she not to be freed from her bondage on the sabbath?" 17 As he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, but all the crowd rejoiced over all his splendid doings, 18 he said,

"What is the Reign of God like?

to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard-seed which a man took and put into his orchard, where it grew up and became a tree, and the wild birds roosted in its branches." 20 He added, "To what shall I compare the Reign of God? 21 It is like dough which a woman took and buried in three pecks of flour, till all of it was leavened."

22 On he went, teaching from one town and village to another, as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 A man said to him, "Is it only a few, sir, who are saved?" So he said to them, 24 "Strive to get in through the narrow door, for I tell you many will try to get in and not be able, 25 once the master of the House has got up and closed the door. You may stand outside and knock at the door, crying, "Lord, open for us," but he will answer you, "I do not know where you come from." 26 You will then proceed to say, "But we ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets!" 27 "I tell you," he will say, "I do not know where you come from; begone everyone of you, you evildoers." 28 There you will wail and gnash your teeth, to see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets inside the Realm of God and yourselves put outside. 29 Yes, and people will come from east and west and north and south to their places at the feast within the Realm of God.

Some are last who will be first,

and some are first who will be last."

31 Just then some Pharisees came up to tell him, "Get away from here, for Herod intends to kill you." 32 "Go and tell that fox," he replied, "I cast out daemons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and on the third day I complete my task! 33 But I must journey on, to-day, to-morrow, and the next day; it would never do for a prophet to perish except in Jerusalem! 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, slaying the prophets and stoning those who have been sent to you! How often I would fain have gathered your children as a fowl gathers her brood under her wings! But you would not have it! 35 See, your House is left to yourselves. I tell you, you will never see me till the day comes when you say, Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name."

14 Now when he entered the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees to take a meal, they watched him closely. 2 In front of him there was a man who had dropsy; 3 so Jesus asked the jurists and Pharisees, "Is it right to heal on the sabbath or not?" 4 They held their peace. Then Jesus took hold of the man and cured him and sent him off. 5 "Which of you," he said to them, "when an ass or an ox has fallen into a well, will not pull him out at once upon the sabbath day?" 6 This they could not dispute.

7 He also told a parable to the guests, when he observed how they picked out the best places. 8 "When anyone invites you to a marriage-banquet," he said, "never lie down in the best place, in case a more distinguished guest than yourself has been invited; 9 then the host will tell you, "Make room for him," and you will proceed in shame to take the lowest place. 10 No, when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in he will tell you, "Move higher up, my friend." Then you will be honoured before your fellow guests.

For everyone who uplifts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be uplifted."

12 He also said to his host, "When you give a dinner or supper, do not ask your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbours, in case they invite you back again and you get repaid. 13 No, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed; for as they have no means of repaying you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

15 Hearing this, one of his fellow guests said to him, "Blessed is he who feasts in the Realm of God!" 16 Jesus said to him, "There was a man who was giving a large supper, to which he had invited a number of guests. 17 At the hour for supper he sent his servant to tell the guests, "Come, things are all ready." 18 But they all alike proceeded to decline. The first said to him, "I have bought a farm and I am obliged to go and look at it. Pray consider me excused." 19 The second said, "I have bought five pair of oxen and I am going to try them. Pray consider me excused." 20 Another said, "I have married a wife; that is why I cannot come." 21 The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house was enraged, and said to his servant, "Quick, go out to the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the maimed, the blind, and the lame." 22 When the servant announced, "Your order has been carried out, sir, but there is still room," 23 the master said to the servant, "Go out to the roads and hedges and make people come in, to fill up my house. 24 For I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.""

25 There were large crowds travelling with him; so he turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, aye and his own life,

he cannot be a disciple of mine;

whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me, he cannot be a disciple of mine. 28 For which of you wants to build a tower and does not first sit down to calculate the expense, to see if he has enough money to complete it? — 29 in case, after he has laid the foundation and then is unable to finish the building, all the spectators start to make fun of him, 30 saying, "This fellow started to build but he could not finish it." 31 Or what king sets out to fight against another king without first sitting down to deliberate whether with ten thousand men he can encounter the king who is attacking him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, when the other is still at a distance he will send an embassy to do homage to him.

So with everyone of you who will not part with all his goods--

he cannot be a disciple of mine.

34 Salt is excellent indeed: but if salt becomes insipid, what will restore its flavour? 35 It is no use for either soil or dunghill, it is flung out. He who has an ear let him listen to this."

