BWE - Luke

Chapter 1

1:1  Many people have tried already to write down the things that have happened among us.

1:2  These things were told us by men who saw them happen from the time they began to happen. And these men helped tell the good news.

1:3  I have tried to find out all that has happened from the beginning. And so, Theophilus, great ruler, I myself will write you the whole story.

1:4  Then you will know that the things people have told you are true.

1:5  When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. He was one of a group of priests, and Abijah was their leader. Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth came from the family of Aaron.

1:6  Both of them were good people as God saw them. They obeyed all the laws and the things that the Lord said they should do.

1:7  But they had no children. Elizabeth was not able to have a baby and they were both very old.

1:8  Zechariah was doing his work one day as a priest to God. It was time for his group to do the work in the temple.

1:9  The priests had a certain way of dividing their work. This day it was Zechariah’s turn to go into the temple of the Lord and burn the incense.

1:10  All the people were talking to God outside the temple at this time.

1:11  An angel of the Lord came to Zechariah. He was standing on the right side of the incense table.

1:12  When Zechariah saw him, he was surprised and afraid.

1:13  But the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah. You have been talking to God. He has heard you. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son. Name him John.

1:14  ‘You will be glad and happy. Many people will be glad when he is born.

1:15  He will be great in the way the Lord calls people great. He must not drink wine or any strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is born.

1:16  He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

1:17  He will go ahead of the Lord. He will have the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. And he will bring back the people who do not obey, so that they will want to do what good people do. He will make people ready for the Lord.’

1:18  Then Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I know that this will happen? I am an old man and my wife is also old.’

1:19  The angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel and I stand before God. I have been sent to talk to you and to bring you this good news.

1:20  Now listen. You will be silent and not be able to talk until the day that all this has happened. This is because you did not believe what I told you. At the right time all that I said will come true.’

1:21  The people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the temple. They were surprised that he stayed in so long.

1:22  When he came out, he could not talk to them. They knew that he had seen something in the temple. He made signs to them with his hands and did not talk.

1:23  When his time for doing the work of a priest was finished, Zechariah went home.

1:24  After that, his wife Elizabeth found she was going to have a baby. For five months she stayed away from people.

1:25  She said to herself, ‘The Lord has done this for me. At this time he has remembered me so that I need not be ashamed among people anymore.’

1:26  Elizabeth was now in her sixth month. God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee.

1:27  The angel was sent to a young woman there. Her name was Mary. She was promised to a man named Joseph, to be his wife. He was of David’s family line.

1:28  The angel went into the house and said to her, ‘Be happy! God has blessed you more than other women. The Lord is with you!’

1:29  What the angel said troubled Mary. She wondered what this greeting meant.

1:30  The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary. God has blessed you.

1:31  You will have a baby son. Name him Jesus.

1:32  He will be a great man. He will be called the Son of the Highest One. The Lord God will make him king where his father David was king.

1:33  He will be king over the people of Israel for ever. He will never stop being king.’

1:34  Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this happen? I have no husband.’

1:35  The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Highest One will be over you. That is why the holy child who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

1:36  ‘Your cousin Elizabeth is also going to have a baby son, though she is an old woman. This is the sixth month for her. She is one whom people said would not have a baby.

1:37  But God can do anything.’

1:38  Mary said, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.

1:39  At that time, Mary got ready and went as quickly as she could to the hill country. She went to a town in Judah.

1:40  She went into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

1:41  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her moved. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

1:42  She said in a loud voice, ‘God has made you happy and blessed you more than all other women. He has blessed your baby.

1:43  Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

1:44  Listen! When I heard your greeting, the baby inside me moved because he was glad.

1:45  She who has believed what was told her is blessed. What the Lord said to her will come true.’

1:46  Mary said, ‘My heart is praising the Lord.

1:47  And my spirit is happy because God has saved me.

1:48  He has remembered his servant even though she is not a great person. From now on all people of all times will say God has blessed me.

1:49  He who has all power has done a big work for me. His name is holy.

1:50  ‘He is kind to people of all times who respect him.

1:51  He has shown how strong he is with his arm. He has taken away people who were proud in their hearts.

1:52  He has moved big rulers from power, and those that were not great he has made great.

1:53  He has given hungry people good things to eat, and sent away the rich people with nothing.

1:54  He has helped his servant Israel.

1:55  He has remembered to be kind just as he said to our fathers of long ago. He promised to be kind to Abraham and his children’s children for ever.’

1:56  Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Then she went home.

1:57  The time had now come for Elizabeth’s child to be born. She had a son.

1:58  When her neighbours and family heard that the Lord had been so kind to her, they were glad, too.

1:59  On the eighth day people came to circumcise the child. They were going to name him Zechariah like his father.

1:60  But his mother said, ‘No, his name is to be John.’

1:61  They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name.’

1:62  They made signs to the father to find out what name he wanted the child to have.

1:63  He asked for something to write on. He wrote, ‘His name is John.’ They were all surprised.

1:64  Right then he opened his mouth and his tongue was free. He began to speak and to praise God.

1:65  Everyone who lived around there began to wonder at these things. And everywhere in the hill country of Judea, all these things were talked about.

1:66  All those who heard them thought much about them. They said, ‘What will this child be some day?’ They said this because the power of the Lord was with him.

1:67  Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke words from God.

1:68  He said, ‘Praise the Lord God of Israel! He has remembered his people, and set them free.

1:69  He has chosen one from the family of his servant David. He has given him power to save us.

1:70  That is what he promised through his holy prophets of God long ago.

1:71  He said he would save us from our enemies and set us free from those who hate us.

1:72  ‘He said he would be kind to our fathers. He said he would remember his agreement with them.

1:73  ‘That was what he promised our father Abraham he would surely do. He promised to set us free from our enemies. He promised that we should be without fear. He promised that we would worship him and be holy and good before him as long as we live.

1:74  ‘That was what he promised our father Abraham he would surely do. He promised to set us free from our enemies. He promised that we should be without fear. He promised that we would worship him and be holy and good before him as long as we live.

1:75  ‘That was what he promised our father Abraham he would surely do. He promised to set us free from our enemies. He promised that we should be without fear. He promised that we would worship him and be holy and good before him as long as we live.

1:76  ‘You, my child, will be called the prophet or messenger of the Highest One. You will go ahead of the Lord to make his way ready.

1:77  You will tell his people how to be saved by being forgiven for their wrong ways.

1:78  ‘Our God is kind. A light from heaven will shine.

1:79  That light will shine on those who are in darkness, and are going to die. That light will show us how to walk in peace.’

1:80  The child grew. He became strong in spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he came to the people of Israel.

Chapter 2

2:1  About that time, Augustus the Roman ruler made a law. All the people in the world must have their names written down in a book.

2:2  This was the first time names were written in a book in this way. Quirinius was the ruler of Syria at that time.

2:3  Everyone went to his home town to have his name written in the book.

2:4  Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This was David’s town, and Joseph came from David’s family line.

2:5  He went to have his name written in the book. Joseph took Mary with him. She was promised to Joseph to be his wife. She was going to have a baby.

2:6  While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.

2:7  This was her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a cloth and laid him in a box where cows feed. There was no room for them in the house for strangers.

2:8  In the same part of the country, men were taking care of sheep. They were in the field watching their sheep at night.

2:9  An angel of the Lord came to them and a bright light from the Lord shone all around them. They were very much afraid.

2:10  The angel said to them, ‘Fear not! Listen, I bring you good news! This news will make you very glad. It is for all people.

2:11  A saviour has been born for you today in David’s town. He is Christ the Lord.

2:12  This is the way you will know him. You will find a baby wrapped in a cloth, lying in a box where cows feed.’

2:13  All at once a great number of angels from heaven were with the angel. They were praising God.

2:14  They said, ‘Praise God in the highest heaven! Peace on earth and loving mercy towards all people!’

2:15  The angels left them and went back to heaven. The men who were taking care of the sheep said to one another ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see what has happened. It is the Lord who has told us about it.’

2:16  They went quickly. They found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the box where cows feed.

2:17  When they saw the child, they told what the angel had said to them about him.

2:18  All those who heard them were surprised at what the shepherds had told them.

2:19  Mary remembered all these things and kept thinking about them.

2:20  Then the men who were taking care of the sheep went back. They praised and thanked God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as they had been told it would be.

2:21  When the child was eight days old, it was time to circumcise him. They named him Jesus. That was the name the angel gave him before the baby began to grow inside Mary.

2:22  The time came when Mary was no longer unclean by the law of Moses. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to bring him to the Lord.

2:23  This is what is written in the law of the Lord: ‘Every boy who is the first child of his mother will be holy for the Lord.’

2:24  They also came to make a sacrifice as an offering to God. The law of the Lord said, ‘A pair of doves or two young pigeons.’

2:25  A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He was a good man and he loved God. He was watching and waiting for the one who would save Israel. The Holy Spirit was on him.

2:26  The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

2:27  He came into the temple, led by the Spirit. The parents brought in the child Jesus to do what the law said they should do about him.

2:28  Then Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God.

2:29  He said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant go in peace, just as you said.

2:30  I have seen with my own eyes the one you have sent to save people.

2:31  You have made this way for all peoples to be saved.

2:32  He is a light which will shine for those who do not know God. He is the one who will bring praise to your people Israel.’

2:33  Joseph and Mary were surprised at the things Simeon said about Jesus.

2:34  Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, the mother of Jesus, ‘He will be a sign that people do not believe in. He will make many people in Israel fall and rise.

2:35  (Yes, a long knife will cut your heart too.) What people think will be made known.’

2:36  Anna, a woman prophet of God, was there too. Her father’s name was Phanuel. She was of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had been married and lived with her husband for seven years.

2:37  Then her husband died. Now she had been alone for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, but worshipped day and night. She talked with God and fasted.

2:38  While Simeon was talking to Mary, Anna also came along and thanked God. She talked about Jesus to all the people who were waiting for the one who would set Jerusalem free.

2:39  The parents did everything that the law of the Lord said they should do. Then they went back to Galilee to their own town, Nazareth.

2:40  The child grew. He became strong and very wise. And God blessed him.

2:41  Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.

2:42  When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to Jerusalem for the feast as they always did.

2:43  After the days of the feast were finished, they started home. But the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it.

2:44  They thought he was coming with the rest of the people. They travelled one day. Then they looked for him among their family and friends.

2:45  But they did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem and looked for him.

2:46  On the third day they found him in the temple. He was sitting in front of the teachers of the law. He was listening to them and asking them questions.

2:47  All who heard him were surprised at what he knew and his answers.

2:48  His parents were surprised when they saw him. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you. We have been very troubled.’

2:49  He said to them, ‘Why did you look for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?’

2:50  They did not understand what he meant.

2:51  He went with them back to Nazareth and obeyed them. But his mother remembered all these things.

2:52  Jesus grew and became wiser and taller. He pleased God and also people.

Chapter 3

3:1  Tiberius Caesar had been king for fifteen years. Pontius Pilate was the ruler of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod’s brother Philip was the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene.

3:2  Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God spoke to John in the desert. John was the son of Zechariah.

3:3  Then John went to all the country around the Jordan River. He told the people to stop doing wrong things, turn back to God and be baptised. And God would forgive them for the wrong things they did.

3:4  Isaiah, the prophet of God, wrote about him long ago in his book: ‘A man is calling out in the desert: “Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.

3:5  Every valley will be filled. Every big hill and every small hill will be cut down flat. Crooked roads will be made into straight roads. Bad roads will be made into good roads.

3:6  And all people will see that God can save.”’

3:7  Many people came out to John to be baptised. He said to them, ‘You family of snakes! Who told you to run away from God’s anger that is coming?

3:8  Do good things that will show you have stopped your wrong ways! Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We are Abraham’s children.” I tell you, God can make children for Abraham from these stones.

3:9  The axe is ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

3:10  The people asked John, ‘What shall we do?’

3:11  John answered them, ‘Any man who has two shirts should give one to a man who has none. Any man who has food should do the same.’

3:12  Tax collectors also came to be baptised. They asked John, ‘Sir, what shall we do?’

3:13  He said to them, ‘Do not make people pay more money than you are told to.’

3:14  Some soldiers also asked him, ‘What shall we do?’ He answered them ‘Do not force people. Do not tell lies about people. Do not want more pay than you get.’

3:15  The people were waiting to see what would happen. They were all asking about John. They thought that he might be the Christ, the great king promised by God long ago.

3:16  John said to them all, ‘I baptise you with water. But another person is coming. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough to untie his shoe strings. He will baptise you with the Holy spirit and with fire.

3:17  He has a cleaning fan in his hand and will fan his grain very clean. He will put the grain into his storehouse. But he will burn the chaff in the fire that never goes out.’

3:18  By these words and many other ways, he told the people the good news.

3:19  John told Herod the ruler that he had done wrong things. He told him he should not have his brother’s wife, Herodias. He also told him about all the other wrong things he had done.

3:20  Later on Herod did another wrong thing after all those wrong things. He put John in prison.

3:21  When all the other people had been baptised, Jesus was also baptised. While he was talking with God, the sky opened.

3:22  The Holy Spirit came down upon him like a dove. And a voice from the sky said, ‘You are my dear Son. I am very pleased with you’.

3:23  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:24  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:25  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:26  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:27  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:28  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:29  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:30  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:31  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:32  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:33  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:34  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:35  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:36  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:37  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

3:38  Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph’s son. Here are the names of Jesus’ family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

Chapter 4

4:1  Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. He left the Jordan River, and the Spirit led him into the desert for forty days.

4:2  The devil tried to make him do wrong. Jesus did not eat in those forty days. Then he was very hungry.

4:3  The devil said to him, ‘If you are God’s Son, tell this stone to be changed into bread.’

