Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed ^(A)seventy-two^[a] others and ^(B)sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. ^2 (C)And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ^(D)Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³ Go your way; ^(E)behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. ^4 (F)Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and ^(G)greet no one on the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ^(H)‘Peace be to this house!’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, ^(I)it will return to you. ⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for ^(J)the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. ⁹ Heal the sick in it and say to them, ^(K)‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ^11 (L)‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that ^(M)the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, ^(N)it will be more bearable on ^(O)that day for Sodom than for that town.

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

^13 (P)“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in ^(Q)Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ^14 (R)But it will be more bearable in the judgment for ^(S)Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, ^(T)will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to ^(U)Hades.

^16 (V)“The one who hears you hears me, and ^(W)the one who rejects you rejects me, and ^(X)the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

The Return of the Seventy-Two

^17 (Y)The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, ^(Z)even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ¹⁸ And he said to them, ^(AA)“I saw Satan ^(AB)fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I have given you authority ^(AC)to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of ^(AD)the enemy, and ^(AE)nothing shall hurt you. ^20 (AF)Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that ^(AG)your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Father's Will

^21 (AH)In that same hour ^(AI)he rejoiced ^(AJ)in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, ^(AK)Lord of heaven and earth, that ^(AL)you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and ^(AM)revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for ^(AN)such was your gracious will.^{[b] 22 (AO)}All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is ^(AP)except the Father, or who the Father is ^(AQ)except the Son and anyone ^(AR)to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²³ Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ^(AS)“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! ²⁴ For I tell you ^(AT)that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

^25 (AU)And behold, a ^(AV)lawyer stood up to ^(AW)put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to ^(AX)inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷ And he answered, ^(AY)“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and ^(AZ)your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; ^(BA)do this, and you will live.”

²⁹ But he, ^(BB)desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man ^(BC)was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a ^(BD)priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³² So likewise ^(BE)a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a ^(BF)Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ He went to him and ^(BG)bound up his wounds, pouring on ^(BH)oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And the next day he took out two ^(BI)denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Martha and Mary

³⁸ Now as they went on their way, Jesus^[d] entered a village. And a woman named ^(BJ)Martha ^(BK)welcomed him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called ^(BL)Mary, who ^(BM)sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are ^(BN)anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary.^[e] Mary has chosen ^(BO)the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

The Lord's Prayer

11 Now Jesus^[f] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, ^(BP)as John taught his disciples.” ² And he said to them, ^(BQ)“When you pray, say:

⁵ And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? ⁸ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything ^(BZ)because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence^[h] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. ⁹ And I tell you, ^(CA)ask, and ^(CB)it will be given to you; ^(CC)seek, and you will find; ^(CD)knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ What father among you, if his son asks for^[i] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; ¹² or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, ^(CE)who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father ^(CF)give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul

^14 (CG)Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons ^(CH)by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” ¹⁶ while others, ^(CI)to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. ^17 (CJ)But he, ^(CK)knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. ¹⁸ And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, ^(CL)by whom do ^(CM)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it is by ^(CN)the finger of God that I cast out demons, then ^(CO)the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; ^22 (CP)but when one stronger than he attacks him and ^(CQ)overcomes him, he takes away his ^(CR)armor in which he trusted and ^(CS)divides his spoil. ^23 (CT)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

^24 (CU)“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through ^(CV)waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And ^(CW)the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

True Blessedness

²⁷ As he said these things, ^(CX)a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ^(CY)“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” ²⁸ But he said, ^(CZ)“Blessed rather are those ^(DA)who hear the word of God and ^(DB)keep it!”

The Sign of Jonah

^29 (DC)When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, ^(DD)“This generation is an evil generation. ^(DE)It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as ^(DF)Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ^31 (DG)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and ^(DH)condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, ^(DI)something greater than Solomon is here. ^32 (DJ)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ^(DK)condemn it, for ^(DL)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ^(DM)something greater than Jonah is here.

The Light in You

^33 (DN)“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is ^(DO)the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is ^(DP)bad, your body is full of darkness. ^35 (DQ)Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. ³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, ^(DR)as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷ While Jesus^[j] was speaking, ^(DS)a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. ³⁸ The Pharisee was astonished to see ^(DT)that he did not first wash before dinner. ³⁹ And the Lord said to him, ^(DU)“Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of ^(DV)greed and wickedness. ^40 (DW)You fools! ^(DX)Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But ^(DY)give as alms those things that are within, and behold, ^(DZ)everything is clean for you.

^42 (EA)“But woe to you Pharisees! For ^(EB)you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect ^(EC)justice and ^(ED)the love of God. ^(EE)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ⁴³ Woe to you Pharisees! For ^(EF)you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ Woe to you! ^(EG)For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ One of ^(EH)the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” ⁴⁶ And he said, “Woe to you ^(EI)lawyers also! For ^(EJ)you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ^47 (EK)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. ^48 (EL)So you are witnesses and you ^(EM)consent to the deeds of ^(EN)your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Therefore also ^(EO)the Wisdom of God said, ^(EP)‘I will send them ^(EQ)prophets and apostles, ^(ER)some of whom they will ^(ES)kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰ so that ^(ET)the blood of all the prophets, shed ^(EU)from the foundation of the world, may be ^(EV)charged against this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of ^(EW)Abel to the blood of ^(EX)Zechariah, who perished between ^(EY)the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be ^(EZ)required of this generation. ⁵² Woe to you ^(FA)lawyers! ^(FB)For you have taken away the key of ^(FC)knowledge. You ^(FD)did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

⁵³ As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, ^54 (FE)lying in wait for him, ^(FF)to catch him in something he might say.

Ezra Prays About Intermarriage

9 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the ^(A)Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands ^(B)with their abominations, from the ^(C)Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. ^2 (D)For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the ^(E)holy race^[a] has ^(F)mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” ³ As soon as I heard this, I ^(G)tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and ^(H)sat appalled. ⁴ Then all who ^(I)trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat ^(J)appalled until the evening sacrifice. ⁵ And at the ^(K)evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment ^(L)and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees ^(M)and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, ⁶ saying:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities ^(N)have risen higher than our heads, and our ^(O)guilt has ^(P)mounted up to the heavens. ^7 (Q)From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great ^(R)guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, ^(S)and to utter shame, as it is today. ⁸ But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a ^(T)remnant and to give us a ^(U)secure hold^[b] within his holy place, that our God may ^(V)brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. ^9 (W)For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, ^(X)but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection^[c] in Judea and Jerusalem.

¹⁰ “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, ¹¹ which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with ^(Y)their uncleanness. ^12 (Z)Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land ^(AA)and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ ¹³ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for ^(AB)our great guilt, seeing that you, our ^(AC)God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a ^(AD)remnant as this, ¹⁴ shall we break your commandments again and ^(AE)intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us ^(AF)until you consumed us, so that there should be no ^(AG)remnant, nor any to escape? ¹⁵ O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a ^(AH)remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our ^(AI)guilt, ^(AJ)for none can stand before you because of this.”

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved