Luke 1:1-4

Luke told Theophilus why he was writing about all that Jesus did.

12 1-2My noble friend Theophilus, many people saw the things that Jesus did while he was with us, from the time when he started [MTY] his ministry. They served God by teaching people the message about the Lord Jesus. Many of those who heard what they taught wrote down for us accounts of the things that Jesus did from the time when he began his ministry. 3 I myself have studied these accounts carefully. So I decided that it would be good for me also to write for you (sg) an accurate account of these matters. 4 I want you to know the truth about what you have been taught {what others have taught you}.

An angel told Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son, John.

Luke 1:5-25

5 When King Herod the Great ruled Judea district, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He belonged to the group of priests called the Abijah group. He and his wife Elizabeth were both descended from the first priest of Israel, Aaron. 6 God considered that both of them were righteous, because they constantly completely obeyed everything that God had commanded. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth had been unable to bear children. Furthermore, she and her husband were very old.

8 One day Zechariah’s group was doing their work in the Temple in Jerusalem, and he was serving as a priest in God’s presence. 9 Following their custom, the other priests chose him by lot to enter the Lord’s temple and burn incense. 10 While he was burning the incense, many people were outside in the courtyard, praying. 11 Then an angel whom God had sent appeared to him. The angel was standing at the right side of the place where the priests burned incense. 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and became very afraid. 13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, do not be afraid! When you (sg) prayed asking God for a son (OR, that God would send the Messiah), God heard what you prayed. So your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son. You must name him John. 14 He will cause you to be very happy, and many other people will also be happy because he is born. 15 God will consider him to be very important. He must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, in order that he will be completely dedicated to God. He will be controlled by the Holy Spirit {The Holy Spirit will control him} from before he is born. 16 He will persuade many people in Israel to turn away from their sins and please the Lord their God. 17 As God’s Spirit enables him to preach powerfully as the prophet Elijah did, he will precede the Messiah. He will cause parents [SYN] to act peacefully toward their children again. He will cause many people who do not obey God to hear and obey the wise things that righteous people tell them. He will do this in order to help many people to be ready when the Lord comes.”

18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, “I am very old, and my wife is also so old that she cannot bear a child. So ◄I cannot believe that what you (sg) said will happen!/how can I believe that what you (sg) said will happen?► [RHQ]”

19 Then the angel said to him, “I am God’s chief angel, Gabriel! I do what God tells me, because I constantly am in God’s presence! I was sent {He sent me} to tell you (sg) something good that is going to happen to you. 20 What I have told you will certainly happen at the time God decides, but you did not believe what I told you. So now God will make you will be unable to talk until the day your son is born”!

21 While Zechariah and the angel were talking, the people in the courtyard were waiting for Zechariah to come out. They wondered, “Why is he staying in the Temple for such a long time?” 22 When Zechariah came out, he was not able to speak to the people. Because he could not talk, he made motions with his hands to try to convey what had happened. Then they realized that he had seen ◄a vision from God/something that God showed him► while he was in the Temple.

23 When Zechariah’s time to work as a priest in the Temple was finished, he left Jerusalem and returned to his home.

24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant [EUP]. She did not leave their house for five months, because she knew that people would laugh at her if she told them that she was pregnant. 25 But she thought, “God has enabled me to become pregnant. He has pitied me and I will no longer be ashamed because I have no children!”

An angel told a virgin named Mary that she would bear a son, to be named Jesus.

Luke 1:26-38

26 When Elizabeth had been pregnant [EUP] for almost six months, the angel Gabriel was sent by God {God sent the angel Gabriel} again. 27 This time he went to Nazareth town in Galilee district, to a virgin whose name was Mary. It had been {Her parents had} promised that she would marry a man named Joseph, who was descended from King David. 28 The angel greeted her and said, “◄The Lord/God► is with you (sg) and you will be greatly blessed {has decided to greatly bless you}!” 29 But Mary was very confused when she heard that. She wondered what the angel meant by these words. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Mary, God is very pleased with you (sg), so do not be afraid. 31 You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. 32 He will become great. He will be called {People will call him} ◄the Son of God/the man who is also God►. God, the Lord, will make him a king [MTY] as his ancestor King David was. 33 He will be the King of the Jews, the descendants [MTY] of your ancestor Jacob, forever. He will rule as king forever!”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin, so how can I have a baby?” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come to you; the power of God [MTY/EUP] will overshadow you and enable you to become pregnant. So the child you will bear will be completely set apart {give himself completely} to obey God, and he will be called {people will say that he is} ◄the Son of God/the man who is also God►. 36 I also need to tell you something else. Your cousin Elizabeth is very old, and it was thought {people said} that she could not bear any children. But she has been pregnant [EUP] for almost six months, and will bear a son! 37 You should not be surprised at that, because God can do everything!” 38 Then Mary said, “All right, I want to serve ◄the Lord/God►, so may what you (sg) have said about me come true!” Then the angel left her.

Mary visited Elizabeth.

Luke 1:39-45

39 Very soon after that, Mary got ready and went quickly to a town in the highlands of Judea district where Zechariah lived. 40 She entered his house and greeted his wife Elizabeth. 41 As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary greet her, the baby moved inside Elizabeth’s womb. The Holy Spirit took complete control of Elizabeth, 42 and she said loudly to Mary, “God has blessed you more than he has blessed any other woman, and he has blessed the child you will bear! 43 ◄I am not worthy that God would allow you to visit me!/Why is God allowing you to visit me?► [RHQ] You will be the mother of my Lord! 44 I realize this because as soon as I heard you greet me, the baby inside my womb moved because he was so happy that you had come. 45 God is pleased with you because you believed that what ◄the Lord/God► told you would come true.”

Mary praised God.

Luke 1:46-56

46 Then Mary praised God by saying/singing:

“, how I [SYN] praise ◄the Lord/God►!

47 I am happy because God is the one who saves me.

48 I was only his lowly servant girl, but he did not forget me.

So from now on, everyone will say that God was pleased with me,

49 because they will hear about the things that God [MTY], the mighty one, has done for me.

He [MTY] is awesome!

50 He acts mercifully toward all those who respect him.

51 He shows people that he [MTY] is very powerful. He scatters those who think proudly.

52 He does not let mighty kings rule [MTY] any more, but he honors people who are oppressed (OR, humble).

53 He gives good things to eat to those who are hungry, but he sends away the rich people without giving them anything.

54-55 54-55He promised to Abraham and all our other ancestors who descended from him that he would act mercifully toward them forever.

And now he has remembered what he promised.

So he has helped me and all the other people of [MTY] Israel who serve him.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.

What happened when John was born.

Luke 1:57-66

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth to her child, she bore a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how ◄the Lord/God► had greatly blessed her by enabling her to bear a child, so they were happy along with Elizabeth. 59 Seven days later they gathered together for the ceremony for circumcising the baby to show that he belonged to God. They wanted to give the baby the same name as his father, Zechariah. 60 But his mother said, “No, his name will not be Zechariah. His name will be John!” 61 So they said to her, “John is not the name of any of your (dl) relatives, so you(dl) should not give him that name!” 62 Then they made motions with their hands to Zechariah, for him to indicate what name he wanted to be given {to give} to his son. 63 So he signaled that they should give him a tablet to write on. When they gave him one, he wrote on it, “His name is John.” All those who were there were surprised! 64 Immediately Zechariah was able to speak again [MTY], and he praised God. 65 All their neighbors were amazed/awestruck! They told other people who lived all over the highlands of Judea about what had happened. 66 Everyone who heard about it kept thinking about it. They were saying, “We wonder what will this child do for God when he grows up [RHQ]!” They wondered that because from what had happened they were sure that God would be helping that child [SYN] in a powerful way.

Zechariah praised God and predicted what his son would do.

Luke 1:67-80

67 After Zechariah’s son was born, Zechariah was completely directed by the Holy Spirit {the Holy Spirit completely directed Zechariah} as he spoke these words that came from God:

68 “Praise the Lord, the God whom we(inc) people of Israel worship,

because he has come to set us, his people, free from our enemies.

69 He is sending us someone who will powerfully [MTY] save us,

someone who is descended from [MTY] King David,

who served God well.

70 Long ago God caused his prophets to say that he would do that.

71 He will rescue us from our enemies,

and he will save us from the power of all those who hate us.

72 He will do this because he has not forgotten what he promised our ancestors;

he made an agreement that he would act mercifully to us, their descendants.

73 That is what he strongly promised our ancestor Abraham that he would do.

74 God told him that we would be rescued {he would rescue us} from the power of our enemies,

that he would enable us to serve him without being afraid,

75 that he would cause us to be completely dedicated to him,

and enable us to live righteously all of our lives.”

76 Then Zechariah said this to his little son:

“My child, you will be called {people will say that you are} a prophet

whom God [MTY/EUP] has sent;

you will begin your work before ◄the Lord/Messiah► comes;

you will prepare people so that they will be ready for him.

(OR, you will begin your work before the Messiah comes).

77 You will tell God’s people how he will forgive them and save them from being punished for their sins.

78 Our God will do that because he is very kind to us.

Just like a new day begins when the sun rises [MET],

God will do that new thing for us when the Messiah comes to us from heaven.

79 People who do not know God [MET] are like those who sit in the darkness.

They are afraid [MTY] that they will soon die.

But when the Messiah tells us God’s message,

it will be like causing such people to see a bright light.

He will guide us [SYN] so that we will be living peacefully.”

80 Later, Zechariah’s son grew up and became spiritually strong. Then he lived in a desolate region until he began to preach to the Israeli people.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Luke 2:1-7

2 About that time the Emperor Augustus commanded that ◄his officials must write down the names/a census be taken► of all the people who lived in countries controlled by the Roman government {that the Roman government controlled}, so that the government could collect taxes from them. 2 That was the first time that they ◄wrote down the names/took a census► in Syria province, which included Judea district. They did this while Quirinius was the governor of the province. 3 Every person had to go to the town where his most famous ancestor had lived, so that the officials could write down their names. 4 So, because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he went up from Nazareth, the town in Galilee district where he lived, to the town of Bethlehem in Judea district. That was the town where King David grew up. 5 Joseph went with Mary, who was considered {whom people considered} to be his wife, who was now pregnant. They went so that they could put his name and Mary’s name in the record book. 6-7 6-7When they arrived in Bethlehem, there was no place for them to stay in the house where travelers stay. So they stayed in a cattle shed. When the time for Mary to give birth arrived, she gave birth to her first son there. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and placed him in a trough where people put food for the animals.

Responding to the angel’s announcement, shepherds went to see Jesus.

Luke 2:8-20

8 That night, there were some shepherds who were taking care of their sheep as usual in the fields near Bethlehem. 9 An angel from God appeared to them. A great light ◄from the Lord/from God► shone on them and around them. So they became very afraid. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! I have come to tell you good news, which will make you very happy! This message is for everyone to hear. 11 The message is that today a baby has been born in Bethlehem, the town where King David grew up. That baby will eventually save you from the guilt of your sins! He is the Messiah, your Lord! 12 I will tell you how you will recognize him (OR, how you will know that what I say is true): In Bethlehem you will find a baby who has been wrapped {whose mother has wrapped him} in strips of cloth and placed in a trough where people put food for the animals.”

13 Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven appeared and joined the other angel. They all praised God, singing/saying, 14 “May all the angels in the highest heaven praise God! And on the earth may the people to whom God has shown his favor have peace with him!”

15 After the angels left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem to see this wonderful thing that has happened, which ◄the Lord/God► has told us about!” 16 So they went quickly. They found the place where Mary and Joseph were staying, and they saw the baby lying in the trough where people put food for the animals. 17 Then they told Mary and Joseph and others what had been told them {what the angel had told them} about this child. 18 Everyone who heard what was said by the shepherds {what the shepherds said} to them was amazed. 19 But Mary did not talk to others about what the angels said; she just kept thinking very much about it. 20 The shepherds returned to their sheep. They kept praising God very much for all the things that they had heard and seen, because everything happened exactly like the angels told them.

They circumcised Jesus and presented him to the Lord.

Luke 2:21-24

21 Seven days later, when the priests circumcised the baby, his parents named him Jesus. That was the name that they were told by the angel {the angel told them} to give him before Mary became pregnant.

22-23 22-23It had been written by Moses {Moses had written} long ago in a law that God gave him, that when a woman gave birth to her first son, the parents had to take him to the Temple in Jerusalem in order that they might dedicate him ◄to the Lord/to God►. So when the time came for them to do those rituals so that God would consider them pure again, Mary and Joseph took Jesus there. 24 God had commanded in his laws that if the first child of a couple was a boy, his parents should offer as a sacrifice to God two turtledoves or two young pigeons. So Joseph and Mary gave the priest two birds so he could offer them.

Simeon prophesied about what Jesus would do.

Luke 2:25-35

25 At that time there was an old man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He habitually did what was pleasing to God and he obeyed God’s laws. The Holy Spirit was directing him as he was waiting for God [MTY] to encourage the Israeli people by sending the Messiah. 26 It was previously revealed by the Holy Spirit {The Holy Spirit previously revealed} to him that he would see God’s promised Messiah before he died. 27 When Joseph and Mary brought their baby Jesus to the Temple in order to perform the rituals that God had commanded in his laws, the Spirit led Simeon to enter the Temple courtyard, and revealed to him that Jesus was the Messiah. 28 So he took Jesus up in his arms and praised God, saying,

29-32 29-32Lord, you promised me that I would see the one [MTY] who would enable you to save people of all people-groups from the guilt of their sins. He will be [MET] like a light that will reveal your truth to non-Jews, and he will cause people to think highly of your people, the Israeli people. Since I [SYN] have now seen this one that you promised to send, now let me die peacefully.

33 His parents marveled about what Simeon said about Jesus. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, 34 “Note what I say: God has determined that because of this child, many Israeli people will turn away from God, and many others will turn to God [MET]. Although he will be like a sign [MET] to warn people, many people will oppose him. 35 As a result, the evil thoughts of many people will be made evident {he will reveal the evil thoughts of many people}. Furthermore, the cruel things that they will do to him [MET] will be like a sword that will pierce your ◄soul/inner being►.”

Anna praised God for Jesus and told others about him.

Luke 2:36-38

36 There was also in the Temple courtyard a very old woman named Anna. She was a prophetess. Her father Phanuel was a member of the tribe of Asher. After she had been married seven years, her husband died. 37 After that, she lived until she was 84 years old, and she was still a widow. She stayed in the Temple area all the time, night and day, worshipping God. She often ◄abstained from food/fasted► as she prayed. 38 While Joseph and Mary and the baby were still in the Temple, Anna came to them. She thanked God for the baby. Then she spoke about Jesus to many people who were expecting God to send the Messiah [MTY] to set the people of [MTY] Jerusalem free from their enemies.

Jesus grew up in Nazareth.

Luke 2:39-40

39 After Joseph and Mary had finished performing the rituals that ◄the Lord/God► required the parents of a first son to perform, they returned to their own town, Nazareth, in Galilee district. 40 As Jesus grew up, he became strong and very wise, and God was very pleased with him.

What Jesus did in the Temple when he was a boy.

Luke 2:41-52

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festival. 42 So when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem as they always did. 43 When the celebration ended, his parents started to return home, but Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not realize that Jesus stayed there. 44 They thought that he was with the other people who were traveling with them. They walked all day. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 Two days later, they found him. He was in the Temple courtyard, sitting with the Jewish religious teachers. He was listening to what they said, and he was asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard what he said was amazed at how much he understood and how well he answered the questions that the teachers asked. 48 When his parents saw him, they were very surprised. His mother said to him, “My son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried as we (exc) have been searching for you!” 49 He said to them, speaking about the Temple being God his Father’s house, “◄I am surprised that you (dl) did not know where to find me!/Why did you not know where to find me?► [RHQ] ◄You (dl) should have known that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house!/Did you not know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?► [RHQ]” 50 But they did not understand the meaning of what he said to them. 51 Then he returned with them down to Nazareth. He always obeyed them. But his mother kept thinking about all those things.

52 As the years passed, Jesus continued to become wiser and he grew taller. God and people continued to approve of him more and more.

s1 The beginning of John the Baptizer’s ministry

3 When the Emperor Tiberius had been ruling the Roman Empire for 15 years, and while Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea district, and Herod Antipas was ruling Galilee district, and his brother Philip was ruling Iturea and Trachonitis districts, and Lysanius was ruling Abilene district, 2 and while Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests in Jerusalem, God gave messages to Zechariah’s son John while he was living in the desolate region. 3 So John went all over the area close to the Jordan River. He kept telling people, “If you want God to forgive you for your sins, you must ◄repent/turn away from your sinful behavior► before you ask me to baptize you!”

4 John was the one who fulfilled these words that had been written by the prophet Isaiah {that the prophet Isaiah had written} on a scroll long ago:

In a desolate area, someone [SYN] will be heard shouting to the people who pass by,

“Prepare yourselves to receive the Lord when he comes!

Make yourselves ready so that you will be prepared when he comes,

just like people straighten out the road [MET] for an important official [MET, DOU]!

5 Just like people level off all the places where the land rises and just like they fill all the ravines,

and just like people make the road straight wherever it is crooked,

and just like people make smooth the bumps in the road,

similarly you need to remove all the obstacles which prevent God from blessing you!

6 Then people [SYN] everywhere will understand how God can save [MTY] people.”

7 Although large groups of people came to John to be baptized {in order that he would baptize them}, he knew that many of them were not sincere. So he kept saying to them, “You people are evil [MET] like poisonous snakes! I warn you that God will some day punish [MTY] everyone who sins. And ◄do not think that you can escape from his punishing [MTY] you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior!/did someone tell you that you can escape from his punishing [MTY] you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior?► [RHQ] (OR, Who told you that you could escape God’s punishment?) 8 Do what is appropriate for people who have truly turned from their sinful behavior! God promised to give Abraham many descendants. In order to fulfill that promise, God does not need you! I tell you that he can change these stones to make them descendants of Abraham! So do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We (exc) are descendants of Abraham, so God will not punish us, even though we have sinned!’ 9 God is ready to punish you if you do not turn away from your sinful behavior, just like a man [MET] lays his axe at the roots of a fruit tree to chop it down and throw it into the fire if it does not produce good fruit [MET].”

10 Then various ones in the crowd asked John, “What shall we (exc) do to escape God punishing us (OR), to show that we have repented?” 11 He answered them, “If any of you has two shirts, you should give one of them to someone who has no shirt. If any of you has plenty of food, you should give some to those who have no food.” 12 Some tax collectors came and asked to be baptized (asked him to baptize them}. They asked him, “Teacher, what shall we (exc) do to please God?” 13 He said to them, “Do not take from the people any more money than the Roman government tells you to take!” 14 Some soldiers asked him, “What about us? What should we (exc) do to please God?” He said to them, “Do not say to anyone, ‘If you(sg) do not give me some money, I will hurt you,’ and do not take people to court and falsely accuse them of doing something wrong! And be content with your wages.”

15 People were expecting that the Messiah would come soon. Because of that, many of them wondered about John. Some of them asked him if he was the Messiah. 16 John replied to them all, “No, I am not. I used only water when I baptized you. But the Messiah will soon come! He is far greater than I am. He is so great that I am not worthy to be like his slave and untie his sandals [MET] like a slave would do! He will put his Holy Spirit within [MTY] you to truly change your lives, and he will judge others of you and punish you in the fire [MET] in hell. 17 He is like a man [MET] who wants to clear away the grain on the ground where it has been threshed {they have threshed it}. That man uses a huge fork to throw the grain into the air to separate the wheat from the chaff [MET], and then he cleans up the threshing area. Similarly, God will separate righteous people from the evil people, like a man who gathers the wheat into his storage area, and then he will burn those who are like chaff with a fire ◄that will never be put out/that will burn forever►.”

18 John kept telling people many things to urge them to turn to God, as he told them the good message from God. 19 He also rebuked the ruler of the district, Herod Antipas. He rebuked him for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, while his brother was still alive, and for doing many other evil things. 20 But Herod had his soldiers put John in prison. That was another evil thing he did.

John baptized Jesus.

Luke 3:21-22

21 But before John was put in prison, when many people were being baptized {when he was baptizing many people}, after Jesus was baptized {he baptized Jesus} and Jesus was praying, the sky opened. 22 Then the Holy Spirit, resembling a dove, descended upon Jesus. And God [SYN/EUP] spoke to Jesus from heaven, saying, “You (sg) are my Son, whom I love dearly. I am very pleased with you!”

The list of Jesus’ ancestors.

Luke 3:23-38

23 When Jesus began his work for God, he was about 30 years old. It was {People} thought that he was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli. 24 Heli was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi. Levi was the son of Melchi. Melchi was the son of Jannai. Jannai was the son of Joseph. 25 Joseph was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Amos. Amos was the son of Nahum. Nahum was the son of Esli. Esli was the son of Naggai. 26 Naggai was the son of Maath. Maath was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Semein. Semein was the son of Josech. Josech was the son of Joda. 27 Joda was the son of Joanan. Joanan was the son of Rhesa. Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the son of Neri. 28 Neri was the son of Melchi. Melchi was the son of Addi. Addi was the son of Cosam. Cosam was the son of Elmadam. Elmadam was the son of Er. 29 Er was the son of Joshua. Joshua was the son of Eliezer. Eliezer was the son of Jorim. Jorim was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi. 30 Levi was the son of Simeon. Simeon was the son of Judah. Judah was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Jonam. Jonam was the son of Eliakim. 31 Eliakim was the son of Melea. Melea was the son of Menna. Menna was the son of Mattatha. Mattatha was the son of Nathan. Nathan was the son of David. 32 David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was the son of Obed. Obed was the son of Boaz. Boaz was the son of Sala. Sala was the son of Nahshon. 33 Nahshon was the son of Amminadab. Amminadab was the son of Admin. Admin was the son of Arni. Arni was the son of Hezron. Hezron was the son of Perez. Perez was the son of Judah. 34 Judah was the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. Abraham was the son of Terah. Terah was the son of Nahor. 35 Nahor was the son of Serug. Serug was the son of Reu. Reu was the son of Peleg. Peleg was the son of Eber. Eber was the son of Shelah. 36 Shelah was the son of Cainan. Cainan was the son of Arphaxad. Arphaxad was the son of Shem. Shem was the son of Noah. Noah was the son of Lamech. 37 Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the son of Cainan. 38 Cainan was the son of Enos. Enos was the son of Seth. Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the man God created.