4:4  Jesus answered him, ‘The holy writings say, “Man cannot live on bread only.”’

4:5  The devil took Jesus to a high place where he could see all the countries of the world at one time.

4:6  He said to Jesus, ‘I will give you the right to rule over all these countries. They will make you great. All this has been given to me. I can give it to anyone I want.

4:7  So, if you worship and give honour to me, all will be yours.’

4:8  Jesus answered him, ‘The holy writings say, “You must worship the Lord your God and he is the only one you are to worship.”’

4:9  The devil took Jesus to Jerusalem. He put him on a high part of the temple. He said to him, ‘If you are God’s Son, jump down.

4:10  The holy writings say, “God will tell his angels to take care of you.”

4:11  And “They will hold you up in their hands so that you will not knock your foot on a stone.”’

4:12  Jesus answered him, ‘The holy writings say, “You must not test the Lord your God.”’

4:13  When the devil finished all his testing, he left him for a while.

4:14  Jesus had the power of the Spirit when he went back to Galilee. People talked about him in all that part of the country.

4:15  He taught them in their meeting houses. All the people praised him.

4:16  He went to Nazareth where he had grown up. He went to the meeting house as he always did on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read.

4:17  A man gave him the book that Isaiah the prophet of God wrote long ago. He opened the book and found the place where it says,

4:18  ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he chose me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to tell the prisoners they can go free, and to tell the blind people they can see. He has sent me to set free those who have been wrongly held down,

4:19  and to tell people that the year when the Lord will help them has come.’

4:20  Then Jesus closed the book and gave it back to the man. He sat down. Everyone in the meeting house was watching him.

4:21  He began to talk to them. He said, ‘You have heard what the holy writings say. They have come true today.’

4:22  They all began to talk about him. They were surprised to hear him say such good words. They asked, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’

4:23  Then Jesus said, ‘I know that you will say this to me “Doctor, heal yourself. We have heard what you did in Capernaum. Do the same things here in your own country.”’

4:24  And he went on to say, ‘I tell you the truth. No prophet of God is accepted by the people in his own country.

4:25  ‘I tell you the truth. At the time of Elijah, there were many women in Israel whose husbands were dead. There was no rain for three years and six months. All over the country there was great trouble because there was no food.

4:26  But Elijah was not sent to any of these widowed women in Israel. He was sent to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

4:27  ‘Also while Elisha was the prophet of God, many people in Israel had leprosy. None of them was healed. The only one who was healed was Naaman from the country of Syria.’

4:28  When they heard this, all the people in the meeting house were very angry.

4:29  They jumped to their feet and put Jesus out of the town. Their town was built on a hill. They took Jesus out to the top and wanted to throw him down the hill.

4:30  But Jesus walked out between them and went away.

4:31  Jesus went to the town of Capernaum in Galilee. He taught the people there on the Sabbath day.

4:32  They were surprised at his teaching because he taught them as if he had the right to teach them.

4:33  A man who had a bad spirit in him was in the meeting house. He called in a loud voice.

4:34  He said, ‘Jesus from Nazareth! What do you want to do to us? Have you come to kill us? I know who you are. You are God’s Holy Man.’

4:35  Jesus said to him, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ The bad spirit threw the man down in front of them. He came out of the man and did not hurt him.

4:36  All the people were very much surprised. They said to each other, ‘What kind of talk is this? He can make bad spirits obey him. He tells them to come out and they come out.’

4:37  The people in all the places around Capernaum heard about him.

4:38  Jesus left the meeting house and went to Simon’s house. The mother of Simon’s wife was sick with a bad fever. They asked Jesus to help her.

4:39  He went and stood beside her. He told the fever to leave her. It left. She got up right away and began to do things for them.

4:40  When the sun went down, the people brought to Jesus all who were sick in any way. He put his hands on every one of them and healed them.

4:41  The bad spirits also came out of many people. They called out, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he stopped them. He would not let them talk because they knew that he was the Christ.

4:42  The next morning Jesus went away to a place by himself. The people went to look for him. When they found him, they did not want him to leave them.

4:43  But he said to them, ‘I must tell the good news to the people in other towns also. It is the news of God’s kingdom. I was sent to tell this.’

4:44  So he told God’s word in the meeting houses in the Galilee area.

Chapter 5

5:1  The people came close around Jesus to hear God’s word. He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.

5:2  He saw two boats by the water. The fishermen were not in their boats. They were washing their nets.

5:3  Jesus got into one of the boats. It was Simon’s boat. Jesus asked him to put the boat out into the water a little way from the land. Then he sat down in the boat and taught the people.

5:4  When he stopped talking, he said to Simon, ‘Put the boat out into deep water and let down your nets to catch some fish.’

5:5  Simon answered, ‘Master, we worked hard all night and did not catch anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’

5:6  When they did this, they caught many fish. Their nets were so full they were breaking.

5:7  They called their friends in the other boat to come and help them. They came. They filled both boats with so much fish, they began to go down.

5:8  When Simon Peter saw this, he kneeled down in front of Jesus. He said, ‘Lord, leave me because I am a bad man!’

5:9  He was very much surprised to see how many fish they had caught. All those who were with him were surprised too.

5:10  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were helping Simon. They were surprised also. Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not fear. From now on your work will be to catch men.’

5:11  They brought their boats to the land. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.

5:12  Jesus was in one of the cities and a man was there who had leprosy, a bad skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed his face to the ground. He begged Jesus saying, ‘Sir, I know you can heal me if you want to.’

5:13  Jesus put out his hand and touched the man. He said, ‘I want you to be healed.’ Right away the man was free from leprosy.

5:14  Jesus said to him, ‘Do not tell anyone about this. But go and let the priest look at you. Moses gave a law about the sacrifice you must give when you are healed. Give it to prove to the people that you are healed.’

5:15  But more people heard about Jesus than before. And many people gathered to hear him, and so be healed.

5:16  Many times Jesus went away to the desert and talked with God.

5:17  One day Jesus was teaching people. Pharisees and other Jewish teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every town in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem. Jesus had the power of the Lord to heal the sick.

5:18  Some men brought a sick man on his bed. The man could not move his arms or legs. They tried to bring him in and put him in front of Jesus.

5:19  But they could not get in the house where Jesus was, because there were so many people. So they went up on the roof. Then through a hole in the roof they let down the bed with the sick man on it, until he was in front of Jesus.

5:20  Jesus saw that they believed he would be healed. So he said to him, ‘Man, the wrong things you have done are forgiven.’

5:21  The scribes and Pharisees began to talk about this. They said, ‘Who is this man that is not giving respect to God? No one but God can forgive anyone for the wrong things they have done.’

5:22  Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, ‘Why do you think these wrong things in your hearts?

5:23  Which is easier, to say, “The wrong things you have done are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”?

5:24  I want you to know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive wrong things people have done.’ So he said to the sick man, ‘I tell you, get up. Take up your bed and go home.’

5:25  Right away the man stood up in front of them. He took up his bed and went home praising God.

5:26  The people were all surprised and they praised God. They did not know what to think. They said, ‘We have seen things today that are hard to believe.’

5:27  After this, Jesus went out. He saw a tax collector named Levi. Levi was sitting at the place where people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him ‘Come with me.’

5:28  Levi left everything. He stood up and went with Jesus.

5:29  Levi made a big dinner at his house for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other people were sitting at the table with them.

5:30  The Pharisees and their scribes did not like what Jesus’ disciples did. They said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and bad people?”

5:31  Jesus answered them, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.

5:32  I did not come to call good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.’

5:33  They said to him, ‘The disciples or followers of John are often fasting, and they talk with God. The disciples of the Pharisees do the same. But your disciples eat and drink.’

5:34  Then Jesus said to them, ‘The people at a wedding cannot be sad while the man who is married is with them.

5:35  But the time will come when he will be taken away from them. Then they will be fasting at that time.’

5:36  Jesus told them a short story. He said, ‘No one takes a piece from a new coat and sews it on an old coat. If he does, the new coat will have a hole. And the new piece will not be like the old coat.

5:37  No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will break the skins. The wine will be lost and the skins will be spoiled.

5:38  New wine must be put into new skins.

5:39  No one wants to drink new wine after he has had old wine. He says, “The old is better.”’

Chapter 6

6:1  Jesus was walking through the grain fields on a Sabbath day. His disciples picked some of the grain as they went along. They cleaned it by rubbing it in their hands, and ate it.

6:2  Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why do your disciples do what is not right on the Sabbath day?”

6:3  Jesus answered them, ‘Have you not read what David did? He and his men were hungry.

6:4  He went into God’s house. Some bread was there for God. But David took the bread and ate it. He also gave some of it to the men who were with him. Only the priests have the right to eat that bread.’

6:5  Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man rules over the Sabbath day.’

6:6  On another Sabbath day, Jesus went into the meeting house and taught. A man was there whose right hand was thin and weak.

6:7  The scribes and Pharisees watched Jesus to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day. They wanted to find something wrong about Jesus.

6:8  But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He spoke to the man whose hand was thin and weak. He said, ‘Come and stand here in front’ The man stood up.

6:9  Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it right to do good things on the Sabbath day, or to do wrong things? Is it right to heal people so that they will live, or to let them die?’

6:10  He looked around at them all. Then he said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ The man did so and it was made well like the other hand.

6:11  The Pharisees were very angry and they talked together about what they could do to Jesus.

6:12  About that time Jesus went out of the city on the hill to talk with God. He talked with God all night.

6:13  In the morning he called his disciples to him. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles.

6:14  They were Simon, whom Jesus called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the freedom fighter, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.

6:15  They were Simon, whom Jesus called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the freedom fighter, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.

6:16  They were Simon, whom Jesus called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the freedom fighter, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.

6:17  Then Jesus came down the hill with them and stood on the flat ground. Many people came. There were many of his disciples. And there were many people from all parts of Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from the seaside of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear him and to be healed because they were sick.

6:18  Some were troubled by bad spirits, and they were healed.

6:19  All the people wanted to touch Jesus. Power came from him and he healed them all.

6:20  Jesus looked at his disciples and said, ‘God will make happy you who are poor. The kingdom of God is for you.

6:21  ‘God will make happy you who are hungry now. You will be filled. ‘God will make happy you who cry now. You will laugh.

6:22  ‘God will make you happy when people hate you, when they will not let you belong to their group, when they say wrong things about you and make your name bad. God blesses you when it is for the sake of the Son of Man.

6:23  Be very happy on that day and dance for joy. God will be good to you in heaven. The fathers of these people did the same things to the prophets of God long ago.

6:24  ‘But you who are rich will have trouble. You have already had your good times.

6:25  ‘You who have all you want now will have trouble! You will be hungry. ‘You who laugh now will have trouble. You will be sad and cry.

6:26  ‘When all the people praise you, you will have trouble! The fathers of these people did the same things to those who were not true prophets of God.’

6:27  ‘But I say to you who hear, love your enemies. Do good things to those who hate you.

6:28  Bless those who use bad words about you. Ask God to do good to those who trouble you.

6:29  ‘If someone hits you on one side of your face, turn the other side also. ‘If someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt also.

6:30  ‘Give to every one who begs you for something.

6:31  ‘Do to other people what you want them to do to you.

6:32  If you love those who love you, what good is there in that? Even bad people love those who love them.

6:33  If you do good things to those who do good things to you, what good is there in that? Bad people do the same.

6:34  If you lend to those who will give to you, what good is there in that? Even bad people lend to bad people, if they think they will get the same from them.

6:35  ‘Love your enemies. Do good things. Lend to people and do not look to get anything back. You will be paid well. You will be sons of the Highest One. He is kind to those who do not thank him and to those who are bad.

6:36  So be kind like your Father.’

6:37  ‘Do not judge others and you will not be judged. Do not punish others, and you will not be punished. Let others go free and God will let you go free.

6:38  Give to people and they will give to you. They will fill your cup, press it down, shake it, and let it run over. That is what they will give to you. How much you give to others is how much God will give to you.’

6:39  Jesus also told the people a story. He said, ‘A blind man cannot lead a blind man. They will both fall into a hole.

6:40  The one who learns is not better than his teacher. But every one who learns will be like his teacher when his teacher has finished teaching him.

6:41  ‘Why do you look at the small piece of dust in your brother’s eye? And you do not see the big stick in your own eye.

6:42  How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take the dust out of your eye”? But you do not see the stick in your own eye. You are not true to yourselves! First take the stick out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.’

6:43  ‘A good tree does not have bad fruit. And also, a bad tree does not have good fruit.

6:44  Every kind of tree is known by its fruit. People do not pick fruit like figs from thorn trees. And they do not pick grapes from bramble bushes.

6:45  A good man has stored up good things in his heart, so he says good things. A bad man has stored up wrong things in his heart, so he will say wrong things. The mouth will say what is in the heart.’

6:46  ‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” but you do not do what I tell you?

6:47  ‘A person comes to me. He hears what I say and obeys me. I will show you who he is like.

6:48  He is like a man who built a house. He dug down deep in the ground and made it stand on a rock. The water in the river came up high. The water beat hard against the house. But the house did not move, because it was built on a rock.

6:49  A man hears what I say but does not obey me. He is like a man who built his house on top of the ground. He did not dig down deep. The water beat hard against it and it fell with a loud noise!’

Chapter 7

7:1  Jesus finished saying all these things for the people to hear. Then he went to Capernaum.

7:2  An army officer had a servant whom he loved. The servant was sick and almost dying.

7:3  The officer heard of Jesus. So he sent some of the leaders of the Jews to him. He asked him to come and heal his servant.

7:4  They came to Jesus and begged him very much. They said, ‘He is a good man. You should come and do this for him.

7:5  He loves our people and he built the meeting house for us.’