15 Now the tax gatherers and sinners were all approaching him to listen to him, 2 but the Pharisees and the scribes complained, "He welcomes sinners and eats along with them!" 3 So he told them this parable, 4 "Which of you with a hundred sheep, if he loses one, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one till he finds it? 5 When he finds it he puts it on his shoulders with joy, 6 and when he gets home he gathers his friends and neighbours: "Rejoice with me," he says to them, "for I have found the sheep I lost." 7 So, I tell you, there will be joy in heaven over a single sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine good people who do not need to repent. 8 Or again, suppose a woman has ten shillings. If she loses one of them, does she not light a lamp and scour the house and search carefully till she finds it? 9 And when she finds it she gathers her women-friends and neighbours, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the shilling I lost." 10 So, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over a single sinner who repents."

11 He also said: "There was a man who had two sons, 12 and the younger said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me." So he divided his means among them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son sold off everything and went abroad to a distant land, where he squandered his means in loose living. 14 After he had spent his all, a severe famine set in throughout that land, and he began to feel in want; 15 so he went and attached himself to a citizen of that land, who sent him to his fields to feed swine. 16 And he was fain to fill his belly with the pods the swine were eating; no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses he said, "How many hired men of my father have more than enough to eat, and here am I perishing of hunger! 18 I will be up and off to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I don't deserve to be called your son any more; only make me like one of your hired men."" 20 So he got up and went off to his father. But when he was still far away his father saw him and felt pity for him and ran to fall upon his neck and kiss him. 21 The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I don't deserve to be called your son any more." 22 But the father said to his servants, "Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him, give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet, 23 and bring the fatted calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for my son here was dead and he has come to life, he was lost and he is found." So they began to make merry. 25 Now his elder son was out in the field, and as he came near the house he heard music and dancing; 26 so, summoning one of the servants, he asked what this meant. 27 The servant told him, "Your brother has arrived, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has got him back safe and sound." 28 This angered him, and he would not go in. His father came out and tried to appease him, 29 but he replied, "Look at all the years I have been serving you! I have never neglected any of your orders, and yet you have never given me so much as a kid, to let me make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours arrives, after having wasted your means with harlots, you kill the fatted calf for him!" 31 The father said to him, "My son, you and I are always together, all I have is yours. 32 We could not but make merry and rejoice, for your brother here was dead and has come to life again, he was lost but he has been found." "

16 He also said to the disciples: "There was a rich man who had a factor, and this factor, he found, was accused of misapplying his property. 2 So he summoned him and said, "What is this I hear about you? Hand in your accounts; you cannot be factor any longer." 3 The factor said to himself, "What am I to do, now that my master is taking the factorship away from me? I am too weak to dig, I am ashamed to beg. 4 Ah, I know what I will do, so that people will welcome me to their houses when I am deposed from the factorship." 5 So he summoned every single one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, "How much are you owing to my master?" 6 "A hundred barrels of oil," he said. The factor told him, "Here is your bill; sit down at once and enter fifty barrels." 7 Then he asked another, "And how much do you owe?" "A hundred quarters of wheat," he said. "Here is your bill," said the factor, "just enter eighty." 8 Well, the master praised the dishonest factor for looking ahead; for the children of this world look further ahead in dealing with their own generation than the children of Light. 9 And I tell you, use mammon, dishonest as it is, to make friends for yourselves, so that when you die they may welcome you to the eternal abodes.

He who is faithful with a trifle is also faithful with a large trust,

and he who is dishonest with a trifle is also dishonest with a large trust.

So, if you are not faithful with dishonest mammon,

how can you ever be trusted with true Riches?

And if you are not faithful with what belongs to another,

how can you ever be given what is your own?

No servant can serve two masters:

either he will hate the one and love the other,

or else he will stand by the one and despise the other--

you cannot serve both God and Mammon."

14 Now the Pharisees who were fond of money heard all this, and they sneered at him. 15 So he told them, "You are the people who get men to think you are good, but God knows what your hearts are! What is lofty in the view of man is loathsome in the eyes of God.

16 The Law and the prophets lasted till John; since then the good news of the Realm of God is preached, and anyone presses in. 17 Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for an iota of the Law to lapse.

Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery,

and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

19 There was a rich man, clad in purple and fine linen, who lived sumptuously every day. 20 Outside his door lay a poor man called Lazarus; he was a mass of ulcers, 21 and fain to eat up the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. (The very dogs used to come and lick his ulcers.) 22 Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man died too, and was buried. 23 And as he was being tortured in Hades he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus in his bosom; 24 so he called out, "Father Abraham, take pity on me, send Lazarus to dip his fingertip in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in these flames." 25 But Abraham said, "Remember, my son, you got all the bliss when you were alive, just as Lazarus got the ills of life; he is in comfort now, and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all that, a great gulf yawns between us and you, to keep back those who want to cross from us to you and also those who want to pass from you to us." 27 Then he said, "Well, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers; let him bear testimony to them, that they may not come to this place of torture as well." 29 "They have got Moses and the prophets," said Abraham, "they can listen to them." 30 "No, father Abraham," he said, "but if someone only goes to them from the dead, they will repent." 31 He said to him, "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, not even if one rose from the dead."

