Open English Translation LUKE Chapter 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Tell me, teacher,” he replied.

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

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

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

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

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

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