7:6  Jesus went with them. When he came near the house, the officer sent some friends to meet him and to say, ‘Sir, do not trouble yourself to come further. I am not good enough to have you come into my house.

7:7  And I did not think I was good enough to come to you. Just say the word and my servant will be healed.

7:8  I myself am a man who takes orders, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I say to one, “Go,” and he goes. I say to another, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’

7:9  Jesus was surprised when he heard this. He turned to the people who followed him. He said, ‘I tell you, I have not found a Jew who believes as this man does.’

7:10  The men who had been sent to Jesus went back into the house. They found that the servant who had been sick was well.

7:11  Soon after that, Jesus went to the town of Nain. His disciples and many other people went with him.

7:12  He came near the gate of the town. There he met people carrying out a man who had died. He was the only son of his mother. And her husband was dead too. Many people from the city were with her.

7:13  The Lord saw her. He shared in her sorrows and troubles. He said to her, ‘Do not cry.’

7:14  Jesus came and touched the thing on which the body lay. The men who were carrying it stopped walking. Jesus said, ‘Young man, I tell you, get up!’

7:15  The dead man sat up and began to talk. Jesus gave him to his mother.

7:16  Everyone was very much surprised. They praised God. They said, ‘A great prophet of God has come to us. God has remembered his people.’

7:17  The people all over Judea and all the country around it heard what Jesus had done.

7:18  John also heard about all these things from his disciples.

7:19  He called two of them and sent them to Jesus. He asked, ‘Are you the One who is to come? Or shall we wait for another person?’

7:20  When the men came to Jesus, they said, ‘John the Baptizer sent us to you. He asks, “Are you the One who is to come? Or shall we wait for another person?”’

7:21  At that time Jesus healed many people who were sick or had troubles or bad spirits. He made many blind people able to see.

7:22  He answered John’s disciples, ‘Go tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people see. The lame people walk. People with leprosy are healed. People who could not hear can hear. Dead people are alive again. Poor people hear the good news.

7:23  Happy is the person who is not troubled in his heart about me.’

7:24  When John’s messengers had gone away, Jesus began to talk to the people about John. He said, ‘What did you go out into the desert to see? Did you go out to see a tall grass moving in the wind?

7:25  What did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? People who wear fine clothes and have nice things live in kings’ houses.

7:26  What did you go out to see? A prophet of God? Yes, I tell you, and he is much more than a prophet.

7:27  He is the one the holy writings tell about: “See, I send my messenger ahead of you. He will make the way ready for you.”

7:28  I tell you, no one has ever been born who is greater than John. And yet, the smallest one in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’

7:29  All the people and the tax collectors praised God when they heard that. They had been baptised by John.

7:30  But the Pharisees and teachers of the law would not follow God’s way and they were not baptised by John.

7:31  Jesus asked, ‘What will I say that the people of today are like? What are they like?

7:32  They are like children who sit in the market. They call to other children. They say, “We played music for you, but you did not dance. We cried, but you did not cry.”

7:33  John the Baptizer came. He does not eat bread or drink wine. You say, “He has a bad spirit in him.”

7:34  The Son of Man came. He eats and drinks. You say, “This man eats and drinks too much! He is a friend of tax collectors and bad people!”

7:35  A man is proved wise by what he has done.’

7:36  One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come and eat with him. So Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down to eat.

7:37  In that city was a bad woman. When she knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she came and brought a bottle of oil. It was oil that smelled very sweet and cost much money.

7:38  She stood behind Jesus by his feet, and she was crying. She began to wash his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and put oil on them.

7:39  The Pharisee who had asked Jesus to his house saw this. He said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet of God, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She is a bad woman.’

7:40  Jesus said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’

7:41  Jesus said, ‘There was a man who used to lend money to people. Two people owed him money. One man owed him five hundred pieces of silver money. The other owed him fifty pieces.

7:42  They could not pay the money, so he let them both free. Now which one of them will love him more?’

7:43  Simon answered, ‘I would say the one he let off the most.’ Jesus said, ‘You are right.’

7:44  Then he turned towards the woman. He said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me water to wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

7:45  You did not kiss me. But since she came in, she has kissed my feet again and again.

7:46  You did not put oil on my head. But she has put sweet smelling oil on my feet.

7:47  So I tell you, she has done many wrong things, but she has been forgiven because she loved me so much. But one who has been forgiven a little loves me only a little’

7:48  Jesus said to the woman, ‘The wrong things you have done are forgiven.’

7:49  Then those who were at the table with him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man? He even forgives people for the wrong things they have done.’

7:50  Jesus said to the woman, ‘You are saved because you believed. Go in peace.’

Chapter 8

8:1  Soon after this, Jesus went through the cities and towns. He told the people God’s word about the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve disciples were with him.

8:2  Some women were also with him. They had bad spirits and had been sick. But they had been healed. One was Mary, called Magdalene. Seven bad spirits had gone out of her.

8:3  Another one was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who worked for Herod. Another one was Susanna. And there were many others who gave what they could to help him.

8:4  Many people came to him from many towns. Then he told them a story.

8:5  He said, ‘A man went out to sow his seed. As he sowed it, some seed fell on the road. People stepped on the seed. Birds ate it.

8:6  Some seed fell on the stony ground. It grew but soon died because the place was too dry.

8:7  Some seed fell among the weeds. The weeds grew up and made the new plants die.

8:8  But some seed fell on good ground and it grew well. Those plants gave a hundred times as much grain as the man sowed.’ When Jesus had said this, he called out, ‘Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!’

8:9  His disciples asked Jesus what this story meant.

8:10  He said to them, ‘You can learn the secret things about the kingdom of God. But other people must have stories. They will look, but they will not see. They will hear, but they will not understand.’

8:11  ‘Now here is what the story means. The seed is God’s word.

8:12  Some seeds fell on the road. They are like the people who hear the word of God. Then the devil comes and takes the word out of their hearts. He does not want them to believe and be saved.

8:13  Some seeds fell on the stones. They are like people who are glad when they hear the word. But it does not go down deep into their hearts. They believe for a short time. But when they have trouble they stop believing.

8:14  Some seeds fell among the weeds. They are like people who hear the word. But they think about the things of this world. They want to get money and things to be happy in this life. As they go on in life, these things push the message out of their hearts and no good comes from them.

8:15  Some seeds fell on good ground. They are like people who hear the word and remember it. Their hearts are honest and good. These people keep on believing, and much good comes from them.’

8:16  ‘No person lights a lamp and covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed. But he puts it on the place for a lamp. Then people who come in can see the light.

8:17  Everything that is hidden will be seen. Everything that is secret will be known and come out to be seen.

8:18  So take care how you listen. Anyone who has something will get more. But he who does not have anything, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.’

8:19  The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him. They could not reach him because there were so many people around him.

8:20  Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to talk to you.’

8:21  But he said to them, ‘These people who hear the word of God and do it, they are my mother and my brothers.’

8:22  One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples. He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the sea.’ So they started out.

8:23  While they were going, Jesus was sleeping. A bad storm came on the sea. Water was coming into the boat, and they were in trouble.

8:24  The disciples came to Jesus and woke him. They shouted, ‘Master! Master! We will die!’ Jesus woke and said to the wind and the water, ‘Stop!’ They stopped. Then all was quiet

8:25  He said to the disciples, ‘Why do you not believe God?’ They were afraid and surprised. They said to each other, ‘What kind of man is this? He tells the wind and the sea what to do and they obey him.’

8:26  They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarene people. Their country is on the other side of the sea from Galilee.

8:27  As Jesus got out of the boat a man met him from the town. He had bad spirits in him. He had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house, but among the graves.

8:28  When he saw Jesus, he screamed loudly and bowed down in front of him. He called out loud, ‘Jesus, Son of the Highest One! What do you want to do to me? I beg you, do not hurt me.’

8:29  He said this because Jesus had told the bad spirit to come out of the man. Many times the spirit had taken hold of the man. People had guarded him. They had tied him with chains and strong ropes. But he broke the chains and ropes. The bad spirit drove him into the desert.

8:30  Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He answered, ‘My name is An Army.’ He said this because many bad spirits had gone into him.

8:31  The spirits begged Jesus not to send them away to the big hole that has no bottom.

8:32  Many pigs were feeding on the hill there. The spirits begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. Jesus let them.

8:33  The spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. They ran fast down the steep hill into the sea. They died in the water.

8:34  The men who cared for the pigs saw what happened. They ran and told it to the people in the town and in the country.

8:35  The people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus. They saw the man from whom the bad spirits had gone. He was sitting near the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was not crazy any more. The people were afraid.

8:36  Those who had seen it told the people how the man had been saved from the bad spirits.

8:37  All the people in the country around the Gadarenes asked Jesus to go away from them to some other place. They were very much afraid. So Jesus got into a boat and went back.

8:38  The man from whom the bad spirits had gone begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him away.

8:39  He said, ‘Go home and tell the people what God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told the people all through the town what Jesus had done for him.

8:40  When Jesus came back, the people were very glad to see him. They were all waiting for him.

8:41  A man named Jairus came to him. He was a ruler in the meeting house. He bowed down in front of Jesus and begged him to come to his house.

8:42  He had only one daughter She was about twelve years old. And she was dying. Many people went with Jesus and pushed against him.

8:43  A woman among them had a sickness for twelve years. She was bleeding all the time. She had given all her money to the doctors, but no one had been able to heal her.

8:44  She came behind Jesus and touched his clothes. The bleeding stopped right away.

8:45  Jesus said, ‘Who touched me?’ Everyone said, ‘Not I!’ Peter said, ‘Master, the people are all around you and push you.’

8:46  But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me. I know that power to heal went out from me.’

8:47  The woman saw that he knew about her. So she came trembling and bowed down in front of him. She told him in front of all the people why she had touched him. She told him that she had been healed right away.

8:48  Jesus said to her, ‘Daughter, you were healed because you believed. Go and do not be troubled.’

8:49  While he was still talking, a man came from the ruler’s house. He said, ‘Your daughter has died. Do not trouble the Teacher any more.’

8:50  Jesus heard it. He said, ‘Do not fear. Only believe and she will be healed.’

8:51  When Jesus came to the house, he did not let the people go in with him. The only people he let go in were Peter, John and James, and the girl’s father and mother.

8:52  All the people were crying and making a lot of noise because she had died. But he said, ‘Do not cry. She is not dead, but sleeping.’

8:53  They laughed at him because they knew she was dead.

8:54  He took her hand and called out, ‘Little girl, get up.’

8:55  Her life came back and she got up right away. He told them to give her something to eat.

8:56  Her parents were very much surprised. Jesus said, ‘Do not tell anyone what has happened.’

Chapter 9

9:1  Jesus called his twelve disciples together. He gave them power over all the bad spirits, and power to heal sick people.

9:2  He sent them out to tell people about the kingdom of God and to heal sick people.

9:3  He said, ‘Take nothing with you for your trip. Do not take a walking stick, or a bag, or food, or money. And do not take two shirts.

9:4  When you go into a certain house, stay there until you leave the town.

9:5  Some people might not take you in. When you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet. That will be a sign to them.’

9:6  The disciples left and went through the towns. They told the good news and healed people everywhere.

9:7  Herod the ruler heard about all that was happening. He did not know what to think. Some people said John the Baptizer had risen from death.

9:8  Some people said Elijah had come back. And other people said that one of the old prophets of God had risen from death.

9:9  Herod said, ‘I cut off John’s head. Now who is this man of whom I hear such things?’ He wanted to see Jesus.

9:10  When the apostles came back, they told Jesus all they had done. He took them away with him and they went by themselves to a town called Bethsaida.

9:11  But the people found out and they followed him. He was glad to see them and talked to them about God’s kingdom. He healed those who were sick.

9:12  When it was late in the day, the twelve disciples came to him. They said, ‘Send the people away so they can go to the towns and the farms to sleep and get something to eat. This is a lonely place.’

9:13  But Jesus said to them, ‘You give them food to eat.’ They said, ‘All we have is five loaves of bread and two fish. Shall we go and buy food for all these people?’

9:14  There were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, ‘Tell the people to sit down in groups of fifty.’

9:15  They did what he said, and they made all the people sit down.

9:16  He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for them. Then he broke the bread. He gave it to the disciples to give to the people.

9:17  They all ate and had enough. They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces that were left.

9:18  One day Jesus was alone talking to God. His disciples were there too. He asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’

9:19  They answered, ‘Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And others say that one of the old prophets of God has risen from death.’

9:20  Jesus said, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ sent by God.’

9:21  Jesus said to them, ‘Do not tell this to anyone.’

9:22  Then he went on to say, ‘The Son of Man will have much trouble. The leaders of the people, the chief priests, and the scribes will not believe him. He will be killed. On the third day he will be raised from death.’

9:23  And He said to all the people, ‘If anyone wants to come with me, he must leave what he himself wants to do. Every day he must take up his cross and come with me.

9:24  Anyone who tries to keep his life will lose it. And anyone who gives up his life for my sake will find it.

9:25  What good will it do a man if he gets the whole world for himself but loses his life or spoils it?

9:26  If anyone is ashamed of me and the things I say, the Son of man will be ashamed of that person when he comes. The Son of man will come with his holy angels and be great like his Father.

9:27  I tell you the truth. Some people are standing here who will not die before they see the kingdom of God.’

9:28  About eight days after saying these things, Jesus went up on a hill to talk with God. He took Peter, John, and James with him.

9:29  As he was talking with God, he was changed. His face was different. His clothes became very white and shining.

9:30  And then two men were talking with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah.

9:31  Light was shining from them. They talked about his leaving this world. That would happen when he was in Jerusalem.

