Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

LUKE 12 [†]In the meantime,  t when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first,  u “Beware of  v the leaven of the Pharisees,  w which is hypocrisy. 2[†] x Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in  y private rooms shall be proclaimed on  z the housetops.

Have No Fear

4[†]“I tell you, my friends,  a do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5[†]But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him  b who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. [1] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6[†]Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? [2] And  c not one of them is forgotten before God. 7Why,  d even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not;  e you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

8“And I tell you,  f everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge  g before the angels of God, 9[†]but  h the one who denies me before men  i will be denied  g before the angels of God. 10[†]And  j everyone who speaks a word  k against the Son of Man  l will be forgiven, but the one who  m blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11[†] n And when they  o bring you before the synagogues and  p the rulers and  p the authorities,  q do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 r for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13[†] s Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14But he said to him,  t “Man,  u who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15And he said to them,  v “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16And he told them a parable, saying,  w “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17and he thought to himself,  x ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my  y 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, you have ample goods laid up  z for many years; relax,  a eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20But God said to him,  b ‘Fool!  z This night  c your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared,  d whose will they be?’ 21So is the one  e who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Be Anxious

22[†]And he said to his disciples,  f “Therefore I tell you,  g do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 h Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.  i Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25[†]And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his  j span of life? [3] 26If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [4] yet I tell you,  k even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28[†]But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you,  l O you of little faith! 29[†]And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor  m be worried. 30For  n all the nations of the world seek after these things, and  n your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead,  o seek  p his [5] kingdom,  q and these things will be added to you.

32 r “Fear not, little  s flock, for  t it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you  u the kingdom. 33[†] v Sell your possessions, and  w give to the needy.  x Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with  y a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 z For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You Must Be Ready

35[†] a “Stay dressed for action [6] and  b keep your lamps burning, 36and be like men who are  c waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and  d knocks. 37[†] e Blessed are those servants [7] whom the master finds  e awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you,  f he will dress himself for service and  g have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39[†] h But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour  i the thief was coming, he [8] would not have left his house to be broken into. 40You also must be  j ready, for  k the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41[†]Peter said, “Lord,  l are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42And the Lord said, “Who then is  m the faithful and  m wise  n manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 o Blessed is that servant [9] whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44Truly, I say to you,  p he will set him over all his possessions. 45But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master  q is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and  r get drunk, 46the master of that servant will come  s on a day when he does not expect him and  s at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 t And that servant who  u knew his master’s will but  v did not get ready  u or act according to his will, will receive a  w severe beating. 48 x But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating,  y will receive a light beating.  z Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Not Peace, but Division

49[†] a “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 b I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how  c great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 d Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?  e No, I tell you, but rather division. 52For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided,  f father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Time

54[†]He also said to the crowds,  g “When you see  h a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55And  g when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be  i scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56You hypocrites!  j You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Settle with Your Accuser

57[†]“And why  k do you not judge  l for yourselves what is right? 58 m As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59I tell you,  n you will never get out until you have paid the very last  o penny.” [10]

Repent or Perish

LUKE 13 [†]There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood  p Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them,  q “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3No, I tell you; but unless you  r repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in  s Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you  r repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

6[†]And he told this parable: “A man had  t a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none.  u Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

A Woman with a Disabling Spirit

10[†]Now  v he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11[†]And behold, there was a woman who had had  w a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13[†]And he  x laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she  y glorified God. 14[†]But  z the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus  a had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people,  b “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15[†]Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites!  c Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16And ought not this woman,  d a daughter of Abraham whom  e Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17As he said these things,  f all his adversaries were put to shame, and  g all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

18[†] h He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19[†]It is like  i a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

20And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21[†] j It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in  k three measures of flour, until it was  l all leavened.”