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus refused to do the things that Satan suggested to him.

4 As Jesus left the Jordan River valley, the Holy Spirit was completely controlling him. 2 For 40 days the Spirit led him around in the desolate area. During that time Jesus was being tempted by the devil {the devil was tempting him}, and Jesus did not eat anything. When that time ended, he was very hungry. 3 Then the devil said to Jesus, “Because you claim that you ◄have a relationship with God as a son has with his father [MET]/are the man who is both God and man►, prove it by telling these stones to become bread so that you can eat them!” 4 Jesus replied, “No, I will not change stones into bread, because it is written {Moses wrote} in the Scriptures that eating food sustains people physically, but it does not sustain them spiritually. They also need food for their spirits.” 5 Then the devil took him on top of a high mountain and showed him in an instant all the nations in the world. 6 Then he said to Jesus, “I will give you the authority to rule all these areas and will make you famous. I can do this because God has permitted me to control these areas, and I can allow anyone I desire to rule them! 7 So if you worship me, I will let you rule them all!” 8 But Jesus replied, “No, I will not worship you, because it is written {the Psalmist wrote} in the Scriptures, ‘It is the Lord, your God, whom you must worship, and you must serve only him!’ ”

9 Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem. He set him on the highest part of the Temple and said to him, “Because you claim that you ◄have a relationship with God as a son has with his father [MET]/are the man who is both God and man►, prove it by jumping down from here. 10 You will not be hurt, because it is written {the Psalmist wrote} in the Scriptures, ‘God will command his angels to protect you (sg). 11 They will lift you up with their hands when you are falling, so that you will not get hurt. You will not even strike your foot on a stone.’ ” 12 But Jesus replied, “No, I will not do that, because it is written {Moses wrote} in the Scriptures: ‘Do not try to test the Lord your God to see if he will prevent something bad from happening to you when you do something foolish’.”

13 Then, after the devil had finished trying to tempt Jesus in many ways, he left him. He wanted to try to tempt him later at an appropriate time.

Jesus began his work in Galilee district.

Luke 4:14-15

14 As the Spirit empowered him, Jesus returned to Galilee district. People throughout all that region heard about what he was doing. 15 He taught people in their ◄synagogues/meeting places►. As a result, he was praised by everyone {everyone praised him}.

The people of Jesus’ hometown tried to kill him after he rebuked them for rejecting him.

Luke 4:16-30

16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. ◄On the Sabbath/On the Jewish rest day► he went ◄to the synagogue/to the Jewish meeting place►, as he usually did. He stood up to indicate that he wanted to read Scriptures to them. 17 A scroll containing the words that the prophet Isaiah had written was given to him {Someone gave to him a scroll containing the words that the prophet Isaiah had written}. He opened the scroll and found the place from which he wanted to read. He read these words:

18 The Spirit ◄of the Lord/of God► is upon me.

He has appointed [MTY] me to declare God’s good news to the poor.

He has sent me here to proclaim that God will deliver those whom Satan has captured, and

he will enable me to enable those who are blind to see.

He will enable me to free people who have been oppressed {whom others have oppressed}.

19 And he sent me to declare that now is the time when ◄the Lord/God► will act favorably toward people.

20 Then he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down to teach the people. Everyone in the synagogue was looking intently [MTY] at him. 21 He said to them, “Today as you have been hearing [MTY] me speak, I am beginning to fulfill this Scripture passage.” 22 At first everyone there spoke well about him, and they were amazed at the charming words that he spoke. But then some of them said, “◄He is only Joseph’s son!/Isn’t he only Joseph’s son?► [RHQ] So ◄it is useless for us(exc) to listen to what he says!/why should we(exc) listen to what he says?► [RHQ]” 23 He said to them, “Surely some of you will quote to me the proverb that says, ‘Doctor, heal yourself!’ What you will mean is, ‘People told us that you did miracles in Capernaum town, but we(exc) do not know if those reports are true. So do miracles here in your own hometown, too!’ ” 24 Then he said, “It is certainly true that people do not accept the message of a prophet when he speaks in his hometown, just like you(pl) are not accepting my message now. 25 But think about this: There were many widows in Israel during the time when the prophet Elijah lived. During that time, because of there being no rain [MTY] for three years and six months, there was a great famine throughout the country. 26 But God did not send Elijah to help any of those Jewish widows. God sent him to Zarepath town near Sidon city, to help a non-Jewish widow. 27 There were also many Jewish lepers in Israel during the time when the prophet Elisha lived. But Elisha did not heal any of them. He healed only Naaman, a non-Jewish man from Syria.” 28 When all the people in the synagogue heard him say that, they were very angry, because they realized that he was inferring that he similarly would help non-Jewish people instead of helping Jews (OR, that they also were not worthy of receiving God’s help). 29 So they all got up and shoved him out of the town. They took him to the top of the hill outside their town in order to throw him off the cliff and kill him. 30 But he simply walked through their midst and went away.

Jesus expelled an evil spirit.

Luke 4:31-37

31 One day Jesus went with his disciples down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee district. On the next ◄Sabbath/Jewish day of rest► (OR, Each ◄Sabbath/Jewish day of rest►), he taught the people ◄in the synagogue/in the Jewish meeting place►. 32 They were continually amazed at what he was teaching, because he spoke ◄with authority/as people speak who have the right to command others what to do►. 33 That day, (OR, On one of those Jewish days of rest,) there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. That man shouted very loudly, 34 “Hey! Jesus, from Nazareth! We(exc) evil spirits have nothing in common with you, so ◄do not interfere with us now!/why should you interfere with us now?► [RHQ] ◄Do not destroy us now!/Have you come to destroy us now?► [RHQ] I know who you are. You are the Holy One who has come from God!” 35 Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, saying, “Be quiet! And come out of the man!” The demon threw the man down on the ground in the midst of the people. But without harming the man, the demon left him. 36 The people were all amazed. They said to each other, “◄What he says to the demons has great power!/What kind of teaching is this?► [RHQ] He speaks to them like he knows that they must obey him, and as a result they leave people!” 37 The people were telling everyone in every village in the surrounding region what Jesus had done.

Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law and many others.

Luke 4:38-41

38 Jesus and his disciples left ◄the synagogue/the Jewish meeting place► and entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick and had a high fever. So others in Simon’s family (OR, the disciples) asked Jesus to heal her. 39 So he bent over her and commanded the fever to leave her. At once she became well! She got up and served them some food.

40 When the sun was setting that day, and the restriction about not traveling ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day► was ended, many people [HYP] whose friends or relatives were sick or who had various diseases brought them to Jesus. He put his hands on them and healed all of them. 41 He also was expelling demons from many people. As the demons left those people, they shouted to Jesus, “You are ◄the Son of God/the one who is God and man►!” But he rebuked those demons and would not allow them to tell people about him, because they knew that he was the Messiah, and for various reasons he did not want everyone to know that yet.

Jesus told them that he had to preach in other towns.

Luke 4:42-44

42 Early the next morning Jesus left that house and went to an uninhabited place to pray. Many people searched for him, and when they found him they kept urging him not to leave them. 43 But he said to them, “I must tell people in other towns also the good message about how God wants to rule [MET] their lives, because that is what I was sent {God sent me} to do.” 44 So he kept preaching in ◄the synagogues/Jewish worship places► in various towns in Judea province.

Jesus chose some fishermen to be his disciples.

Luke 5:1-11

5 One day while many people were crowding around him to hear the message from God, Jesus was standing on the shore of Gennesaret Lake, which is also called Lake Galilee. 2 He saw two fishing boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had gone out of the boats and were washing their fishing nets on the shore. One of the boats belonged to Simon. 3 Jesus got in that boat and asked Simon to push the boat a little bit away from the shore so that he could speak to the crowd more easily. Jesus sat in the boat and taught the people who were on the shore. 4 After he finished speaking to them, he said to Simon, “Push the boat out to where the water is deep. Then let your nets down into the water to catch some fish!” 5 Simon replied, “Master, we (exc) worked hard all night but we did not catch any fish. But because you (sg) tell me to do it, I will let down the nets.” 6 When Peter and the men with him had done that, they caught so many fish that their nets were breaking. 7 They motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. So they came and filled both the boats with fish from the net. The result was that the boats were so full that they began to sink. 8-9 8-9Simon and all the men who were with him were amazed at how many fish they had taken. James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners, were among those who were amazed. When Simon, whose other name was Peter, saw the fish, feeling ashamed to be in the presence of someone who obviously had God’s power, he prostrated himself before Jesus and said, “Lord, you should go away from me, because I am a sinful man!” 10 But Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid! Up until now you(sg) have been gathering fish [MET], but from now on you will gather people to become my disciples.” 11 So after they brought the boats to the shore, they left their business [HYP] in the hands of others and went with Jesus.

Jesus healed a leper and enabled him to associate with people again.

Luke 5:12-16

12 While Jesus was in one of the cities there in the district of Galilee, there was a man there who was very severely affected by leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he prostrated himself before him and, wanting Jesus to heal him, pleaded with him, “Lord/Sir, please heal me, because you are able to heal me if you are willing to!” 13 Then Jesus, disregarding the religious law that forbade people to come close to lepers, reached out his hand and touched the man. He said, “I am willing to heal you; and I heal you now!” Immediately the man was healed. He was no longer a leper [PRS]! 14 Then Jesus told him, “Make sure that you do not report your healing immediately. First, go to a priest in Jerusalem and show yourself to him so that he can examine you and verify that you no longer have leprosy. After the priest tells the local people, they will know that you have been healed, and you will be able to associate with them again. Also take to the priest the offering that Moses commanded that people who have been healed from leprosy should offer.” 15 But many people heard the man’s report of what Jesus had done. The result was that large crowds came to Jesus to hear his message and to be healed of their sicknesses {so that he would heal their sicknesses}. 16 But he often would go away from them to the desolate area and pray.

By healing a paralyzed man Jesus showed that he had authority to forgive sins, too.

Luke 5:17-26

17 One day when Jesus was teaching, some men from the Pharisee sect were sitting there. Some of them were men who taught the Jewish laws. They had come from many [HYP] villages in Galilee district and also from Jerusalem and from other villages in Judea district. At that time while God was giving Jesus power to heal people, 18 several men brought on a sleeping pad a man who was paralyzed. They wanted to bring him into the house and lay him in front of Jesus. 19 But there was no way to do that because of the large crowd of people, so they went up the steps onto the roof. They tied ropes onto the sleeping pad and, after removing some of the tiles on the roof, they lowered the man on the sleeping pad. They lowered him through the opening into the midst of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus perceived that they believed that he could heal the man, he said to him, “My friend, I forgive your sins!” 21 The men who taught the Jewish laws and the rest of the Pharisees began to think within themselves, “Who does this man think he is, saying that? He is insulting God! ◄Nobody can forgive sins!/What person can forgive sins?► [RHQ] Only God can do that!” 22 Jesus perceived what they were thinking. So he said to them, “◄You should not think that way about what I said!/Why do you question within yourselves about what I said?► [RHQ] Consider this: 23 It would not be risky for someone to say to this man, ‘I forgive your sins,’ because no one could see whether or not his sins were really forgiven. But no one [RHQ], without having the power to heal, would say to him, ‘Get up and walk!’ because people could easily see whether he was healed or not. 24 But as a result of my healing this man you (pl) will know that God has authorized me, the one who came from heaven, to forgive the sins of people while I am on the earth, as well as to heal people.” Then he said to the man who was paralyzed, “To you I say, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping pad, and go home!’ ” 25 Immediately the man was healed. He stood up in front of them. He picked up the sleeping pad on which he had been lying, and went home, praising God. 26 All the people there were amazed! They praised God and were completely awestruck. They kept saying, “We (inc) have seen wonderful things today!”

Jesus answered criticism about associating with sinful people.

Luke 5:27-32

27 Then Jesus left the town and saw a man who collected taxes for the Roman government. His name was Levi. He was sitting in the booth where he collected the taxes. Jesus said to him, “Come with me and become my disciple!” 28 So Levi left his work [HYP] and went with Jesus.

29 Afterwards, Levi prepared a big feast in his own house for Jesus and his disciples. There was a large group of tax collectors and others eating together with them. 30 The men who were there who taught the Jewish laws, ones who belonged to the Pharisee sect, complained to Jesus’ disciples, saying, “◄It is disgusting that you are eating with tax collectors and others who we(exc) consider to be sinners!/Why are you eating with tax collectors and others who we(exc) consider to be sinners?►” [RHQ] 31 Then, to indicate that it was those who knew that they had sinned who were coming to him for help, Jesus said to them, “It is people who are sick who need a doctor, not those who are well [MET]. 32 Similarly, I did not come from heaven to invite those who think they are righteous to come to me. On the contrary, I came to invite those who know that they are sinners to turn from their sinful behavior and come to me.”

Jesus explained that people could not follow both their old customs and his new teaching.

Luke 5:33-39

33 Those Jewish leaders said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptizer often abstain from food to show that they want to please God, and the disciples of the Pharisees do that, too. But your disciples keep on eating and drinking! Why do not they fast like the others?” 34 To show them that it was not appropriate for his disciples to be sad and abstain from food while he was still with them [MET], Jesus said to them, “When ◄the bridegroom/man who is getting married► is with his friends at the time of the wedding, you certainly do not make his friends abstain from food, do you [RHQ]? No, you do not do that. 35 But some day he will be taken away {his enemies will take him away} from them. Then, at that time, his friends will abstain from food, because they will be sad.”

36 Then Jesus told them two parables to show them that those who desire to live according to God’s new message should not be forced to obey the old religious traditions like ◄fasting/abstaining from food►, and that those who know only the old traditions are not eager to accept new ones [MET]. He said, “People never tear a piece of cloth from a new garment and attach it to an old garment to mend it. If they did that, not only would they be ruining the new garment by tearing it, but the new piece of cloth would not match the old garment. 37 Neither does anyone put freshly-squeezed grape juice into old skin bags to store it. If anyone did that, the grape juice would burst the skin bags because they would not stretch when the new wine ferments and expands. Then the skin bags would be ruined, and the wine would also be spilled. 38 On the contrary, new wine must be put into new wineskins.

39 Furthermore, those who have drunk only old wine are content with that. They do not want to drink the new wine, because they say, ‘The old wine is [MET] fine!’ ”

Jesus explained why he had authority to decide what his disciples should do on the Sabbath day.

Luke 6:1-11

6 One ◄Sabbath/Jewish day of rest►, while Jesus was walking through some grain fields with his disciples, the disciples picked some of the heads of grain. They rubbed them in their hands to separate the grains from the husks, and ate the grain. The law of Moses permitted people to do that if they were hungry. 2 Some Pharisees who were watching said to Jesus, “◄You should not be doing on our rest day work that our laws forbid!/Why are you doing on our rest day work that our laws forbid?►” [RHQ] 3 Jesus wanted to show them that the record in Scriptures indicated that God permitted people to disobey certain religious laws when they needed food. So he replied, “It is written in the Scriptures what our revered ancestor, King David did when he and the men with him were hungry. You have read about that, ◄but you do not think about what it implies/so why do you not think about what it implies?► [RHQ] 4 David entered God’s big worship tent and asked for some food. The high priest gave him the bread that the priests had presented to God. It was permitted in one of Moses’ laws that only the priests could eat that bread. But even though David was not a priest, he ate some, and gave some to the men who were with him. And God did not consider that what David did was wrong!” 5 Jesus also said to them, “I am the one who came from heaven, so I have the authority to determine what is right for my disciples to do on the day of rest!”

6 Another ◄Sabbath/Jewish day of rest► Jesus entered a ◄synagogue/Jewish meeting place► and taught the people. There was a man there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The men who taught the Jewish laws and the Pharisees who were there watched Jesus, to see if he would heal the man ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►. They did this so that, if he healed the man, they would accuse him of disobeying their laws by working on the day of rest. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Come and stand here in front of everyone!” So the man got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to the others, “I ask you this: Do the laws that God gave Moses permit people to do what is good ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►, or do they permit people to harm others? Do they permit us to save a person’s life on our day of rest or to let him die [HYP] by refusing to help him?” 10 They refused to answer him. So after he looked around at them all, he said to the man, “Stretch out your shriveled hand!” The man did that, and his hand became all right again! 11 But the men who taught the Jewish laws and the Pharisees were very angry, and they discussed with one another what they could do to get rid of Jesus.

Jesus chose twelve apostles.

Luke 6:12-16

12 About that time Jesus went up into the hills to pray. He prayed to God all night. 13 The next day he summoned all his disciples to come near him. From them he chose twelve men, whom he called apostles. 14 They were Simon, to whom he gave the new name, Peter; Andrew, Peter’s younger brother; James and his younger brother, John; Philip; Bartholomew; 15 Matthew, whose other name was Levi; Thomas; another James, the son of Alpheus; Simon, who belonged to the party that encouraged people to rebel against the Roman government; 16 Judas, the son of another James; and Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth Town), the one who later ◄betrayed Jesus./enabled the Jewish leaders to seize Jesus.►

Jesus taught them which people God would be pleased with and which people he would be displeased with.

Luke 6:17-26

17 Jesus came down from the hills with his disciples and stood on a level area. There was a very big crowd of his disciples there. There was also a large group of people who had come from Jerusalem and from many other places in Judea district, and from the coastal areas near Tyre and Sidon cities. 18 They came to hear Jesus talk to them and to be healed {and for him to heal them} from their diseases. He also healed those whom evil spirits had troubled. 19 Everyone in the crowd tried to touch him, because he was healing everyone by his/God’s power. 20 He looked [MTY] at his disciples and said, “God is pleased with you who know that you lack what he wants you to have; he will allow you to be the people whose lives he rules over. 21 God is pleased with you who sincerely desire to receive what [MTY] he wants you to have; he will give you what you need, until you are satisfied.

God is pleased with you that grieve now because of sin. Later you will be joyful.

22 God is pleased with you when other people hate you, when they will not let you join them, when they insult you, when they say that you are evil because you believe in me, the one who came from heaven. 23 When that happens, rejoice! Jump up and down because you are so happy! God will give you a great reward in heaven! When they do these things to you, it will prove that you are God’s servants. (OR, People have always treated God’s servants like that.) Do not forget that these people’s ancestors did the same things to the prophets who served God faithfully!

24 But there will be terrible punishment for you that are rich; the happiness you have received from your riches is the only happiness that you will get. 25 There will be terrible punishment for you who think that you have all that you need now; you will realize that these things will not make you feel satisfied.

There will be terrible punishment for you who are joyful now; you will later be very sad. 26 When most [HYP] people speak well about you, trouble is ahead for you; it will not prove that you are God’s servants, because your ancestors used to speak well about those who falsely claimed that they were prophets.”

Jesus taught how we should act toward those who are not kind to us.

Luke 6:27-36

27 “But I say this to each of you disciples who are listening to what I say: Love your enemies as well as your friends. Do good things for those who hate you! 28 Ask God to bless those who curse you! Pray for those who mistreat you! 29 If someone insults one of you by striking you on one of your cheeks, turn your face so that he can strike the other cheek also. If a bandit wants to take away your (sg) coat, let him also have your shirt. 30 Give something to everyone who asks you (sg) for something. If someone takes away things that belong to you (sg), do not ask him to return them. 31 In whatever way you (pl) want others to act toward you, that is the way that you should act toward them.

32 If you love only those who love you, do not expect God to praise you for doing that [RHQ], because even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good things only for those who do good things for you, do not expect God to reward you for doing that [RHQ], because even sinners do that. 34 If you lend things or money only to those who you expect will give something back to you, do not expect that God will reward you [RHQ] for doing that. Even sinners lend to other sinners, because they expect them to pay everything back. 35 Instead, love your enemies! Do good things for them! Lend to them, and do not expect them to pay anything back! If you do that, God will give you a big reward. And you will be acting like his children should. Remember that God is kind to people who are not grateful and to people who are wicked, and he expects you to be like that too. 36 Act mercifully toward others, just like your Father in heaven acts mercifully toward you.”

Jesus taught that we should not decide how God should punish others.

Luke 6:37-42

37 “Do not say how sinfully others have acted, and then God will not say how sinfully you have acted. Do not condemn others, and then he will not condemn you [DOU]. Forgive others for the evil things that they have done to you, and then God will forgive you. 38 Give good things to others, and then God will give good things to you. It will be as though [MET] God is putting things in a basket for you. He will give you a full amount, pressed down in the basket, which he will shake so that he can put more in, and it will spill over the sides! Remember that the way you act toward others will be the way that God will act toward you!”