17 To his disciples he said, "It is inevitable that hindrances should come, but woe to the man by whom they come; 2 it would be well for him to have a millstone hung round his neck and be flung into the sea, rather than prove a hindrance to one of these little ones! 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins, check him, and if he repents forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in one day and turns to you seven times saying, "I repent," you must forgive him." 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith!" 6 The Lord said, "If you had faith the size of a grain of mustard-seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea," and it would obey you. 7 Which of you, with a servant out ploughing or shepherding, will say to him when he comes in from the field, "Come at once and take your place at table"? 8 Will the man not rather say to him, "Get some thing ready for my supper; gird yourself and wait on me till I eat and drink; then you can eat and drink yourself"? 9 Does he thank the servant for doing his bidding? 10 Well, it is the same with you; when you have done all you are bidden, say, "We are but servants; we have only done our duty." "

11 Now it happened in the course of his journey to Jerusalem that he passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 On entering one village he was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voice, saying, "Jesus, master, have pity on us." 14 Noticing them he said, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went away they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them turned back when he saw he was cured, glorifying God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus said, "Were all the ten not cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was there no one to return and give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19 And he said to him, "Get up and go, your faith has made you well."

20 On being asked by the Pharisees when the Reign of God was coming, he answered them, "The Reign of God is not coming as you hope to catch sight of it; 21 no one will say, "Here it is" or "There it is," for the Reign of God is now in your midst."

22 To his disciples he said, "There will come days when you will long and long in vain to have even one day of the Son of man. 23 Men will say, "See, here he is!" "See, there he is!" but do not go out or run after them,

for like lightning that flashes from one side of the sky to the other,

so will the Son of man be on his own day. 25 But he must first endure great suffering and be rejected by the present generation. 26 And just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man; 27 they were eating, drinking, marrying and being married, till the day Noah entered the ark — then came the deluge and destroyed them all. 28 Or just as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 So will it be on the day the Son of man is revealed. 31 On that day, if a man is on the housetop and his goods inside the house, he must not go down to fetch them out; nor must a man in the field turn back 32 (remember Lot's wife).

Whoever tries to secure his life will lose it,

and whoever loses it will preserve it.

On that night, I tell you,

there will be two men in the one bed, the one will be taken and the other left;

two women will be grinding together,

one will be taken and the other left." 37 They asked him, "Where, Lord?" And he said to them,

"Where the body is lying,

there the vultures will gather."

18 He also told them a parable about the need of always praying and never losing heart. 2 "In a certain town," he said, "there was a judge who had no reverence for God and no respect even for man. 3 And in that town there was a widow who used to go and appeal to him for "Justice against my opponent!" 4 For a while he would not, but afterwards he said to himself, "Though I have no reverence for God and no respect even for man, 5 still, as this widow is bothering me, I will see justice done to her — not to have her for ever coming and pestering me." 6 Listen," said the Lord, "to what this unjust judge says! 7 And will not God see justice done to his elect who cry to him by day and night? Will he be tolerant to their opponents? 8 I tell you, he will quickly see justice done to his elect! And yet, when the Son of man does come, will he find faith on earth?"

9 He also told the following parable to certain persons who were sure of their own goodness and looked down upon everybody else. 10 "Two men went up to pray in the temple; one was a Pharisee and the other was a taxgatherer. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed by himself as follows; "I thank thee, O God, I am not like the rest of men, thieves, rogues, and immoral, or even like yon taxgatherer. 12 Twice a week I fast; on all my income I pay tithes." 13 But the taxgatherer stood far away and would not lift even his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "O God, have mercy on me for my sins!" 14 I tell you, he went home accepted by God rather than the other man;

for everyone who uplifts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be uplifted." 15 Now people even brought their infants for him to touch them; when the disciples noticed it they checked them, 16 but Jesus called for the infants. "Let the children come to me," he said, "do not stop them: the Realm of God belongs to such as these. 17 I tell you truly, whoever will not submit to the Reign of God like a child will never get into it at all."

18 Then a ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what am I to do to inherit life eternal?" 19 Jesus said to him, "Why call me "good"? No one is good, no one but God. 20 You know the commands: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honour your father and mother." 21 He said, "I have observed all these commands from my youth." 22 When Jesus heard this he said to him, "You lack one thing more; sell all you have, distribute the money among the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me." 23 But when he heard that, he was vexed, for he was extremely rich. 24 So Jesus looked at him and said, "How difficult it is for those who have money to enter the Realm of God! 25 Why, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the Realm of God." 26 His hearers said, "Then whoever can be saved?" 27 He said, "What is impossible for men is possible for God." 28 Peter said, "Well, we have left our homes and followed you!" 29 He said to them, "I tell you truly, no one has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Realm of God, 30 who does not receive ever so much more in this present world, and in the world to come life eternal."