The Narrow Door

22[†] m He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and  n journeying toward Jerusalem. 23[†]And someone said to him, “Lord,  o will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24[†] p “Strive  q to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25[†] r When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying,  s ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you,  t ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin to say,  u ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27[†]But he will say, ‘I tell you,  t I do not know where you come from.  v Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28[†] w In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see  w Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but  w you yourselves cast out. 29[†]And  w people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and  x recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30[†]And behold,  y some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Lament over Jerusalem

31[†]At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from  z here, for  a Herod 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  b I finish my course. 33[†]Nevertheless,  c I  d must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that  e a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34[†] f O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that  g kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  h How often would I have  i gathered  j your children together  k as a hen gathers her brood  l under her wings, and  m you were not willing! 35[†]Behold,  n your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say,  o ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Healing of a Man on the Sabbath

LUKE 14 [†]One Sabbath,  p when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were  q watching him carefully. 2[†]And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3[†]And Jesus responded to  r the lawyers and Pharisees, saying,  s “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4[†]But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5[†]And he said to them,  t “Which of you, having a son [1] or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6[†] u And they could not reply to these things.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

7[†]Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed  v how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place,  w so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11For  x everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

12[†]He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give  y a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers [2] or your relatives or rich neighbors,  z lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13But when you give a feast,  a invite  b the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid  c at  d the resurrection of the just.”

15[†]When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him,  e “Blessed is everyone who will  f eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16[†]But he said to him,  g “A man once  h gave a great banquet and invited many. 17And at the time for the banquet he  i sent his servant [3] to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20And another said,  j ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21[†]So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in  k the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, [4]  m none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

The Cost of Discipleship

25[†]Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26[†] n “If anyone comes to me and  o does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters,  p yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27[†] q Whoever does not  r bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28[†]For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not  s first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not  t sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33[†] u So therefore, any one of you who  v does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Salt Without Taste Is Worthless

34[†] w “Salt is good,  x but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away.  y He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

LUKE 15 [†]Now  z the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2[†]And the Pharisees and the scribes  a grumbled, saying,  b “This man receives sinners and  c eats with them.”

3[†]So he told them this parable: 4[†] d “What man of you, having a hundred sheep,  e if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine  f in the open country, and  g go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5[†]And when he has found it,  h he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6[†]And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for  i I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7[†]Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who  j repents than over ninety-nine  k righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8[†]“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, [1] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before  l the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

11And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12[†]And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me  m the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided  n his property between them. 13[†]Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in  o reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15[†]So he went and hired himself out to [2] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16[†]And he  p was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17[†]“But  q when he  r came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father,  s I have sinned against  t heaven and before you. 19 u I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20[†]And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and  v ran and  w embraced him and  x kissed him. 21[†]And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  u I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ [3] 22[†]But the father said to his servants, [4] ‘Bring quickly  y the best robe, and put it on him, and put  z a ring on his hand, and  a shoes on his feet. 23[†]And bring  b the fattened calf and kill it, and  c let us eat and celebrate. 24[†]For this my son  d was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25[†]“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27[†]And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28[†]But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29[†]but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might  e celebrate with my friends. 30[†]But when this son of yours came,  f who has devoured  g your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31[†]And he said to him, ‘Son,  h you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting  e to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother  i was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

LUKE 16 [†]He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had  j a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your  k management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4[†]I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6He said, ‘A hundred measures [1] of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures [2] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8The master commended the dishonest manager for his  l shrewdness. For  m the sons of this world [3] are  l more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than  n the sons of light. 9[†]And I tell you,  o make friends for yourselves by means of  p unrighteous wealth, [4] so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

10 q “One who is  r faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11[†]If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12[†]And if you have not been faithful in  s that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13[†] p No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

The Law and the Kingdom of God

14[†] t The Pharisees, who were  u lovers of money, heard all these things, and they  v ridiculed him. 15[†]And he said to them, “You are those who  w justify yourselves before men, but  x God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men  y is an abomination in the sight of God.