39 He also told his disciples this parable to show them that they should be like him, and not be like the Jewish religious leaders: “◄You certainly would not expect a blind man to lead another blind man./Would you expect a blind man to lead another blind man?► [RHQ] If he tried to do that, ◄they would both probably fall into a hole!/wouldn’t they both probably fall into a hole?► [RHQ] I am your teacher, and you disciples should be like me. 40 A disciple should not expect to be better known than his teacher. But if a student is fully trained {if someone fully trains a student}, the student can become like his teacher [MET]. So you should be content to be like me.

41 ◄Why do you notice someone else’s small faults?/None of you should be concerned about someone else’s small faults [MET, RHQ].► That would be like noticing a speck in that person’s eye. But you should be concerned about your own big faults. They are like planks in your own eye, which you do not notice. 42 ◄You (sg) should not say, ‘Friend, let me take out that speck in your eye!’ when you do not notice the log in your own eye!/Why do you say, ‘Friend, let me take out that speck in your eye!’ when you do not notice the log in your own eye?► [RHQ] If you do that, you are a hypocrite! You should first stop committing your own sins. That will be like removing the plank from your own eye. Then, as a result, you will have the spiritual insight you need to help others get rid of the faults that are like specks in their eyes.”

Jesus taught that what people do reflects their inner thoughts.

Luke 6:43-45

43 “People are like trees [MET]. Healthy trees do not bear bad fruit (OR, bear only good fruit), and unhealthy trees do not bear good fruit. 44 Just like you can tell if a tree is good or bad by looking at its fruit, you can tell which people are good and which are bad by looking at the way they conduct their lives. For example, because thornbushes cannot produce figs, no one can pick figs from thornbushes. And since bramble bushes cannot produce grapes, no one can pick grapes from bramble bushes. 45 Similarly, good people will conduct their lives in a good way because they think a lot of good things, and evil people will live in an evil way because they think a lot of evil things. The basic principle is that people speak and act according to all that they think.”

Jesus taught why it is necessary to obey his teaching, not just listen to it.

Luke 6:46-49

46 “Because people should obey what their masters tell them, ◄it is disgraceful that you say that I am your master but you do not do what I tell you!/why do you say that I am your master but you do not do what I tell you?► [RHQ] 47 Some people come to me, and hear my messages and obey them. I will tell you what they are like. 48 They are like a man who dug deep into the ground to prepare to build his house. He made sure that the foundation was on solid ground. Then when there was a flood, the water tried to wash away the house. But the river could not shake the house, because it was built {he built it} on a solid foundation. 49 But some people hear my messages but do not obey them. They are like a man who built a house on top of the ground without digging a foundation. When the river flooded, the house collapsed immediately and was completely ruined. So it is important for you to obey what I teach you.”

Jesus healed a man without going to his house because the man’s master believed that Jesus could do that.

Luke 7:1-10

7 After Jesus finished saying this to the people, he went with his disciples to Capernaum town. 2 There was a Roman army officer there who had a slave whom he thought highly of. This slave was so sick that he was about to die. 3 When the officer heard about Jesus, he summoned some Jewish elders. He told them to go to Jesus and ask him to come and heal his slave. 4 When they came to where Jesus was, they earnestly asked Jesus to return with them. They said, “This officer deserves that you (sg) do this for him, 5 because he loves us Jewish people, and he paid the money to build a synagogue for us.” 6 So Jesus went with them. When he was near the officer’s house, the officer decided that it was not necessary for Jesus to come to his house. So he summoned some friends. He told them to go to Jesus and tell him this: “Lord/Sir, do not bother to come. Because I am a non-Jew, I am not worthy for you (sg), a Jew, to come into my house [MTY] and associate with me. 7 I did not feel worthy to come to you, either. But please command that my servant be healed, and he will become well! 8 I believe this because, as for me, there are people who have authority over me and I obey them. I also have soldiers under my authority. When I say to one of them, ‘Go!’ he goes. When I say to another ‘Come!’ he comes. When I say to my slave, ‘Do this!’ he does it. And I believe that you speak with a similar kind of authority.” 9 When the officer’s friends arrived and told that to Jesus, he marveled at what the officer had said. Then he turned and said to the crowd that was going with him, “I tell you, I have never before found anyone who trusted in me like this non-Jewish man does. No one from Israel, where I would expect people to believe in me, has trusted in me like he has!” 10 When those men returned to the officer’s house, they found that the slave was well.

Jesus caused a widow’s son to become alive again.

Luke 7:11-17

11 Soon after that, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd of other people went with him. 12 As they approached the town gate, the corpse of a young man who had just died was being carried out on a stretcher {people were carrying out on a stretcher the corpse of a young man who had just died}. His mother was a widow, and he was her only son. A large group of people from the town were accompanying them. 13 When the Lord saw her, he pitied her. He said to her, “Do not cry!” 14 Then, ignoring the Jewish laws about not coming near a corpse, he came close and touched the stretcher on which the body was lying. So the men carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The man sat up and began to talk! Jesus returned him to his mother to care for her. 16 Then everyone there was amazed/awestruck. They praised God, saying, “A great prophet has come among us!” They also said, “God has come to help his people!” 17 Then they reported what Jesus had done throughout all of Judea district and other nearby areas.

Jesus taught about his ministry and the ministry of John the Baptizer.

Luke 7:18-35

18 The disciples of John the Baptizer went to the prison where John was and told him about those things. 19 So one day John summoned two of his disciples and told them to go to the Lord and ask him: “Are you the Messiah who the prophets prophesied would come, or is it someone else that we should expect to come?” 20 When those two men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptizer sent us to ask you (sg) this: Are you the Messiah that we are expecting God to send, or shall we (exc) expect someone else?” 21 At that very time Jesus was healing many people of their diseases and other sicknesses, he was casting out evil spirits, and he was causing many blind people to be able to see. 22 So he answered those two men, “Go back and report to John what you have seen me doing and what you have heard me telling people. I am enabling blind people to see. I am enabling lame people to walk. I am healing people who have leprosy. I am enabling deaf people to hear. I am causing dead people to become alive again, and I am telling God’s good message to poor people. 23 Also tell John that God is pleased with those who do not stop believing in me because what I do is not what they expect the Messiah to do.”

24 When the men whom John had sent left, Jesus began to talk to the crowd of people about John. He said to them, “Think about what sort of person you went to see in the desolate area when you went there to see John [RHQ]. You did not go there to listen to a man who constantly changed the nature of his message [MET], like a reed that is blown back and forth by the wind [RHQ]. 25 Then what kind of man did you go there to see [RHQ]? Was he [RHQ] a man who wore expensive clothes? No! You know very well that people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are in kings’ palaces, not in the desolate areas! 26 Then what kind of person did you go to see? Did you [RHQ] go there to see John because he was a prophet? Yes! But I will tell you that John is more important than an ordinary prophet. 27 He is the one about whom these words that God said to the Messiah have been written {the prophet Malachi wrote these words} in the Scriptures: ‘Listen! I am going to send my messenger ahead of you (sg) [SYN]. He will prepare people for your coming.’

28 I tell you that from among all the people who have ever lived, God considers that no one is greater than John. However, God considers everyone who has let God rule their lives [MET] to be greater than John, even if they are insignificant people.”

29 When they heard what Jesus said (OR, what John preached), all the people, including tax collectors, whom many people despised, agreed that God’s way was right. By being baptized by John {By letting John baptize them}, they had agreed that what God required people to do in order to be saved was right. 30 But the Pharisees and the men who taught the Jewish laws were not baptized by John {did not let John baptize them} because they rejected what God wanted them to do.

31 Then Jesus also said, “Many of you people have heard what John and I have taught. ◄I will illustrate what you are like./Do you know what many of you people who have heard what John and I have taught are like?► [RHQ] 32 You are like children who are playing games in an open area. Some of them are calling to the others, saying, ‘We (exc) played happy music for you on the flute, but you did not dance! Then we sang sad funeral songs for you, but you did not cry!’ 33 Similarly, you people are dissatisfied with both John the Baptizer and me! When John came and preached to you, he did not eat ordinary food [SYN] or drink wine, like most people do. But you rejected him, saying, ‘A demon is controlling him!’ 34 In contrast, I, the one who came from heaven, eat the same food and drink wine as others do. But you reject me, saying, ‘Look! This man eats too much food and drinks too much wine, and he associates with tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But those who are truly God’s children [PRS] realize that what John and I do is truly wise.”

Jesus told why he appreciated the sinful woman pouring perfume on his feet.

Luke 7:36-50

36 One day one of the Pharisees named Simon invited Jesus to eat a meal with him. So Jesus went to the man’s house and reclined to eat. 37 There was a woman in that city who many people knew had been a prostitute [EUP]. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee’s house. So she went there, taking a stone jar that contained perfume. 38 As the people there were reclining to eat, the woman stood behind Jesus, at his feet. As she was crying because she was sorry for her sins, her tears fell on Jesus’ feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the perfume. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw that, he thought, “Prophets know about other people’s lives, so if Jesus were a prophet, he would have known who this woman is who is touching him, and what kind of a person she is. He would have known that she is a prostitute! [EUP]” 40 Jesus said to him, “Simon, there is something I want to tell you (sg).” He replied, “Teacher, what is it?” 41 Jesus replied, “Two people owed some money to a man who earned money by lending it to others. One owed him 500 silver coins, and the other owed him 50 silver coins. 42 Neither of them was able to pay back what he owed, so the man very kindly said that they did not have to pay back anything. So, which of those two men will love that man more?” 43 Simon replied, “I think that the one who owed the most money and did not have to pay it back will love him more.” Jesus said to him, “That is correct.” 44 Then he turned toward the woman, and said to Simon, “◄Think about what this woman has done!/Do you (sg) see what this woman has done?► [RHQ] When I entered your house, you did not follow our custom of welcoming guests by giving me any water to wash my feet, but this woman has wet my feet with her tears and then wiped them with her hair! 45 You did not follow our custom of greeting by kissing me, but since I came in, this woman has not stopped kissing my feet! 46 You did not follow our custom of welcoming guests by anointing my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with fragrant perfume. 47 So I will tell you that even though this woman has sinned very much, she has been forgiven {I have forgiven her}. By what she has done she has shown that she loves me very much. But a person who has sinned just a little bit, but whom I have forgiven, will love me just a little bit.” 48 Then he said to the woman, “You have been forgiven {I have forgiven you} for your sins.” 49 Then those who were eating with him said among themselves, “◄This man must think that he is God!/Who does this man think that he is [RHQ]►, saying that he can forgive people for their sins?” 50 But Jesus said to the woman, “Because you have trusted [PRS] in me, God has saved you from the guilt of your sins. May God give you inner peace as you go!”

The list of women who helped Jesus.

Luke 8:1-3

8 Soon after that, Jesus went, along with his twelve disciples, through various cities and villages. As they went, he was telling people the good message about how God wants ◄to have complete control/to rule► [MET] over their lives. 2 Some women from whom he had expelled evil spirits and healed of diseases also went with him. These included Mary, the woman from Magdala village, from whom he had expelled seven evil spirits; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was one of King Herod Antipas’ officials; Susanna; and many others. They were providing some of their own funds to help Jesus and his disciples.

The story about four different kinds of soil.

Luke 8:4-8

4 A large crowd of people came to Jesus from many towns. Then he told them this parable: 5 “A man went out to his field to sow some seeds. As he was scattering them over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the path. Then people walked on those seeds, and birds ate them. 6 Some of the seeds fell on rock on which there was a thin layer of moist soil. As soon as the seeds grew, the plants dried up because they had no moisture. 7 Some of the seeds fell on ground that contained roots of thorny weeds. The thorny weeds grew together with the young plants, and they crowded out those plants. 8 But some of the seeds fell on good soil and grew well. Each seed later produced 100 grains.” Then Jesus called out to them, “If you want to understand [MTY] this, you must consider carefully what I have just said!”

Jesus explained that the story represented different ways people respond to his teaching.

Luke 8:9-15

9 Jesus’ disciples later asked him about the meaning of the parable he had just told. 10 He said, “God is revealing to you what he did not reveal before, about how he wants to rule [MET] over people’s lives. But when I am telling other people about these things, I tell them only in parables. The result will be like a prophet predicted long ago:

They will see what I am doing, but will not perceive what it means. They will hear what I am saying, but will not understand it.

11 So this is the meaning of that parable: The seeds represent God’s message. 12 Some people are like the path on which some of the seeds fell. When these people hear God’s message, the devil comes and causes them to forget what they have heard. As a result, they do not believe it, and will not be saved {God will not save them}. 13 Some people are like the soil with rock underneath. When they hear God’s message, they accept it joyfully. But because it does not penetrate deeply [MET] into their inner beings, they believe it for only a short time. They are like the plants that did not have deep roots. When difficult things happen to them, they stop believing God’s message. 14 Some people are like the soil that had roots of thorny weeds in it. They are people who accept God’s message, but later on they worry about things, and try to become rich, and enjoy things that give them a lot of pleasure. So they do not become spiritually mature. 15 But some people are like the good soil. They hear God’s message and accept it. They become good, honest people, and they continue doing things that please God [MET].”

Jesus explained the need to make his truth clear to others.

Luke 8:16-18

16 “After people light a lamp, they do not cover it with a basket or put it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a lampstand, so that those who enter their house can see things from its light [MET]. Similarly, you must tell God’s truth to others so that they can know what I can do for them. 17 God wants to make clear all of his truth that was not evident previously. He intends that all of the truth that he had not revealed before be told openly {that his people openly tell others all of the truth that he has not revealed before}. 18 So listen carefully to what I tell you, because God will enable those who accept my truth to understand even more. But God will cause those who do not accept my truth to not understand even the little that they think they have understood.”

Jesus told them that some people are as dear to him as his own relatives.

Luke 8:19-21

19 One day Jesus’ mother and his younger brothers came to see him, but they could not get near him because there was a large crowd around him in the house. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and your younger brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 He replied, “Those who hear God’s message and obey it are as dear to me [MET] as my mother and my brothers.”

Jesus calmed a storm.

Luke 8:22-25

22 One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples. He said to them, “Let’s go around to the other side of the lake.” So they started to go. 23 As they were sailing, he fell asleep. A big windstorm struck the lake. Soon the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. 24 Jesus’ disciples woke him up. They said to him, “Master! Master! We (inc) are going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and told the waves to be calm. The wind immediately stopped blowing and the waves calmed down. The lake became calm. 25 He said to them, “◄I am disappointed that you did not trust me to help you!/Why did you not trust me to help you?►” [RHQ] They were afraid. They were also amazed. They said to each other, “◄What kind of man is this?/This man is not like ordinary men!► [RHQ] He not only commands people, but when he commands the wind and the water, they also obey him!”

Jesus expelled many demons from a man.

Luke 8:26-39

26 Jesus and his disciples arrived at the region near Gerasa, a town which was on the eastern side of Lake Galilee. 27 There was a man in that region in whom demons lived. He was from the town of Gerasa. (OR, In that area there was a man from that town whom demons controlled.) For a long time he had not worn clothes. He did not live in a house. Instead, he lived in burial caves. 28-29 28-29Many times demons attacked him. He was guarded {People tried to guard him} so that he would not injure others. Chains were fastened {They fastened chains} on his hands and shackles on his feet, but he would break the chains and shackles. Then he would be sent away by the demons {the demons would send him away} to some desolate area.

When Jesus stepped out of the boat onto the shore, the man saw him. He ran to Jesus and prostrated himself before him. Then Jesus commanded, “You evil spirit, come out of that man!” But it did not leave immediately. Instead, it caused the man to shout very loudly, “Jesus, Son of the great God in heaven, since we (inc) have nothing in common, leave me alone [RHQ]! I beg you, do not torture me now!” 30 In order to expel the demon more easily, Jesus asked the demon, “What is your (sg) name?” He replied, “My name is Crowd/Mob.” He said that because many demons had entered that man. 31 The demons kept begging Jesus that he would not command them to go into the deep place where God punishes demons. 32 There was a large herd of pigs ◄grazing/rooting for food► on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus that he allow them to enter the pigs. So he did. 33 The demons left the man and entered the pigs. Then the herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

34 When the men who were taking care of the pigs saw what happened, they ran! They told people inside the town and outside the town what had happened. 35 So people went out to see what had happened. When they came to where Jesus was, they saw that the man from whom Jesus had expelled the demons was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to him. He had clothes on, and his mind was normal again. Then those people became afraid because they thought that Jesus would destroy more of their property (OR, because they realized that he must be very powerful). 36 The people who had seen what happened told those who had just arrived how Jesus had healed the man whom demons were controlling before. 37 Then those people and many other people [HYP] from the area near Gerasa asked Jesus to leave their area. They were very afraid of what else Jesus would do to them. So Jesus and the disciples got into the boat to go back across the lake. 38 The man from whom he had expelled the demons begged him saying, “Please, let me go with you!” But Jesus refused. Instead, he said to him, 39 “No, go home and tell people how much God has done for you!” Then he sent him away. So the man went away and told people throughout the nearby town how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus caused a young girl to become alive again, and healed a woman who had been bleeding for years.

Luke 8:40-56

40 When Jesus and the disciples returned to Capernaum, a crowd of people who had been waiting for him welcomed him. 41 Just then a man named Jairus, who was one of the leaders ◄of the synagogue/of the Jewish meeting place► there, came near and prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet. He pleaded with Jesus, “Please come to my house and heal my daughter, 42 my only daughter, who is about twelve years old, because she is dying!”

As Jesus went with him, many people crowded close to Jesus. 43 Then a woman came near. She had been suffering from constant vaginal [EUP] bleeding for twelve years, but she could not be healed by anyone {no one could heal her}. 44 She came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his robe in order to be healed. At once her bleeding stopped. 45 Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When everyone said that they had not touched him, Peter said, “Lord, there is a large crowd of people around you (sg) and crowding against you, so any one of them might have touched you!” 46 But Jesus said, “I know that someone deliberately touched me, because my power has healed someone who touched me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not prevent Jesus (OR, people) from knowing that she was healed, her body began to shake. She was afraid that because she had disobeyed the law that a woman with such a condition should not touch others, Jesus might scold her for doing that. She prostrated herself before Jesus. As the other people were listening, she told why she had touched him and how she had been healed immediately. 48 Jesus said to her, “◄Ma’am/My dear woman►, because you believed [PRS] that I could heal you, I have healed you. Go from here, and may you experience God’s peace within you.”

49 While he was still talking to her, a man from Jairus’ house came and said to Jairus, “Your daughter has died. So ◄it is useless that you bother the teacher any longer by urging him to go to your house!/why do you bother the teacher any longer by urging him to go to your house?► [RHQ]” 50 But when Jesus heard that, he said to Jairus, “Do not think that there is nothing more that can be done. Just believe that I can help her. If you(sg) do that, she will live again.” 51 When they arrived outside Jairus’ house, Jesus allowed only Peter, John, James, and the girl’s mother and father to go in Jairus’ house with him. 52 All the people there were crying and beating their chests to show that they were sad. But, knowing that he would cause the girl to live again, he said to them, “Stop crying! She is not dead! She is just sleeping [MET]!” 53 The people laughed at him, because they knew that the girl was dead. 54 But Jesus took hold of her hand and called to her, saying, “Child, get up!” 55 At once her spirit returned to her body and she got up. Jesus immediately said, “Give her something to eat!” 56 Her parents were amazed, but Jesus told them not to tell anyone else yet what had happened.

Jesus sent out his apostles to teach and heal people.

Luke 9:1-6

9 One day Jesus summoned his twelve apostles, and gave them power to expel all kinds of demons and to heal people with diseases. He gave them authority to do that. 2 Before he sent them out to heal people and to tell people what it meant to let God ◄rule/have complete control over► their lives, 3 he said to them, “Do not take things for your journey. Do not take a walking stick or a traveler’s bag or food or money. Do not take ◄an extra shirt/extra clothes►. 4 Whenever you enter some house to lodge there, stay in that house until you leave that town. 5 In towns where the people do not welcome you, you should not continue to stay there. Just leave those towns. And as you leave, shake off the dust from your feet. Do that to warn them that God will punish them for rejecting your message.” 6 Then they left and traveled through many villages. Everywhere they went, they told people God’s good message and healed sick people.

Herod was uncertain about who was doing these miracles.

Luke 9:7-11

7 Herod Antipas, the ruler of that district, heard about the things that Jesus and his disciples were doing. He had previously commanded his soldiers to execute John the Baptizer, so now he was perplexed, because some people were saying that John had become alive again and was doing those miracles. 8 Others were saying that the prophet Elijah had appeared again as had been prophesied. Others were saying that one of the other former prophets had become alive again and was doing those miracles. 9 But Herod said, “It cannot be John who is doing these things, because I commanded my soldiers to cut off his head. So who is this man that I am hearing these things about?” And he kept wanting to see Jesus.

10 When the apostles returned from traveling to various towns, they told Jesus the things that they had done. Then he took them and they went by themselves by boat to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But when the crowds of people who had been with Jesus found out about that, they followed him on land. When they got to where he was, he welcomed them. He taught them about how God is going to some day ◄rule as king/have complete control over people’s lives►. He also healed the sick people.

Jesus fed over 5,000 people miraculously.

Luke 9:12-17

12 Late in the afternoon Jesus’ twelve apostles came to him and said, “This is a place where nobody lives, so dismiss the people so that they can go to the surrounding villages and other places where they can get some food and find places to stay!” 13 But he said to them, “No, you yourselves give them something to eat!” They replied, “We (exc) have only five small loaves and two cooked fish. Are you (sg) going to give us the money to go somewhere and buy food for all these people?” 14 There were about 5,000 men there. He replied to the disciples, “No, just tell the people to sit down. Tell them to sit in groups, with about 50 people in each group.” 15 After they told the people that, they all sat down. 16 Then he took the five small loaves and the two fish. He looked up towards heaven and thanked God for them. Then he broke them into pieces and gave them to the disciples so that they would distribute them to the crowd. 17 All the people in the crowd ate until they all had enough to eat. Then the disciples collected twelve baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over!