9:32  Peter and the others were very sleepy. They woke up and saw the light shining from Jesus. And they saw the two men standing with him.

9:33  When the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three places here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ Peter did not know what he was saying.

9:34  As he said this, a cloud came over them. They were very much afraid when the cloud came around them.

9:35  A voice in the cloud said, ‘This is my dear Son. Listen to him!’

9:36  The talking stopped. Then Jesus was left alone. The disciples did not say anything. They did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

9:37  The next day they came down the hill. Many people met him.

9:38  One man among them called out, ‘Teacher, I beg you, look at my son. He is my only child.

9:39  A bad spirit takes hold of him and he screams. It throws him around and makes him foam at his mouth. It beats him badly and does not want to leave him.

9:40  I begged your disciples to drive the bad spirit out, but they could not do it.’

9:41  Jesus said, ‘You people today do not believe. You have turned away from God. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’

9:42  While he was coming, the bad spirit knocked him down and threw him around. Jesus told the spirit to stop. He healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

9:43  All the people were surprised to see that God has so much power. While the people were wondering about everything Jesus did, he talked to his disciples.

9:44  He said, ‘Listen well to what I say. The Son of Man will be given over to men,’

9:45  But they did not understand what he said. The meaning was hidden from them so they would not understand it. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

9:46  The disciples started talking among themselves. They quarrelled about which of them was the greatest person.

9:47  Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a child and put him by his side.

9:48  Then he said, ‘If anyone takes in a child like this for my sake, he takes in me. And if anyone takes in me, he takes in the one who sent me. The one who takes the least or lowest place among you is the greatest.’

9:49  John answered, ‘Master, we saw a man driving bad spirits out of people. He was using your name. We told him to stop because he is not one of us.’

9:50  But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him. Anyone who is not against you is on your side.’

9:51  The time was near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. Then he started off for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of him.

9:52  They went to one of the towns of the Samaritan people to get ready for him.

9:53  But the people would not take him in because he was going to Jerusalem.

9:54  When the disciples James and John saw that, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to ask for fire to come down from the sky and burn them up?’

9:55  But he turned and said to them, ‘Stop that! You do not think about what kind of spirit you are showing.

9:56  The Son of Man did not come to kill people, but to save them.’ And they went on to another town.

9:57  As they went along on the road, a man said to him, ‘I will go anywhere you go.’

9:58  Jesus said, ‘Foxes have holes to live in. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lie down to rest.’

9:59  Jesus said to another man who followed him, ‘Come with me.’ But the man said, ‘Lord, let me go first and bury my father.’

9:60  Jesus said to him, ‘Let those who are dead bury their own dead people. As for you, go and tell people about God’s kingdom.’

9:61  Another man said to Jesus, ‘Sir, I will go with you. But let me go first to my home and tell them I am going.’

9:62  Jesus said to him, ‘Any person who starts doing something and then keeps looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God.’

Chapter 10

10:1  After this the Lord chose seventy other men. He sent them ahead of him, two by two. He sent them to every town and village that he was going to visit.

10:2  He said to them, ‘The harvest is much, but there are not many people to gather it. So talk to the Lord of this harvest and ask him to send out people to his harvest.

10:3  Go on your way now. I am sending you out among people. You will be like sheep among bad animals.

10:4  Do not take money, or a bag, or shoes. And do not stop to talk with anyone on the road.

10:5  When you go into a house, first say, “May God give peace to this family.”

10:6  If a man of peace is there, your blessing will stay with him. If not, your blessing will come back to you.

10:7  Stay in that house. Eat and drink what the people give you. The one who works should have his pay for it. Do not move from one house to another house.

10:8  ‘When you go into a town and they take you in, eat what is put before you.

10:9  Heal the sick people in the town. Tell the people, “The kingdom of God has come to you.”

10:10  But when you go into a town and they do not take you in, then go out into the streets of the town.

10:11  Say to the people, “We wipe off even the dust of the town that is on our feet. This will be a sign to you. But remember this, the kingdom of God has come.”

10:12  I tell you this. On the day when people are judged, they will be punished more than the people in the city of Sodom.

10:13  ‘Chorazin, you will have trouble! Bethsaida, you will have trouble! If the big works I did in you had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have stopped doing bad things long ago. They would wear the clothes people wear to show they are sad, and would sit in ashes.

10:14  But on the day when people are judged you will be punished more than the people in the cities of Tyre and Sidon.

10:15  Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the sky? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.

10:16  ‘Anyone who listens to you listens to me. Anyone who does not believe you does not believe me. Anyone who does not believe me does not believe the one who sent me.’

10:17  The seventy men Jesus had sent out came back very happy. They said, ‘Lord, even the bad spirits obey us when we talk to them in your name!’

10:18  Jesus said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall from the sky like lightning.

10:19  I have given you power over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will hurt you.

10:20  Do not be glad that the bad spirits obey you. But be glad that your names are written in the book in heaven.’

10:21  At that same time the Holy Spirit made Jesus very happy. Jesus said, ‘Father, you are Lord of heaven and earth. I thank you because you have hidden these things from people who are wise and know many things. But you have shown them to people who are like children. Yes, Father. That was the way you wanted it.

10:22  My Father has given everything to me. No one knows who the Son is but the Father. No one knows who the Father is but the Son and those to whom the Son wants to show him.’

10:23  Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them alone, ‘God is blessing the eyes of people who see what you see!

10:24  I tell you this. Many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see. But they did not see them. They wanted to hear the things you hear. But they did not hear them.’

10:25  A man who taught God’s law stood up and asked Jesus a question to try him out. ‘Teacher,’ he said. ‘What must I do so that I will live for ever?’

10:26  Jesus said to him, ‘What does the law say? What do you read there?’

10:27  The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. Love him with all your soul. Love him with all your power, and love him with all your mind. And you must love your neighbour as you love yourself.’

10:28  Jesus said, ‘That is the right answer. Do that and you will live for ever.’

10:29  But the man wanted to prove that he was all right. So he said to Jesus, ‘Who is my neighbour?’

10:30  Jesus answered, ‘A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho. Bad men caught him on the road. They took his clothes and beat him. Then they went away and left him half dead.

10:31  A priest happened to be going down that road. He saw the man but he passed by on the other side of the road.

10:32  ‘A man who worked in the temple came along to that place also. He saw the man but he passed by on the other side.

10:33  ‘A man from the country of Samaria was going on that road also, and came to the place. He saw the man and wanted to share in his troubles.

10:34  He went to him and tied up the sores he had from the beating. He washed them with oil and wine. Then he lifted the man up and set him on his own animal to ride. He took him to the house for strangers. And he cared for him.

10:35  ‘The next day he gave two pieces of money to the man who was in charge of the house for strangers. He said, “Take care of this man. If it costs you more than this, I will pay you when I come back.’’’

10:36  Jesus said to the teacher of the law, ‘What do you think? Which of these three was a neighbour to the man who was caught by the bad men?’

10:37  He said, ‘The man who was kind to him.’ Jesus said, ‘Go and do as he did.’

10:38  Jesus and his disciples went on their way. They came to a town. A woman named Martha took him into her home.

10:39  She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat near the feet of Jesus and she listened to what he said.

10:40  But Martha was very busy doing many things for Jesus. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, my sister has left me to do all the work. Do you not care? Tell her to come and help me.’

10:41  The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worrying. You are troubled about many things.

10:42  Only one thing is needed. What Mary has chosen is good. And it will not be taken away from her.’

Chapter 11

11:1  One day Jesus was in a place talking with God. When he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to talk with God as John taught his disciples.’

11:2  Jesus said, ‘When you talk with God, say, “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come.

11:3  Give us our food day by day.

11:4  Forgive us for the wrong things we have done. We forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. Do not lead us to be tested.”’

11:5  Jesus said to them, ‘Maybe one of you has a friend. You go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.

11:6  A friend has come to my house. He has been on the road. I have no food to give him to eat.”

11:7  ‘Maybe the friend in the house answers you and says, “Do not trouble me. The door is locked. And my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.”

11:8  I tell you this. Maybe he will not give him anything because he is his friend. But he will get up and give him what he needs because he keeps on asking for it.

11:9  ‘And I tell you, ask and you will get what you ask for. Look and you will find what you look for. Knock and the door will be opened for you.

11:10  Everyone who asks will get. The one who looks will find. And the one who knocks will have the door opened for him.

11:11  Which of you fathers will give your son a snake if he asks for a fish?

11:12  Will you give him a scorpion if he asks for an egg?

11:13  You are wrong and yet you know how to give good things to your children. Much more, the Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.’

11:14  Jesus was driving a bad spirit out of a man who could not talk. When the spirit left him, the man could talk. The people were surprised.

11:15  But some of them said, ‘This man drives out bad spirits by the help of Beelzebub, the chief of bad spirits.’

11:16  Other people wanted to test Jesus. They asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

11:17  But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, ‘If one part of any country fights against the other part of the country, that country is spoiled. And if one part of any family fights against the other part of the family, it cannot stand.

11:18  If Satan fights against himself, how will his kingdom stand? You say I drive out bad spirits by the help of Beelzebub.

11:19  If I drive out bad spirits by the help of Beelzebub, by whose help do your own people drive them out? Your own people will judge you for this!

11:20  But if I drive out bad spirits by the help of God, then know this, God’s kingdom is here with you now.

11:21  ‘A strong man has something in his hand to fight. He guards his place. He will not lose his things.

11:22  But when a stronger man comes, he catches the man who guards his house. He will take away what is in the man’s hand. And he will take his things and give them to his friends.

11:23  ‘Anyone who is not with me is against me. Anyone who does not work with me, works against me.’

11:24  ‘When a bad spirit has gone out of a man, he goes through dry places. He looks for a place to rest, but he does not find any. Then he says, “I will go back to my house from where I came.”

11:25  ‘When he comes back, he finds it clean and all fixed up.

11:26  Then he goes and brings seven other spirits who are worse than he is. They go in and live there. Now the man is worse than he was at first.’

11:27  As he said this, a woman among the people called out, ‘Happy is your mother who gave birth to you, and fed you as a baby.’

11:28  But Jesus said, ‘Happy are those who hear God’s word and obey it!’

11:29  More and more people were coming. He started to talk. He said, ‘People today are bad. They want a sign. No sign will be given them but the sign of Jonah the prophet of God.

11:30  Jonah was a sign to the men in the city of Nineveh. In the same way the Son of Man will be a sign to the people today.

11:31  When the people are judged, the Queen from the South will stand up and speak against men who live today. She came a long way to hear the wise words of Solomon. The one who is here is greater than Solomon.

11:32  When people are judged, the men of Nineveh will stand up and speak against the people of today. They stopped their wrong ways when Jonah told them God’s word. And the one who is here is greater than Jonah.’

11:33  ‘No person lights a lamp and hides it in a hole or puts it under a basket. But he puts it on a place for a lamp. Then people who come in can see the light.

11:34  Your body gets its light through your eyes. When you have good eyes, all your body has light. But when your eyes are bad, your body is in darkness.

11:35  So be sure that it is not dark in you where it should be light.

11:36  If no part of your body is dark, it will all be light. It will be like a lamp that shines to give you light.’

11:37  While Jesus was saying these things, a Pharisee asked him to come to eat at his house. So Jesus went in and sat at the table.

11:38  The Pharisee saw that Jesus did not wash his hands before he ate. He was surprised.

11:39  The Lord said to him, ‘You Pharisees wash the outside of a cup and a dish clean. But inside you are full of greed and wrong ways.

11:40  You are fools! Did not God make the outside and inside also?

11:41  Do good, and do it from your heart. Then everything is clean for you.

11:42  ‘You Pharisees will have trouble! You give to God a tenth part of small garden plants. But you do not judge in the right way. And you do not love God. You should do these things and the other things too.

11:43  ‘You Pharisees will have trouble! In the meeting houses you want to sit in the front seats. And in the market you want people to greet you.

11:44  You will have trouble! You are not true to yourselves! You are like graves that are not marked. Men walk over them and do not know it.’

11:45  Then one of the men who taught God’s law said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, when you say these things, you talk against us too.’

11:46  Jesus said, ‘You men will have trouble also! You put heavy loads on people’s backs. But you yourselves will not put up one finger to help carry the loads.

11:47  You will have trouble! You build places to bury the prophets of God that your fathers killed.

11:48  In this way you show you agree to the things your fathers did. They killed the prophets, and you build places to bury them.

11:49  That is why God, who is wise, said, “I will send prophets and messengers to them. They will kill some of them. And they will trouble some of them.”

11:50  So the people who are living now will be punished for all the blood of the prophets of God that is on the ground since the world was made.

11:51  I mean all the blood from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah. (He was killed between the holy table and the temple.) Yes, I tell you. The people who are living now will be punished for all of it.

11:52  ‘You teachers of God’s law will have trouble! You have taken away the key of the door where people can go in and know what is true. You yourselves did not go in, and you stopped those who were going in.’

11:53  When Jesus left the house, the scribes and Pharisees began to be very angry with him. They asked him questions about many things.

11:54  They wanted him to say something that was wrong so they could make trouble for him.

Chapter 12

12:1  Many thousands of people had gathered. They stepped on each other. Jesus began to talk to the disciples. He said, ‘Take care. Do not let the yeast of the Pharisees spoil you. They are not true to themselves.

12:2  Everything that is covered up will be seen. Everything that is hidden will be known.

12:3  What you have said in the dark will be heard in the light. What you have said in secret with the door shut will be told from the tops of the houses.’

12:4  ‘You are my friends. I tell you, do not fear people who can kill your bodies. After that they cannot do anything more to you.

12:5  I will tell you whom you must fear. Fear the one who, after he has killed, has the power to throw into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

12:6  Are not five sparrows sold for a tiny sum of money? Yet God does not forget about one of them.