16[†] z “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then  a the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and  b everyone forces his way into it. [5] 17[†]But  c it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

Divorce and Remarriage

18[†] d “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19[†]“There was a rich man who was clothed in  e purple and fine linen and  f who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate  g was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21[†]who desired to be fed with  h what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22[†]The poor man died and was carried by  i the angels  j to Abraham’s side. [6] The rich man also died and was buried, 23and in  k Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and  l saw Abraham far off and Lazarus  j at his side. 24[†]And he called out,  m ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and  n cool my tongue, for  o I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25[†]But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that  p you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26[†]And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27[†]And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers [7]—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29But Abraham said, ‘They have  q Moses and the Prophets;  r let them hear them.’ 30And he said, ‘No,  s father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31He said to him, ‘If they do not hear  q Moses and the Prophets,  t neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Temptations to Sin

LUKE 17 [†]And he said to his disciples,  u “Temptations to sin [1] are  v sure to come, but  w woe to the one through whom they come! 2[†] x It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. [2] 3[†]Pay attention to yourselves!  y If your brother sins,  z rebuke him, and if he repents,  a forgive him, 4and if he sins against you  b seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Increase Our Faith

5[†] c The apostles said to the Lord,  d “Increase our faith!” 6And the Lord said,  e “If you had faith like  f a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this  g mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Unworthy Servants

7[†]“Will any one of you who has a servant [3] plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and  h dress properly, [4] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are  i unworthy servants; [5] we have only done what was our duty.’”

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

11[†] j On the way to Jerusalem  k he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12[†]And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, [6]  l who stood at a distance 13and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14[†]When he saw them he said to them, “Go and  m show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15[†]Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back,  n praising God with a loud voice; 16[†]and  o he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was  p a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus answered, “Were not  q ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18Was no one found to return and  r give praise to God except this  s foreigner?” 19[†]And he said to him, “Rise and go your way;  t your faith has  t made you well.” [7]

The Coming of the Kingdom

20[†]Being asked by the Pharisees  u when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God  v is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21[†]nor  w will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” [8]

22[†]And he said to the disciples,  x “The days are coming when you will desire  y to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23[†] z And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24[†] a For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be  b in his day. [9] 25[†]But first  c he must suffer many things and  c be rejected by this generation. 26[†] d Just as it was in the days of  e Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 f They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28Likewise, just as it was in the days of  g Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 h but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30so will it be  i on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31[†]On that day,  j let the one who is on  k the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32[†] l Remember Lot’s wife. 33[†] m Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will  n keep it. 34[†]I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 o There will be two women  p grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” [10] 37[†]And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them,  q “Where the corpse [11] is, there the vultures [12] will gather.”

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

LUKE 18 [†]And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought  r always to pray and not  s lose heart. 2[†]He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who  t neither feared God nor respected man. 3[†]And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,  u ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7[†]And  v will not God give justice to  w his elect,  x who cry to him day and night?  y  z Will he delay long over them? 8[†]I tell you, he will give justice to them  a speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,  b will he find faith on earth?”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9[†]He also told this parable to some  c who trusted  d in themselves that they were righteous,  e and treated others with contempt: 10[†]“Two men  f went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11[†]The Pharisee,  g standing by himself, prayed [1]  h thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12[†] i I fast twice a week;  j I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13[†]But the tax collector,  g standing far off,  k would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but  l beat his breast, saying, ‘God,  m be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14[†]I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For  n everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Let the Children Come to Me

15[†] o Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they  p rebuked them. 16[†]But Jesus called them to him, saying,  q “Let the children come to me, and  r do not hinder them,  q for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 s Truly, I say to you, whoever does not  t receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The Rich Ruler

18[†] u And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to  v inherit eternal life?” 19[†]And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20[†]You know the commandments:  w ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21[†]And he said,  x “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22[†]When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack.  y Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have  z treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23[†] a But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said,  b “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter  c the kingdom of God! 25[†]For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter  c the kingdom of God.” 26[†]Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27[†]But he said,  d “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28And Peter said, “See,  e we have left our homes and followed you.” 29[†]And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you,  f there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers [2] or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not receive  g many times more  h in this time, and in  i the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