After Peter expressed his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus predicted his own death and resurrection.

Luke 9:18-27

18 One day Jesus was praying in a place where only the disciples were with him. He asked them, “The crowds of people, who do they say that I really am?” 19 They replied, “Some people say that you are John the Baptizer, who has come back to life again. Others say that you are the prophet Elijah, who has returned from heaven as God promised. Others say that you are one of the other prophets who lived long ago, who has come back to life again.” 20 He asked them, “What about you (pl)? Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You (sg) are the Messiah, who has come from God.” 21 Then Jesus warned them strongly not to tell that to anyone yet. 22 Then he said, “Even though I am the one who came from heaven, it is necessary that I suffer very much. It is also necessary that I be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the men who teach the Jewish laws {that the Jewish elders and the chief priests and the men who teach the Jewish laws will reject me}. It is necessary that I be killed {that people will kill me}. Then on the third day after that, I will become alive again.”

23 Then he said to all of them, “If any one of you wants to be my disciple, you must not do only what you yourself desire to do. Specifically, you must be willing each day [MET] to let others hurt you and disgrace you. That is like what is done to criminals who are forced to carry [MET] crosses to the place where they will be executed. That is what anyone who wants to be my disciple must do. 24 You must do that, because those who try to save their lives by denying that they belong to me when people want to kill them for believing in me will not live eternally, but those who are killed because of being my disciples will live forever with me. 25 People might get everything that they want in this world, but ◄they are really gaining nothing if they do not get eternal life by becoming my disciples!/are they really gaining anything if they do not get eternal life by becoming my disciples?► [RHQ] 26 Those who reject my message and refuse to say that they belong to me, I, the one who came from heaven, will also refuse to say that they belong to me when I come back with the holy angels, and have the glorious brightness that my Father has. 27 But listen carefully! Some of you (pl) who are here now will see God ruling [MET] in many powerful ways. You will see it before you die!”

Jesus talked with Moses and Elijah.

Luke 9:28-36

28 About a week after Jesus said those things, he took Peter, James, and James’ brother John and led them up a mountain so that he could pray there. 29 As he was praying, his face appeared very different to them. His clothes became as bright as lightning. 30-31 30-31Suddenly, two men appeared who had the brightness of heaven surrounding them. They were prophets who had lived long ago, Moses and Elijah. They started talking with Jesus about how he would accomplish what God had planned when he died [EUP] very soon in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and the other disciples who were with him were sound asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ brightness. They also saw the two men standing with him. 33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here! Allow us to make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!” But he really did not realize what he was talking about. 34 As he was saying that, a bright cloud appeared and covered them all. The disciples were afraid as the cloud surrounded them. 35 God [MTY/EUP] spoke to them from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son. He is the one whom I have chosen to do a great work for me. So you must listen to him!” 36 After God [MTY/EUP] finished saying that, the three disciples saw that only Jesus was there. They did not tell anyone what they had seen until much later.

Jesus expelled a demon from a boy.

Luke 9:37-43a

37 The next day, after they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd of people met Jesus. 38 Then a man from the crowd exclaimed, “Teacher, I plead with you, do something to help my son! He is my only child! 39 At various times an evil spirit suddenly seizes him and causes him to scream. The evil spirit shakes him violently and causes him to foam at the mouth. It does not leave until my child is completely exhausted. 40 I pleaded with your disciples who were here for them to expel the evil spirit, but they were not able to do it!” 41 Jesus replied by saying to everyone who had gathered there, “You who have seen how I help people do not believe that you can do anything. What you think is perverted! How long must I be with you before you are able to do what I do [RHQ]? How long must I endure your lack of faith?” Then he said to the boy’s father, “Bring your (sg) son here to me!” 42 While they were bringing the boy to Jesus, the demon attacked the boy, threw him to the ground, and shook him severely. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he returned him to his father’s care. 43 All the people there were amazed at the great power of God.

Jesus predicted his arrest.

Luke 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at all the miracles Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples, 44 “Think carefully [MTY] about what I am about to tell you: Even though I am the one who came from heaven, I will soon be handed over to the authorities (OR, my enemies) {someone is about to enable [MTY] my enemies to seize me}.” 45 But the disciples did not understand what he was saying; God prevented them from understanding it, so that they would not know yet what he meant. And they were afraid to ask him about what he had said.

Jesus told his disciples who is really great in God’s sight.

Luke 9:46-48

46 The disciples began to argue among themselves about which one of them would be the greatest when Jesus became king. 47 But Jesus perceived what they were thinking. So he brought a young child to his side. 48 He said to the disciples, “Those who, because they love me, (OR, because they want to behave like me) welcome a little child ◄like this one/as I would► [MTY], God considers that [MET] they are welcoming me. And those who welcome me, God considers that [MET] they are welcoming him, the one who sent me. Remember that those among you who think of themselves as being very unimportant will be the ones whom God considers to be great.”

Jesus told them not to forbid others from expelling demons.

Luke 9:49-50

49 John replied to Jesus, “Master, we (exc) saw a man who was expelling demons, claiming that he had authority from you [MTY] to do that. So we told him to stop doing it, because he is not one of us disciples.” 50 But Jesus said to him and the other disciples, “Do not tell him not to do that! Remember that those who are not opposing you are trying to achieve the same goals that you are!”

People in a Samaritan town refused to welcome Jesus.

Luke 9:51-56

51 When it was almost time for God to take Jesus up to heaven, he firmly resolved to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent some messengers to go ahead of him, and they entered a village in Samaria district to prepare for him [SYN] to go there. 53 But the Samaritans did not like the Jews because of their insisting that it was necessary to go to Jerusalem to worship God. So, because Jesus had firmly resolved to go to Jerusalem, they would not let him come to their village. 54 When two of his disciples, James and John, heard about that, they said, “Lord, do you (sg) want us (exc) to pray that God will send fire down from heaven, as the prophet Elijah did long ago, and destroy those people?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them for saying that. 56 So they went to a different village.

Jesus told three people what it would cost them if they became his disciples.

Luke 9:57-62

57 As Jesus and the disciples were walking along the road, one man said to him, “I will go with you (sg) wherever you go!” 58 In order that the man might know what he could expect if he went with Jesus, Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes in the ground in which to live, and birds have nests, but even though I am the one who came from heaven, I do not have a home where I can sleep!” 59 Jesus told another man, “Come with me!” But the man said, “Lord/Sir, let me go home first. After my father dies I will bury him, and then I will come with you.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “God considers that those who do not have eternal life are dead [MET]. Let those people do the work of burying people who die. As for you, go and tell people about how God wants ◄to rule/to have complete control over► people’s lives!” 61 Someone else said, “Lord, I will come with you and be your disciple, but first let me go home to say goodbye to my relatives.” 62 Jesus said to him, “Anyone who is plowing his field should not look back to see what he has done. He must look forward to what is ahead. Similarly, anyone who continues to be concerned about his family and other things he has left behind is not fit to serve me and tell others about how God wants to rule [MTY] people’s lives.”

Jesus instructed 72 other disciples before sending them out.

Luke 10:1-12

10 After that, the Lord Jesus appointed 72 other people. He prepared to send them out, two-by-two, to every town and village where he [SYN] intended to go. 2 He said to them, “The people who are ready to receive my message are like a field of [MET] grain that is ready for people to harvest {to be harvested}. But there are not many people to bring them to God. So pray and ask the Lord God to send more workers who will gather people together and teach them my message, just like a landowner sends workers into his fields to gather the harvest. 3 Start going; but remember that I am sending you (pl) out to tell my message to people who will try to get rid of you. You will be like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take along any money in a purse. Do not take a traveler’s bag. Do not take extra sandals. Do not spend a lot of time greeting people along the way. 5 Whenever you enter a house to lodge there, first say to those people, ‘May God give inner peace to you people [MTY] in this house!’ 6 If people who live there are ◄desiring to have/worthy of receiving► God’s peace, they will experience the inner peace that you are offering them. If people who live there are not desiring to have God’s peace, you will experience God’s inner peace, but they will not. 7 If they welcome you, stay in that same house until you leave that village. Do not move around from one house to another. Eat and drink whatever they provide for you. A worker deserves to get pay [MET] from the people for whom he works, so you deserve to receive food and a place to stay from the people to whom you go. 8 Whenever you enter a town and the people there welcome you, eat what is provided {what they provide} for you. 9 Heal the people there who are sick. Tell them, ‘It is almost time for God to send his king to rule [MET] your lives.’ 10 But if you enter a town whose people do not welcome you, go into its main streets and say, 11 ‘Because you have refused to hear our message, we(exc) will not only leave, we will also shake off the dust of your town that clings to our sandals, to warn you that God will reject/punish you. But we want you to know that it is almost the time when God will start to rule!’ 12 I will tell you this: On the [MTY] final day when God judges everyone, he will punish the wicked people [MTY] who long ago lived in Sodom, the city that he destroyed because its people were so wicked. But he will punish even more severely the people [MTY] of any town whose people refused to hear your message!”

Jesus warned the unbelievers in three towns.

Luke 10:13-16

13 “There will be terrible punishment for you people who live in [MTY] Chorazin and Bethsaida cities. I did great miracles in your cities to show God’s power, but you did not turn from your sinful behavior. If the miracles that I performed in your cities had been done in Tyre and Sidon cities, the wicked people who lived there would have long ago shown that they were sorry for their sins by sitting on the ground wearing coarse cloth and putting ashes on their heads. 14 But they did not have the opportunity that you have, so when God punishes people, he will punish the wicked people who lived in Tyre and Sidon, but he will punish you more severely because you did not pay attention to my message. 15 I also have something to say to you people who live in Capernaum city. ◄Do not think that you will be honored {that God will honor you} in heaven!/Do you think that you will be honored {that God will honor you} in heaven?► [RHQ] That will not happen! On the contrary, after you die, God will send you down to the place where sinful people will be punished forever!”

16 Jesus also said to the disciples, “God will consider that those who listen to your message are listening to me, and that those who reject your message are rejecting me. And he will consider that those who reject me are rejecting God, the one who sent me.”

Jesus commented on their ministry after the 72 returned.

Luke 10:17-24

17 The 72 people whom Jesus appointed went and did as he told them to. When they returned, they were very joyful. They said, “Lord, people did what we(exc) told them to do! Demons also obeyed us when by your (sg) authority [MTY] we commanded them to leave people!” 18 Jesus replied, “When those demons were obeying you, because God had enabled you to defeat them, it was as though [MET] I saw Satan fall from heaven as suddenly and quickly as lightning strikes. 19 Listen! I have given you authority so that if you oppose evil spirits [MET] they will not hurt you. I have given you authority to defeat our enemy, Satan. Nothing shall hurt you. 20 But although you can rejoice that evil spirits obey you, you should rejoice more that your names have been written {that God has written your names} in heaven, because you will be with God forever.”

21 At that time the Holy Spirit caused Jesus to be very happy. He said, “Father, you (sg) rule over everything in heaven and on the earth! Some people think that they are wise because they are well-educated. But I thank you that you have prevented them from knowing these things. Instead, you have revealed them to people who accept your truth as readily [MET] as little children do. Yes, Father, you have done that because it seemed good to you to do so.” 22 Jesus also said to the 72 disciples, “God, my Father, has revealed to me all I need to know and the power I need for my work. Only my Father knows who I really am. Furthermore, only I and those people to whom I wish to reveal him know what God my Father is like.”

23 Then when Jesus’ disciples were alone with him, he turned toward them and said, “God is pleased with you [SYN] who have seen the things that I have done! 24 I want you to know that many prophets and kings who lived long ago desired to see the things that you are seeing me do, but these things did not happen then. They longed to hear the things that you have been hearing me say, but these things were not revealed to them then.”

Jesus taught that we must show our love to everyone, even ones we do not like to associate with.

Luke 10:25-37

25 One day as Jesus was teaching people, a man was there who had studied carefully the laws that God gave Moses. He wanted to ask Jesus a difficult question. So he stood up and asked, “Teacher, what shall I do in order to live with God forever?” 26 Jesus said to him, “You (sg) have read [RHQ] what Moses has written in the laws that God gave him. What did Moses write about living forever?” 27 The man replied, “He wrote that we (inc) must love the Lord our God. We must show that by what we feel and by what we do and by what we think. He also wrote that we must love people that we come in contact with as much as we love ourselves.” 28 Jesus replied, “You (sg) have answered your question correctly. If you do all that continually, you will live with God forever.”

29 But the man wanted to defend the way he acted toward people that he came in contact with (OR, to defend why he had asked a question that Jesus answered so simply). So he said to Jesus, “Which people that I come in contact with should I love?” 30 Jesus replied by telling him this illustration: “A Jewish man was once going down along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Bandits attacked him. They took away most of the man’s clothes and everything else that he had, and they beat him until he was almost dead. Then they left him. 31 It happened that a Jewish priest was going along that road. When he saw that man, instead of helping him, he passed by on the other side of the road. 32 Similarly, a man who worked in the temple in Jerusalem came to that place and saw the man. But he also passed by on the other side of the road. 33 Then a man from Samaria province came along that road to where the man was lying. People from Samaria despise Jews. But when he saw that man, he pitied him. 34 He went over to him and put some olive oil and wine on his wounds to help heal them. He wound strips of cloth around the wounds. He placed the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next morning he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of this man. If you (sg) spend more than this amount to care for him, I will pay you back when I return.’ ” 36 Then Jesus said, “Three people saw the man whom bandits attacked. Which one of them acted in a loving way toward that man?” 37 The man who studied the Scriptures replied, “The one who acted mercifully toward him.” Jesus said to him, “You (sg) go and act like that toward everyone whom you can help!”

Jesus rebuked Martha for being too concerned about household chores.

Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples continued to travel, they entered a village near Jerusalem. A woman whose name was Martha invited them to come to her house. 39 Her younger sister, whose name was Mary, sat near Jesus. She was listening to what he was teaching. 40 But Martha was very much concerned about preparing a meal. She went to Jesus and said, “Lord, ◄you do not seem to care that my sister has left me to prepare everything by myself!/do you not care that my sister has left me to prepare everything by myself?► [RHQ] Tell her that she should help me!” 41 But the Lord replied, “Martha, Martha, you (sg) are very worried about many things. 42 But only one thing is truly necessary, and that is, to listen to what I am teaching. Mary has decided to do that, and that is better than worrying. The blessing that she is receiving from listening to me will not be taken away from her {No one will take away from her the blessing that she is receiving from listening to me}.”

Jesus taught his disciples about prayer.

Luke 11:1-13

11 One day Jesus was somewhere praying. When he finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us what to say when we (exc) pray, as John the Baptizer taught his disciples!” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say things like this: ‘Father, we want you (sg) [MTY] to be honored/revered. We want people to let you(sg) [MTY, MET] rule over their lives. 3 Give us (exc) each day the food [SYN] that we need. 4 Forgive us for the wrong things that we have done, because we forgive people for the wrong things that they do to us. Do not let us do wrong things when we are tempted {someone or something tempts us}.’ ”

5 Then he said to them, “Suppose that one of you goes to the house of a friend at midnight. Suppose that you (sg) stand outside and call out to him, ‘My friend, please lend me three buns! 6 Another friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived at my house, but I have no food ready to give to him!’ 7 Suppose that he answers you from inside his house, ‘Do not bother me! The door has been locked {We(exc) have locked the door} and all my family are in bed. So I cannot get up and give you (sg) anything!’ 8 I will tell you that even if he does not want to get up and give you any food, to avoid being ashamed for not helping you because you are his friend (OR, if without being ashamed you continue asking him to do that), he certainly will get up and give you whatever you need. 9 So I tell you this: Keep asking God for what you need. If you do that, he will give it to you (pl). Confidently keep expecting God to give you the things that you need, and he will give them to you [MET]. It will be like looking for what you need and finding it. Keep on praying urgently to God. Then God will answer you. It will be like knocking on a door so that God will open the way for you to get what you pray for. 10 Remember that God will give things to everyone who continues to ask him for them. He will give things to whoever confidently keeps asking. He will open the way for people to get the things that they keep urgently praying for. 11 If one of you had a son who asked you (sg) for a fish to eat, ◄you (sg) certainly would not give him a poisonous snake instead!/would you give him a poisonous snake instead?► [RHQ] 12 If he asked you for an egg, ◄you (sg) certainly would not give him a scorpion!/would you give him a scorpion?► [RHQ] 13 Even though you people are evil, you know how to give good things to your children. So your Father in heaven will certainly give good things to those who ask him, including giving the Holy Spirit, who is the best gift.”

Jesus taught people various things about demons.

Luke 11:14-28

14 One day there was a man there who, because a demon controlled him [MTY], was unable to speak. After Jesus expelled the demon, the man began to talk. Most of the people there were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “It is Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons, who enables this man to expel demons!” 16 Other people there asked Jesus to perform a miracle to prove ◄he was the Messiah/that he had come from God► [MTY/EUP]. They wanted to trap him into not being able to perform a miracle or into doing something ridiculous. 17 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, “If the people in one nation fight against each other, their nation will be destroyed {they will destroy their nation}. If the people in [MTY] one house are divided, they will cease to remain as one family. 18 Similarly, if Satan and his demons were fighting against each other, ◄his rule over them would certainly not last!/how would his rule over them last?► [RHQ] I say this because you are saying that I am expelling demons by the power of the ruler of his own demons 19 Furthermore, if it is true that Satan enables me to expel demons, is it also true that your disciples who expel demons do so by Satan’s power [RHQ]? No, that is not true. So they will show that you are not thinking logically. 20 But because it is by the power [MTY] of God that I expel demons, I am showing you that the power of God to [MET] rule people’s lives has come to you.”

21 Then, to show that by expelling evil spirits he was making it clear that he was much more powerful than Satan, Jesus said [MET], “When a strong man who has many weapons guards his own house, no one can steal the things in his house. 22 But when someone else who is stronger attacks that man and subdues him, he is able to take away the weapons in which the man trusted. Then he can take from that man’s house anything he wants to. 23 No one can be neutral. Those who do not help me are opposing me, and those who do not gather people to become my disciples are causing those people to go away from me.”

24 Then Jesus said this: “Sometimes when an evil spirit leaves someone, it wanders around in desolate areas seeking someone in whom it can rest. If it does not find anyone, it says to itself, ‘I will return to the person in whom I used to live!’ 25 So it goes back and finds that the Spirit of God is not in control of that person’s life. The person’s life is like a house that has been {that someone has} swept clean and everything put {put everything} in order, but a house that is empty. 26 Then this evil spirit goes and gets seven other spirits that are even more evil than it is. They all enter that person and begin living there. So, although that person’s condition was bad before, it became much worse.”

27 When Jesus said that, a woman who was listening called out to him, “God is pleased with the woman who gave birth to you (sg) and let you nurse at her breasts!” 28 But he replied, “God is much more pleased with those who hear his message and obey it!”

Jesus rebuked the people for wanting more miracles.

Luke 11:29-36

29 When the group of people around Jesus got larger, he said, “Many of you people who have been observing my ministry are evil. You want me to perform a miracle to prove that I have come from God, but the only miracle that I will perform for you is one like happened to Jonah. 30 After Jonah was inside a huge fish for three days, God performed a miracle to restore Jonah. Jonah then went and testified about that to the people in Nineveh city. God will perform a similar miracle for me, the one who came from heaven. When you people have seen that miracle, you will believe my message. 31 Long ago the queen from Sheba, far south of Israel, traveled a long distance to hear Solomon speak many wise things. But now I, a man who is much greater and wiser than Solomon, am here, but you have not listened to what I have told you. Therefore, at the time when God judges all people, the queen from Sheba will stand there, along with you people, and will condemn you. 32 The people who lived in Nineveh city turned from their sinful ways when Jonah preached to them. But now I, who am greater than Jonah, have come and preached to you, but you have not turned from your sinful ways. Therefore, at the time when God judges all people, the people who lived in Nineveh will stand there with you and condemn you.”

33 Then, to show them that they did not need more miracles, but that they needed only to understand better what he had already told them, he said to them [MET], “People who light a lamp do not then hide it, or put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so that those who enter their house can see things from its light. Similarly, I have not concealed God’s truth. I have revealed it to you. 34 Your eyes [MET] are like a lamp for your body, because they enable you to see things. If your eyes are healthy, you are able to see everything well [MET]. Similarly, if you(sg) accept my teaching, you will be able to know all that God wants you to know. But if your eyes are bad, you are not able to see anything. It is like being in darkness [MET]. And similarly, if you(pl) do not accept what I teach, you will not be able to know all the things that God wants you to know. 35 Therefore, you(pl) do not need to see more miracles. You need to think carefully about what I have already told you, so that the things that you have heard from others do not cause you to remain in spiritual darkness [MET]. 36 If you live completely according to God’s truth, you will be able to know everything that God wants you to know. It will be like being in a room with a lamp shining brightly, enabling you to see everything clearly.”

Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for only pretending to be good.