31 Then he took the twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and all the predictions of the prophets regarding the Son of man will be fulfilled; 32 he will be betrayed to the Gentiles, mocked, illtreated, and spat on; 33 they will scourge him and kill him, but he will rise again on the third day." 34 However, they did not understand a word of this; indeed the saying was hidden from them, and they did not know what he meant.

35 As he approached Jericho, it chanced that a blind man was seated beside the road begging. 36 When he heard the crowd passing he inquired what was the matter, 37 and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 38 So he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" 39 The people in front checked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!" 40 So Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring him, and asked him when he approached, 41 "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to regain my sight." 42 And Jesus said to him, "Regain your sight, your faith has made you well." 43 Instantly he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people gave praise to God when they saw this.

19 Then he entered Jericho. And as he passed through it, 2 there was a man called Zacchaeus, the head of the taxgatherers, a wealthy man, 3 who tried to see what Jesus was like; but he could not, on account of the crowd — for he was small of stature. 4 So he ran forward and climbed into a sycomore tree to get a sight of him, as he was to pass that road. 5 But when Jesus reached the spot he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down at once, for I must stay at your house to-day." 6 He came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 But when they saw this, everyone began to mutter that he had gone to be the guest of a sinner. 8 So Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, "I will give the half of all I have, Lord, to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will give him back four times as much." 9 And Jesus said of him, "To-day salvation has come to this house, since Zacchaeus here is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man has come to seek and save the lost."

11 He went on to tell a parable in their hearing, as he was approaching Jerusalem and as they imagined God's Reign would instantly come into view. 12 "A nobleman," he said, "went abroad to obtain royal power for himself and then return. 13 He first called his ten servants, giving them each a five-pound note, and telling them, "Trade with this till I come back." 14 Now his people hated him and sent envoys after him to say, "We object to him having royal power over us." 15 However he secured the royal power and came home. Then he ordered the servants to be called who had been given the money, that he might find out what business they had done. 16 The first came up saying, "Your five pounds has made other fifty, sir." 17 "Capital," he said, "you excellent servant! because you have proved trustworthy in a trifle, you are placed over ten towns." 18 Then the second came and said, "Your five pounds has made twenty-five, sir." 19 To him he said, "And you are set over five towns." 20 Then the next came and said, "Here is your five pounds, sir; I kept it safe in a napkin, 21 for I was afraid of you, you are such a hard man — picking up what you never put down, and reaping what you never sowed." 22 He replied, "You rascal of a servant, I will convict you by what you have said yourself. You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, picking up what I never put down, and reaping what I never sowed! 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank, so that I could have got it with interest when I came back?" 24 Then he said to the bystanders, "Take the five pounds from him and give it to the man with fifty." 25 "Sir," they said, "he has fifty already!" 26 "I tell you,

to everyone who has shall more be given,

but from him who has nothing, even what he has shall be taken. 27 And now for these enemies of mine who objected to me reigning over them — bring them here and slay them in my presence." "

28 With these words he went forward on his way up to Jerusalem. 29 When he was near Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Olive-Orchard, he despatched two of his disciples, 30 saying, "Go to the village in front, and on entering it you will find a colt tethered on which no one ever has sat; untether it and bring it. 31 If anyone asks you, "Why are you untethering it?" this is what you will say, "The Lord needs it."" 32 The messengers went off and found the colt exactly as he had told them. 33 As they were untethering it, the owners said to them, "Why are you untethering the colt?" 34 And they said, "Because the Lord needs it." 35 So they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their clothes on the colt they mounted Jesus upon it. 36 As he went forward they spread their clothes under him on the road; 37 and as he was now close to the descent from the Hill of Olives, all the multitude of the disciples started joyfully to praise God with a loud voice for all they had seen, 38 saying,

"Blessed be the king who comes in the Lord's name!

Peace in heaven and glory in the High places!" 39 Some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Check your disciples, teacher." 40 But he replied, "I tell you, if they were to keep quiet, the very stones would shout."

41 And when he saw the city, as he approached, he wept over it, 42 saying, "Would that you too knew even to-day on what your peace depends! But no, it is hidden from you! 43 A time is coming for you when your enemies will throw up ramparts round you and encircle you and besiege you on every side 44 and raze you and your children within you to the ground, leaving not one stone upon another within you — and all because you would not understand when God was visiting you."

45 Then he went into the temple and proceeded to drive out those who were selling. 46 "It is written," he told them, "my house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers."

47 Day after day he taught within the temple. The high priests and scribes tried to have him put to death, and so did the leaders of the people, 48 but they could not discover what was to be done, for the whole of the people hung upon his lips.