12:7  Even the number of hairs on your head is known. So do not fear. You are worth more than many sparrows.’

12:8  ‘And I tell you. If anyone tells people that he knows me, the Son of Man will also tell the angels of God that he knows him.

12:9  But if anyone tells people he does not know me, the Son of Man will also tell the angels of God that he does not know that person.

12:10  ‘Everyone who says anything against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who says wrong things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

12:11  ‘When men take you to the meeting houses and to the rulers and to the courts, do not be troubled about what you will answer or say.

12:12  The Holy Spirit will teach you at the right time what you must say.’

12:13  One of the people in the crowd said, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the things my father left when he died.’

12:14  Jesus said, ‘Man, who made me a judge over you or gave me power to divide your things?’

12:15  Then he said to the people, ‘Take care. Do not be greedy in any way to get more and more things. Even if a man has much more than he needs, it cannot give him life.’

12:16  Then he told them a story. He said, ‘A rich man had a farm. The things that grew on it were many.

12:17  He said to himself, “What will I do? I have no place to keep all the food I have grown.”

12:18  So he said, “This is what I will do. I will break down my storehouses and build bigger ones. I will keep in them all the food and everything I have.

12:19  Then I will say to myself, ‘Man, you have much in your storehouses for many years. Rest now. Eat, drink, and have a good time.’”

12:20  But God said to him, “You are a fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will have all the things you have kept for yourself?”

12:21  So anyone who keeps things for himself is not rich in the way God wants him to be rich.’

12:22  Jesus said to his disciples, ‘So I tell you this. Do not be troubled about what you will eat to keep alive. Do not be troubled about clothes to wear on your body.

12:23  Life itself is worth more than food, and the body is worth more than clothes.

12:24  ‘Think of the birds. They do not plant, cut, or keep any food. Yet God feeds them. You are worth much more than the birds!

12:25  ‘Can any of you live any longer by troubling yourself about these things?

12:26  If you cannot do a small thing like that, why do you trouble yourself about the other things?

12:27  ‘Think about the flowers. See how they grow. They do not work or make cloth. I tell you, King Solomon was a great man. But he was not dressed as fine as one of these flowers.

12:28  God dresses the grass in the fields so it looks nice. It is in the field one day and the next day it is burned. If God dresses the grass like that, he cares much more that you have clothes to wear. You do not believe in God very much!

12:29  ‘Do not keep asking, “What shall we eat?” and, “What shall we drink?” Do not be troubled about that.

12:30  All the people who are not Jews work for these things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need them.

12:31  But work for God’s kingdom. Then you will have all these things also.’

12:32  ‘Do not fear, little family. Your Father wants to give the kingdom to you.

12:33  Sell what you have and give it to poor people. Make for yourselves money bags that will not wear out. Keep the things you like in heaven. They will not be lost there. People cannot go in and steal them, and insects cannot spoil them.

12:34  The place where you keep the things you like is where your heart will be also.’

12:35  ‘Be dressed and have your lamps lit.

12:36  Be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding. They are ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks.

12:37  Happy the servants who are ready when the master comes! The servants who are ready when the master comes will be made happy. I tell you the truth. The master will get ready to serve them. He will set them at the table and will come and serve them.

12:38  He may come in the middle of the night or when it is nearly morning. But if they are watching for the master, they will be happy.

12:39  ‘And remember this. If the owner of a house knew at what time a man would come to steal, he would not let the man break into his house.

12:40  So then, be ready. The Son of Man will come at a time when you are not looking for him.’

12:41  Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this story for us or for all the people?’

12:42  The Lord said, ‘Who is like a wise servant who can be trusted? His master will put him in charge of his other servants. He gives them food to eat at the right time.

12:43  His master will bless that servant if he is doing this when he comes!

12:44  I tell you the truth. His master will put him in charge of all that he has

12:45  But perhaps that servant says to himself, “My master will not come just now.” Then he begins to beat the other servants. He begins to eat and drink until he is drunk.

12:46  If he does that, his master will come on a day when he is not looking for him. He will not know the time when his master is coming. His master will punish him very much and put him away with those he cannot trust.

12:47  ‘A servant knew what his master wanted. But he was not ready. He did not do what his master wanted him to do. So he will be beaten much.

12:48  But if a servant did not know and did something bad, he will be beaten only a little. To whom much has been given, from him much will be asked. When people give much to anyone, they will ask more from him.

12:49  ‘I came to start a fire on the earth. I wish the fire were already burning!

12:50  I will be going through a big trouble, and I feel like a prisoner until it is all over.

12:51  Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? I tell you, “No”. I came to take away peace.

12:52  From now, if there are five in a family, they will be against each other. Three of them will be against the other two. And two of them will be against the other three.

12:53  A father will be against his son, and the son will be against his father. The mother will be against her daughter, and the daughter will be against her mother. A man’s mother will be against his wife, and his wife will be against his mother.’

12:54  Jesus also said to the people, ‘When you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say right away, “Rain is coming.” And it comes.

12:55  When the wind is blowing from the south, you say, “It will be very hot.” And it is.

12:56  You are not true to yourselves! You know the meaning of these signs in the earth and sky. But you do not know the meaning of the signs about the time in which we are living.’

12:57  ‘Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

12:58  If someone wants to take you to court, make an agreement with him quickly on the way. If you do not, he will take you to the judge. The judge will give you to the guard, and the guard will put you in prison.

12:59  I tell you, you will not get out of prison until you have paid up every piece of money.’

Chapter 13

13:1  Some people were there at that time who told Jesus what Pilate had done. He had killed some of the people of Galilee and put their blood with the blood of their sacrifices to God.

13:2  Jesus answered, ‘Do you think it was because they were worse than all the other people in Galilee?

13:3  I tell you, “No!” But if you do not stop doing wrong things, then you will all die as they did.

13:4  Eighteen men died when the high house in Siloam fell on them. Do you think they were worse than all the other men who lived in Jerusalem?

13:5  I tell you, “No!” But if you do not stop doing wrong things, you will all die as they did.’

13:6  Then Jesus told this story: ‘A man had a fruit tree on his farm. He came to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.

13:7  He said to the man who cared for the trees, “For three years I have come to look for fruit on this tree, but I have not found any. Cut it down. Why should it spoil my farmland?”

13:8  The man who cared for the trees answered, “Sir, let it stay one more year. I will dig around it and put good soil around it.

13:9  If it has fruit on it next year, that will be good. But if it has no fruit, you can have it cut down.”’

13:10  Jesus was teaching in one of the meeting houses on the Sabbath day.

13:11  A woman was there who had a spirit that had made her sick for eighteen years. She had to bend down all the time and could not stand up straight.

13:12  Jesus saw her and called her to come to him. Then he said, ‘Woman, you are healed. You are not sick any longer.’

13:13  Jesus put his hands on her, and right away she stood up straight. And she praised God.

13:14  The ruler of the meeting house was angry because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, ‘There are six days to work. You should come to be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.’

13:15  The Lord said to him, ‘You are not true to yourselves! Every one of you unties his cow or horse and takes it to the water to drink on the Sabbath day. Do you not?

13:16  This woman belongs to Abraham’s family. Satan has tied her for eighteen years. Is it not right that she should be set free on the Sabbath day?’

13:17  When he said that, all those who had talked against him were ashamed. All the other people were very glad for all the wonderful things Jesus did.

13:18  He went on to say, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I say it is like?

13:19  It is like this. A man took a mustard seed and planted it in his field. It grew up big like a tree. The birds came and lived in its branches.’

13:20  Then Jesus said again, ‘What else is the kingdom of God like?

13:21  It is like this. A woman took yeast and mixed it with many cups of flour. The yeast went all through the flour.’

13:22  Jesus went through the towns and villages on the way to Jerusalem. He was teaching the people as he went.

13:23  A man asked him, ‘Sir, will only a few people be saved?’

13:24  Jesus answered, ‘Try hard to go in by the small gate. I tell you, many will want to go in but they will not be able.

13:25  The master of the house will get up and lock the door. Then you will be standing outside. You will begin to knock on the door and call, “Sir, open the door for us!” But he will answer, “I do not know where you belong.”

13:26  Then you will say, “We ate and drank with you. You taught in our streets.”

13:27  But he will say, “I tell you, I do not know where you belong. Go away from me all you who do wrong!”

13:28  ‘You will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God. And you will see yourselves thrown out. Then you will cry and make a noise with your teeth.

13:29  People will come from the east, from the west, from the north, and from the south. They will sit down to eat in the kingdom of God.

13:30  Yes, some people who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.’

13:31  At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘Go away from here. Herod wants to kill you.’

13:32  He said, ‘Go and tell that fox, “I drive bad spirits out of people and heal people. I do it today and tomorrow. On the third day I will finish what I am doing.”

13:33  But I must go on my way today, tomorrow, and the next day. A prophet of God cannot be killed outside of Jerusalem.

13:34  ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets of God. You throw stones to kill men who are sent to you. How often I have wanted to gather your people together as a mother hen gathers her little ones under her wings. But you would not come!

13:35  Now you are left alone in your house. I tell you this. You will not see me again until the time when you say, “God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord.”’

Chapter 14

14:1  One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat at the house of a ruler. He was a ruler of the Pharisees. They were watching Jesus.

14:2  A man stood in front of him. He was sick. His body was filled with water.

14:3  Jesus asked the teachers of God’s law and the Pharisees, ‘Is it right to heal a person on the Sabbath day or not?’

14:4  They did not answer. So he took the man and healed him. Then he sent him away.

14:5  Jesus said to them, ‘If your horse or cow falls into a hole, which one of you will not pull him out right away on the Sabbath day?’

14:6  They could not answer that.

14:7  Jesus told a story to the people who were asked to eat at the house. He saw that they chose to sit at the best places.

14:8  He said to them, ‘When you are called to a wedding, do not sit in the best place. It may be that a better man than you has been called.

14:9  Then the man who called you both will come and say to you, “Get up and let this man sit here.” Then you will be ashamed. And you will go and sit down in the last place.

14:10  But when you are asked to go to a wedding, go and sit down in the last place. Then when the man who called you comes, he will say to you, “Friend, come to a better place.” Then all the people who sit at the table will see how he respects you.

14:11  ‘Everyone who puts himself up in a high place will be brought down to a low place. And everyone who puts himself down in a low place will be brought up to a high place.’

14:12  Then Jesus said to the man who had asked him to come, ‘When you make a dinner or a feast, do not ask your friends, or your brothers, or the people in your family, or your rich neighbours. They will repay you by making a dinner for you.

14:13  But when you make a dinner, ask the people who are poor, hurt, lame, or blind.

14:14  You will be made happy because they cannot pay you. You will be repaid when all good people are raised from death.’

14:15  One of those who was sitting at the table heard this. He said, ‘Happy is the person who will eat in the kingdom of God!’

14:16  But Jesus said to him, ‘A man made a big feast and asked many people to come.

14:17  When the feast was ready, he sent his servant to tell the people who had been asked. He said, “Come. Everything is ready.”

14:18  But the people all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a farm. I must go and see it. I beg you, excuse me from the feast.”

14:19  Another man said, “I have bought ten oxen. I am going to see them. I beg you, excuse me from the feast.”

14:20  Another one said, “I have married a woman, and so I cannot come.”

14:21  ‘The servant came and told his master. Then the master was very angry. He said to his servant, “Go out quickly. Go on all the streets in the city. Bring here people who are poor, hurt, blind, or lame.”

14:22  ‘The servant came back and said, “Sir, I have done what you told me to do. There is still room for more people.”

14:23  Then the master said to the servant, “Go out onto the roads and behind bushes. Find people and make them come in so that my house will be full.

14:24  I tell you, not one of the men who were called first will eat any of my feast.’

14:25  Many people were going with Jesus. He turned to them and said, ‘If any man comes to me, he must hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sister. Yes, he must hate himself too. If he does not, he cannot be my disciple.

14:26  Many people were going with Jesus. He turned to them and said, ‘If any man comes to me, he must hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sister. Yes, he must hate himself too. If he does not, he cannot be my disciple.

14:27  If anyone does not carry his cross and come with me, he cannot be my disciple.

14:28  ‘When any of you wants to build a high house, you sit down first and see how much it will cost. You want to see if you have enough money to finish it.

14:29  If you do not have enough money, you will not be able to finish it after you have made the foundation. Then all the people who see it will laugh at you.

14:30  They will say, “This man started to build a house and could not finish it.”

14:31  ‘When a king goes to fight against another king, he sits down first and thinks about the matter. He will ask himself, “Can I fight him with ten thousand soldiers? He has twenty thousand soldiers.”

14:32  If he cannot fight him, he will send some men to meet the other king while he is still far away. He will try to make peace with him.

14:33  ‘In the same way, any one of you who does not give up all he has cannot be my disciple.’

14:34  ‘Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its taste, how can it be made salty again?

14:35  It is not good for the land or the dirt pile. People throw it away. ‘Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!”

Chapter 15

15:1  The tax collectors and bad people all came close to Jesus to hear him.

15:2  The Pharisees and scribes did not like it. And they said to each other, ‘This man is glad to have bad people come. He eats with them.’

15:3  So Jesus told them this story.

15:4  He said, ‘Which one of you will not do this? A man has a hundred sheep. He loses one of them. He leaves the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and he goes to look for the one that is lost. He looks until he finds it.

15:5  And when he has found it, he is very glad. He carries it on his back.

15:6  When he comes home, he calls his friends and neighbours to come. He says, “Be glad with me! I have found my lost sheep.”

15:7  ‘I tell you, the angels in heaven will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things. The angels will be more glad about that one person than about ninety-nine good people who do not need to change their ways.’

