Chapter 9

Ministry of the Twelve

1 aAnd He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.

2 And He sent them out to aproclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.

3 And He said to them, “aTake nothing for your journey, bneither a staff, nor a 1bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have 2two tunics apiece.

4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there 1until you leave that city.

5 “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, ashake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

6 Departing, they began going 1throughout the villages, apreaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

7 aNow bHerod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that cJohn had risen from the dead,

8 and by some that aElijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again.

9 Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And ahe kept trying to see Him.

10 aWhen the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. bTaking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called cBethsaida.

11 But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.

Five Thousand Fed

12 Now the day 1was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get 2something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.”

13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.”

14 (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them 1sit down to eat ain groups of about fifty each.”

15 They did so, and had them all 1sit down.

16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the 1people.

17 And they all ate and were satisfied; and 1the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve abaskets full.

18 aAnd it happened that while He was bpraying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the 1people say that I am?”

19 They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”

20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “aThe 1Christ of God.”

21 But He 1awarned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone,

22 asaying, “bThe Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

23 And He was saying to them all, “aIf anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

24 “For awhoever wishes to save his 1life will lose it, but whoever loses his 1life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

25 “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and aloses or forfeits himself?

26 “aFor whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 “But I say to you truthfully, athere are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

28 aSome eight days after these sayings, He took along bPeter and John and James, and cwent up on the mountain dto pray.

29 And while He was apraying, the appearance of His face bbecame different, and His clothing became white and 1gleaming.

30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah,

31 who, appearing in 1glory, were speaking of His adeparture which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 Now Peter and his companions ahad been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.

33 And as 1these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “aMaster, it is good for us to be here; blet us make three 2tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—cnot realizing what he was saying.

34 While he was saying this, a cloud 1formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

35 Then aa voice came out of the cloud, saying, “bThis is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”

36 And when the voice 1had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And athey kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

37 aOn the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.

38 And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my 1only boy,

39 and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves.

40 “I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.”

41 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42 While he was still approaching, the demon 1slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

43 And they were all amazed at the 1agreatness of God.

bBut while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples,

44 “Let these words sink into your ears; afor the Son of Man is going to be 1delivered into the hands of men.”

45 But athey 1did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

The Test of Greatness

46 aAn argument 1started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.

47 But Jesus, aknowing 1what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,

48 and said to them, “aWhoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; bfor the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”

49 aJohn answered and said, “bMaster, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.”

50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; afor he who is not against you is 1for you.”

51 When the days were approaching for aHis 1ascension, He 2was determined bto go to Jerusalem;

52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the aSamaritans to 1make arrangements for Him.

53 But they did not receive Him, abecause 1He was traveling toward Jerusalem.

54 When His disciples aJames and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to bcommand fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

55 But He turned and rebuked them, [1and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;

56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.

Exacting Discipleship

57 aAs they were going along the road, bsomeone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the 1air have 2nests, but athe Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

59 And He said to another, “aFollow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”

60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and aproclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but afirst permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “aNo one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Chapter 10

The Seventy Sent Out

1 Now after this athe Lord appointed 1seventy bothers, and sent them cin pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.

2 And He was saying to them, “aThe harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

3 “Go; abehold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

4 “aCarry no money belt, no 1bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.

5 “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’

6 “If a 1man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

7 “Stay in 1that house, eating and drinking 2what they give you; for athe laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.

8 “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, aeat what is set before you;

9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘aThe kingdom of God has come near to you.’

10 “But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,

11 ‘aEven the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet 1be sure of this, that bthe kingdom of God has come near.’

12 “I say to you, ait will be more tolerable in that day for bSodom than for that city.

13 “aWoe to you, bChorazin! Woe to you, bBethsaida! For if the 1miracles had been performed in bTyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in 2csackcloth and ashes.

14 “But it will be more tolerable for aTyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

15 “And you, aCapernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades!

16 “aThe one who listens to you listens to Me, and bthe one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

The Happy Results

17 The 1seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even athe demons are subject to us in Your name.”

18 And He said to them, “I was watching aSatan fall from heaven like lightning.

19 “Behold, I have given you authority to atread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

20 “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that ayour names are recorded in heaven.”

21 aAt that very 1time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I 2praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

22 “aAll things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and bno one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

23 aTurning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see,

24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”

25 aAnd a 1blawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? 1How does it read to you?”

27 And he answered, “aYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; ado this and you will live.”

29 But wishing ato justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The Good Samaritan

30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was agoing down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and 1beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.

31 “And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 “Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 “But a aSamaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,

34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

35 “On the next day he took out two 1denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’

36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”

37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do 1the same.”

Martha and Mary

38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named aMartha welcomed Him into her home.

39 She had a sister called aMary, who was bseated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.

40 But aMartha was distracted with 1all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “aMartha, Martha, you are bworried and bothered about so many things;

42 abut only one thing is necessary, for bMary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Chapter 11

Instruction about Prayer

1 It happened that while 1Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

2 And He said to them, “aWhen you pray, say:

‘1Father, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 ‘Give us aeach day our 1daily bread.

4 ‘And forgive us our sins,

For we ourselves also forgive everyone who ais indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.’ ”

5 Then He said to them, “1Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;

6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;

7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children 1and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’

8 “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet abecause of his 1persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9 “So I say to you, 1aask, and it will be given to you; 2seek, and you will find; 3knock, and it will be opened to you.

10 “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

11 “Now 1suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a 2fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

12 “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?

13 “aIf you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your 1heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Pharisees’ Blasphemy

14 aAnd He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed.

15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons aby bBeelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

16 Others, 1to test Him, awere demanding of Him a 2sign from heaven.

17 aBut He knew their thoughts and said to them, “1Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against 2itself falls.

18 “If aSatan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by bBeelzebul.

