14:1 Now 1 one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine 2 at the house of a leader 3 of the Pharisees, 4 they were watching 5 him closely. 14:2 There 6 right 7 in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 8 14:3 So 9 Jesus asked 10 the experts in religious law 11 and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath 12 or not?” 14:4 But they remained silent. So 13 Jesus 14 took hold of the man, 15 healed him, and sent him away. 16 14:5 Then 17 he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son 18 or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 14:6 But 19 they could not reply 20 to this.
14:7 Then 21 when Jesus 22 noticed how the guests 23 chose the places of honor, 24 he told them a parable. He said to them, 14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, 25 do not take 26 the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. 27 14:9 So 28 the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, 29 you will begin to move to the least important 30 place. 14:10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host 31 approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ 32 Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but 33 the one who humbles 34 himself will be exalted.”
14:12 He 35 said also to the man 36 who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, 37 don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 14:13 But when you host an elaborate meal, 38 invite the poor, the crippled, 39 the lame, and 40 the blind. 41 14:14 Then 42 you will be blessed, 43 because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid 44 at the resurrection of the righteous.”
14:15 When 45 one of those at the meal with Jesus 46 heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone 47 who will feast 48 in the kingdom of God!” 49 14:16 But Jesus 50 said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet 51 and invited 52 many guests. 53 14:17 At 54 the time for the banquet 55 he sent his slave 56 to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all 57 began to make excuses. 58 The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, 59 and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 60 14:19 Another 61 said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, 62 and I am going out 63 to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another 64 said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 65 14:21 So 66 the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious 67 and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly 68 to the streets and alleys of the city, 69 and bring in the poor, 70 the crippled, 71 the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then 72 the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 73 14:23 So 74 the master said to his 75 slave, ‘Go out to the highways 76 and country roads 77 and urge 78 people 79 to come in, so that my house will be filled. 80 14:24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals 81 who were invited 82 will taste my banquet!’” 83
14:25 Now large crowds 84 were accompanying Jesus, 85 and turning to them he said, 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate 86 his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, 87 he cannot be my disciple. 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross 88 and follow 89 me cannot be my disciple. 14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down 90 first and compute the cost 91 to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise, 92 when he has laid 93 a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, 94 all who see it 95 will begin to make fun of 96 him. 14:30 They will say, 97 ‘This man 98 began to build and was not able to finish!’ 99 14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down 100 first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose 101 the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed, 102 he will send a representative 103 while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 104 14:33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions. 105
14:34 “Salt 106 is good, but if salt loses its flavor, 107 how can its flavor be restored? 14:35 It is of no value 108 for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. 109 The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” 110
15:1 Now all the tax collectors 111 and sinners were coming 112 to hear him. 15:2 But 113 the Pharisees 114 and the experts in the law 115 were complaining, 116 “This man welcomes 117 sinners and eats with them.”
15:3 So 118 Jesus 119 told them 120 this parable: 121 15:4 “Which one 122 of you, if he has a hundred 123 sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture 124 and go look for 125 the one that is lost until he finds it? 126 15:5 Then 127 when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 15:6 Returning 128 home, he calls together 129 his 130 friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner 131 who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people 132 who have no need to repent. 133
15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins 134 and loses 135 one of them, 136 does not light a lamp, sweep 137 the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 15:9 Then 138 when she has found it, she calls together her 139 friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice 140 with me, for I have found the coin 141 that I had lost.’ 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels 142 over one sinner who repents.”
15:11 Then 143 Jesus 144 said, “A man had two sons. 15:12 The 145 younger of them said to his 146 father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate 147 that will belong 148 to me.’ So 149 he divided his 150 assets between them. 151 15:13 After 152 a few days, 153 the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered 154 his wealth 155 with a wild lifestyle. 15:14 Then 156 after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15:15 So he went and worked for 157 one of the citizens of that country, who 158 sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 159 15:16 He 160 was longing to eat 161 the carob pods 162 the pigs were eating, but 163 no one gave him anything. 15:17 But when he came to his senses 164 he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food 165 enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 15:18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned 166 against heaven 167 and against 168 you. 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me 169 like one of your hired workers.”’ 15:20 So 170 he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home 171 his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; 172 he ran and hugged 173 his son 174 and kissed him. 15:21 Then 175 his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven 176 and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 177 15:22 But the father said to his slaves, 178 ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, 179 and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger 180 and sandals 181 on his feet! 15:23 Bring 182 the fattened calf 183 and kill it! Let us eat 184 and celebrate, 15:24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again – he was lost and is found!’ 185 So 186 they began to celebrate.