Luke 11:37-54; Matthew 23:1-36; Mark 12:38-40

37 While Jesus finished saying those things, a Pharisee invited him to eat a meal with him. So Jesus went to his house and ate with him. 38 The Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Jesus did not follow the Pharisees’ ritual by washing his hands before eating. The Pharisees washed their hands in a certain way to be cleansed from anything that might have contaminated them. They were afraid that God might reject them if they had touched something unacceptable to God. 39 The Lord Jesus said to him, “You Pharisees are concerned about things that are outside your bodies, not with what is in your ◄inner beings/hearts► [MET]. You wash the outside of cups and dishes before you eat because you think that doing that will make you acceptable to God, but within yourselves you are very greedy and wicked. 40 You foolish people! God is concerned about things that are outside our bodies, but ◄he is certainly also concerned about our inner beings!/isn’t he also concerned about our hearts?► [RHQ] 41 Give money to those who are poor. Give according to what you know within your ◄inner beings/heart► that you should give. Then you will be surprised to realize that you will be acceptable to God without having to perform all those rituals about washing.

42 But there will be terrible punishment for you Pharisees! You give to God a tenth of all you produce, even the various herbs that you grow, but you do not remember that you must act justly toward others and love God! It is good to give a tenth of your income to God, but you ought to do these other things also! 43 There will be terrible punishment for you Pharisees, because you like to sit in the best seats in our worship places so that people will think highly of you, and you like people to greet you respectfully in the marketplaces. 44 There will be terrible punishment for you, because you are like ground where there is no marker to indicate that there is a grave underneath. People walk there, but they cannot see what is rotten down below [MET]! Similarly, people who see you do not realize how polluted you are within yourselves.”

45 One of those who taught the Jewish laws replied, “Teacher, by saying this you (sg) are criticizing us also!” 46 Jesus said, “It will be terrible also for you who teach the Jewish laws! You require people to obey many rules that are difficult to obey [MET]. That is like making them carry heavy burdens on their backs. But you yourselves do not obey the laws that you require others to obey. (OR, you do not do anything to help others to obey the laws.) 47 There will be terrible punishment for you! You decorate the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed, but you do not live according to what the prophets taught. 48 So you are declaring that you approve of what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you are not honoring the prophets! You just decorate their tombs! 49 So God, who is very wise [PRS], said, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to you Jews. You will kill some of them and cause some of them to suffer greatly. 50 As a result, I will consider that many of you people who have observed my Son’s ministry will be guilty [MTY] of murder, as if you had killed all the prophets that other people have killed, from the time I created the world, 51 starting from Adam’s son Cain killing his brother Abel and continuing until they killed the prophet Zechariah in the holy place between the altar and the temple.’ Yes, what I am saying is true [MTY]. God will punish you people who have observed my ministry, you people whom he considers to be guilty [MTY] for killing all those prophets! 52 There will be terrible punishment for you men who teach the Jewish laws, because you have not let people know God’s truth [MET]! It is as though you are taking away a key to a house. You are not going into the house yourselves, and you are not letting other people enter it, either.”

53 After Jesus finished saying those things, he left there. Then the men who taught the Jewish laws and the Pharisees began to act in a very hostile way toward him. They tried to make him say what he thought about many things. 54 They kept waiting for him to say something wrong for which they could accuse him.

Jesus warned the people not to be like the Pharisees.

Luke 12:1-3

12 While they were doing that, many thousands of people gathered around Jesus. There were so many that they were stepping on each other. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of becoming hypocrites like the Pharisees. Their evil influence [MET] spreads to others like yeast spreads its influence in dough. 2 People will not be able to continue concealing the things that they or other people try to conceal now. God will some day cause the things that are hidden now to be known {everyone to know the things that they hide now}. 3 All the things that you say in the dark secretly, some day will be heard {people will hear them} in the daylight. The things you have whispered [SYN] privately among yourselves in your rooms will be proclaimed {people will proclaim them} publicly.”

Jesus told them not to be afraid to tell others of their faith in him.

Luke 12:4-12

4 “My friends, listen carefully. Do not be afraid of people who are able to kill you, but after they kill you, there is nothing more that they can do to hurt you. 5 But I will warn you about the one that you should truly be afraid of. You should be afraid of God, because he not only has the power to cause people to die, he has the power to throw them into hell afterward! Yes, he is truly the one that you should be afraid of! 6 Think about the sparrows. They are worth so little that you can [RHQ] buy five of them for only two small coins. But not one of them is ever forgotten by God {God never forgets one of them}! 7 You are worth more to God than many sparrows. So do not be afraid of what people can do to you! God even knows how many hairs there are on each of your heads, so that if you(sg) lose one hair, he knows about it. So nothing bad can happen to you without his knowing it.

8 I want to tell you also that if people, without being afraid, are willing to tell others that they are my disciples, I, the one who came from heaven, will acknowledge before God that they are my disciples. I will do that while God’s angels listen. 9 But if people are afraid to say in front of others that they are my disciples, I will say, while God’s angels listen, that they are not my disciples. 10 I will tell you also that God is willing to forgive people who say bad things about me, the one who came from heaven, but he will not forgive anyone who says evil things about what the Holy Spirit does. 11 So when people ask you in Jewish worship houses and in the presence of rulers and other authorities about your trusting in me, do not worry about how you will answer them when they accuse you. Do not worry about what you should say, 12 because the Holy Spirit will tell you at that very time what you should say.”

Jesus warned them about being greedy.

Luke 12:13-21

13 Then one of the people in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my older brother to divide my father’s property and give me the part that belongs to me!” 14 But Jesus replied to him, “Man, ◄no one appointed me in order that I would settle matters when people are disputing about property!/did anyone appoint me in order that I would settle matters when people are disputing about property?► [RHQ]” 15 Then he said to the whole crowd, “Guard yourselves very carefully, in order that you do not desire other people’s things in any way! No one can make his life secure by obtaining many possessions.”

16 Then Jesus told the people this illustration: “There was a certain rich man whose crops grew very well. 17 So he said to himself, ‘I do not know what to do, because I do not have any place big enough to store all my crops!’ 18 Then he thought to himself, ‘I know what I will do! I will tear down my grain bins and build larger ones! Then I will store all my wheat and other goods in the big new bins. 19 Then I will say to myself [SYN], “Now I have plenty of goods stored up. They will last for many years. So now I will take life easy. I will eat and drink all that I want to and be happy for a long time!” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You foolish man! Tonight you will die! ◄Then all the goods you have saved up for yourself will belong to someone else, not to you!/Do you think that you will benefit from all that you have stored up for yourself?► [RHQ]’ ”

21 Then Jesus ended this illustration by saying, “That is what will happen to those who store up goods just for themselves, but who do not value the things that God considers valuable.”

Jesus told his disciples not to worry about the things that they need.

Luke 12:22-34

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “So I want to tell you this: Do not worry about things you need in order to live. Do not worry about whether you will have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 It is important to have sufficient food and clothing, but ◄the way you conduct your lives is more important./is not the way you conduct your lives more important?► [RHQ] 24 Think about the birds: They do not plant seeds, and they do not harvest crops. They do not have rooms or buildings in which to store crops. But God provides food for them. And you are certainly much more valuable than birds. So God will certainly provide what you need! 25 ◄There is not a one of you who can add a little bit to how long he lives by worrying about it!/Is there any of you who can add a little bit to how long he lives by worrying about it?► [RHQ] 26 Worrying is a small thing to do. So since you cannot add to your life, ◄you certainly should not worry about other things that you need to have in order to live!/why do you worry about other things that you need to have in order to live?► [RHQ] 27 Think about the way that flowers grow in the fields. They do not work to earn money, and they do not make their own clothes. But I tell you that even though King Solomon, who lived long ago, wore very beautiful clothes, his clothes were not as beautiful as one of those flowers. 28 God makes the flowers beautiful, but they grow in the fields for only a short time. Then they are cut at the same time that the grass is cut, and thrown into an oven to be burned to make heat for baking bread. So they really are not worth very much. But you are very precious to God, and he will care for you much more than he cares for the grass by filling it with beautiful flowers. So he will certainly provide clothes for you, who live much longer than the grass. Why [RHQ] do you trust him so little? 29 Do not always be concerned about having enough to eat and drink, and do not be worrying about those things. 30 The people who do not know God are always worried about such things. But your Father in heaven knows that you need those things, so you should not worry about them. 31 Instead, be concerned about letting God completely direct your life. Then he will also give you enough of the things you need.

32 You who are my disciples are like a small flock of sheep, and I am like your shepherd. So you should not be afraid. Your Father in heaven wants to let you rule with him in heaven. 33 So now sell the things that you own. Give the money that you get for those things to poor people. If you do that, it will be as though you are providing for yourselves purses that will not wear out, and God will give you a treasure in heaven that will always be safe. There, no thief can come near to steal it, and no termite can destroy it. 34 Remember that the things that you think are the most valuable are the things that you will be constantly concerned about.”

Jesus told them that they should be ready for his return.

Luke 12:35-48

35 “Be always ready for doing God’s work [MET], like people who have put on their work clothes and are ready during the day, with their lamps burning all night. 36 Be ready for me to return [MET], like servants who are waiting for their master to return after being at a wedding feast for several days. They are waiting to open the door for him and start working for him again as soon as he arrives and knocks at the door. 37 If those servants are awake when he returns, he will be very pleased with them. I will tell you this: He will put on the kind of clothes that servants wear and tell them to sit down, and he will serve them a meal. 38 Even if he comes between midnight and sunrise, if he finds that his servants are awake and ready for him, he will be very pleased with them. 39 But you must also remember this: If owners of a house knew what time a thief was coming, they would stay awake and would not allow their house to be broken into and their goods to be stolen {the thief to break into the house and steal their goods}. 40 Similarly, you must be ready for me to return, because I, the one who came from heaven, will come again at a time when you do not expect me to come.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you (sg) speaking this illustration only for us or for everyone else also?” 42 The Lord replied, “I am saying it for you and for anyone else [MET, RHQ] who is like a faithful and wise manager in his master’s house. His master appoints him to supervise affairs in his house and to give all the other servants their food at the proper time. Then he leaves on a long trip. 43 If the servant is doing that work when his master returns, his master will be very pleased with him. 44 I tell you this: His master will appoint him to supervise all of his affairs permanently. 45 But that servant might think to himself, ‘My master has been away for a long time, so he probably will not return soon and find out what I am doing.’ Then he might start to beat the other servants, both male and female ones. He might also start to eat a lot of food and get drunk. 46 If he does that, and if his master returns on a day when the servant does not expect him, then his master will ◄cut him into two pieces/punish him severely► [HYP] and put him in the place where he puts all those who do not serve him faithfully. 47 Every servant who knows what his master wants him to do but who does not get himself ready and does not do what his master desires will be beaten severely {The master will beat severely every servant who knows what his master wants him to do but who does not get himself ready and does not do what his master desires}. 48 But every servant who did not know what his master wanted him to do, and who did things for which he deserved to be punished, will be beaten lightly {the master will beat lightly every servant who did not know what his master wanted him to do and did the things for which he deserved that his master would beat him}. God will treat his people similarly, because he expects a lot from those people whom he has allowed to understand a lot. People who entrust things to others’ care expect those people to care for those things very well. Similarly, God expects a lot from those people whom he has allowed to understand a lot. Furthermore, he expects the most from people to whom he has given the most ability.”

Jesus warned that people would face opposition even within their own families.

Luke 12:49-53

49 “I came to earth to cause there to be trials [MET], which will purify you as fire purifies metal (OR, to cause judgment/divisions among you). I wish that the time when you will be purified {when God will purify you} (OR, when divisions will be caused {to cause divisions among people}) had already begun. 50 I must soon suffer [IDM] greatly. I am distressed, and I will continue to be distressed until my suffering is finished. 51 Do you think that as a result of my coming to earth people will live together peacefully? No! I must tell you, that is not what will happen! Instead, people will be divided. 52 Because some people in one house will believe in me and some will not, they will be divided. For example, three people in one house who do not believe in me will oppose two who do believe, or two who do not believe in me will oppose three who do believe. 53 A man will oppose his son, or a son will oppose his father. A woman will oppose her daughter, or a woman will oppose her mother. A woman will oppose her daughter-in-law, or a woman will oppose her mother-in-law.”

Jesus told the people that they needed to settle their relationship with God before it was too late.

Luke 12:54-59

54 He also said to the crowds, “In this country, when you see a dark cloud forming in the west, you immediately say ‘It is going to rain!’ and that is what happens. 55 In this region, when the wind blows from the south, you say, ‘It is going to be a very hot day!’ and that is what happens. 56 You hypocrites! By observing the clouds and the wind, you are able to discern what is happening regarding the weather. It is disgusting that you are not able to discern what God is doing at this present time [RHQ]!

57 ◄Each of you ought to determine now what is the right thing for you to do, while you still have time to do that!/Why cannot each of you determine what is the right thing for you to do now while you still have time to do that?► [RHQ] 58 If you do not do that, God will punish you [MET]. It will be like what happens when someone takes one of you to court, saying that you (sg) have done something very bad. You should try to settle things with him while you are still on the way to the court. If he forces you to go to the judge, the judge will decide that you are guilty and put you into the hands of the court officer. Then that officer will put you in prison. 59 I tell you that if you go to prison, you will never get out, because you will never be able to pay every bit of what the judge says you owe [MET]. Similarly, you ought to settle accounts with God before you die, too.”

Jesus warned people that God would punish them if they did not turn from their sinful lives.

Luke 13:1-5

13 Some people who were listening to Jesus at that time told him about some people from Galilee district who had gone to Jerusalem. Pilate, the Roman governor, had ordered soldiers to kill them [MTY] while they were offering sacrifices in the Temple there. 2 Jesus replied to them, “Do you think that this happened to those people from Galilee because they were more sinful than all the other people from Galilee? 3 I assure you, that was not so! But instead of being concerned about them, you need to remember that God will similarly punish you eternally if you do not turn away from your sinful behavior. 4 Or, consider the 18 people who died when the tower at Siloam outside Jerusalem fell on them. Do you think that this happened to them because they were more sinful than all the other people who lived in Jerusalem? 5 I assure you, that was not so! But instead, you need to realize that God will similarly punish you eternally if you do not stop your sinful behavior!”

Jesus warned that he would punish the Jews for not showing that they appreciated God’s blessings.

Luke 13:6-9

6 Then Jesus told them this illustration to show what God would do to the Jews, whom he continually blessed, but who did not do things that please him: “A man planted a fig tree on his farmland. ◄Each year/Many times► he came to it looking for figs, but there were no figs. 7 Then he said to the gardener, ‘Look here! I have been looking for fruit on this fig tree every year for the past three years, but there have been no figs. Cut it down! ◄It is just using up the nutrients in the soil for nothing!/Why should it continue using up the nutrients in the soil for nothing?► [RHQ]’ 8 But the gardener replied to the owner, ‘Sir, leave it here for another year. I will dig around it and put manure around it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, we (inc) will allow it to keep growing. If it does not bear fruit next year, you (sg) can cut it down.’ ”

Jesus told a synagogue leader that he was being hypocritical regarding working on the Sabbath.

Luke 13:10-17

10 One ◄Sabbath/Jewish day of rest►, Jesus was teaching people in one of the Jewish meeting places. 11 There was a woman there whom an evil spirit [MTY] had crippled for 18 years. She was always bent over; she could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over to him. He said to her, “Woman, I am freeing you (sg) from your illness!” 13 He put his hands on her. Immediately she stood up straight, and she praised God! 14 But the man in charge ◄of the synagogue/of the meeting place► was angry because Jesus had healed her ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►. He considered that healing was doing work. So he said to the people, “There are six days each week in which our Jewish laws permit people to work. If you need healing, those are the days to come ◄to the synagogue/to the meeting place► and be healed. Do not come on our Jewish day of rest!” 15 Then the Lord replied to him, “You (sg) and your fellow religious leaders are hypocrites! ◄On the Sabbath/On our Jewish day of rest►, just like on every other day, ◄each of you unties his ox or donkey, and then leads it from the food trough to where it can drink water./does not each of you untie his ox or donkey, and then lead it from the food trough to where it can drink water?► [RHQ] That is work, too! 16 This woman is more important than an animal; she is a Jew, descended from Abraham! But Satan has kept her [MET] crippled for 18 years, as though he had tied her up and not let her escape! So ◄it is certainly right that she be freed {that I free her}, even if this is a Sabbath day!/was it not right that she be freed {that I free her}, even if this is a Jewish rest day?► [RHQ]” 17 After Jesus said that, all the people there who opposed him were ashamed. But all the other people there were happy about all the wonderful things he was doing.

Jesus gave two illustrations about God’s rule over people’s lives.

Luke 13:18-21; Matthew 13:31-33; Mark 4:30-32

18 Then Jesus said, “◄I will tell you how the number of people who let God rule [MET] their lives will increase./Do you know how the number of people who let God rule [MET] their lives will increase?► [RHQ] I will tell you what I can compare it to. 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in his field. It grew until it became big, like a tree. It was so big that birds built nests in its branches.”

20 Then he said, “I will tell [RHQ] you something else, to illustrate how the people who let God rule [MET] their lives can influence their society more and more. 21 It is like a little bit of yeast that a woman mixed with about 50 pounds of flour. That small amount of yeast made the whole batch of dough swell up.”

Jesus warns that not all people who think that they will go to heaven will go there.

Luke 13:22-30; Matthew 7:13-14,21-23

22 Jesus continued traveling, along with his disciples, through various towns and villages on the way to Jerusalem. As they went, he was teaching the people. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will there be only a few people who are saved {whom God saves}?” He replied to them, “There will not be many, because the way to heaven [MET] is like a narrow door. 24 Therefore, try hard to enter that narrow doorway, because I tell you that many people will try to enter heaven by some other way, but they will not be able to get in. 25 God is like the owner of a house. Some day he will lock his door. Then some of you will begin to stand outside that door and knock. You will say, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘No, I will not open it, because I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from!’ 26 Then you will say, ‘◄You must have forgotten!/Surely you know us, because► [RHQ] we (exc) ate meals with you (sg), and you taught people in the streets of our towns’! 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you again, I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from. You are wicked people! Get away from here!’ ” 28 Then Jesus continued, saying, “From where God will send you, you will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the distance. All the prophets who lived long ago will also be there, in the kingdom where God is ruling. But you will be outside, crying and grinding your teeth because you will have severe pain! 29 Furthermore, many non-Jewish people will be inside. There will be ones who have come from lands to the north, east, south, and west. They will be feasting in ◄that place where God is ruling/God’s kingdom►. 30 Think about this: Some people whom others do not consider important now, God will make them very important then, and some people whom others consider very important now, God will make to be not important then.”

Jesus stated that it was necessary for him to die as a prophet in Jerusalem.

Luke 13:31-35; Matthew 23:37-39

31 At that very time, some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Leave this area, because the ruler Herod Antipas wants to kill you (sg)!” 32 He replied to them, “Herod is [MET] as cruel as a fox, but also as insignificant as a fox. So I do not worry about him. But to show him that no one can harm me until it is the time and place God has determined, go tell him this message from me: ‘Listen! I am expelling demons and performing miracles today, and I will continue doing it for a short time. After that, I will finish my work. 33 But I must continue my trip to Jerusalem during the coming days, because they killed many other prophets there, and since I am also a prophet, no other place is appropriate for people to kill me.’ ”

34 Then Jesus said, “O people of [MTY] Jerusalem [APO]! You killed the prophets who lived long ago, and you killed others, whom God sent to you, by throwing stones at them. Many times I wanted to gather you together to protect you [SIM] like a hen gathers her young chicks under her wings. But you did not want me to do that. 35 So listen to this: Your city [MTY] (OR, your temple) is going to be abandoned (OR, God will no longer protect it). I will [MTY] also tell you this: I will enter your city only once more. After that, you will not see me until the time when I return and you say about me, ‘God is truly pleased with this man who comes with God’s authority [MTY]!’ ”

Jesus told the Jewish leaders that they were being hypocritical about not helping people on the Sabbath.

Luke 14:1-6

14 One ◄Jewish day of rest/Sabbath day►, Jesus went to eat [SYN] at the house of an important Pharisee. Some men who studied the Jewish laws and other Pharisees who were there were watching him carefully to see if he would do something for which they could accuse him. 2 Unexpectedly, there was a man in front of Jesus whose arms and legs were swollen. 3 Jesus said to them, “Is it permitted in our(inc) Jewish laws to heal someone ◄on our Jewish rest day/on the Sabbath►, or not?” 4 They knew that their laws permitted it, but they thought that healing was work, which they thought was wrong to do ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day► (OR, they knew that their laws permitted it, but they did not want to admit it). So they did not reply. Then Jesus put his hands on the man and healed him. Then he told him to go home. 5 Then he said to the rest of them, “If you had a son or an ox that fell into a well on a ◄Sabbath/our day of rest►, would you immediately work to pull him out, or would you(sg) let him stay there until the next day?” 6 They knew that they would immediately work to pull him out, even on their day of rest, so they could not justly say that Jesus did wrong by healing the man on that day. So they said nothing in reply to Jesus.

Jesus taught that we should not try to make ourselves seem important.

Luke 14:7-11

7 Jesus noticed that those people who had been {whom the Pharisee had} invited to the meal chose to sit in the places where important people usually sit. Then he gave this advice to them: 8 “When one of you (sg) is invited by someone {someone invites one of you (sg)} to a wedding feast, do not sit in a place where important people sit. Perhaps the man giving the feast has invited a man more important than you (sg). 9 When that man comes, the man who invited both of you will come to you (sg) and say to you, ‘Let this man take your seat!’ Then you (sg) will have to take the most undesirable seat, and you will be ashamed. 10 Instead, when you are invited {someone invites one of you} to a feast, go and sit in the most undesirable seat. Then when the man who invited everyone comes, he will say to you (sg), ‘Friend, sit in a better seat!’ Then all the people who are eating with you (sg) will see that he is honoring you. 11 Also, remember this: God will humble those who exalt themselves. And he will exalt those who humble themselves.”