15:8  ‘What woman will not do this? She has ten pieces of silver money. If she loses one of them, she lights a lamp and sweeps the house. She looks for the money until she finds it.

15:9  When she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours to come. She says, “Be glad with me! I have found the piece of money I lost.”

15:10  I tell you, the angels of God will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things.’

15:11  Jesus also said, ‘A man had two sons.

15:12  The younger son said to his father, “Father, give me my part of what will belong to me.” So his father divided all he had between the two sons.

15:13  After a few days, the younger son packed up his things. He left home and went to a country far away. There he spent his money in foolish and wrong ways.

15:14  He spent everything he had. ‘There was no food in that country for a long time. He began to be in trouble.

15:15  So he went to stay with a man in the country who had a farm. The man sent him out to his farm to feed the pigs.

15:16  He would have been glad to eat the food the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything.

15:17  ‘Then he started to get sense. He said, “My father has many men who work for him. They have plenty of food. But here I am dying because I have nothing to eat!

15:18  I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, “Father I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you.

15:19  I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you.”

15:20  ‘So he got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him. He loved him and wanted to share in his troubles. He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

15:21  The son said to him, “Father, I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you. I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you.”

15:22  ‘But his father said to his servants, “Go quickly and bring the best clothes. Dress him. Put a ring on his hand. Put shoes on his feet.

15:23  Bring the fat calf and kill it. Let us have a feast and a good time.

15:24  This is my son. He was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found.” And they began to have a good time.

15:25  ‘The older son was out on the farm. When he came home and was near the house, he heard music and dancing.

15:26  He called one of the servants and said, “What is going on?”

15:27  The servant said, “Your brother has come home. Your father has killed the fat young cow because your brother is home and he is well.”

15:28  ‘But the older son was angry. He would not go into the house. His father came out and begged him to come in.

15:29  But the son said to his father, “Look. I have worked hard for you for many years. I have always done everything you told me to do. And yet you never even gave me a young goat to make a feast with my friends.

15:30  But now this son of yours has come back. He has spent all your money and was with bad women. And yet you kill the fat calf for him!”

15:31  ‘The father said, “Son you have always been with me. And all that I have is yours.

15:32  But now we should have a good time and be happy. Your brother was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found.”’

Chapter 16

16:1  Jesus also talked to his disciples. He said, ‘A rich man had a manager in charge of his things. People told the rich man that the manager was wasting his things.

16:2  So he called the manager and asked him, “What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done. You cannot be my manager any more.”

16:3  ‘Then the manager thought to himself, “What will I do? My master is taking my work away from me. I am not strong enough to go out and dig. I am ashamed to beg.

16:4  I know what I will do. Then, when I lose my job, these people will take me into their own homes.”

16:5  ‘So he called to him everyone who owed his master something. He asked the first man, “How much do you owe my master?”

16:6  He answered, “A hundred tins of oil.” The manager said, “Take your paper. Sit down right now and write on it fifty.”

16:7  Then he asked the next man, “How much do you owe?” He said, “A hundred bags of grain.” The manager said, “Take your paper and write on it eighty.”

16:8  ‘Then the master praised the manager who did wrong. He praised him because he did what was wise. The people of this world are wiser than the people who have the Light. They know how to get along with people like themselves.

16:9  ‘I tell you this. Money may be a wrong thing, but use it to make friends for yourselves. Then when your money is spent, they will be glad to see you come into that place where people live for ever.

16:10  ‘Anyone who can be trusted in a little matter can also be trusted in a big matter. Anyone who does wrong in a very little matter will do wrong also in a big matter.

16:11  So if you could not be trusted to use money, which is bad, who will trust you to use true riches?

16:12  If you could not be trusted with what belonged to another person, who will give you something for yourself?

16:13  No servant can work for two masters. He will hate one and love the other. Or he will obey one and despise the other. You cannot work for both God and money.’

16:14  The Pharisees loved money. They heard all these things. They made fun of him.

16:15  He said to them, ‘You try to make men think you are all right. But God knows your hearts. What men think is fine, God hates.

16:16  ‘The Law and the Prophets gave God’s word until John came. Since then, the good news of God’s kingdom has been told. And now everyone tries hard to get into the kingdom.

16:17  It would be easier to take away the sky and the earth than for the smallest part of the law to fall.’

16:18  ‘If a man sends away his wife and marries another woman, he commits adultery. And if the man marries a woman who has been sent away by her husband, he commits adultery.’

16:19  ‘There was a rich man who dressed and lived like a king every day.

16:20  A poor man named Lazarus was put at his door. He had many sores on his body.

16:21  He wanted to eat the pieces of food that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs came and licked his sores.

16:22  The poor man died. Angels carried him to be with Abraham. ‘The rich man also died and was buried.

16:23  He was in great pain in the world of dead people. He looked up and saw Abraham far away. With him was Lazarus.

16:24  He called out, “Father Abraham, help me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water and cool my tongue. This fire is very hot for me.”

16:25  ‘But Abraham said to him, “Son, remember this. You had a good time when you were living. Lazarus had a bad time when he was living. But now he is happy here and you are in pain.

16:26  But that is not all. A wide hole is between you and us. No one can go from here to you if he wanted to. And no one can come from where you are to us.”

16:27  ‘The rich man said, “Then, father, I beg you, send Lazarus to my father’s house.

16:28  I have five brothers there. Tell him to talk to them so that they will not come to this place where there is pain.”

16:29  ‘But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets. They can listen to them.”

16:30  ‘He answered, “No, father Abraham! But if a man who had died went to them, they would stop their wrong ways.”

16:31  ‘Abraham said, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, then they will not believe, even if a man were raised from death.”’

Chapter 17

17:1  Jesus said to his disciples, ‘People will make other people do wrong. But the person who makes another person do wrong will have trouble.

17:2  A big stone should be tied around his neck and then he should be thrown into the sea. That would be better for him than to make one of these little children do wrong.

17:3  ‘Take care! If your brother does something bad, tell him what he has done. If he is sorry, then forgive him.

17:4  Maybe he will do wrong to you seven times in one day. But if he comes to you seven times in one day and says, “I am sorry for what I did,” then you must forgive him.’

17:5  The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Help us to believe more.’

17:6  The Lord said, ‘If you believe as much as a little mustard seed, then you can say to this tree, “Come up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea.” And it would obey you.’

17:7  ‘If your servant is working in the field or taking care of sheep, what will you say to him when he comes in from the field? Will you say, “Come now and sit down to eat”?

17:8  No, you will say, “Get my food ready. Get ready to wait on me. I will eat and drink. After that, then you may eat and drink.”

17:9  Will you thank the servant for doing what you told him to do?

17:10  ‘It is the same with you. When you have done all you were told to do, you should say, “We are servants. We have not done a big thing. We have only done what we should do.”’

17:11  Jesus was going on the road to Jerusalem. He went between the countries of Samaria and Galilee.

17:12  When he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy came to him. They stood far away.

17:13  And they called out, ‘Jesus, Master, help us!’

17:14  When Jesus saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and let the priests look at you.’ While they were going, they were healed of the leprosy.

17:15  One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back. He praised God with a loud voice.

17:16  He bowed down in front of Jesus and thanked him. He was a man from the country of Samaria.

17:17  Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten people healed? Where are the other nine?

17:18  Is this stranger the only one who has come back to praise God?’

17:19  Then he said to the man, ‘Get up and go on your way. You were healed because you believed.’

17:20  The Pharisees asked Jesus, ‘When will the kingdom of God come?’ He answered them, ‘You cannot see the kingdom of God when it comes.

17:21  People will not be able to say, “Look, here it is!” or “There it is! That is because the kingdom of God is inside you.’

17:22  Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The time will come when you will want to see one of the days of the Son of Man. But you will not see it.

17:23  People will say to you, “Look! Here he is!” or “Look! There he is!” But do not go out or follow them.

17:24  When lightning comes, it lights up the whole sky. It will be like that on the day when the Son of Man comes.

17:25  But first he will have much trouble. The people who are living now will not believe in him.

17:26  ‘The way it was in the time of Noah is the way it will be in the time of the Son of Man.

17:27  People ate and drank. They married and gave their daughters to be married. All this went on until the day when Noah went into his house built on a boat. Then there was much water and all the people outside the boat died.

17:28  ‘It was the same way in the time of Lot. People ate and drank. They bought and sold. They planted and built.

17:29  Then one day Lot went out of the city of Sodom. Then on that day fire and burning rock came down from the sky and killed all the people.

17:30  ‘That is the way it will be on the day when the Son of Man is seen.

17:31  On that day a man will be at the top of his house, and his things will be below. But he must not go down to get his things. In the same way a man will be in the field, but he must not go back home.

17:32  Remember what happened to Lot’s wife.

17:33  Anyone who wants to keep his life will lose it. And anyone who gives up his life will keep it.

17:34  ‘I tell you, on that night two people may be in one bed. One will be taken away and the other will be left.

17:35  Two women will be making flour together. One woman will be taken away and the other woman will be left.

17:36  Two men will be in a field. One man will be taken away and the other man will be left.’

17:37  They asked him, ‘Where will this be, Lord?’ He said, ‘The big birds that eat meat will go to the place where the dead body is.’

Chapter 18

18:1  Jesus told them a story to teach them that they should keep on talking with God and not give up.

18:2  He said, ‘There was a judge in a city. He did not respect God or care about people.

18:3  There was a woman in that city whose husband was dead. The woman came to the judge again and again. She said, “Save me from my enemy!”

18:4  For a long time he would not do it. But after a time he said, “I do not respect God or care about people.

18:5  But this woman is troubling me. So I will save her from her enemy. If I do not, she will keep coming until I am tired.”’

18:6  The Lord said, ‘The judge was a bad man. And yet you should listen to what he says.

18:7  When the people whom God has chosen call to him day and night, he will save them from their enemies. He may let them wait a time.

18:8  But I tell you, he will save them from their enemies soon. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any people who believe in him?’

18:9  There were some people who thought they were very good. And they thought that other people were not good. Jesus told this story to them.

18:10  He said, ‘Two men went to the temple to talk with God. One was a Pharisee and the other one was a tax collector.

18:11  ‘The Pharisee stood and said to himself, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men. They steal, cheat, and commit adultery. I thank you that I am not like this tax collector.

18:12  Two times in the week I do not eat–I fast. I give away one tenth part of all I get.”

18:13  ‘The tax collector stood far away. He did not even look up towards heaven. But he beat his chest, and said, “God, I am a bad man. Help me!”

18:14  I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God. The other one was not. Everyone who puts himself up in a high place will be brought down to a low place. And everyone who puts himself in a low place will be brought up to a high place.’

18:15  People brought even small children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on them. When the disciples saw it, they tried to stop the people.

18:16  But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘Let the children come to me. Do not try to stop them. The kingdom of God belongs to people like them.

18:17  I tell you the truth. If anyone does not believe in the kingdom of God like a child, he will never go in.’

18:18  A ruler asked Jesus, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do so that I will live for ever?’

18:19  Jesus answered him, ‘Why do you call me good? Only one is good, and that is God.

18:20  ‘You know the laws, “Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not tell lies. Respect your father and your mother.”’

18:21  The man said, ‘I have kept all these laws since I was a boy.’

18:22  When Jesus heard that, he said to him, ‘You need one thing more. Sell everything you have. Give the money to poor people. You will be rich in heaven. Then come and go with me.’

18:23  When the man heard that, he was sad because he was very rich.

18:24  Jesus looked at him and said, ‘It is very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!

18:25  It is easier for a big animal like a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’

18:26  Those who heard it asked, ‘Then who can be saved?’

18:27  But Jesus said, ‘God can do what men cannot do.’

18:28  Peter said, ‘See, we have left all things and have come with you.’

18:29  Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth. If any man has left his house, or his wife, or his brothers, or his father, or his mother, or his children for the sake of the kingdom of God, he will receive many times as much as he has left. He will receive that in this world. And in the next world he will live for ever.’

18:30  Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth. If any man has left his house, or his wife, or his brothers, or his father, or his mother, or his children for the sake of the kingdom of God, he will receive many times as much as he has left. He will receive that in this world. And in the next world he will live for ever.’

18:31  Jesus took the twelve disciples with him. He said to them, ‘We are going to Jerusalem. The prophets of God long ago wrote about the Son of Man. Everything they wrote will be done to him.

18:32  He will be given over to rulers who are not Jews. They will make fun of him. They will treat him very badly. They will spit on him.

18:33  They will beat him and kill him. On the third day he will rise.’

18:34  But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them and they did not understand what he said.

18:35  When he came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road. He was begging for money.

18:36  He heard many people passing by. He asked, ‘Why are so many people passing here?’

18:37  They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing this way.’

18:38  Then he shouted, ‘Jesus, son of David! Help me!’

18:39  The people in front said, ‘Be quiet!’ But he shouted louder and said, ‘Son of David! Help me!’

18:40  Jesus stopped and said, ‘Bring him here.’ When the man came close, Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’

18:41  The man said, ‘Sir, I want to see.’

18:42  Jesus said, ‘You can see now. You are healed because you believed.’

18:43  Right then he was able to see. He went with Jesus and he praised God. All the people saw it and they all praised God too.

Chapter 19

19:1  Jesus came to the city of Jericho and was passing through it.

19:2  A man named Zacchaeus was there. He was the head tax collector, and he was a rich man.

19:3  He wanted to see who Jesus was but he could not see him because he was a short man and there were many people around him.

19:4  So he ran ahead and climbed into a tree to see Jesus, for he was coming that way.

19:5  When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up. He said, ‘Zacchaeus, come down right now. I must stay at your house today.’

19:6  So Zacchaeus came down right then. He was glad to have Jesus come in his house.