20 One day, when he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, up came the priests and scribes along with the elders. 2 "Tell us," they said, "what authority you have for acting in this way? Who was it that gave you this authority?" 3 He answered them, "Well, I will ask you a question. Tell me, 4 did the baptism of John come from heaven or from men?" 5 Now they reasoned to themselves, "If we say, "From heaven," he will ask, "Why did you not believe him?" 6 And if we say, "From men," the whole of the people will stone us, for they are convinced John was a prophet." 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 Jesus said to them, "No more will I tell you what authority I have for acting as I do."

9 Then he proceeded to tell the people the following parable. "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went abroad for some time. 10 When the season came round he sent a servant to the vine dressers to receive part of the produce of the vineyard, but the vinedressers flogged him and sent him off with nothing. 11 He proceeded to send another servant, and they flogged him too, insulted him and sent him off with nothing. 12 Then he sent still a third, but this one they wounded and threw outside. 13 Said the owner of the vineyard, "What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him." 14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they argued to themselves, "Here is the heir, let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours." 15 And they threw him outside the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill these vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." When they heard that, they said, "God forbid!" 17 But he looked at them and said, "Then what does this scripture mean?--

The stone that the builders rejected

is the chief stone now of the corner.

Everyone who falls on that stone will be shattered,

and whoever it falls upon will be crushed." 19 At that hour the scribes and high priests tried to lay hands on him, but they were afraid of the people. They knew he had meant this parable for them. 20 So watching their chance they sent spies who pretended to be honest persons, in order to seize on what he said and get him handed over to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 They put this question to him, "Teacher, we know you are straight in what you say and teach, you do not look to human favour but teach the Way of God honestly. 22 Is it right for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?" 23 But he noted their knavery and said to them, 24 "Show me a shilling. Whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they replied. 25 "Well then," he said to them, "give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God." 26 So they could not seize on what he said before the people, and marvelling at his reply they said nothing.

27 Some of the Sadducees came up, who deny any resurrection, and put a question to him. 28 "Teacher," they said, "Moses has written this law for us, that if a man's married brother dies and is childless, his brother is to take the woman and raise offspring for his brother. 29 Well, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife and died childless. 30 The second 31 and the third took her, as indeed all the seven did, dying and leaving no children. 32 Afterwards the woman died too. 33 Now at the resurrection whose wife will she be? She was wife to the seven of them." 34 Jesus said to them, "People in this world marry and are married, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain yonder world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are married, 36 for they cannot die any more; they are equal to angels and by sharing in the resurrection they are sons of God. 37 And that the dead are raised has been indicated by Moses in the passage on the Bush, when he calls the Lord 'God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob.' 38 God is not a God of dead people but of living, for all live to him."

39 Some of the scribes declared, "Teacher, that was a fine answer!" 40 They no longer dared to put any question to him. 41 But he said to them, "How can people say that the Christ is David's son? 42 Why, David himself says in the book of psalms,

The Lord said to my Lord,

"Sit at my right hand,

till I make your enemies a

footstool for your feet." 44 David then calls him Lord. So how can he be his son?" 45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 "Beware of the scribes! They like to walk about in long robes, they are fond of getting saluted in the market-places, of securing the front seats in the synagogues and the best places at banquets; 47 they prey upon the property of widows and offer long unreal prayers. All the heavier will their sentence be!"

21 Looking up he saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and noticed a poor widow putting two little coins in. 3 He said, "I tell you plainly, this poor widow has put in more than them all; 4 for these people all contributed out of their surplus, but she has given out of her neediness all her living."

5 Some were speaking of the temple with its ornamentation of splendid stones and votive gifts, but he said, 6 "As for what you see, there are days coming when not a stone will be left upon another, without being torn down." 7 So they asked him, "Teacher, and when will this happen? What will be the sign for this to take place?" 8 He said, "Take care that you are not misled; for many will come in my name saying, "I am he" and "the time is near" — do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be scared; these have to come first, but the end is not at once." 10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and realm against realm, 11 there will be great earthquakes with famine and pestilence here and there, there will be awful portents and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all that, men will lay hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons; you will be dragged before kings and governors for the sake of my name. 13 That will turn out an opportunity for you to bear witness. 14 So resolve to yourselves that you will not rehearse your defence beforehand, 15 for I will give you words and wisdom that not one of your opponents will be able to meet or refute. 16 You will be betrayed by your very parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you will be put to death. 17 You will be hated by all on account of my name; 18 but not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Hold out stedfast and you win your souls.