15:25 “Now his older son was in the field. As 187 he came and approached the house, he heard music 188 and dancing. 15:26 So 189 he called one of the slaves 190 and asked what was happening. 15:27 The slave replied, 191 ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf 192 because he got his son 193 back safe and sound.’ 15:28 But the older son 194 became angry 195 and refused 196 to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 15:29 but he answered 197 his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave 198 for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet 199 you never gave me even a goat 200 so that I could celebrate with my friends! 15:30 But when this son of yours 201 came back, who has devoured 202 your assets with prostitutes, 203 you killed the fattened calf 204 for him!’ 15:31 Then 205 the father 206 said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 15:32 It was appropriate 207 to celebrate and be glad, for your brother 208 was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’” 209
16:1 Jesus 210 also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations 211 that his manager 212 was wasting 213 his assets. 16:2 So 214 he called the manager 215 in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? 216 Turn in the account of your administration, 217 because you can no longer be my manager.’ 16:3 Then 218 the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position 219 away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, 220 and I’m too ashamed 221 to beg. 16:4 I know 222 what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ 223 16:5 So 224 he contacted 225 his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 16:6 The man 226 replied, ‘A hundred measures 227 of olive oil.’ The manager 228 said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ 229 16:7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man 230 replied, ‘A hundred measures 231 of wheat.’ The manager 232 said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 233 16:8 The 234 master commended the dishonest 235 manager because he acted shrewdly. 236 For the people 237 of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries 238 than the people 239 of light. 16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, 240 so that when it runs out you will be welcomed 241 into the eternal homes. 242
16:10 “The one who is faithful in a very little 243 is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 16:11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy 244 in handling worldly wealth, 245 who will entrust you with the true riches? 246 16:12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy 247 with someone else’s property, 248 who will give you your own 249 ? 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate 250 the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise 251 the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 252
16:14 The Pharisees 253 (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed 254 him. 16:15 But 255 Jesus 256 said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, 257 but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized 258 among men is utterly detestable 259 in God’s sight.
16:16 “The law and the prophets were in force 260 until John; 261 since then, 262 the good news of the kingdom of God 263 has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. 264 16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter 265 in the law to become void. 266
16:18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries 267 someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple 268 and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously 269 every day. 16:20 But at his gate lay 270 a poor man named Lazarus 271 whose body was covered with sores, 272 16:21 who longed to eat 273 what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs 274 came and licked 275 his sores.
16:22 “Now 276 the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. 277 The 278 rich man also died and was buried. 279 16:23 And in hell, 280 as he was in torment, 281 he looked up 282 and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 283 16:24 So 284 he called out, 285 ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus 286 to dip the tip of his finger 287 in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish 288 in this fire.’ 289 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, 290 remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 291 16:26 Besides all this, 292 a great chasm 293 has been fixed between us, 294 so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 16:27 So 295 the rich man 296 said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus 297 to my father’s house 16:28 (for I have five brothers) to warn 298 them so that they don’t come 299 into this place of torment.’ 16:29 But Abraham said, 300 ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to 301 them.’ 16:30 Then 302 the rich man 303 said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead 304 goes to them, they will repent.’ 16:31 He 305 replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to 306 Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” 307
17:1 Jesus 308 said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe 309 to the one through whom they come! 17:2 It would be better for him to have a millstone 310 tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea 311 than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 312 17:3 Watch 313 yourselves! If 314 your brother 315 sins, rebuke him. If 316 he repents, forgive him. 17:4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive 317 him.”
17:5 The 318 apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 319 17:6 So 320 the Lord replied, 321 “If 322 you had faith the size of 323 a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry 324 tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ 325 and it would obey 326 you.
17:7 “Would any one of you say 327 to your slave 328 who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? 329 17:8 Won’t 330 the master 331 instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready 332 to serve me while 333 I eat and drink. Then 334 you may eat and drink’? 17:9 He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, 335 will he? 336 17:10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; 337 we have only done what was our duty.’” 338
17:11 Now on 339 the way to Jerusalem, 340 Jesus 341 was passing along 342 between Samaria and Galilee. 17:12 As 343 he was entering 344 a village, ten men with leprosy 345 met him. They 346 stood at a distance, 17:13 raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy 347 on us.” 17:14 When 348 he saw them he said, “Go 349 and show yourselves to the priests.” 350 And 351 as they went along, they were cleansed. 17:15 Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising 352 God with a loud voice. 17:16 He 353 fell with his face to the ground 354 at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. 355 (Now 356 he was a Samaritan.) 357 17:17 Then 358 Jesus said, 359 “Were 360 not ten cleansed? Where are the other 361 nine? 17:18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 362 17:19 Then 363 he said to the man, 364 “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.” 365
17:20 Now at one point 366 the Pharisees 367 asked Jesus 368 when the kingdom of God 369 was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs 370 to be observed, 17:21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is 371 in your midst.” 372
17:22 Then 373 he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days 374 of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 17:23 Then people 375 will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ 376 or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. 377 17:24 For just like the lightning flashes 378 and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 379 17:25 But first he must 380 suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 17:26 Just 381 as it was 382 in the days of Noah, 383 so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 17:27 People 384 were eating, 385 they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage – right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then 386 the flood came and destroyed them all. 387 17:28 Likewise, just as it was 388 in the days of Lot, people 389 were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; 17:29 but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 390 17:30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 17:31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof, 391 with his goods in the house, must not come down 392 to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back. 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife! 393 17:33 Whoever tries to keep 394 his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life 395 will preserve it. 17:34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 396 17:35 There will be two women grinding grain together; 397 one will be taken and the other left.”
17:36 [[EMPTY]] 39817:37 Then 399 the disciples 400 said 401 to him, “Where, 402 Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body 403 is, there the vultures 404 will gather.” 405