Jesus taught that we should share with others who cannot repay us.

Luke 14:12-14

12 Jesus also said to the Pharisee who had invited him to the meal, “When you (sg) invite people to a midday or evening meal, do not invite your friends or your family or your other relatives or your rich neighbors. They can later invite you (sg) for a meal. In that way they will repay you. 13 Instead, when you (sg) give a feast, invite poor people, crippled people, lame people, or blind people. 14 They will be unable to repay you. But God will bless you! He will repay you at the time when he causes righteous people to become alive again.”

Jesus taught that many Jews would reject God’s invitation to come to him.

Luke 14:15-24

15 One of those who were eating with Jesus heard him say that. He said to Jesus, “God has truly blessed us Jews who will eat with the Messiah when he starts to rule!” 16 But to show that many Jews whom God had invited would not accept God’s invitation [MET], Jesus replied to him, “One time a man decided to prepare a large feast. He invited many people to come. 17 When it was the day for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those who had been {whom he had} invited, ‘Come now because everything is ready!’ 18 But when the servant did that, all of the people whom he had invited began to say why they did not want to come. The first man the servant went to said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please ask your master to forgive me for not coming!’ 19 Another person said, ‘I have just bought five pair of oxen, and I must go to examine them. Please ask your master to forgive me for not coming!’ 20 Another person said, ‘I have just been married. So I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant returned to his master and reported what everyone had said. The owner of the house was angry when he heard the reasons they gave for not coming. He said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city and find poor and crippled and blind and lame people, and bring them here into my house!’ 22 After the servant went and did that, he came back and said, ‘Sir, I have done what you (sg) told me to do, but there is still room for more people.’ 23 So his master said to him, ‘Then go outside the city. Search for people along the highways. Search also along the narrow roads with hedges beside them where homeless people may be staying. Strongly urge the people in those places to come to my house. I want it to be full of people!’ ” 24 Then Jesus said, “I tell you (pl) this: Very few of you Jewish people will enjoy my feast, even though I invited you first to eat it with me when I become king.”

Jesus warned that it would be difficult to be his disciple.

Luke 14:25-33

25 Large groups of people were traveling with Jesus. He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me who loves his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters more than [HYP] he loves me, he cannot be my disciple. He must even love me more than he loves his own life! 27 People who are ready to execute a prisoner make him carry his cross [MET] to the place where others will nail him on it. Only those who are willing to allow others to hurt them and disgrace them like that because of being my disciples, and who are willing to obey what I teach, can be my disciples. 28 I will illustrate [MET]. If one of you desired to build a ◄tower/big house►, ◄you would surely first sit down and determine how much it would cost!/would you not first sit down and determine how much it would cost?► [RHQ] Then you would determine whether you had enough money to complete it. 29 If you did not do that, if you laid the foundation and were not able to finish the rest of the tower, everyone who saw it would make fun of you. 30 They would say, ‘This man started to build a tower, but he was not able to finish it!’ 31 Or, if a king decided to send his army to war against another king, ◄he would surely first sit down with those who advised him./would he not first sit down with those who advised him?► [RHQ] They would determine whether his army, which had only 10,000 soldiers, could defeat the other army, which had 20,000 soldiers, and was about to attack his army. 32 If he decided that his army could not defeat that army, he would send messengers to the other king while the other army was still far away. He would tell the messengers to say to that king, ‘What things must I do to have peace with your country?’ 33 So, similarly, if any one of you does not first decide that you (sg) are willing to give up all that you have, you cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus warned about losing our usefulness to God.

Luke 14:34-35

34 Jesus also said, “You are like [MET] salt, which is useful to put on food. But ◄salt certainly cannot be made {you certainly cannot make salt} to taste salty again if it stops tasting salty!/can salt be made {can you make salt} to taste salty again if it quits tasting salty?► [RHQ] 35 If salt does not taste salty any more, it is not good for the soil or even for the manure heap. People throw it away. The same thing will happen to you if you become useless to God. If you want to understand what I just said [IDM], you must consider carefully what you have heard!”

Jesus taught that God is pleased when people turn from their sinful behavior.

Luke 15:1-10

15 Many [HYP] tax collectors and others whom people considered to be habitual sinners kept coming to Jesus to listen to him teach. 2 The Pharisees and men who taught the Jewish laws who were there [SYN] began to grumble, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and he also defiles himself by eating with them!” 3 So Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose that one of you had 100 sheep. If one of them were lost, ◄you (sg) would certainly leave the 99 sheep in the pasture, and go and search for the one lost sheep until you found it./would you not leave the 99 sheep in the pasture, and go and search for the one lost sheep until you found it?► [RHQ] 5 When you (sg) found it, you would put it on your shoulders and be happy. 6 When you brought it home, you would call together your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ 7 I tell you (pl) that similarly God will be very happy about each and every sinner who turns from doing evil. God is not happy about 99 people who think that they are [IRO] righteous and think that they do not need to turn from doing evil.

8 Or, suppose that a woman has ten very valuable silver coins. If she loses one of them, ◄she will certainly light a lamp and sweep the floor and search carefully until she finds it!/will she not light a lamp and sweep the floor and search carefully until she finds it?► [RHQ] 9 When she finds it, she will call together her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Be happy with me, because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 I tell you that similarly the angels will be happy about even just one sinner who turns from doing evil.”

Jesus taught the Jewish leaders that they also ought to be glad when people turn from their sinful ways.

Luke 15:11-32

11 Then Jesus told them this parable to compare what the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish law thought about those who turn from their sinful behavior with what God thinks about such people. He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 One day the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, I do not want to wait until you(sg) die. Give me now the share of your property that belongs to me!’ So the man divided his property between his two sons. 13 A few days later, the younger son sold his share. He gathered his money and other things together and went to a country far away. There he spent all his money foolishly in reckless/wild living. 14 After he had spent all his money, there was a great famine throughout that country. And soon he did not have enough food to eat. 15 So he went to one of the landowners in that area and asked for work. The man sent him to work taking care of the pigs in his field. 16 Because he was very hungry, he would have been glad to eat the bean pods that the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything to eat. 17 Finally he thought clearly about what he had done. He said to himself, ‘All of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food! They have more [SYN] than they can eat, but here I am dying because I do not have anything to eat [HYP]! 18 So I will leave here and go back to my father. I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against God [MTY, EUP] and against you (sg). 19 I am no longer worthy to be called {of you calling me} your son. Just hire me to be like one of the other hired servants.” ’ 20 So he left there and went back to his father’s house. But while he was still some distance from the house, his father saw him. He pitied him. He ran to his son and embraced him and kissed him on the cheek. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God [MTY/EUP] and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called {of you calling me} your son.’ 22 But his father said to his servants, ‘Go quickly and bring to me the best robe in the house! Then put it on my son. Put a ring on his finger to show that I am honoring him again as my son! Put sandals on his feet to show that I do not consider him to be a slave! 23 Then bring the fat calf and kill it and cook it. We (inc) must eat and celebrate, 24 because my son has returned! It is as though [MET] he was dead and is alive again! It is as though he was lost and now has been found!’ So they did that, and they all began to celebrate.

25 While all that was happening, the man’s older son was out working in the field. When he came near to the house, he heard people playing music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was happening. 27 The servant said to him, ‘Your younger brother has come home Your father has told us to kill the fat calf to celebrate because your brother has returned safe and healthy.’ 28 But the older brother was angry. He refused to enter the house. So his father came out and pleaded with him to come in. 29 But he replied to his father, ‘Listen to me! For many years I have worked for you like a slave. I always obeyed everything you told me to do. But you never even gave me a young goat, so that I could kill it and cook it and celebrate with my friends. 30 But this son of yours spent all the money he got from what you gave him. He spent it to pay for sleeping with prostitutes! Yes, now he has returned home, but it is not fair that you have told your servants to kill the fat calf and cook it for him!’ 31 But his father said to him, ‘My son, you have always been with me, and all my property that I did not give to your brother has been yours. 32 But it is as though [MET] your brother was dead and is alive again! It is as though he was lost and now he has been found! So it is appropriate for us to be happy and celebrate!’ ”

Jesus taught that we should handle our money in ways that are pleasing to God.

Luke 16:1-13

16 Jesus also said to his disciples, “Once there was a rich man who had a household manager. One day he was told {someone told him} that the manager was managing the rich man’s money badly. 2 So he summoned his manager and said to him, ‘◄It is terrible what they are saying about you (sg)!/Is it true what they are saying about you (sg) [RHQ]?► Give me a written account of the funds you have been managing, because you can no longer be my household manager!’ 3 Then the manager thought to himself, ‘My master is going to fire me, so ◄I do not know what to do./what shall I do [RHQ]?► I am not strong enough to work by digging ditches, and I am ashamed to beg for money.’ 4 Suddenly he had an idea. ‘I know what I will do, so that people will take me into their houses and provide for me after I am dismissed {after my master dismisses me} from my work!’ 5 So one by one he summoned the people who owed his master money. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you (sg) owe my master?’ 6 The man replied, ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill and sit down and quickly change it to 400 gallons!’ 7 He said to another man, ‘How much do you owe?’ The man replied, ‘A thousand bushels of wheat.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill and change it to 800 bushels!’ He did similar things for the others who owed his master money. 8 When his master heard what the manager had done, he admired the dishonest manager for the clever thing he had done. The truth is that the ungodly people in this world act more wisely toward other people than godly people [MET] act. 9 So I tell you (pl) this: Use the money that you have here on earth to help others so that they will become your friends. Then when you die and you cannot take any money with you, God and his angels will welcome you into a home in heaven that will last forever.

10 People who faithfully manage small matters will also faithfully manage important matters. People who are dishonest in the way they handle small matters will be dishonest in the way they handle important matters. 11 So if you have not faithfully handled the money that God has given you here on earth, ◄he will certainly not allow you to possess the true spiritual riches in heaven!/would he allow you to possess the true spiritual riches in heaven?► [RHQ] 12 And if you have not faithfully managed things that belong to other people, ◄God will certainly not allow you to receive treasures in heaven that would belong to you!/would God allow you to receive treasures in heaven that would belong to you?► [RHQ] 13 No servant is able to serve two different bosses at the same time. If he tried to do that, he would prefer one of them more than the other one; he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one. Similarly, you cannot devote your life to worshipping God and worshipping money and material goods at the same time.”

Jesus taught that God’s laws are permanent.

Luke 16:14-18

14 There were some Pharisees there. They loved to acquire money. When they heard Jesus say that, they ridiculed him. 15 But he said to them, “You try to make other people think that you are righteous, but God knows your ◄inner beings/hearts►. So he will reject you. Keep in mind that many things that people think are important, God thinks are detestable.

16 The laws that God gave Moses and what the prophets [MTY] wrote were ◄in effect/what you needed to obey► until John the Baptizer came. Since then I have been preaching about how God wants to rule people’s lives in a new way, and many people are accepting that message and very eagerly asking God to control their lives. But that does not mean that God has abolished the laws that he established previously. 17 All of God’s laws, even those that seem insignificant, are more permanent than heaven and earth.

18 For example, because God considers that a marriage lasts until either the husband or the wife dies, he considers that any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery. He also considers that any man who marries a woman who has been divorced by her husband {whose husband has divorced her} is also committing adultery.”

Jesus warned what would happen to those who did not share their possessions with poor people.

Luke 16:19-31

19 Jesus also said [MET], “Once there was a rich man who wore expensive purple linen garments. He ate luxuriously every day. 20 And every day a poor man whose name was Lazarus was laid {some people also laid a poor man whose name was Lazarus} at the gate of the rich man’s house. Lazarus’ body was covered with sores. 21 He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the scraps of food that fell from the table where the rich man ate. Furthermore, to make things worse, dogs came and licked his sores. 22 Eventually the poor man died. Then he was taken by the angels {the angels took him} to start feasting next to his ancestor Abraham. The rich man also died, and his body was buried {some people buried his body}. 23 In the place where dead people wait for God to judge them, he was suffering great pain. He looked up and saw Abraham far away, and he saw Lazarus sitting close to Abraham. 24 So he shouted, ‘Father Abraham, I am suffering very much in this fire! So please pity me, and send Lazarus here so that he can dip his finger in water and touch my tongue to cool it!’ 25 But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that while you (sg) were alive on earth you enjoyed many good things. But Lazarus was miserable. Now it is fair that he is happy here, and you are suffering. 26 Besides that, there is a huge ravine between you (sg) and us. So those who want to go from here to where you (sg) are, are not able to. Furthermore, no one can cross from there to where we (exc) are.’ 27 Then the rich man said, ‘If that is so, father Abraham, I ask you (sg) to send Lazarus to my father’s house. 28 I have five brothers who live there. Tell him to warn them to turn away from their sinful behavior so that they do not also come to this place, where we(exc) suffer great pain!’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘No, I will not do that, because your brothers are able to go to the Jewish meeting places where the priests read what Moses and the prophets wrote. They should listen to what Moses and the prophets [MTY] wrote!’ 30 But the rich man replied, ‘No, father Abraham, that will not be enough But if someone from those who have died goes back to them and warns them, they will turn from their sinful behavior.’ 31 Abraham said to him, ‘No! If they do not listen to what [MTY] Moses and the prophets [MTY] wrote, even if someone would become alive again and go and warn them, they would not be convinced {he could not convince them} that they should turn from their sinful behavior.’ ”

Jesus warned about God punishing those who cause others to sin.

Luke 17:1-4

17 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that will tempt people to sin are certain to happen, but it will be terrible for anyone who causes them to happen! 2 Suppose you caused one of these people who do not believe in me very strongly to sin. If a huge stone was fastened {someone fastened a huge stone} around your neck and you were thrown {and threw you} into the sea, you would consider that a severe punishment, but God will punish you even more severely if you cause someone to sin! 3 Be careful how you act. If you know about a fellow believer who sins, you (sg) should rebuke him. If he says that he is sorry for having sinned and asks you to forgive him, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you (sg) seven times in one day, if he comes to you each time and says, ‘I am sorry for what I did’, you must continue forgiving him.”

Jesus taught them what big things they could accomplish if they had true faith.

Luke 17:5-6

5 One day the apostles said to the Lord, “Help us to trust in you (OR, in God) more strongly!” 6 The Lord replied, “Mustard seeds are very small, but in this area they grow and produce large [MET] plants. Similarly, if your faith grows until you truly believe that God will do what you ask him to, you will be able to do anything. You could even say to this mulberry tree, ‘Pull yourself out with your roots and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it would obey you!”

Jesus taught that we should serve God faithfully without expecting to be thanked.

Luke 17:7-10

7 Jesus also said, “Suppose that one of you had a servant who was plowing your fields or taking care of your sheep. After he comes into the house from the field, you (sg) would not say [RHQ], ‘Sit down and eat immediately!’ 8 Instead, you would say to him, ‘Put on your apron and prepare a meal for me! Then serve it to me so that I can eat and drink! Afterwards you (sg) can eat and drink.’ 9 ◄You will not thank your servant for doing the work that he had been told {you had told him} to do!/Would you thank your servant because he did the work that he had been told {you had told him} to do?► [RHQ] 10 Similarly, when you (pl) have done everything that God has told you to do, you should say, ‘We (inc) are not worthy of God thanking us {being thanked}. We are only God’s servants. We have only done the things that he told us to do.’ ”

Jesus healed ten lepers, but only a non-Jewish one thanked him.

Luke 17:11-19

11 As Jesus and his disciples were walking along the road to Jerusalem, they were going through the region between Samaria and Galilee districts. 12 As they entered one village, ten lepers came near the road. Because lepers were not permitted to come near other people, they stood at some distance 13 and called out, “Jesus, Master, pity us and heal us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Each of you should go and show yourself to a priest in Jerusalem so that he can see if you are healed.” As they were going there, they were healed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God loudly. 16 He came to Jesus, prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him. This man was a Samaritan, not a Jew. 17 Then Jesus said, “I healed ten lepers ◄I am disappointed that the other nine did not come back!/Where are the other nine?► [RHQ] 18 I am disappointed [RHQ] that this non-Jewish man was the only one who returned to thank God; none of the others came back to me!” 19 Then he said to the man, “Get up and continue on your journey. God [PRS] has saved you and healed you (sg) because you trusted in me.”

Jesus taught that God’s rule is within our lives.

Luke 17:20-21

20 One day Jesus was asked by some Pharisees [SYN] {some Pharisees [SYN] asked Jesus}, “When is God going to rule as king?” He replied, “God’s ruling [MET] is not something people will be able to see with their eyes. 21 And people will not be able to say, ‘Look! He is ruling here!’ Or ‘He is ruling over there!’ because, contrary to what you think, God’s ruling is people’s inner beings (OR, is already happening among you).”

Jesus told his disciples that without warning he would return and judge people.

Luke 17:22-37

22 Jesus said to his disciples, “There will be a time when you will want to see me [MTY], the one who came from heaven, ruling powerfully. But you will not see that. 23 Some people will say to you, ‘Look, the Messiah is over there!’ or they will say ‘Look, he is here!’ When they say that, do not believe them. Do not follow them to go see the Messiah. 24 Because when the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, everyone can see it. Similarly [SIM], at the time [MTY] when I, the one who came from heaven, come back again, everyone will see me. 25 But before that happens, I must suffer in many ways (OR, very much). And I will be rejected by people {people will reject me}, even though they have observed me doing good for people. 26 But when I, the one who came from heaven, come again, people will be doing things just like people were doing at the time when [MTY] Noah lived. 27 At that time people ate and drank as usual, and they got married as usual, up until the day when Noah and his family entered the big boat. But then the flood came and destroyed all those who were not in the boat. 28 Similarly, when Lot lived in Sodom city, people there ate and drank as usual. They bought things and they sold things. They planted crops and they built houses as usual. 29 But on the day that Lot and his family left Sodom, fire and burning sulfur came down from the sky and destroyed all those who stayed in the city. 30 Similarly, when I, the one who came from heaven, return to earth, people will be unprepared (OR, enjoying normal life). 31 On that day, those who are outside their houses, with all the things that they own inside the houses, must not go in to take them away, because there will not be enough time to do that. Similarly, those who are working in a field must not go back home to get anything; they must flee immediately. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! Because she turned back and wanted to get some of her things from Sodom, she died immediately and became a pillar of salt. 33 Anyone who wants to hold onto his life and his possessions will not receive eternal life. But anyone who is willing to die for my sake will live eternally. 34 I tell you this: On the night when I return, there will be two people sleeping in one bed. The one who believes in me will be taken {God will take the one who believes in me} to heaven, and the other one will be left behind and punished {and he will leave the other one behind and punish him}. 35-36 35-36Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left {God will take one and leave the other} behind.” 37 His disciples said to him, “Lord, where will this happen?” He replied to them, “Wherever there is an animal carcass, the vultures will gather to eat it [MET]. Similarly, wherever there are people who are spiritually dead, God will punish them.”

Jesus taught about continuing to believe that God will answer prayer.

Luke 18:1-8

18 Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they always ought to pray confidently and not be discouraged if God does not immediately answer their prayers. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not revere God, and did not care about people, either. 3 There was a widow in that city who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Please decide what is just in the dispute between me and the man who is opposing me in court!’ 4 For a long time the judge refused to help her. But later he thought to himself, ‘I do not revere God and I do not care about people, 5 but this widow keeps bothering me! So I will make sure that she is treated justly. If I do not do that, she will exhaust me by continually coming to me!’ ” 6 Then the Lord Jesus said, “Even though the judge was not a righteous man, think carefully about what he said! 7 Similarly, ◄God will certainly show that what you have done has been right!/will God not show that what you have done has been right?► [RHQ] He will do this for you whom he has chosen. He will do this for you who pray earnestly to him night and day, asking him to help you. He may delay helping you. 8 But I tell you, some day he will show that what you did was right, and he will do it quickly. But when I, the one who came from heaven, return to earth, ◄there may not be many people who will still be trusting that I will vindicate them (OR, who will still be trusting in me)./will there be many people who will still be trusting that I will vindicate them (OR, who will still be trusting in me)?► [RHQ]”

Jesus taught about not thinking that we are better than others in God’s sight.

Luke 18:9-14

9 Jesus also told a parable to warn people who mistakenly thought that they were doing things that made them acceptable to God. Besides, they also despised other people. 10 He said this: “Two men went up to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed silently, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men. Some extort money from others; some treat others unjustly; some commit adultery. I do not do such things. And I am certainly not like this tax collector who cheats people! 12 Our law says that we(exc) should ◄fast/abstain from food► once a week, but I do more than that. I fast twice a week! I give you ten percent of all that I earn!’ 13 But the tax collector stood far from the other people in the Temple courtyard because he felt very unworthy. He would not even look up toward heaven. Instead, he beat on his chest to show that he was sorry for his sin. He said, ‘God, I am a sinner; be merciful to me and forgive me!’ ” 14 Then Jesus said, “I tell you (pl) that as the tax collector went home, the record of his sins was erased {God erased the record of his sins}, not that of the Pharisee. Remember this: Those who exalt themselves will be humbled {God will humble all those who exalt themselves}, but those who humble themselves will be exalted {he will exalt those who humble themselves}.”

Jesus taught about accepting God’s rule in our lives as easily as little children do.