31[†] j And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See,  k we are going up to Jerusalem, and  l everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32[†]For he will be  m delivered over to the Gentiles and will be  n mocked and shamefully treated and  o spit upon. 33And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on  p the third day he will rise.” 34[†] q But they understood none of these things.  r This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

35[†] s As he drew near to Jericho,  t a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37They told him,  u “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38[†]And he cried out, “Jesus,  v Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39[†]And those who were in front  w rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41[†] x “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42[†]And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight;  y your faith has  z made you well.” 43[†]And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him,  a glorifying God. And  b all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Jesus and Zacchaeus

LUKE 19 [†] c He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2[†]And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3And  d he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4So he ran on ahead and climbed up into  e a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5[†]And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for  f I must stay at your house today.” 6[†]So he hurried and came down and  g received him joyfully. 7[†]And when they saw it, they all  h grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8[†]And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods  i I give to the poor. And if I have  j defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it  k fourfold.” 9[†]And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since  l he also is a son of Abraham. 10[†]For  m the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11[†]As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because  n they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12[†]He said therefore,  o “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13[†]Calling  p ten of his servants, [1] he gave them ten minas, [2] and said to them, ‘Engage in business  q until I come.’ 14[†]But  r his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15[†]When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16[†]The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17[†]And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! [3] Because you have been  s faithful in a very little,  t you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20[†]Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in  u a handkerchief; 21[†]for I was afraid of you, because you are  v a severe man. You take  w what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22[†]He said to him,  x ‘I will condemn you with your own words,  y you wicked servant! You knew that I was  v a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26[†]‘I tell you that  z to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27[†]But  r as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and  a slaughter them before me.’”

The Triumphal Entry

28[†]And when he had said these things,  b he went on ahead,  c going up to Jerusalem. 29[†] d When he drew near to Bethphage and  e Bethany, at  f the mount that is called Olivet, he sent  g two of the disciples, 30[†]saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied,  h on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32[†]So those who were sent went away and found it  i just as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35[†]And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36[†]And as he rode along, they  j spread their cloaks on the road. 37[†]As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives— k the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice  l for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38[†]saying,  m “Blessed is  n the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and  o glory in the highest!” 39[†] p And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent,  q the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41[†] r And when he drew near and saw the city,  s he wept over it, 42[†]saying,  t “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now  u they are hidden from your eyes. 43[†]For  v the days will come upon you, when your enemies  w will set up a barricade around you and  x surround you and hem you in on every side 44 y and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And  z they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know  a the time of your  b visitation.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

45[†] c And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46saying to them, “It is written,  d ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but  e you have made it a den of robbers.”

47 f And he was teaching daily in the temple.  g The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

LUKE 20 [†] h One day,  i as Jesus [1] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel,  j the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2and said to him, “Tell us  k by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4was the baptism of John  l from heaven or from man?” 5And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say,  m ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was  n a prophet.” 7So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9[†] o And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted  p a vineyard and  q let it out to tenants and  r went into another country for a long while. 10[†]When the time came, he sent a servant [2] to the tenants, so that  q they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  s But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 t And  s he sent another servant. But they also beat and  u treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 s And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13[†]Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my  v beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14[†]But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves,  w ‘This is the heir.  x Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15[†]And they  y threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16[†] z He will  a come and destroy those tenants and  b give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17[†]But he  c looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

 d “‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone’? [3]

18[†] e Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls  f on anyone, it will crush him.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