19:7  When all the people saw this, they did not like it. They said, ‘He has gone to visit a bad man.’

19:8  Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I will give to the poor people half of all I have. And if I have cheated anyone, I will give him back four times as much as I took.’

19:9  Jesus said to him, ‘The head of this house has been saved today! He also is a son of Abraham.

19:10  The Son of Man came to look for and to save those who are lost.’

19:11  While they were listening to this, he started to tell them a story. He did so because they were near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God would begin right away.

19:12  So he said, ‘A man who belonged to a respected family went to a country far away. He went to get power to rule. Then he was going to come back.

19:13  Before he left, he called ten of his servants. He gave each of them some money. He said, “Go and trade with this money until I come back.”

19:14  ‘His people hated him. They chose some men and sent them after him to tell the king, “We do not want this man to rule over us.”

19:15  But he was given the power to rule and came back. Then he called the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to know how much money each one had made by trading.

19:16  The first one came to him and said, “Sir, your money has made ten times more money.”

19:17  ‘The ruler said, “You have done well. You are a good servant. You will rule over ten cities because you have done well with a very small thing.”

19:18  The second one came to him and said, “Sir, your money has made five times more money.”

19:19  The ruler said, “You will rule over five cities.”

19:20  ‘Then another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your money. I hid it in a cloth and kept it.

19:21  I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take in where you put nothing out. You gather where you did not plant.”

19:22  ‘The ruler said “You bad servant! I will judge you by your own words. You knew that I was a hard man! You knew that I take in where I put nothing out. You knew that I gather where I did not plant.

19:23  Why did you not put my money in the bank? Then when you came home I would have had my money with interest.”

19:24  ‘Some men were standing there. He said to them, “Take the money from him. Give it to the man who has ten times as much.”

19:25  They said, “Sir, he has ten times as much already!”

19:26  The ruler said, “I tell you. Anyone who has some will get more. But he who does not have anything, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.

19:27  But where are those people who hate me and did not want me to rule over them? Bring them here and kill them right here in front of me.”’

19:28  When Jesus had said this, he went on ahead of them towards Jerusalem.

19:29  He came near Bethphage and Bethany by the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then he sent two of his disciples ahead.

19:30  He said, ‘Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find an animal tied up. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it and bring it to me.

19:31  If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” tell him, “The Lord needs it.”’

19:32  They went and found it just as Jesus had said.

19:33  When they were untying the animal, the men who owned it asked them, ‘Why are you untying the animal?’

19:34  They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’

19:35  They brought it to Jesus and laid their coats on it. Then they put Jesus on it.

19:36  As he was riding along, people spread their coats on the road.

19:37  He came near the top of the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then all the people who believed in him began to be happy. They sang out loudly, and praised God in a loud voice for all the big works they had seen.

19:38  They said, ‘God bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven where God is praised!’

19:39  Some of the Pharisees who were among the people said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell your disciples to stop saying that.’

19:40  Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, if they do not speak like this the stones will call out.’

19:41  When Jesus came near, he saw the city. His heart was very sad and he cried.

19:42  He said, ‘I wish you knew today what things would give you peace! But now you do not see what they are.

19:43  The time will come when the people who hate you will put a wall all around you. They will shut you up and keep you in on every side.

19:44  They will break you down to the ground. They will kill the people within you. They will not leave one stone of your houses on top of another. That will happen because you did not know the time when God was ready to help you.’

19:45  Jesus went into the temple. He began to drive out the people who were buying and selling in the temple.

19:46  He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be a place where people talk with God.” But you have made it a place for people who steal!’

19:47  He taught in the temple every day. The chief priests, scribes and the leaders of the people wanted to kill him.

19:48  But they did not find any way they could do it. All the people stayed around to hear what Jesus said.

Chapter 20

20:1  One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple. He was telling them God’s good news. The chief priests and the scribes came to him with the leaders.

20:2  They said to him, ‘Tell us what right you have to do these things. Who gave you the right to do them?’

20:3  He answered, ‘I will ask you a question also. Tell me this.

20:4  Who gave John the right to baptise people? Did God or did men give it to him?’

20:5  They talked it over together. They said, ‘If we say, “God gave John the right to do it,” he will say, “Then why did you not believe him?”

20:6  But if we say, “Men gave him the right to do it,” then the people will kill us with stones. They believe that John was a prophet of God.’

20:7  So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know who gave him the right to do it.’

20:8  Then Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you what right I have to do these things.’

20:9  Then Jesus began to tell the people this story. ‘A man planted a farm. He let some men use the farm. They paid him money for the rent. Then he went to a country far away and stayed a long time.

20:10  ‘At harvest time the owner sent one of his servants to the men who used the farm. He wanted to have some fruit from the farm. But the men beat the servant and sent him away without any fruit.

20:11  So he sent another servant. They beat this one also, and did wrong things to him. And they sent him away without any fruit.

20:12  He sent a servant the third time. They hurt this one also and threw him out of the farm.

20:13  ‘Then the man who owned the farm said, “What shall I do? I will send my dear son. Maybe they will respect him.”

20:14  ‘But when the men saw him they said to each other, “This is the one who will have everything when his father dies. Let us kill him. Then everything will belong to us.”

20:15  They dragged him off the farm and killed him. ‘What will the man who owned the farm do to them?

20:16  He will come back and kill those men. And he will give the farm to other men to use.’ When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they said, ‘May it not be so!’

20:17  ‘But Jesus looked right at them. He said, ‘What about this writing then? “The stone which the builders would not use is now the chief corner stone.”

20:18  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But if that stone falls on anyone, it will crush him.’

20:19  The scribes and the chief priests wanted to catch Jesus right then but they feared the people. They understood that he had told this story against them.

20:20  So they watched for a chance to catch him. And they sent men to spy on him. These men acted as if they were good men. They did this because they wanted to catch him in something that he said. They wanted to give him over to the ruler who would judge and punish him.

20:21  So they asked Jesus, ‘Teacher, we know that you talk and teach what is right. You do not fear any person. But you teach the true way of God.

20:22  Is it right to pay money as taxes to Caesar or is it not?’

20:23  He knew they were trying to get him into trouble.

20:24  So he said, ‘Show me a piece of money. Whose picture and name are on it?’ They said, ‘Caesar’s’

20:25  Then he said to them, ‘So give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.’

20:26  They were not able to catch him in anything he said in front of the people. They were surprised at his answer and they could not say anything.

20:27  Some of the Sadducees came to Jesus. (They say that people do not rise from death.)

20:28  They came to ask Jesus a question. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘Moses gave us this law: “If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, then his brother must marry the wife and raise a family for his brother.”

20:29  There were seven brothers. The first one married. He died and left no children.

20:30  The second one married the wife.

20:31  Then the third one married her. All seven brothers married her. They all had no children and they died.

20:32  Last of all, the woman died also.

20:33  Now then, when people rise from death, whose wife will she be? All seven of them had married her.’

20:34  Jesus said to them, ‘Men and women in this world marry.

20:35  But men and women who are good enough to have a place in the next world and to be raised from death do not marry.

20:36  They cannot die again. They are like angels. They are God’s children because they have been raised from death.

20:37  Even Moses showed that people do rise from death. It is in his book where we read about the small tree which burned. Moses says that the Lord is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

20:38  He is not the God of dead people, but of living people. All people are alive to him.’

20:39  Some of the scribes said to him, ‘Teacher, what you say is right.’

20:40  After that, people were afraid to ask him any more questions.

20:41  But Jesus asked them, ‘How can people say that Christ is David’s son?

20:42  David himself says in the book of the Psalms, “The Lord said to my Lord, sit beside me until I make you master over your enemies.”

20:43  David himself says in the book of the Psalms, “The Lord said to my Lord, sit beside me until I make you master over your enemies.”

20:44  So David calls Christ his Lord. How can Christ be David’s son?’

20:45  Then Jesus talked to his disciples while all the people could hear him.

20:46  He said, ‘Take care. Do not let the scribes fool you. They like to walk about dressed in long gowns. They want people to greet them in the market. They want to have the front seats in the meeting houses. They want to sit in the best places at feasts.

20:47  They take away the homes of women whose husbands are dead. They cover up their wrong ways by talking to God a long time. They will be punished more!’

Chapter 21

21:1  Jesus looked around in the temple. He saw the place where the people put in their money. Rich people were putting in their money.

21:2  And he saw a poor woman whose husband was dead. She put in two small pieces of money.

21:3  Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth. This poor woman has given more than all the other people.

21:4  All these people had plenty of money and they gave only a part of it. She was poor and she gave everything she had. She has nothing left to live on.’

21:5  Some people were talking about how nice the temple looked. They talked about the fine stones and the things people gave to make the temple.

21:6  Jesus said, ‘You see these things. Not one stone here will be left on top of another. They will all be thrown down!’

21:7  They asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this happen? What will be the sign when these things are going to be done?

21:8  He said, ‘Take care. Do not let anyone fool you. Many men will come in my name. They will say, “I am Christ.” And they will say, “The time is now.” Do not go after them.

21:9  When you hear about wars and fighting, do not fear. These things must happen first, but it is not the end right away.’

21:10  Then he said, ‘One tribe will fight against another tribe. And one country will fight against another country.

21:11  In some places the earth will shake very much. In many places the people will have no food to eat. And many people will be sick. There will be things to make people fear. There will be big signs in the sky.

21:12  ‘But before all these things happen, people will catch you and trouble you. They will take you to the meeting houses to be judged. They will put you in prison. They will take you to kings and rulers because you are true to me.

21:13  This will be a chance for you to talk about me.

21:14  So do not trouble your minds about what you will say.

21:15  I will give you words and sense. All those who are against you will not be able to answer your words or say they are not true.

21:16  Even your parents, brothers, family people, and friends will give you over to trouble. They will kill some of you.

21:17  All people will hate you because you are true to me.

21:18  But you will not lose one hair from your heads.

21:19  If you keep on being true to me, you will live for ever.’

21:20  ‘When you see soldiers all around Jerusalem, then you will know that it will soon be broken down.

21:21  Then the people in Judea must go quickly to the hills. Those who are in the city must leave it. Those who are in the country must not come into the city.

21:22  Those will be days of punishment. All that has been written in the holy writings must happen.

21:23  In those days it will be very hard for women who are to have a child. It will be very hard for mothers who have babies. There will be big trouble on the earth. God will show his anger to these people.

21:24  They will be killed by swords or long knives. They will be taken away as prisoners to every country. Jerusalem will be broken down by people who are not Jews. They will walk over it until the end of their allowed time.’

21:25  ‘There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And there will be much trouble for the people on earth. They will not know what to do. It will be like the sound of big waves of the sea.

21:26  Men will be weak with fear. They will be afraid of the things that will be happening to the world. The powers in the sky will be shaken.

21:27  Then people will see the sign of the Son of Man in a cloud. He will have much power and will be very great.

21:28  When these things begin to happen, look up. Lift up your heads. You will soon be free.’

21:29  Jesus told them a story. He said, ‘Look at a fig tree. Look at all the trees.

21:30  As soon as you see the leaves coming, you know that it will soon be the warm time of the year.

21:31  It is the same way when you see all these things happening. You will know that the kingdom of God is near.

21:32  I tell you the truth. People who are living then will not die before all these things happen.

21:33  The sky and the earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’

21:34  ‘But take care. Do not think too much about eating, drinking, and things in this life. If you do, that day will come and catch you like a trap.

21:35  That day will come to all people who are living on the whole earth.

21:36  Watch all the time. Ask God to make you strong to do right so that you will not go through all these things that are going to happen. Ask him to make you able to stand in front of the Son of Man.’

21:37  Jesus taught in the temple every day. But at night he went out and stayed on the hill called the Mount of Olives.

21:38  Early in the morning all the people came to hear him in the temple.

Chapter 22

22:1  It was near the time for the feast with bread that has no yeast in it. This is called the Passover Feast.

22:2  The chief priests and the scribes planned how to kill Jesus. But they feared the people.

22:3  Satan came into the heart of Judas. Judas was one of the twelve disciples. His other name was Iscariot.

22:4  Judas went away and talked things over with the chief priests and captains. He told them how he could help them catch Jesus.

22:5  They were glad, and they said they would give him money for it.

22:6  He agreed. He watched for a good way to help them catch Jesus when there were not too many people around.

22:7  It was the day of the feast with bread that has no yeast in it. The sheep had to be killed for the Passover Feast,

22:8  So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying to them, ‘Go and get the Passover Feast ready for us to eat.’

22:9  They asked, ‘Where do you want us to get it ready?’

22:10  He said, ‘When you go into the city, a man carrying a pot of water will meet you. Follow him into the house where he goes.

22:11  Tell the master of the house, “The Teacher says, ‘Where is the room where I can eat the Passover Feast with my disciples?’”

22:12  He will show you a large room upstairs. It will be all fixed up. Make it ready there.’

22:13  So they went and found everything just the way Jesus had said. Then they made the Passover food ready.

22:14  When it was time to eat, he sat down at the table and the apostles sat down with him.

22:15  He said to them, ‘I have wanted very much to eat this Passover Feast with you before my troubles come.

22:16  I tell you this. I will not eat it again until the great feast in the kingdom of God.’

22:17  He took the cup and thanked God. He said, ‘Take this. All of you drink from this.

22:18  I tell you this. I will not drink from the fruit of the vine again until the kingdom of God comes.’

22:19  He took some bread. He thanked God for it and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and said, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. When you do this, then remember me.’

22:20  In the same way he took the cup after they had eaten. He said, ‘This cup is the new agreement made by my blood. It is given for you.

22:21  ‘There is a man who will give me over to my enemies. His hand is here at the table with me.