Luke 18:15-17

15 One day when many people were coming to Jesus, they were also bringing small children. They wanted him to put his hands on the children and bless them. When the disciples saw that, they rebuked those who were bringing those children. 16 But Jesus called the children to come to him. He said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me! Do not stop them! It is people who are humble and trusting like they are who can experience God ruling their lives. 17 Note this: Those who do not trust God and allow him to direct their lives, as children do, will not enter the [MET] place where God rules.”

Jesus taught that rich people do not easily let God rule their lives.

Luke 18:18-30; Matthew 19:16-29; Mark 10:17-30

18 A Jewish leader asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what shall I do in order to have eternal life?” 19 Jesus said to him, “Only God is good! No one else is good! ◄So you(sg) should consider carefully what you are implying by calling me good!/Do you realize that you are implying that I am God by calling me good?► [RHQ]

20 But to answer your question, you (sg) know the commandments that God gave Moses. He commanded such things as ‘do not commit adultery, do not commit murder, do not steal, do not testify falsely about what you have seen or heard, honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 The man said, “I have obeyed all those commandments ever since I was young. So ◄there must be something else I have not done./is that enough?►” 22 When Jesus heard him say that, he replied to him, “There is one thing that you (sg) have not done yet. Sell all that you own. Then give the money to poor people. The result will be that you will have spiritual riches in heaven. Then come and be my disciple!” 23 The man became sad when he heard that, because he was very rich and he did not want to give everything away. 24 Jesus looked at the man as he left, and said, “It is very difficult for those who are wealthy to decide to let God rule [MET] their lives. 25 You would say that it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is almost as difficult [HYP] for rich people to decide to let God rule their lives.” 26 The Jews thought that God favored rich people, so they thought that if God did not save rich people, he would not save others, either. So one of the disciples who heard him say that replied, “If that is so, it seems that no one will be saved {that God will not save anyone} [RHQ]!” 27 But Jesus said, “It is impossible for people to save themselves. But God can save them, because God can do anything!” 28 Then Peter said, “You know that we(exc) have left everything we had and have become your disciples [RHQ]. So what about us? (OR, So will God accept/save us?”) 29 He said to them, “Keep this in mind: Those who have left their homes, their wives, their brothers, their parents, their children, or any other family members, to tell others about how God wants to rule [MET] people’s lives, 30 will receive in this life many times as much as they left. And in the future age they will ◄live eternally with God/ have eternal life►.”

Jesus again predicted his death and resurrection.

Luke 18:31-34; Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34

31 Jesus took the twelve disciples to a place by themselves and said to them, “Listen carefully! We (inc) are now going up to Jerusalem. While we are there, everything that has been written by the prophets {that the prophets have written} about me, the one who came from heaven, will be fulfilled {will occur}. 32 I will be put into the hands of {My enemies will hand me over to} non-Jews. The non-Jews will make fun of me and mistreat me and spit on me. 33 They will whip me, and then they will kill me. But on the third day after that I will become alive again.” 34 But the disciples did not understand any of those things that he said. They were prevented {Something prevented them} from understanding the meaning of what he was telling them.

Jesus healed a blind man.

Luke 18:35-43

35 As Jesus and his disciples came near to Jericho city, a blind man was sitting beside the road. He was begging for money. 36 When he heard the crowd of people passing by, he asked someone, “What is happening?” 37 They told him, “Jesus, the man from Nazareth town, is passing by.” 38 He shouted, “Jesus, you who are descended from King David, the Messiah, pity me!” 39 Those who were walking at the front of the crowd scolded the man and told him to be quiet. But he shouted more loudly, “You who are descended from King David, the Messiah, pity me!” 40 Jesus stopped and told people to bring the man to him. When the blind man came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you (sg) want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, enable me to see again!” 42 Jesus said to him, “Then see! Because you have trusted [PRS] in me, I have healed you!” 43 Immediately he was able to see! And he went with Jesus, praising God. And when all the people who were going with Jesus saw it, they also praised God.

Zacchaeus changed his way of life after talking with Jesus.

Luke 19:1-10

19 Jesus and his disciples entered Jericho and were going through the city. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, who was rich. 3 He tried to see Jesus, but he was very short, and there was a big crowd of people near Jesus. So he was not able to see him. 4 So he ran further ahead along the road that Jesus was walking on. He climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus. 5 When Jesus got there, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because God wants me to go with you(sg) to your house and stay there tonight”! 6 So he came down quickly. He took Jesus to his house and welcomed him joyfully. 7 The people who saw Jesus go there grumbled saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner!” 8 Then Zacchaeus stood up while they were eating and said to the Lord Jesus, “Lord, I want you (sg) to know that I am going to give half of what I own to poor people. And as for the people whom I have cheated, I will pay them back four times the amount I have gotten from them by cheating.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today God has forgiven [PRS] you and the other people in [MTY] this house, because you (sg) also have shown that you have trusted in God as your ancestor Abraham did. 10 Remember this: I, the one who came from heaven, came to seek and save people like you(sg) who have gone astray from God, just like a shepherd who searches for his lost sheep.”

Jesus taught about being willing to take risks in using what he has given us.

Luke 19:11-27; Matthew 25:14-30

11 They were coming near to Jerusalem, and the people who were going with Jesus who heard him say these things thought that as soon as he got to Jerusalem he would become their king. 12 So he told them this parable: “A prince prepared to go to a distant country in order that the Emperor would make him a king. He intended to return later. 13 Before he left, he summoned ten of his servants. He gave each of them a coin worth three months’ wages. He said to them, ‘Do business with these coins until I return!’ Then he left. 14 But many of his fellow-citizens hated him. So after he left they sent some messengers to tell the Emperor, ‘We (exc) do not want this man to be our king!’ 15 But the Emperor made him king anyway. Later the new king returned. Then he commanded that the servants to whom he had given the coins should be summoned {that someone should summon the servants to whom he had given the coins}. He wanted to know how much they had gained by doing business with the coins. 16 The first man came to him and said, ‘Sir, with your one coin I have earned ten more coins!’ 17 He said to this man, ‘You are a good servant! You have done very well! Because you have handled faithfully a small amount of money, I will give you authority to rule ten cities.’ 18 Then the second servant came and said, ‘Sir, with your one coin I have earned five more coins!’ 19 He said to that servant similarly, ‘Good! I will give you authority to rule five cities.’ 20 Then another servant came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your coin. I wrapped it in a napkin and put it away, so that nothing would happen to it. 21 I did that because I was afraid of what you would do to me if the business failed. I know you are a man who does not do foolish things with your money. You even take from others money that does not really belong to you, like a farmer who harvests grain from another man’s field where he did not even do the planting.’ 22 The king said to that servant, ‘You wicked servant! I will condemn you by the very words [MTY] that you have just now spoken. ◄You know that I do not do foolish things with my money./Did you not know that I do not do foolish things with my money?► [RHQ] You said that I even take from others money that does not really belong to me, like a farmer who harvests grain from another man’s field where he did not even do the planting. 23 So ◄you should at least have given my money to money lenders!/why did you not at least give my money to bankers?► [RHQ] Then when I returned I could have collected that amount plus the interest it would have earned!’ 24 Then the king said to those who were standing near, ‘Take the coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins!’ 25 They protested, ‘But Sir, he already has ten coins!’ 26 But the king said, ‘I tell you this: To the people who use well what they have received, more will be given {I will give more}. But from the people who do not use well what they have received, even what they already have will be taken away {I will take away even what they already have}. 27 Now, as for those enemies of mine who did not want me to rule over them, bring them here and execute them while I am watching!’ ”

Jesus entered Jerusalem humbly, but like a king.

Luke 19:28-40; Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-15

28 After Jesus said those things, he continued on the road up to Jerusalem, going ahead of his disciples. 29 When they got near Bethphage and Bethany villages, near the hill that is called {that they call} Olive Tree Hill, 30 he said to two of his disciples, “Go to the village just ahead of you. As you two enter it, you will see a young animal that no one has ever ridden, that has been {someone has} tied up. Untie it and bring it to me. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say to him, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 So the two disciples went to the village and found the animal, just like he had told them. 33 As they were untying it, its owners said to them, “Why are you two untying that young animal?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” So the owners said that they could take it. 35 The two disciples brought the animal to Jesus. They threw their cloaks on the animal’s back for him to sit on and helped Jesus get on it. 36 Then as he rode along, others spread their cloaks on the road to honor him. 37 As they came near to Jerusalem, on the road that descends from Olive Tree Hill, the whole crowd of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God loudly for all the great miracles that they had seen Jesus do. 38 They were saying things like, “May the Lord God bless our king who comes representing [MTY] him!” “May there be peace between God in heaven and us his people!” “May everyone praise God!” 39 Some of the Pharisees who were in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “I tell you this: If these people would be silent, the stones themselves would shout to praise me!”

Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed.

Luke 19:41-44

41 When Jesus came near to Jerusalem and saw the city, he cried about its people. 42 He said, “My disciples know what they need to do to have peace with God; I wish that even today the rest of you people knew it. But now you are unable to know [MTY] it. 43 I want you to know this: Soon your enemies will come and will set up a barricade around your city. They will surround the city and attack it on all sides. 44 They will break through the walls and destroy everything. They will smash you and your people/children. When they finish destroying everything, there will not be one stone left on top of another. All this will happen because you did not recognize the time when God sent his Messiah to save you!”

Jesus expelled the merchants from the Temple courtyard, and taught there.

Luke 19:45-48

45 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple courtyard. He saw the people who were selling things there, 46 and he began to chase them out. He said to them, “It has been written {A prophet wrote} in the Scriptures that God said, ‘I want my house to be a place where people pray’; but you bandits have made it a cave where you can hide!”

47 Each day during that week Jesus was teaching people in the Temple courtyard. The chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws and other Jewish leaders tried to find a way to kill him. 48 But they did not find any way to do it, because all the people there listened eagerly to him and would have resisted them if they had tried to hurt him.

Jesus refused to answer a question about his authority.

Luke 20:1-8

20 One day during that week, Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple courtyard and telling them God’s good message. As he was doing that, the chief priests, the men who taught the Jewish laws, and other Jewish elders came to him. 2 They asked him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things like you did here yesterday?” 3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 where did John the Baptizer get his authority to baptize those who came to him? Did he get it from God [MTY/EUP] or from people?” 5 They discussed this among themselves. They said, “If we(inc) say, ‘It was from God [MTY/EUP],’ he will say to us, ‘Then ◄you should have believed John’s message!/why did you not believe what John preached?► [RHQ]’ 6 But if we say, ‘It was from people,’ the people here will kill us by throwing stones at us, because they all believe that John was a prophet from God.” 7 So they replied, “We (exc) do not know where John got his authority.” 8 Then Jesus said to them, “Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you who authorized me to do those things here yesterday.”

Jesus told a parable about how God would punish those who reject him.

Luke 20:9-18

9 Then Jesus told the people this parable to illustrate what God would do to the Jews who rejected the former prophets and himself: “A certain man planted a vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some men to care for it and to give him some of the grapes in return. Then he went to another country and stayed there several years. 10 When the vines started producing grapes, he sent a servant to the men who were taking care of the vineyard. He expected that they would give him some of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. But after the servant arrived, they beat him and they did not give him any grapes. They just sent him away. 11 Later, the owner sent another servant. But they beat him and mistreated him also. They sent him away without giving him any grapes. 12 Still later, the owner sent another servant. That one they wounded and threw him out of the vineyard. 13 So the owner of the vineyard thought to himself, ‘◄I do not know what to do!/What shall I do?► [RHQ]’ Then he had an idea. He thought to himself, ‘I will send my son, whom I love very much. Perhaps they will respect him and give him my share of the grapes.’ 14 So he sent his son, but when the men who were caring for the vineyard saw him coming, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the man who will some day inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him so that this vineyard will be ours!’ 15 So they dragged him outside the vineyard and they killed him. So ◄I will tell you what the owner of the vineyard will do to them!/do you know what the owner of the vineyard will do to them?► [RHQ] 16 He will come and kill those men who were taking care of the vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it.” When the people listening to Jesus heard that, they said, “We would not do anything like those wicked men did!” 17 But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “You can say that, but think about the meaning of these words that are written {which a prophet wrote} [RHQ] in the Scriptures,

The men who were building a house rejected a certain stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone in the building [MET].

18 That stone represents me, the Messiah, and those who reject me are like people who fall on this stone. Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces {This stone will break to pieces everyone who falls on it}, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

Jesus foiled their attempts to trap him when they asked a question about paying taxes.

Luke 20:19-26

19 The chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws realized that he was accusing them when he told the parable about what those wicked men did. So they immediately tried to find a way to seize [MTY] him, but they did not seize him, because they were afraid of what the people there would do if they did that. 20 So they watched him carefully. They also hired ◄spies/secret agents► who pretended to be sincere. But they really wanted to get him to say something for which they could accuse him. They wanted to be able to turn him over to the authority of the governor of the province. But they also knew that the Jews were disgusted with having to pay taxes to the government. 21 So one of them asked Jesus, “Teacher, we (exc) know that you (sg) speak and teach what is right. You tell the truth even if important people do not like it. You teach truthfully what God wants us to do. 22 So tell us what you think about this matter: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY], or not?” 23 But Jesus knew that they were trying to trick him to get him into trouble, either with the Jews, who hated to pay those taxes, or with the Roman government. So he said to them, 24 “Show me a Roman coin. Then tell me whose picture is on it. And tell me whose name is on it.” They showed him a coin and said, “It has the picture and name of Caesar, the head of the Roman government.” 25 He said to them, “In that case, give to the government [MTY] what they require, and give to God what he requires.” 26 While the people were there, the spies were unable to find fault with him for what he said. And they were amazed at his answer. So they said nothing.

Jesus foiled their attempt to trap him with a question about the resurrection.

Luke 20:27-40

27 Some Sadducees came to Jesus. They are a Jewish sect who do not believe that people will become alive again after they die. 28 They wanted to ask Jesus a question in order to discredit the idea that dead people will live again. One of them said to Jesus, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us Jews about situations where a man who has a wife but no children. If the man dies, his brother should marry the dead man’s widow so that she can have a child by him. People will consider that the child is the descendant of the man who died, and in that way the dead man will have descendants. 29 Well, there were seven brothers in one family. The oldest one married, but he and his wife did not bear any children. Later he died. 30 The second brother followed this law and married the widow, but the same thing happened to him. 31 Then the third brother married her, but the same thing happened again. All seven brothers, one by one, married that woman, but they had no children, and one by one they died. 32 Afterwards, the woman died, too. 33 Therefore, if it is true that there will be a time when dead people will become alive again, whose wife do you think that woman will be then? ◄Keep in mind that she was married to all seven brothers!/It will be impossible to decide because she was married to all seven brothers!► [RHQ]” 34 Jesus replied to them, “Men who live here in this world take wives, or are given wives by their parents {their parents choose wives for them}. 35 But the men whom God considers worthy of being in heaven after they become alive again will not be married. 36 You need to know also that they cannot die any more, because they will be immortal [SIM] like angels. The fact that God has caused them to be alive again will show that they are God’s children. 37 But as for people becoming alive again after they die, Moses wrote something about that. In the place where he wrote about the burning bush, he mentions the Lord as being the God whom Abraham worships and the God whom Isaac worships and the God whom Jacob worships. 38 It is not dead people who worship God. It is living people who worship him. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died long before Moses lived, but God said that they were still worshipping him, so we(inc) know their spirits were still alive! All people whose spirits are alive again after they die continue to live to honor God!”

39 Some of the men who taught the Jewish laws replied, “Teacher, you (sg) have answered very well!” 40 After that, they no longer dared to ask him any more questions like that to try to trap him.

Jesus showed them that the Messiah must be greater than King David.

Luke 20:41-44; Matthew 22:41-45; Mark 12:35-37

41 Then Jesus said to them, “I will show you (OR, prove to you) that people are wrong who say that the Messiah is merely a descendant of King David! [RHQ] 42 Because David himself wrote about the Messiah in the book of Psalms,

God said to my Lord,

Sit here beside me on my right, where I will highly honor you(sg) [MTY]. 43 Sit here while I completely defeat your enemies.

44 King David calls the Messiah ‘my Lord’! So ◄the Messiah cannot be just someone descended from King David!/how can the Messiah be just someone descended from King David?► [RHQ] What I just said proves that he is much greater than David, isn’t that right?”

Jesus warned them not to show off like the teachers of the Jewish laws did.

Luke 20:45-47; Matthew 23:1-36; Mark 12:38-40

45 While all the other people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware that you do not act like the men who teach our Jewish laws. They like to put on long robes and walk around to make people think that they are very important. They also like people to greet them respectfully in the marketplaces. They like to sit in the most important places in the Jewish meeting places. At dinner parties they like to sit in the seats where the most honored people sit. 47 They swindle [MET] the houses and property of widows. Then they pretend they are good, as they pray long prayers publicly. God will certainly punish them very severely.”

Jesus taught that God commends people who give to him sacrificially.

Luke 21:1-4

21 Jesus looked up from where he was sitting and saw rich people putting their gifts into the offering boxes in the Temple courtyard. 2 He also saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. 3-4 3-4He said to his disciples, “The truth is that these rich people have a lot of money, but they gave only a small part of it. But this woman, who is very poor, has put in all the money that she had to pay for the things she needs! So God considers that [HYP] this poor widow has put more money into the box than all the others.”

Jesus warned about the terrible things that will happen before he returns.

Luke 21:5-19

5 Some of Jesus’ disciples talked about the Temple. They commented about the beautiful stones used in building the Temple and the other decorations that people had given, decorations that were on the walls. But he said, 6 “I want to tell you something about these things that you are looking at. They will be destroyed {Foreign invaders will destroy these buildings} completely. Every stone in these buildings will be thrown down {They will throw down every stone in these buildings}. Not one stone will be left {They will not leave one stone} on top of another.”

7 Later his disciples asked him, “Teacher, when will that happen? What will happen to the temple to indicate that the things you(sg) just told us are about to happen?” 8 He said, “All that I will say is, be sure that you are not deceived {that they do not deceive you} about these things! Many people will come and say ◄that I sent them/that they have my authority► [MTY]. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah!’ They will also say ‘It is now the time when God will begin to rule!’ Do not follow them to become their disciples 9 Also, whenever you hear about wars and riots, do not be terrified. Keep in mind that God has said that those things must happen. But when they happen, it will not mean that the world will end right away!”

10 Then he said to them, “Groups in various countries will fight each other, and various governments will also fight against each other. 11 There will be big earthquakes, and in various places there will be famines and plagues. People will see things that will terrify them. There will also be unusual things happening in the sky. 12 But before all these things happen, some of you will be persecuted and arrested {people will persecute some of you and arrest you} [MTY]. Some of you will be put {They will put some of you} on trial in the places where you gather to worship, and you will be thrown into prison. You will be put on trial {They will put you on trial} in front of high government authorities because you are my [MTY] disciples. 13 That will be a time for you to tell them about me. 14 So determine within yourselves not to be worrying before that happens what you will say to defend yourselves, 15 because I will make you wise [HEN] so that you will know what to say. As a result, none of your enemies will be able to oppose what you say or ◄refute you/show that you are wrong►. 16 And there will also be other evil things that will happen: Even your parents and brothers and other relatives and friends who do not believe in me will ◄betray you/help your enemies to seize you►. They will kill some of you. 17 In general, most people will [HYP] hate you because you believe in me [MTY]. 18 But your souls will be absolutely safe [IDM]. 19 By enduring all these things people will do to you, you will preserve your eternal life [SYN].”

Jesus predicted that Jerusalem would be destroyed.

Luke 21:20-24

20 “But when you see that Jerusalem has been surrounded by the armies of your enemies, you will know that it is time for this city to be completely destroyed {them to completely destroy this city}. 21 At that time those of you who are in Judea district must flee to the higher hills. Those who are in this city must leave quickly. Those who are in the nearby countryside must not go back into the city to get any of their possessions before they flee. 22 You must obey what I tell you because, in order that all the things that are written in the Scriptures will be fulfilled, God will very severely punish the people who stay in this city. 23 I feel very sorry for women in this city who will be pregnant, and women who will be nursing their babies in those days, because it will be very difficult for them to run away! I feel sorry because the people in this land will suffer greatly [MTY] when God punishes them. 24 Many of them will be killed {Their enemies will kill many of them} with swords. Others will be captured and taken {They will capture others and take them} to [HYP] other countries. Non-Jewish people will trample over Jerusalem until the time that God has determined for them to rule the city is ended.”

Jesus told about frightening things that will happen before he returns.

Luke 21:25-28

25 “There will also be strange things that will happen to the sun, the moon, and the stars. In many nations, people will be very frightened, and they will be anxious when they hear the ocean roaring and see huge waves. 26 People will faint because they will be afraid as they wait for what will happen. They will be afraid because the powerful objects in the sky will be shaken {shake}. 27 Then they will see me, the one who came from heaven, coming in a cloud powerfully and very gloriously. 28 So when these things that I have just now described begin to happen, stand up straight and be brave, because it will be close to the time when God will free you from all suffering.”

Jesus taught them how to know when his return was near.

Luke 21:29-33

29 Then Jesus told his disciples this parable: “Think about the fig tree, and all the other trees. 30 As soon as you see their leaves beginning to sprout, you know that summer is near. 31 Similarly, when you see these things that I have just described happening, you will know that it is almost time for God to truly rule as king. 32 Keep this in mind: All the things that I have just now described will happen before all the people who have observed the things that I have done have died. 33 You can be certain that these things that I have told you about will happen. That they will happen is more certain than that the earth and sky will continue to exist.”