19[†] h The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20[†] i So they  j watched him and sent spies, who  k pretended to be sincere, that they might  l catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of  m the governor. 21[†]So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and  o show no partiality, [4] but truly teach  p the way of God. 22[†]Is it lawful for us to give  q tribute to  r Caesar, or not?” 23But he perceived their  s craftiness, and said to them, 24“Show me  t a denarius. [5] Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25[†]He said to them, “Then  u render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26[†]And they were not able in the presence of the people  v to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

27[†]There came to him  w some Sadducees,  x those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28[†]and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us  y that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man [6] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30And the second 31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32Afterward the woman also died. 33[†]In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34[†]And Jesus said to them,  z “The sons of this age  a marry and  a are given in marriage, 35but those who are  b considered worthy to attain to  c that age and to the resurrection from the dead  d neither marry  d nor are given in marriage, 36[†]for  e they cannot die anymore, because they are  f equal to angels and  g are  h sons of God, being  i sons [7] of the resurrection. 37[†]But that the dead are raised,  j even Moses showed, in  k the passage about the bush, where he calls  l the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all  m live to him.” 39[†]Then some of the scribes  n answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40For  o they no longer dared to ask him any question.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41[†] p But he said to them, “How can they say that  q the Christ is  q David’s son? 42For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

 r “‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

43 until I make your enemies  s your footstool.”’

44David thus calls him Lord, so  t how is he his son?”

Beware of the Scribes

45[†] u And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and  v the places of honor at feasts, 47 w who devour widows’ houses and  x for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Offering

LUKE 21 [†] y Jesus [1] looked up and saw the rich  z putting their gifts into  a the offering box, 2and he saw a poor widow put in two  b small copper coins. [2] 3And he said, “Truly, I tell you,  c this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her  d poverty put in all  e she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

5[†] f And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6“As for these things that you see,  g the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7[†]And they asked him, “Teacher,  h when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8And he said,  i “See that you are not led astray. For  j many will come in my name, saying,  k ‘I am he!’ and,  l ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be  m terrified, for these things  n must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10[†]Then he said to them,  o “Nation will rise against nation, and  p kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great  q earthquakes, and in various places  r famines and pestilences. And there will be  s terrors and great  t signs from heaven. 12[†]But before all this  u they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to  v the synagogues and  w prisons, and you  x will be brought before  y kings and  z governors for my name’s sake. 13[†] a This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14[†]Settle it therefore in your minds  b not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15for  c I will give you a mouth and  d wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or  e contradict. 16[†]You will be delivered up  f even by parents and brothers [3] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 g You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18[†]But  h not a hair of your head will perish. 19[†]By your  i endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

20[†]“But  j when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that  k its desolation has come near. 21[†]Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22[†]for these are  l days of  m vengeance, to fulfill  n all that is written. 23[†] o Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and  p wrath against this people. 24[†]They will fall by the edge of the sword and  q be led captive among all nations, and  r Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles,  s until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25[†]“And  t there will be signs in sun and moon  u and stars, and on the earth  v distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For  w the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will see  x the Son of Man coming in a cloud  y with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and  z raise your heads, because  a your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29[†]And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30As soon as they come out in leaf, you see  b for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31[†]So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32[†] c Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33[†] d Heaven and earth will pass away, but  e my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34[†]“But watch yourselves  f lest  g your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and  h cares of this life, and  i that day come upon you suddenly  j like a trap. 35[†]For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36[†]But  k stay awake at all times,  l praying that you may  m have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and  n to stand before the Son of Man.”

37And  o every day he was teaching in the temple, but  p at night he went out and lodged on  q the mount called Olivet. 38And early in the morning  o all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

LUKE 22 [†] r Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called  s the Passover. 2[†]And the chief priests and the scribes  t were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

3[†] u Then  v Satan entered into  w Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4[†]He went away and conferred with the chief priests and  x officers how he might betray him to them. 5And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6So he consented and sought an opportunity to  y betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