20 But whenever you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then be sure her desolation is not far away. 21 Then let those who are in Judaea fly to the hills, let those who are in the city escape, and let not those who are in the country come in to the city; 22 for these are the days of the divine Vengeance, in fulfilment of all that is written in scripture. 23 Woe to women with child and to women who give suck in those days, for sore anguish will come upon the land and Wrath on this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword, they will be carried prisoners to all nations, and Jerusalem will be under the heel of the Gentiles till the period of the Gentiles expires. 25 And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, while on earth the nations will be in dismay with bewilderment at the roar of sea and waves, 26 men swooning with panic and foreboding of what is to befall the universe. For the orbs of the heavens will be shaken, 27 and then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to happen, look up and raise your heads, for your release is not far distant."

29 And he told them a parable. "Look at the fig tree and indeed all the trees; 30 as soon as they put out their leaves, you can see for yourselves that summer is at hand. 31 So, whenever you see all this happen, be sure the Reign of God is at hand.

32 I tell you truly, the present generation will not pass away till all this happens. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words never.

34 Take heed to yourselves in case your hearts get overpowered by dissipation and drunkenness and worldly anxieties, and so that Day catches you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all dwellers on the face of all the earth. 36 From hour to hour keep awake, praying that you may succeed in escaping all these dangers to come and in standing before the Son of man."

37 By day he taught in the temple, but at night he went outside the city and passed the night on the hill called the Olive-Orchard. 38 And all the people used to come early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.

22 Now the feast of unleavened bread which is called the passover was near. 2 The high priests and scribes were trying how to get him put to death (for they were afraid of the people), 3 and Satan entered Judas called Iscariot, a member of the twelve, 4 who went off to discuss with the high priests and commanders how he could betray him to them. 5 They were delighted and agreed to pay him for it. 6 He assented to this and sought a good opportunity for betraying him to them in the absence of the crowd.

7 Then came the day of unleavened bread when the paschal lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus despatched Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the passover for us that we may eat it." 9 They asked him, "Where do you want us to prepare it?" 10 He said to them, "When you enter the city you will meet a man carrying a water-jar: follow him to the house he enters, 11 and tell the owner of the house, "The Teacher asks you, Where is the room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?" 12 Then he will show you a large room upstairs with couches spread; make your preparations there." 13 They went off and found it was as he had told them. So they prepared the passover, 14 and when the hour came he took his place, with the apostles beside him. 15 He said to them, "I have longed eagerly to eat this passover with you before I suffer, 16 for I tell you I will never eat the passover again till the fulfilment of it in the Reign of God." 17 And he took a cup which was handed to him, gave thanks to God and said, "Take this and distribute it among yourselves, 18 for I tell you I will never drink the produce of the vine again till such time as God's Reign comes." 19 Then he took a loaf, and after thanking God he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This means my body given up for your sake; do this in memory of me." 20 So too he gave them the cup after supper, saying, "This cup means the new covenant ratified by my blood shed for your sake. 21 But the hand of my betrayer is on the table beside me! 22 The Son of man moves to his end indeed as it has been decreed, but woe to the man by whom he is betrayed!" 23 And they began to discuss among themselves which of them could possibly be going to do such a thing. 24 A quarrel also rose among them as to which of them could be considered the greatest. 25 But Jesus said to them,

"The kings of the Gentiles rule over them,

and their authorities take the name of "Benefactor":

not so with you.

He who is greatest among you must be like the youngest,

and he who is chief like a servant.

Which is the greater, guest or servant? Is it not the guest?

But I am among you as a servant.

28 It is you who have stood by me through my trials; 29 so, even as my Father has assigned me royal power, 30 I assign you the right of eating and drinking at my table in my Realm and of sitting on thrones to rule the twelve tribes of Israel.

31 Simon, Simon, Satan has claimed the right to sift you all like wheat, 32 but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And you in turn must be a strength to your brothers." 33 "Lord," he said, "I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." 34 Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow to-day before you have three times denied that you know me."

35 He said to them, "When I sent you out with neither purse nor wallet nor sandals, did you want for anything?" "No," they said, "for nothing." 36 Then he said to them, "But he who has a purse must take it now, and the same with a wallet; and he who has no sword must sell his coat and buy one. 37 For I tell you, this word of scripture must be fulfilled in me: he was classed among criminals. Yes, there is an end to all that refers to me." 38 "Lord," they said, "here are two swords!" "Enough! Enough!" he answered.

39 Then he went outside and made his way to the Hill of Olives, as he was accustomed. The disciples followed him, 40 and when he reached the spot he said to them, "Pray that you may not slip into temptation." 41 He withdrew about a stone's throw and knelt in prayer, 42 saying, "Father, if it please thee, take this cup away from me. But thy will, not mine, be done." 43 [And an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him; 44 he fell into an agony and prayed with greater intensity, his sweat dropping to the ground like clots of blood.] 45 Then rising from prayer he went to the disciples, only to find them asleep from sheer sorrow. 46 He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not slip into temptation." 47 While he was still speaking, there came a mob headed by the man called Judas, one of the twelve. He approached in order to kiss Jesus, 48 but Jesus said to him, "Judas! would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?" 49 Now when the supporters of Jesus saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with our swords?" 50 And one of them did strike the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51 Jesus said, "Let me do this at least," and cured him by touching his ear. 52 Then he said to the high priests and commanders of the temple and elders who had appeared to take him, "Have you sallied out to arrest me like a robber, with swords and cudgels? 53 Day after day I was beside you in the temple, and you never stretched a hand against me. But this is your hour, and the dark Power has its way."

