Open English Translation LUKE Chapter 6

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

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

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

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

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

20 Then looking up at his followers, he said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

43 “A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit, 44 [ref]but each tree is recognised by the fruit it produces. You don’t pick figs from thistles or pick grapes from thorn bushes. 45 [ref]A good person produces good deeds as a result of all the good things inside them, and an evil person produces evil deeds as a result of the evil inside, because what comes out of your mouth originates in your mind.

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