7[†] z Then came  a the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8So Jesus [1] sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11and tell the master of the house,  b ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is  c the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12And he will show you  d a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13And they went and found it  e just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14[†] f And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15[†]And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16[†]For I tell you I will not eat it [2]  g until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17[†]And he took a cup, and  h when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 i For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine  g until the kingdom of God comes.” 19[†] j And he took bread, and  h when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,  k “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20[†]And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,  k “This cup that is poured out for you is  l the new  m covenant in my blood. [3] 21[†] n But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is  o with me on the table. 22[†]For the Son of Man goes  p as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23[†]And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

24[†] q A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 r And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles  s exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26[†] t But not so with you. Rather, let  s the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27[†]For who is the greater,  u one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But  v I am among you as the one who serves.

28“You are those who have stayed with me  w in my trials, 29[†]and  x I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30[†] y that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and  z sit on thrones judging  a the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

31[†]“Simon, Simon, behold,  b Satan demanded to have you, [4]  c that he might sift you like wheat, 32[†]but  d I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again,  e strengthen your brothers.” 33Peter [5] said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both  f to prison and  g to death.” 34[†] h Jesus [6] said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

35[†]And he said to them,  i “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37[†]For I tell you that  j this Scripture must be fulfilled in me:  k ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For  l what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38[†]And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two  m swords.” And he said to them,  n “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39[†] o And he came out and went,  p as was his custom, to  q the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40[†] r And when he came to  s the place, he said to them,  t “Pray that you may not  u enter into temptation.” 41[†]And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and  v knelt down and prayed, 42[†]saying,  w “Father, if you are willing, remove  x this cup from me.  y Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43And there appeared to him  z an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44[†]And  w being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. [7] 45[†]And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46[†]and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and  a pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47[†] b While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called  c Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49[†]And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike  d with the sword?” 50[†]And one of them struck the servant [8] of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52[†]Then Jesus said to the chief priests and  e officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53[†]When  f I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is  g your hour, and  h the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

54[†] i Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house,  j and Peter was following at a distance. 55[†] k And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of  l the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59[†]And after an interval of about an hour still another  m insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60[†]But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61And the Lord turned and  n looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him,  o “Before the rooster crows today, you will  p deny me three times.” 62And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

63[†] q Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64[†] q They also blindfolded him and kept asking him,  r “Prophesy!  r Who is it that struck you?” 65[†]And they said many other things against him,  s blaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council

66[†] t When day came,  u the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their  v council, and they  w said, 67[†] x “If you are  y the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69[†]But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated  z at the right hand of the power of God.” 70[†]So they all said, “Are you  a the Son of God, then?” And he said to them,  b “You say that I am.” 71[†]Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

Jesus Before Pilate

LUKE 23 [†] c Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2[†]And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man  d misleading our nation and  e forbidding us to give tribute to  f Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ,  g a king.” 3[†] h And Pilate asked him,  i “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him,  j “You have said so.” 4[†]Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds,  k “I find no guilt in this man.” 5But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea,  l from Galilee even to this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

6[†]When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7[†]And when he learned that he belonged to  m Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8[†]When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad,  n for he had long desired to see him,  o because he had heard about him, and he was hoping  p to see some sign done by him. 9[†]So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11[†]And Herod with his soldiers  q treated him with contempt and  r mocked him. Then,  s arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12And  t Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13Pilate then called together the chief priests and  u the rulers and the people, 14[†]and said to them, “You brought me this man  v as one who was misleading the people. And  w after examining him before you, behold, I  x did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15[†]Neither did Herod, for  y he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 z I will therefore punish and release him.” [1]

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

18[†] a But they all cried out together,  b “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and  c for murder. 20Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22[†]A third time he said to them, “Why,  d what evil has he done?  e I have found in him no guilt deserving death.  f I will therefore punish and release him.” 23[†]But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24[†]So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25[†]He released the man who had been thrown into prison  g for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked,  h but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

26[†] i And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27[†]And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were  j mourning and lamenting for him. 28But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold,  k the days are coming when they will say,  l ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 m Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For  n if they do these things when  o the wood is green, what will happen  o when it is dry?”