Jesus taught how to be ready for his return.

Luke 21:34-38

34 “But be on guard. Do not be getting drunk with carousing or let yourselves be distracted by worries concerning your lives [SYN] {or let worries concerning your lives [SYN] distract you}. If you do wrong things like those, you may be suddenly surprised by my return [MTY], like a trap suddenly catches an animal in it. 35 You need to know that my return will surprise everyone all over the earth. 36 So be ready at all times. Pray that you will be able to endure without being afraid of all these difficult things that will happen, so that you will then stand confidently before me, the one who came from heaven.”

37 Each day during that week Jesus taught the people in the Temple courtyard in Jerusalem. But at night he and his disciples left the city and stayed on Olive Tree Hill. 38 Early each morning many people came to the Temple courtyard to listen to him.

Judas agreed to put Jesus into his enemies’ hands.

Luke 22:1-6

22 It was now almost time to celebrate the festival of Unleavened Bread, which began with the Passover festival. 2 The chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws were seeking a way to kill Jesus. But they wanted to do it secretly, because they were afraid that if they did not do it secretly, the people might riot.

3 Then even though Judas, who was called the man from Kerioth village, was one of the twelve disciples, Satan entered him. 4 Judas went and conferred with the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guards. He discussed with them how he could enable them to seize Jesus. 5 They were pleased that he wanted to do that. They offered to give him money for doing it. 6 So he agreed, and they gave him the money. Then he tried to find an opportunity to enable them to seize Jesus when there was no crowd around him.

Jesus arranged for his disciples to prepare the Passover meal.

Luke 22:7-13

7 Then the day during the first part of the week-long festival of Unleavened Bread came, the day when the lambs for the Passover celebration had to be killed. 8 So Jesus said to Peter and John, “Go and prepare the meal for the Passover celebration.” 9 They replied to him, “Where do you (sg) want us to prepare it?” 10 He said to the two of them, “Listen carefully. When you two enter the city, a man who is carrying a large jar of water will meet you. Follow him. When he enters a house, 11 tell the owner of the house, ‘Our teacher says that we(exc) should ask you(sg) to please show us the room that he arranged with you where he can eat the Passover meal with us, his disciples [RHQ].’ 12 He will show you a large room that is on the upper floor of the house. It will be all set up for a meal. Prepare the meal for us there.” 13 So the two disciples went into the city. They found everything to be just like Jesus had told them. So they prepared the meal for the Passover celebration there.

Jesus told his disciples how they should remember his death for them.

Luke 22:14-23

14 When it was time [MTY] to eat the Passover meal, Jesus came and sat down with the twelve apostles. 15 He said to them, “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer and die. 16 I want you to know that I will not eat the Passover meal again until all those whose lives God rules completely realize what it represents.” 17 Then he took a cup of wine and thanked God for it. Then he said, “Take this, and each of you drink some of it. 18 I want you to know that from now on I will not drink wine until God makes me king.” 19 Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke it into pieces and gave it to them to eat. He said, “This bread represents my body, which I am about to sacrifice for you. Keep on eating bread this way regularly to remember what I have done for you.” 20 Similarly, after they had eaten the meal, he took another cup of wine. He said, “The wine in [MTY] this cup represents my blood, which will soon flow from my body when I die. With this blood I will sign the new agreement that God is making with you. 21 But note that the one [SYN] who will enable my enemies to seize me is eating right here with me! 22 It is certain that I, the one who came from heaven, will die, because that is what God has planned. But there will be terrible punishment for the man who will ◄betray me/enable my enemies to seize me►!” 23 Then they began to ask one another, “Which of us would do such a thing?”

Jesus taught the apostles that they should imitate him by serving each other humbly.

Luke 22:24-30

24 The apostles began to argue among themselves, saying, “Which one of us will be the greatest when Jesus becomes king?” 25 So Jesus said to them, “The kings of the non-Jews enjoy showing that they are powerful. Yet they give themselves the title, ‘ones who help the people.’ 26 But you should not be like them! Instead, those who want God to consider them the greatest should act as though they were the youngest, since the youngest are expected to serve the older ones. Whoever is a leader should be one who serves the others. 27 Keep in mind who is the most important one [RHQ]. It is certainly the one who just sits at the table, not [RHQ] those who serve the meal. But I, your leader, have been an example for you by serving you while I have been among you.

28 You are the ones who have stayed with me during all my troubles. 29 So now, just like my Father has appointed me to rule as a king, I am appointing you 30 so that you can sit and eat and rule [MET] with me when I become king. You will sit on thrones to judge the people of the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Jesus predicted that Peter would say that he did not know Jesus.

Luke 22:31-34

31 “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked God to let him test you, and God has permitted him to do it. Satan wants to cause you to suffer distress (OR, distress you) so that you will not believe/trust in me any more/longer. He wants to shake you, just like a man shakes wheat in a sieve to sift it [MET]. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that you will not completely stop believing in me. So when you (sg) restore your relationship with me, help your fellow apostles to trust in me more!” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you (sg) if they put you in prison, or even to die with you!” 34 Jesus replied, “Peter, I want you (sg) to know that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me!”

Jesus warned his disciples that they would soon face opposition.

Luke 22:35-38

35 Then Jesus asked all of them, “After I sent you out to other villages, and you went without taking any money or a traveling bag or extra sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They replied, “That’s right, we(exc) did not lack anything.” 36 Then, to show them that now many people would oppose them, (OR, to show them that they needed to be prepared to protect themselves,) he said to them, “Now things will be different. So whoever among you has some money should take it with him. Likewise, he should take a carrying bag. Whoever does not have a sword should sell his coat and buy a sword. 37 Because, I now tell you, something must happen to me to fulfill these words that a prophet wrote: ‘He was treated {They treated him} as though he were a criminal.’ Do not forget that everything that is {that they have} written about me in the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 38 One of the disciples said, “Lord, look! We (exc) have two swords!” Realizing that they did not understand the meaning of what he said, he replied to them, “That is enough talk about swords”!

Luke 22:39-46

39 As Jesus left the city, he went, as he usually did, to Olive Tree Hill. His disciples went with him. 40 When he came to the place where he often spent the night, he said to them, “Pray that God will help you whenever something tempts you.” 41 Then he went from them a distance of about 30 meters/yards. (OR, as far as someone can throw a stone.) He knelt and prayed, 42 “My Father, if you are willing to do it, force me to have to undergo these terrible things that are about to happen to me [MTY]. But do not do what I want. Instead, do what you want.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to Jesus and caused him to become stronger. 44 He was greatly distressed. So he prayed more earnestly. His sweat fell down on the ground as though it was large drops of blood. 45 When he got up from praying, he returned to his disciples. He found that they were sleeping. They were exhausted because they were very sorrowful. 46 He woke them and said to them, “◄I am disappointed that you are sleeping!/Why are you sleeping?► [RHQ] Get up! Pray that God will help you whenever you are tempted {when something like this tempts you}!”

Jesus’ enemies captured him.

Luke 22:47-53

47 While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came to him. Judas, even though he was one of the twelve disciples, was leading them. He came close to Jesus and kissed him on the cheek as if to greet him, but was really a signal to those with him which one was Jesus. 48 Jesus said to him, “Judas, ◄I am disappointed that it is by kissing me that you are enabling my enemies to seize me, the one who came from heaven!/is it by kissing me as though you loved me that you are enabling my enemies to seize me, the one who came from heaven?► [RHQ]” 49 When the disciples who were around Jesus realized what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we (exc) strike them with our swords?” 50 One of his disciplesdrew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest to kill him, but only cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “Do not do any more of that!” He touched the servant’s ear and healed him. 52-53 52-53Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the Temple guards, and the Jewish elders who had come to seize him, “◄It is ridiculous that you have come here with swords and clubs to capture [MTY] me, as if I were a bandit!/Why have you come here with swords and clubs to capture [MTY] me, as if I were a bandit?► [RHQ] Day after day I was with you in the Temple courtyard, and you did not seize me! But this is the time [MTY] when God is allowing you to do what you want. It is also the time [MTY] when God is allowing Satan, who rules [MTY] in the darkness, to do what he wants.”

Peter said three times that he did not know Jesus.

Luke 22:54-62

54 They seized Jesus and led him away. They brought him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed them at a distance. 55 They kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together. Peter sat among them. 56 As the light from the fire shone on his face, a female servant saw him and looked intently at him. She said, “This man was also with the man whom they have arrested!” 57 But Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him!” 58 A little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You (sg) also are one of those who were with the man they arrested!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not one of them!” 59 About an hour later someone else said emphatically about Peter, “The way that this man speaks shows that he is from Galilee district. Certainly this man was also with the man whom they arrested, who is from Galilee!” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you (sg) are talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 The Lord Jesus turned around and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him, “This night, before the rooster crows, you (sg) will deny three times that you know me.” 62 And Peter went out of the courtyard and cried very sorrowfully.

The soldiers made fun of Jesus.

Luke 22:63-65

63 The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him. 64 They put a blindfold on him and beat him again. Then they said to him, “Because you(sg) say [IRO] that you are a prophet, prove it by telling us who it was that struck you!” 65 They said many other evil things about him, insulting him.

The Jewish leaders asked Jesus about his identity.

Luke 22:66-71

66 At dawn the next morning, many of the Jewish leaders gathered together. The group included the chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws. They took Jesus to the Jewish Council. There the men of the Council said to him, 67 “If you (sg) are the Messiah, tell us!” But he replied, “If I tell you that, you will not believe me. 68 If I ask you what you think about the Messiah, you will not answer me. 69 But some day you will see me, the one who came from heaven, sitting next to almighty God and ruling [MTY]!” 70 Then they all said, “If that is so, are you(sg) saying that you are ◄the Son of God/the Man who is also God►?” He said to them, “Yes, it is just like you say [MTY].” 71 Then they said to each other, “◄We (inc) certainly do not need anyone else to testify against him!/Why should we ask for any more people to testify against him?► [RHQ]” We ourselves have heard him say [MTY] that he is equal with God!

Jesus was accused before Pilate, the Roman governor.

Luke 23:1-5

23 Then the whole group got up and took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2 They began to accuse Jesus, saying, “We (exc) have determined that this fellow has caused political trouble in our country. He has been telling people that they should not pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY]. Also, he says that he is the Messiah, a king!” 3 Pilate asked him, “Do you (sg) claim that you are the King of the Jews?” He replied, “It is as you have just now said.” 4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the rest of the crowd, “I do not conclude that this man is guilty of any crime.” 5 But they kept insisting, “He is inciting the people to riot! He has been teaching his ideas throughout all of Judea district. He started doing it in Galilee district and now he is doing it here!”

After Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, Jesus refused to answer Herod’s questions.

Luke 23:6-12

6 When Pilate heard that, he asked, “Is this man from Galilee district?” 7 When they told him that Jesus was from Galilee, which was the district that Herod Antipas ruled, he told them to take Jesus to Herod Antipas, because Herod was in Jerusalem at that time. 8 So they did. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very happy. He had heard about Jesus, and he had been hoping for a long time that he could see Jesus perform a miracle. 9 So he asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus did not reply to any of them. 10 The chief priests and men who taught the Jewish laws stood near Jesus, accusing him very strongly. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ◄made fun of/ridiculed► Jesus. They put gorgeous clothes on him to mock him as being a king. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate. 12 Until that time Herod and Pilate had been very hostile to each other, but that very day they became friends.

Pilate was unsuccessful in his efforts to set Jesus free.

Luke 23:13-25

13 Pilate then gathered together the chief priests and other Jewish leaders and the crowd that was still there. 14 He said to them, “You brought this man to me, saying that he had caused trouble among the people. But I want you to know that after having examined him while you were listening, I do not conclude that he is guilty of any of the things that you are accusing him about. 15 Obviously Herod did not conclude that either, because he sent him back to me without punishing him. So it is clear that this man has not done anything for which we (inc) should kill him. 16-17 16-17So I will have my soldiers flog him and then release him.”[fn] 18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Execute this man! Release Barrabas for us (exc)!” 19 Barrabas was a man who had tried to persuade people in the city to rebel against the Roman government. While doing that, he had murdered someone. So he had been put {they had put him} in prison, where he was waiting to be executed. 20 Because Pilate wanted to release Jesus, he tried to persuade the crowd again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Command your soldiers to kill him by nailing him to a cross!/Have him crucified!” 22 He spoke to them a third time and asked them, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have concluded that he has done nothing for which he deserves to die. So I will have my soldiers flog him and then release him.” 23 But they kept insisting. They shouted loudly that Jesus should be nailed {that Pilate should have his soldiers nail Jesus} to a cross. Finally, because they continued to shout [PRS] so loudly, 24 Pilate decided to do what the crowd requested. 25 The man who had been {whom they had} put in prison because he had rebelled against the government and who had murdered someone, he released! That was the man whom the crowd had asked him to release. He handed Jesus over to the soldiers, to do what the crowd wanted.

The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross.

Luke 23:26-31

26 As the soldiers were taking Jesus away, they seized a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene city in Africa. He was returning to Jerusalem from out in the countryside. They took from Jesus the cross that he had been carrying. Then they put it on Simon’s shoulders, and told him to carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd followed Jesus. The crowd included many women who were beating their breasts to show how sad they were, and wailing for him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “You women of Jerusalem, do not cry for me! Instead, cry because of what is going to happen to yourselves and your children! 29 I want you to know that there will soon be a time when people will say, ‘Women [SYN] who have never borne children or nursed babies are fortunate!’ 30 Then, in order that they will not have to suffer greatly when their enemies destroy this city, people who are left in the city will say to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us!’ And people will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31 I am innocent [MET]. I am like a living tree that people do not try to burn. But the people of Jerusalem deserve that their enemies punish them. They are like dry wood that is ready to burn. So if they nail me to the cross, ◄their enemies will certainly do much worse things to them!/what worse things will happen to them?► [RHQ]”

The things that happened when Jesus died.

Luke 23:32-49

32 Two other men who were criminals were also being led away {The soldiers also led away two other men who were criminals}. They were going to be executed {The soldiers were going to execute them} with Jesus. 33 When they came to the place which is called ‘The Skull’, they nailed Jesus to a cross after removing his clothes. They did the same thing to the two criminals. They crucified one at the right side of Jesus and one at his left side. 34 Jesus prayed, “My Father, forgive them, because they do not realize whom they are doing this to!” Then the soldiers divided Jesus’ clothing by gambling with something like dice, to decide which piece of clothing each one would get. 35 Many people stood nearby, watching. And the Jewish leaders ◄made fun of/ridiculed► Jesus, saying, “He said [IRO] that he saved other people! If he is the Messiah, the one God has chosen, he should save himself!” 36 The soldiers also ridiculed him because he claimed to be a king. They came up to him and offered him some sour wine. 37 They said to him, “If you (sg) are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 They also fastened on the cross a sign that stated why they were nailing him to the cross. But all it said was, ‘This is the King of the Jews’.

39 One of the criminals who was hanging on a cross began to insult Jesus, saying, “You (sg) said that you are the Messiah, so you must be powerful! So save yourself, and save us, too!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him, saying, “◄You (sg) should be afraid of God punishing you!/Are you not afraid of God punishing you?► [RHQ] They are punishing him and us similarly. 41 They have justly decided that we (inc) two must die. They are punishing us as we deserve for the evil things that we did. But this man has done nothing wrong!” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, please remember me and take care of me when you become king!” 43 Jesus replied, “I want you (sg) to know that today you (sg) will be with me in the place where everyone is happy!” (OR, that today you will be with me in Paradise!)

44 Then it was about noontime. It became dark over the whole land, and it stayed dark until three o’clock in the afternoon. 45 There was no light from the sun. Then the thick curtain that closed off the most holy place in the Temple split into two pieces. That signified that ordinary people could now go into the presence of God. 46 As that happened, Jesus shouted loudly, “Father, I put my spirit into your care [MTY]!” When he said that, he [EUP] died.

47 When the officer who supervised the soldiers who were executing Jesus saw what happened, he praised God for the way Jesus died, saying, “I am sure that this man had done nothing wrong!” 48 When the crowd of people who had gathered to see those events saw what happened, they returned to their homes, beating their chests to show that they were sorrowful. 49 All of Jesus’ friends, including the women who had come with him from Galilee district, stood at a distance and saw everything that happened.

Joseph and others buried Jesus while some women watched.

Luke 23:50-56

50 There was a man named Joseph who came there. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea. He was a good and a righteous man, and he was a member of the Jewish Council. 51 But he had not agreed with the other Council members when they decided to kill Jesus and when they planned how to do it. He was waiting expectantly for the time when God would send his king to begin to rule. 52 He went to Pilate and asked Pilate to permit him to take Jesus’ body and bury it. After Pilate allowed him to do that, 53 he and some others took Jesus’ body down from the cross. They wrapped it in a linen cloth. Then they put his body in a tomb that he had hired others to dig out of a rock cliff. No one had ever put a body in it before. 54 They had to do it quickly because that was Friday, the day when people prepared things for the Jewish day of rest. ◄The Sabbath/The day of rest► was about to start at sunset, so they had to finish burying Jesus’ body before sunset. 55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee district followed Joseph and the men who were with him. They saw the tomb, and they saw how the men laid Jesus’ body inside it, and saw the men roll a huge stone across the entrance. 56 Then the women returned to the houses where they were staying. That evening they prepared spices and ointments to put on Jesus’ body, but ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day► they rested, according to what Moses had commanded.

Some women discovered that Jesus had become alive again.

Luke 24:1-12

24 Before dawn on Sunday those women went to the tomb. They took with them the spices that they had prepared to put on Jesus’ body. 2 They discovered that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. 3 They went in the tomb, but the body of the Lord Jesus was not there! 4 They did not know what to think about that. Then suddenly two men wearing bright shining clothes stood by them! 5 The women were frightened. As they prostrated themselves on the ground, the two men said to them, “◄You should not be seeking someone who is alive in a place where they bury dead people!/Why are you seeking in a place where they bury dead people someone who is alive?► [RHQ] 6 He is not here; he has ◄become alive again/risen from the dead►! Remember that while he was still with you in Galilee district he said to you, 7 ‘Even though I am the one who came from heaven, someone will enable sinful men to seize [MTY] me. They will kill me by nailing me to a cross. But on the third day after that, I will become alive again.’ ” 8 The women remembered that he had said that. 9 So they left the tomb and went to the eleven apostles and his other disciples and told them those things. 10 The ones who kept telling those things to the apostles were Mary from Magdala village, Joanna, Mary who was the mother of James, and the other women who were with them. 11 But the apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense. They did not believe what the women said. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb anyway. He stooped down and looked inside. He saw the linen cloths in which Jesus’ body had been wrapped. The cloths were by themselves (OR, He did not see anything else). So, wondering what had happened, he went home.

Jesus appeared to two disciples as they were walking to Emmaus.

Luke 24:13-35

13 That same day two of Jesus’ disciples were walking to a village named Emmaus. It was about ◄seven miles/eleven kilometers► from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about all the things that had happened to Jesus. 15 While they were discussing those things, Jesus himself approached them and started walking with them. 16 But they were prevented {something prevented them} from recognizing [MTY] him. 17 Jesus said to them, “What have you two been talking about while you were walking?” They stopped, and their faces looked very sad. 18 One of them, whose name was Cleopas, said, “◄You (sg) must be the only person who is visiting Jerusalem for the Passover festival who does not know the events that have happened there in recent days!/Are you the only person who is visiting Jerusalem for the Passover festival who does not know the events that have happened there in recent days?► [RHQ]” 19 He said to them, “What events?” They replied, “The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth, who was a prophet. Many people saw him perform great miracles, and God enabled him to teach wonderful messages! 20 But our chief priests and leaders handed him over to the Roman authorities. The authorities sentenced him to die, and they killed him by nailing him to a cross. 21 We (exc) were hoping that he was the one who would free us Israelites from our enemies But this does not seem possible now, because three days have already passed since that happened. 22 On the other hand, some women from our group amazed us. Early this morning they went to the tomb, 23 but Jesus’ body was not there! They came back and said that they had seen some angels in a vision. The angels said that he was alive! 24 Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb. They saw that things were exactly as the women had reported. But they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “You two foolish men! You are so slow to believe all that the prophets have written about the Messiah! 26 ◄You should certainly have known that it was necessary that the Messiah should suffer all those things and die, and then enter his glorious home in heaven!/Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer all those things and die, and then enter his glorious home in heaven?► [RHQ]” 27 Then he explained to them all the things that the prophets had written in the Scriptures about himself. He started with what Moses [MTY] wrote and then explained to them what all the other prophets wrote.

28 They came near to the village to which the two men were going. Jesus indicated that he would go further, 29 but they urged him to not do that. They said, “Stay with us tonight, because it is late in the afternoon and it will soon be dark.” So he went in the house to stay with them. 30 When they sat down to eat, he took some bread and asked God to bless it. He broke it and gave some pieces to them. 31 And just then God enabled them to recognize [MTY] him. But immediately he disappeared! 32 The two men said to each other, “While we were walking along the road and he talked with us and enabled us (inc) to understand the Scriptures, we became so excited that it was as though [MET] a fire was burning within us [RHQ]! We should not stay here; we should go tell the others what happened!” 33 So they left immediately and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven apostles and others who had gathered together with them 34 who told those two men, “It is true that the Lord has become alive again, and he has appeared to Peter!” 35 Then those two men told the others what had happened as they were walking along the road. They also told them how they both recognized Jesus as he broke some bread for them.