22:22  The Son of Man will go on as it was planned for him. But the man who gives him over will have trouble!’

22:23  The disciples began to ask each other, ‘Which of us will do this?’

22:24  They started to quarrel among themselves about which of them was the greatest person.

22:25  Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of countries make their people obey them. Those who rule give themselves a good name.

22:26  But it must not be so among you. The one who is greatest among you must be like the most unimportant. And the leader must be like one who helps others.

22:27  Which man is greater, the man who sits at the table or the man who helps him? Is it not the man who sits at the table? But I am like the man who helps you.

22:28  ‘You have stayed with me through my troubles.

22:29  My Father made me a ruler, and now I make you rulers.

22:30  You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. You will sit on chief chairs or thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.’

22:31  ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked to have all of you. He wants to shake you like grain with the cleaning fan.

22:32  But I have talked to God about you, Simon, so that you will keep on believing in me. And when you come back, then help your brothers to be strong.’

22:33  Simon said, ‘Lord, I will go with you, even to prison or to die.’

22:34  Jesus said, ‘I tell you this, Peter. This very day, before the cock calls, you will say three times that you do not know me.’

22:35  Jesus said to them, ‘When I sent you out to the towns, I told you not to carry a money bag, or a bag, or shoes. Did you ever need anything at that time?’ They said, ‘No.’

22:36  He said, ‘But this time, anyone who has money should take it and his bag too. Anyone who has no sword should sell his coat and buy one.

22:37  ‘The holy writings say, “He was counted as one of the bad people.” And I tell you, that means me. And the things that are written about me must happen to me.’

22:38  The disciples said, ‘Look, Lord, here are two swords.’ And he answered, ‘That is enough.’

22:39  Then Jesus went out of the room and went to the hill called the Mount of Olives where he often went. His disciples went with him.

22:40  He said to them, ‘Talk with God so that you will not do wrong.’

22:41  He went away from them about as far as a person can throw a stone. Then he kneeled down to talk with God.

22:42  He said, ‘Father, if you will, take this cup away from me. But do not do what I want but what you want.’

22:43  Then an angel came to him from heaven and helped to make him strong.

22:44  His heart was troubled very much. So he talked with God more than before. His sweat was like big drops of blood falling on the ground.

22:45  He stopped talking with God and got up. He went to his disciples and found them sleeping because they were sad.

22:46  He said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up. Talk with God so that you will not do wrong.’

22:47  As Jesus was saying this, many men came. One of the twelve disciples, named Judas, was leading the people. He came near Jesus to kiss him.

22:48  Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, will you give over the Son of Man to his enemies with a kiss?’

22:49  The disciples around Jesus saw what was going to happen. They said, ‘Lord, shall we fight with our swords?’

22:50  One of them hit the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

22:51  Jesus said, ‘Just let me do this.’ And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

22:52  The chief priests, the captains of the temple, and the leaders of the people had come to catch Jesus. He said to them, ‘Have you come to take me with swords and sticks, the way you catch a man who steals?

22:53  I was with you every day in the temple. You did not try to catch me then. But this is your time now, the time of the power of darkness.’

22:54  The men caught Jesus and took him away to the high priest’s house. Peter followed them far behind.

22:55  They made a fire in the yard and sat around it. Peter sat down with them.

22:56  A woman saw Peter sitting by the fire. She looked at him and said, ‘This man was with him also.’

22:57  But Peter said, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’

22:58  After a while, another person saw him and said, ‘You are one of them also.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not.’

22:59  About an hour later another person said, ‘Surely this man was with him. He comes from Galilee.’

22:60  Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ And right then, while he was talking, the cock called.

22:61  The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, ‘Before the cock calls in the morning, you will say three times that you do not know me.’

22:62  Peter went out and cried very much.

22:63  The men who guarded Jesus made fun of him and beat him.

22:64  They tied something over his eyes. Then they hit him in the face and said, ‘Tell us if you know who hit you!’

22:65  And they said many other wrong things to him.

22:66  In the morning the leaders of the people, the chief priests and scribes met together. They took Jesus to their court.

22:67  They said, ‘If you are the Christ, tell us.’ Jesus said, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe.

22:68  And if I ask you anything, you will not answer.

22:69  From this time on the Son of Man will sit beside God who has all power.’

22:70  They all said, ‘Then are you the Son of God?” He said, ‘Yes, I am.’

22:71  They said, ‘We do not need any more proof against him. We ourselves have heard what he said.’

Chapter 23

23:1  Then all the people got up and took Jesus to Pilate.

23:2  They began to make a complaint against him. They said, ‘This man is leading our people to do wrong. He says we should not pay taxes to Caesar. He says that he is Christ, a King.’

23:3  Then Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, ‘Yes, I am.’

23:4  Pilate said to the chief priests and to the people, ‘I find nothing wrong in this man.’

23:5  But they said all the more, ‘He troubles the people by his teaching. He has been teaching people in all the country of Judea. He began in Galilee and has come as far as this city.’

23:6  When Pilate heard this, he asked, ‘Is this man from Galilee?’

23:7  When he knew that he came from Herod’s country, he sent him to Herod. Herod was in Jerusalem at that time.

23:8  He was glad to see Jesus. He had heard about him. And he had wanted to see him for a long time. He was hoping that he would see Jesus do a big work.

23:9  He asked Jesus many questions. But Jesus did not answer him.

23:10  The chief priests and the scribes stood near. They brought strong complaints against him.

23:11  Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at Jesus and made fun of him. He dressed him up in very fine clothes and sent him back to Pilate.

23:12  Herod and Pilate became friends that day. Before that, they had hated each other.

23:13  Pilate then called the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people.

23:14  He said to them, ‘You brought this man to me. You said he is leading your people to do wrong. I have asked questions here in front of you. I have found nothing wrong in this man.

23:15  Herod did the same. He sent him back to us. This man has done nothing for which he should die.

23:16  So I will beat him and let him go.’

23:17  At the feast Pilate always let one man go free.

23:18  But they all shouted, ‘Kill this man! Let Barabbas go free for us!’

23:19  (Barabbas had been put in prison because he led some people who had been fighting in the city. He had killed a man.)

23:20  Pilate talked to the people again. He wanted to let Jesus go free.

23:21  But they shouted, ‘Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”

23:22  Pilate said to them the third time, ‘Why, what wrong thing has he done? I have not found any wrong thing for which he should die. So I will beat him and let him go.’

23:23  But they shouted all the more loudly, saying, ‘Nail him to a cross!’ And Pilate gave in to their shouting.

23:24  So he said they could have it their way.

23:25  He let the other man go free. (He was the one who had been put in prison because he fought and had killed a man. He was the one the people asked Pilate to let go free.) And Pilate did to Jesus what they wanted him to do.

23:26  They took Jesus away. On the way, they caught a man who was coming in from the farms. His name was Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him walk behind Jesus and carry his cross.

23:27  Many people followed him. Women cried and were sorry for him.

23:28  But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. But cry for yourselves and for your children.

23:29  The time will come when people will say, “Happy are the women who have no children or who have never had a child.”

23:30  Then people will begin to say to the big hills, “Fall on us.” They will say to the small hills, “Hide us.”

23:31  If this is what people do when the wood is new, what will they do when it is old?’

23:32  Two men were also led away to be killed with Jesus. They were bad men.

23:33  They came to the place called Calvary (the head bone.) There they nailed the two bad men to the crosses also. They put one man on the right side of Jesus and one man on the left side of him.

23:34  Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them! They do not know what they are doing.’ The soldiers played a game to see how they should divide his clothes.

23:35  The people stood around watching. But the rulers made fun of him. They said, ‘He saved other people. He should save himself if he is God’s Christ, God’s chosen one!’

23:36  The soldiers made fun of him. They came and brought him wine to drink.

23:37  They said, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’

23:38  The sign that was put above Jesus’ head said, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

23:39  One of the bad men who was hanging there said wrong things against Jesus. He said ‘If you are the Christ, why do you not save yourself and us?’

23:40  But the other bad man told him to stop. He said, ‘Do you not even fear God? You are being punished just as he is.

23:41  It is right for us to be punished because we have done wrong things. But this man has done nothing bad.’

23:42  He said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when you become a King.’

23:43  And Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you the truth. Today you will be with me in God’s garden of paradise.’

23:44  About noontime the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.

23:45  The sun did not shine. The big cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces.

23:46  Jesus called out loud, ‘Father, I put my spirit into your hands!’ When he had said this, he died.

23:47  The captain saw all this. Then he praised God. He said, ‘Surely, this was a good man!’

23:48  Many people were around there to look on. When they saw what happened, they all went home beating their chests.

23:49  All Jesus’ friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood far away. They saw all of this.

23:50  There was a man named Joseph. He was a member of the court. He was a good man who lived the right way.

23:51  He had not wanted the people to do what they did. He was looking for the kingdom of God. He was from a town of the Jews, called Arimathea.

23:52  He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

23:53  He took the body down from the cross. He wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a grave cut in a rock. No one had ever been put in this grave.

23:54  It was the day before the Sabbath. And it was almost time for the Sabbath to begin.

23:55  Some women had come with Jesus from Galilee. They followed and saw the grave where his body was put.

23:56  Then they went back and got things ready to put on his body. These things were spices that smelled very nice, and sweet kinds of oil. On the Sabbath day they rested as the law said they should.

Chapter 24

24:1  On the first day of the week, early in the morning, the women went to the grave. They took with them the things they had made ready.

24:2  They saw that the stone was rolled away from the grave.

24:3  So they went in. But they did not see the body of the Lord Jesus.

24:4  They were troubled about this. Then they saw two men standing near them. They were dressed in white clothes.

24:5  The women were afraid and bowed their faces down to the ground. The men said to them, ‘Why do you look for a living person among dead people?

24:6  He is not here. He has risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee.

24:7  He said that the Son of Man would be given over to bad men. He would be nailed to a cross, and he would rise on the third day.’

24:8  Then they remembered what he had said.

24:9  They left the grave and went back. They told all these things to the eleven disciples and to all the other people.

24:10  The women who told these things to the apostles were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women who were with them.

24:12  But Peter got up and ran to the grave. He bowed down and looked in. He saw the linen clothes lying there, but nothing more. Then he left, wondering about what had happened.

24:13  That same day, two of the disciples were going to the town called Emmaus. It was about two hours walk from Jerusalem.

24:14  They were talking together about all the things that had happened.

24:15  While they were talking and asking each other questions, Jesus himself came and walked with them.

24:16  But even though they saw him, they did not know who he was.

24:17  Jesus asked them, ‘What is this that you are talking about as you walk along looking so sad?’

24:18  One of them named Cleophas answered him. He said, ‘Are you a stranger in Jerusalem and do not know what has happened there these last days?’

24:19  Jesus said, ‘What things?” They said, ‘All that has happened to Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet of God. He had power to do big works and to teach the people. He was respected by God and all the people.

24:20  Our chief priests and rulers gave him over to be punished by death, and they nailed him to a cross.

24:21  But we were hoping that he was the one who would free the people of Israel. But that is not all. This is the third day since they did it.

24:22  Some of our women told us things that surprised us. Early this morning they were at the grave.

24:23  They did not find his body there. They came back and said that they saw angels. The angels told them that Jesus was living.

24:24  Some of us went to the grave. And they found everything just as the women said. But they did not see Jesus.’

24:25  Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! Your hearts are slow to believe all that the prophets of God have said long ago.

24:26  Christ had to have this trouble and go to the place where he will be great, did he not?’

24:27  Then he told them the meaning of all that Moses and all the prophets of God long ago had written about him.

24:28  They came near the village to which they were going. It looked as if he was going on further.

24:29  But they begged him not to go further. They said, ‘Stay with us. It will soon be night. The day is almost finished.’ So he went in to stay with them.

24:30  He sat down at the table with them. Then he took the bread and thanked God for it. He broke it and gave it to them.

24:31  Then they saw who he was. They knew him. And then suddenly they could not see him any more.

24:32  They said to each other, ‘It was like a fire burning in our hearts when he talked to us on the road and told us the meaning of the holy writings!’

24:33  They got up right then and went back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples together. Some other people were with them.

24:34  These people said, ‘The Lord has really risen! He came to Simon!’

24:35  Then the men from Emmaus told them what had happened on the road. They told how they knew Jesus when he broke bread and gave it to them.

24:36  While they were telling them this, Jesus himself stood there with them. He said to them, ‘Peace to you!’

24:37  They were troubled and afraid. They thought they were seeing a spirit.

24:38  He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? Why do you wonder about these things in your hearts?

24:39  Look at my hands and my feet. You can see that it is I myself. Touch me with your hands and see. A spirit does not have a body and bones as you see I have.’

24:41  They were very happy and surprised and still found it hard to believe. Then Jesus said, ‘Do you have anything to eat?’

24:42  They gave him a piece of cooked fish.

24:43  He took the fish and ate it in front of them.

24:44  Then he said, ‘I told you this while I was with you. I told you that things were written about me in the books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. And I told you that all of these things must come true.’

24:45  Then he taught them so that they understood the things in the holy writings.

24:46  He said, ‘It is written that the Christ must have trouble. On the third day he will rise from death.

24:47  Men will talk in his name to people in all countries. They will tell them to stop their wrong ways and ask to be forgiven. They will begin in Jerusalem.

24:48  You are the men who have seen these things, and will tell people about them.

24:49  I will send you what the Father has promised to give you. So wait in the city of Jerusalem until you have been given power from God.’

24:50  Jesus led the disciples out as far as the town of Bethany. He put up his hands and blessed them.

24:51  While he was blessing them, he left them. He was taken up into heaven.

24:52  They bowed down and worshipped him. They were very happy and went back to Jerusalem.

24:53  Every day they were in the temple praising God.