32[†] p Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33[†] q And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals,  p one on his right and one on his left. 34[†]And Jesus said, “Father,  r forgive them,  s for they know not what they do.” [2] And they cast lots  t to divide his garments. 35[†]And  u the people stood by, watching,  v but  w the rulers  x scoffed at him, saying,  y “He saved others;  z let him save himself,  a if he is  b the Christ of God,  c his Chosen One!” 36[†]The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and  d offering him sour wine 37and saying,  e “If you are  f the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38[†] g There was also an inscription over him, [3] “This is  f the King of the Jews.”

39[†] h One of the criminals who were hanged  i railed at him, [4] saying, “Are you not  j the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he said, “Jesus, remember me  k when you come into your kingdom.” 43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in  l Paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

44[†] m It was now about the sixth hour, [5] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, [6] 45while the sun’s light failed. And  n the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46[†]Then Jesus,  o calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father,  p into your hands I  q commit my spirit!” And having said this  r he breathed his last. 47[†]Now  s when the centurion saw what had taken place,  t he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48[†]And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home  u beating their breasts. 49[†]And all  v his acquaintances and  w the women who had followed him from Galilee  x stood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

50[†] y Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action; and he  z was looking for the kingdom of God. 52[†]This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53[†]Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and  a laid him in a tomb cut in stone,  b where no one had ever yet been laid. 54[†]It was the day of  c Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. [7] 55[†] d The women  e who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56[†]Then they returned and  f prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested  g according to the commandment.

The Resurrection

LUKE 24 [†] h But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb,  i taking the spices they had prepared. 2And they found  j the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3[†]but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4[†]While they were perplexed about this, behold,  k two  l men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5[†]And as they were  m frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6[†]He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you,  n while he was still in Galilee, 7[†] n that the Son of Man  o must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and  p be crucified and on  q the third day rise.” 8[†]And  r they remembered his words, 9[†]and returning from the tomb they  s told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10[†]Now it was  t Mary Magdalene and  u Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11[†]but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and  v they did not believe them. 12[†]But  w Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw  x the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

13[†]That very day  y two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles [1] from Jerusalem, 14[†]and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16[†] z But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19[†]And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was  a a prophet  b mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and  c how our chief priests and  d rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21[†]But we had hoped that he was  e the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now  f the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us.  g They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and  h when they did not find his body, they came back saying that  i they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24[†] j Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25[†]And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26[†] k Was it not necessary that  l the Christ should suffer these things and enter into  m his glory?” 27[†]And  n beginning with  o Moses and  p all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28So they drew near to the village to which they were going.  q He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and  r the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30[†]When he was at table with them, he took the bread and  s blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31[†] t And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And  u he vanished from their sight. 32[†]They said to each other,  v “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he  w opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they  x found the eleven and  y those who were with them gathered together, 34[†]saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and  z has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and  a how he was known to them in  b the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

36[†]As they were talking about these things,  c Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37But they were  d startled and  e frightened and  f thought they saw a spirit. 38[†]And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39[†]See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.  g Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this,  h he showed them his hands and his feet. 41[†]And while they still disbelieved  i for joy and were marveling,  j he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, [2] 43and he took it and ate before them.

44[†]Then he said to them,  k “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,  l that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45[†]Then  m he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46[†]and said to them, “Thus  n it is written,  o that the Christ should suffer and on the third day  p rise from the dead, 47[†]and that  q repentance and [3] forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed  r in his name  s to all nations,  t beginning from Jerusalem. 48[†] u You are witnesses of these things. 49[†]And behold, I am sending  v the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you  w are clothed with  x power  y from on high.”

The Ascension

50[†]Then  z he led them out as far as  a Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51[†]While he blessed them,  b he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52[†]And they  c worshiped him and  z returned to Jerusalem  d with great joy, 53and  e were continually in the temple  f blessing God.