19 “And if I by aBeelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges.

20 “But if I cast out demons by the afinger of God, then bthe kingdom of God has come upon you.

21 “When 1a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are 2undisturbed.

22 “But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.

23 “aHe who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.

24 “aWhen the unclean spirit goes out of 1a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

25 “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.

26 “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

27 While 1Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “aBlessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.”

28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are athose who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Sign of Jonah

29 As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “aThis generation is a wicked generation; it bseeks for a 1sign, and yet no 1sign will be given to it but the 1sign of Jonah.

30 “For just as aJonah became a 1sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

31 “The aQueen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

32 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because athey repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

33 “aNo one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.

34 “aThe eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is 1clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is 2bad, your body also is full of darkness.

35 “Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness.

36 “If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”

Woes upon the Pharisees

37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee * asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table.

38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first 1aceremonially washed before the 2meal.

39 But athe Lord said to him, “Now byou Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but 1inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.

40 “aYou foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

41 “But agive that which is within as charity, and 1then all things are bclean for you.

42 “aBut woe to you Pharisees! For you bpay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees! For you alove the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places.

44 “aWoe to you! For you are like 1concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

45 One of the 1alawyers * said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.”

46 But He said, “Woe to you alawyers as well! For byou weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, 1while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

47 “aWoe to you! For you build the 1tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.

48 “So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.

49 “For this reason also athe wisdom of God said, ‘bI will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will 1persecute,

50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed asince the foundation of the world, may be 1charged against this generation,

51 from athe blood of Abel to bthe blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be 1charged against this generation.’

52 “Woe to you 1alawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; byou yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects,

54 aplotting against Him bto catch 1Him in something He might say.

Chapter 12

God Knows and Cares

1 Under these circumstances, after 1so many thousands of 2people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “aBeware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 “aBut there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

3 “Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have 1whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon athe housetops.

4 “I say to you, aMy friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.

5 “But I will 1warn you whom to fear: afear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into 2bhell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

6 “Are not afive sparrows sold for two 1cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.

7 “aIndeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

8 “And I say to you, everyone who aconfesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;

9 but ahe who denies Me before men will be denied bbefore the angels of God.

10 “aAnd everyone who 1speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

11 “When they bring you before athe synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not bworry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;

12 for athe Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Covetousness Denounced

13 Someone 1in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”

14 But He said to him, “aMan, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

15 Then He said to them, “aBeware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.

17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, ayou have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’

20 “But God said to him, ‘aYou fool! This very night 1byour soul is required of you; and cnow who will own what you have prepared?’

21 “So is the man who astores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

22 And He said to His disciples, “aFor this reason I say to you, 1do not worry about your 2life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.

23 “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

24 “Consider the aravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor bbarn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!

25 “And which of you by worrying can add a single 1ahour to his 2life’s span?

26 “If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even aSolomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

28 “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? aYou men of little faith!

29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not akeep worrying.

30 “For 1all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.

31 “But seek His kingdom, and athese things will be added to you.

32 “aDo not be afraid, blittle flock, for cyour Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

33 “aSell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, ban unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.

34 “For awhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Be in Readiness

35 “1aBe dressed in breadiness, and keep your lamps lit.

36 “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

37 “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find aon the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that bhe will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.

38 “aWhether he comes in the 1second watch, or even in the 2third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39 “aBut 1be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be 2bbroken into.

40 “aYou too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not 1expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or ato everyone else as well?”

42 And athe Lord said, “bWho then is the faithful and sensible csteward, whom his master will put in charge of his 1servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

43 “Blessed is that aslave whom his 1master finds so doing when he comes.

44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master 1will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;

46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will areceive many lashes,

48 but the one who did not aknow it, and committed deeds worthy of 1a flogging, will receive but few. bFrom everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Christ Divides Men

49 “I 1have come to cast fire upon the earth; and 2how I wish it were already kindled!

50 “But I have a abaptism to 1undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

51 “aDo you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;

52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

53 “They will be divided, afather against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

54 And He was also saying to the crowds, “aWhen you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out.

55 “And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a ahot day,’ and it turns out that way.

56 “You hypocrites! aYou know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but 1why do you not analyze this present time?

57 “And awhy do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?

58 “For awhile you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to 1settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

59 “I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last 1acent.”

Chapter 13

Call to Repent

1 Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood aPilate had 1mixed with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus said to them, “aDo you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?

3 “I tell you, no, but unless you 1repent, you will all likewise perish.

4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in aSiloam fell and killed them were worse 1bculprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?

5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had aa fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.

7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree 1without finding any. aCut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’

8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;

9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”

Healing on the Sabbath

10 And He was ateaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had aa sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.

12 When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”

13 And He alaid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began bglorifying God.

14 But athe synagogue official, indignant because Jesus bhad healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “cThere are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 But athe Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, bdoes not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?

16 “And this woman, aa daughter of Abraham as she is, whom bSatan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

17 As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and athe entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

Parables of Mustard Seed and Leaven

18 So aHe was saying, “bWhat is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?

19 “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and athe birds of the 1air nested in its branches.”

20 And again He said, “aTo what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

21 “aIt is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in bthree 1pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

Teaching in the Villages

22 And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and aproceeding on His way to Jerusalem.

23 And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them,

24 “aStrive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

25 “Once the head of the house gets up and ashuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘bLord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘cI do not know where you are from.’

26 “Then you will abegin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’;

27 and He will say, ‘I tell you, aI do not know where you are from; bdepart from Me, all you evildoers.’

28 “aIn that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

29 “And they awill come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.

30 “And behold, asome are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”

31 Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, for aHerod wants to kill You.”

32 And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I 1areach My goal.’

33 “Nevertheless aI must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a bprophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.

34 “aO Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, bjust as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

35 “Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘aBlessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”