54 Then they arrested him and led him away inside the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance 55 and sat down among some people who had lit a fire in the courtyard and were sitting round it. 56 A maidservant who noticed him sitting by the fire took a long look at him and said, "That fellow was with him too." 57 But he disowned him, saying, "Woman, I know nothing about him." 58 Shortly afterwards another man noticed him and said, "Why, you are one of them!" "Man," said Peter, "I am not." 59 About an hour had passed when another man insisted, "That fellow really was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!" 60 "Man," said Peter, "I do not know what you mean." Instantly, just as he was speaking, the cock crowed; 61 the Lord turned round and looked at Peter, and then Peter remembered what the Lord had told him, that Before cock-crow to-day you will disown me three times. 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

63 Meantime the men who had Jesus in custody flogged him and made fun of him; 64 blindfolding him they would ask him, "Prophesy, tell us who struck you?" 65 And many another insult they uttered against him.

66 When day broke, the elders of the people all met along with the high priests and scribes, and had him brought before their Sanhedrin. They said to him, 67 "Tell us if you are the Christ." He said to them, "You will not believe me if I tell you, 68 and you will not answer me when I put a question to you. 69 But after this the Son of man will be seated at God's right hand of power." 70 "Are you the Son of God then?" they all said. "Certainly," he replied, "I am." 71 So they said, "What more evidence do we need? We have heard it from his own lips."

23 Then the whole body of them rose and led him to Pilate. 2 They proceeded to accuse him, saying, "We have discovered this fellow perverting our nation, forbidding tribute being paid to Caesar, and alleging he is king messiah." 3 Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He replied, "Certainly." 4 And Pilate said to the high priests and the crowds, "I cannot find anything criminal about him." 5 But they insisted, "He stirs up the people by teaching all over Judaea. He started from Galilee and now he is here." 6 When Pilate heard that, he asked if the man was a Galilean, 7 and ascertaining that he came under the jurisdiction of Herod, he remitted him to Herod, who himself was in Jerusalem during those days.

8 Herod was greatly delighted to see Jesus; he had long wanted to see him, because he had heard about him and also because he hoped to see him perform some miracle. 9 But though he put many questions to him, Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Meanwhile the high priests and scribes stood and accused him with might and main. 11 Then Herod and his troops scoffed at him and made fun of him, and after arraying him in a bright robe he remitted him to Pilate. 12 Herod and Pilate became friends that day — previously they had been at enmity.

13 Then summoning the high priests and rulers and the people, 14 Pilate said to them, "You brought me this man as being an inciter to rebellion among the people. I have examined him before you and found nothing criminal about him, for all your accusations against him. 15 No, nor has Herod, for he has remitted him to us. He has done nothing, you see, that calls for death; 16 so I shall release him with a whipping." 18 But they shouted one and all, "Away with him! Release Bar-Abbas for us!" 19 (This was a man who had been put into prison on account of a riot which had taken place in the city and also on a charge of murder.) 20 Again Pilate addressed them, for he wanted to release Jesus, 21 but they roared, "To the cross, to the cross with him!" 22 He asked them a third time, "But what crime has he committed? I have found nothing about him that deserves death; so I shall release him with a whipping." 23 But they loudly urged their demand that he should be crucified, and their shouts carried the day. 24 Pilate gave sentence that their demand was to be carried out; 25 he released the man they wanted, the man who had been imprisoned for riot and murder, and Jesus he handed over to their will.

26 As they led him off they caught hold of Simon a Cyrenian on his way from the country and laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus. 27 He was followed by a large multitude of the people and also of women who beat their breasts and lamented him; 28 but Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children! 29 For there are days coming when the cry will be,

"Blessed are the barren,

the wombs that never have borne

and the breasts that never have suckled!"

Then will people say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us."

For if this is what they do when the wood is green,

what will they do when the wood is dry?"

32 Two criminals were also led out with him to be executed, 33 and when they came to the place called The Skull they crucified him there along with the criminals, one at his right and one at his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." Then they distributed his clothes among themselves by drawing lots. 35 The people stood and looked on, and even the rulers sneered at him, saying, "He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!" 36 The soldiers made fun of him too by coming up and handing him vinegar, 37 saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." 38 (For there was an inscription over him in Greek and Latin and Hebrew characters, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ) 39 One of the criminals who had been hung also abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well." 40 But the other checked him, saying, "Have you no fear even of God? You are suffering the same punishment as he. 41 And we suffer justly; we are getting what we deserve for our deeds. But he has done no harm." 42 And he added, "Jesus, do not forget me when you come to reign." 43 "I tell you truly," said Jesus, "you will be in paradise with me this very day."

44 By this time it was about twelve o'clock, and darkness covered the whole land till three o'clock, 45 owing to an eclipse of the sun; the curtain in the middle of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then with a loud cry Jesus said, "Father, I trust my spirit to thy hands," and with these words he expired. 47 When the army-captain saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "This man was really innocent." 48 And when all the crowds who had collected for the sight saw what had happened, they turned away beating their breasts. 49 As for his acquaintances, they were all standing at a distance to look on, with the women who had accompanied him from Galilee.

50 Now there was a man called Joseph, a member of council but a good and just man 51 who had not voted for their plan of action; he belonged to Arimathaea, a Jewish town, and he was on the outlook for the Reign of God. 52 This Joseph went to Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus. 53 He then took it down, wrapped it in linen, and put it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had yet been buried.

54 It was the day of the Preparation and the sabbath was just dawning. 55 So the women who had accompanied him from Galilee and who had followed Joseph, noted the tomb and the position of the body; 56 then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. 24 On the sabbath they rested in obedience to God's command, but on the first day of the week at early dawn they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 The boulder they found rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went inside they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They were puzzling over this, when two men flashed on them in dazzling raiment. 5 They were terrified and bent their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look among the dead for him who is alive? 6 He is not here, he has risen. Remember how he told you when he was still in Galilee 7 that the Son of man had to be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and rise on the third day." 8 Then they remembered what he had said, 9 and turning away from the tomb they reported all this to the eleven and all the others. 10 (It was Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James who with the rest of the women told this to the apostles.) 11 But this story of the women seemed in their opinion to be nonsense; they would not believe them. 12 Peter did get up and run to the tomb, but when he looked in he saw nothing except the linen bandages; so he went away home wondering what had happened.

13 That very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were conversing about all these events, 15 and during their conversation and discussion Jesus himself approached and walked beside them, 16 though they were prevented from recognizing him. 17 He said to them, "What is all this you are debating on your walk?" They stopped, looking downcast, 18 and one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, "Are you a lone stranger in Jerusalem, not to know what has been happening there?" 19 "What is that?" he said to them. They replied, "All about Jesus of Nazaret! To God and all the people he was a prophet strong in action and utterance, 20 but the high priests and our rulers delivered him up to be sentenced to death and crucified him. 21 Our own hope was that he would be the redeemer of Israel; but he is dead, and that is three days ago! 22 Though some women of our number gave us a surprise; they were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and could not find his body, but they came to tell us they had actually seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. 24 Some of our company did go to the tomb and found things exactly as the women had said, but they did not see him." 25 He said to them, "O foolish men, with hearts so slow to believe, after all the prophets have declared! 26 Had not the Christ to suffer thus and so enter his glory?" 27 Then he began with Moses and all the prophets and interpreted to them the passages referring to himself throughout the scriptures. 28 Now they approached the village to which they were going. He pretended to be going further on, 29 but they pressed him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting towards evening and the day has now declined." So he went in to stay with them. 30 And as he lay at table with them he took the loaf, blessed it, broke it and handed it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, "Did not our hearts glow within us when he was talking to us on the road, opening up the scriptures for us?" 33 So they got up and returned that very hour to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven and their friends all gathered, 34 who told them that the Lord had really risen and that he had appeared to Simon. 35 Then they related their own experience on the road and how they had recognized him when he broke the loaf. 36 Just as they were speaking He stood among them [and said to them, "Peace to you!"] 37 They were scared and terrified, imagining it was a ghost they saw; 38 but he said to them, "Why are you upset? Why do doubts invade your mind? 39 Look at my hands and feet. It is I! Feel me and see; a ghost has not flesh and bones as you see I have." 40 [With these words he showed them his hands and feet.] 41 Even yet they could not believe it for sheer joy; they were lost in wonder. So he said to them, "Have you any food here?" 42 And when they handed him a piece of broiled fish, 43 he took and ate it in their presence. 44 Then he said to them, "When I was still with you, this is what I told you, that whatever is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. 46 "Thus," he said, "it is written that the Christ has to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and the remission of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 To this you must bear testimony. 49 And I will send down on you what my Father has promised; wait in the city till you are endued with power from on high." 50 He led them out as far as Bethany; then, lifting his hands, he blessed them. 51 And as he blessed them he parted from them [and was carried up to heaven]. 52 They [worshipped him and] returned with great joy to Jerusalem, 53 where they spent all their time within the temple, blessing God.