Luke 3:1-13:9

International Children’s Bible

The Preaching of John

3 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate was the ruler of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Philip, Herod’s brother, was the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis. And Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. ² Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time, a command from God came to John son of Zechariah. John was living in the desert. ³ He went all over the area around the Jordan River and preached to the people. He preached a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of their sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet:

⁷ Crowds of people came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who warned you to run away from God’s anger that is coming? ⁸ You must do the things that will show that you really have changed your hearts. Don’t say, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks here. ⁹ The ax is now ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^[a]

¹⁰ The people asked John, “What should we do?”

¹¹ John answered, “If you have two shirts, share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that too.”

¹² Even tax collectors came to John to be baptized. They said to John, “Teacher, what should we do?”

¹³ John said to them, “Don’t take more taxes from people than you have been ordered to take.”

¹⁴ The soldiers asked John, “What about us? What should we do?”

John said to them, “Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t lie about them. Be satisfied with the pay you get.”

¹⁵ All the people were hoping for the Christ to come, and they wondered about John. They thought, “Maybe he is the Christ.”

¹⁶ John answered everyone, “I baptize you with water, but there is one coming later who can do more than I can. I am not good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ He will come ready to clean the grain. He will separate the good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into his barn. Then he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.”^{[b] 18} And John continued to preach the Good News, saying many other things to encourage the people.

¹⁹ But John spoke against Herod, the governor, because of his sin with Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother. John also criticized Herod for the many other evil things Herod did. ²⁰ So Herod did another evil thing: He put John in prison.

Jesus Is Baptized by John

²¹ When all the people were being baptized by John, Jesus also was baptized. While Jesus was praying, heaven opened and ²² the Holy Spirit came down on him. The Spirit was in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven and said, “You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you.”

The Family History of Jesus

²³ When Jesus began to teach, he was about 30 years old. People thought that Jesus was Joseph’s son.

Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil

4 Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert ² where the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. When those days were ended, he was very hungry.

³ The devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, tell this rock to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘A person does not live only by eating bread.’”^[e]

⁵ Then the devil took Jesus and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ The devil said to Jesus, “I will give you all these kingdoms and all their power and glory. It has all been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. ⁷ If you worship me, all will be yours.”

⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!’”^[f]

⁹ Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and put him on a high place of the Temple. He said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! ¹⁰ It is written in the Scriptures:

¹² Jesus answered, “But it also says in the Scriptures: ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’”^[g]

¹³ After the devil had tempted Jesus in every way, he went away to wait until a better time.

Jesus Teaches the People

¹⁴ Jesus went back to Galilee with the power of the Holy Spirit. Stories about Jesus spread all through the area. ¹⁵ He began to teach in the synagogues, and all the people praised him.

¹⁶ Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue as he always did. Jesus stood up to read. ¹⁷ The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written:

²⁰ Jesus closed the book, gave it back, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was watching Jesus closely. ²¹ He began to speak to them. He said, “While you heard these words just now, they were coming true!”

²² All the people praised Jesus. They were amazed at the beautiful words he spoke. They asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

²³ Jesus said to them, “I know that you will tell me the old saying: ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You want to say, ‘We heard about the things you did in Capernaum. Do those things here in your own town!’” ²⁴ Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. A prophet is not accepted in his own town. ²⁵ What I say is true. During the time of Elijah it did not rain in Israel for three and a half years. There was no food anywhere in the whole country. And there were many widows in Israel during that time. ²⁶ But Elijah was sent to none of those widows. He was sent only to a widow in Zarephath, a town in Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many with a harmful skin disease living in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. But none of them were healed except Naaman, who was from the country of Syria.”

²⁸ When all the people in the synagogue heard these things, they became very angry. ²⁹ They got up and forced Jesus out of town. The town was built on a hill. They took Jesus to the edge of the hill and wanted to throw him off. ³⁰ But Jesus walked through the crowd and went on his way.

Jesus Removes an Evil Spirit

³¹ Jesus went to Capernaum, a city in Galilee. On the Sabbath day, Jesus taught the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man who had an evil spirit from the devil inside him. The man shouted in a loud voice, ³⁴ “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!”

³⁵ But Jesus warned the evil spirit to stop. He said, “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” The evil spirit threw the man down to the ground before all the people. Then the evil spirit left the man and did not hurt him.

³⁶ The people were amazed. They said to each other, “What does this mean? With authority and power he commands evil spirits, and they come out.” ³⁷ And so the news about Jesus spread to every place in the whole area.

Jesus Heals Many People

³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon’s^[h] house. Simon’s mother-in-law was very sick with a high fever. They asked Jesus to do something to help her. ³⁹ He stood very close to her and commanded the fever to leave. It left her immediately, and she got up and began serving them.

⁴⁰ When the sun went down, the people brought their sick to Jesus. They had many different diseases. Jesus put his hands on each sick person and healed every one of them. ⁴¹ Demons came out of many people. The demons would shout, “You are the Son of God.” But Jesus gave a strong command for the demons not to speak. They knew Jesus was the Christ.

⁴² At daybreak, Jesus went to a place to be alone, but the people looked for him. When they found him, they tried to keep him from leaving. ⁴³ But Jesus said to them, “I must tell the Good News about God’s kingdom to other towns, too. This is why I was sent.”

⁴⁴ Then Jesus kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.^[i]

Jesus’ First Followers

5 One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Galilee. Many people were pressing all around him. They wanted to hear the word of God. ² Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. ³ Jesus got into one of the boats, the one which belonged to Simon.^[j] Jesus asked Simon to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down in the boat and continued to teach the people on the shore.

⁴ When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Take the boat into deep water. If you will put your nets in the water, you will catch some fish.”

⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, but we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water; so I will.” ⁶ The fishermen did as Jesus told them. And they caught so many fish that the nets began to break. ⁷ They called to their friends in the other boat to come and help them. The friends came, and both boats were filled so full that they were almost sinking.

^8-9 The fishermen were all amazed at the many fish they caught. When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” ¹⁰ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too. (James and John were Simon’s partners.)

Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be fishermen for men.” ¹¹ When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Jesus Heals a Sick Man

¹² One time Jesus was in a town where a very sick man lived. The man was covered with a harmful skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed before Jesus and begged him, “Lord, heal me. I know you can if you want to.”

¹³ Jesus said, “I want to. Be healed!” And Jesus touched the man. Immediately the disease disappeared. ¹⁴ Then Jesus said, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go show yourself to the priest.^[k] And offer a gift to God for your healing as Moses commanded.^[l] This will prove to everyone that you are healed.”

¹⁵ But the news about Jesus was spreading more and more. Many people came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶ But Jesus often slipped away to other places to be alone so that he could pray.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

¹⁷ One day Jesus was teaching the people. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were there, too. They had come from every town in Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. The Lord was giving Jesus the power to heal people. ¹⁸ There was a man who was paralyzed. Some men were carrying him on a mat. They tried to bring him in and put him down before Jesus. ¹⁹ But because there were so many people there, they could not find a way to Jesus. So the men went up on the roof and made a hole in the ceiling. They lowered the mat so that the paralyzed man was lying right before Jesus. ²⁰ Jesus saw that these men believed. So he said to the sick man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

²¹ The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought to themselves, “Who is this man? He is saying things that are against God! Only God can forgive sins.”

²² But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, “Why do you have thoughts like that in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up and walk’? ²⁴ But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, stand up! Take your mat and go home.”

²⁵ Then the man stood up before the people there. He picked up his mat and went home, praising God. ²⁶ All the people were fully amazed and began to praise God. They were filled with much respect and said, “Today we have seen amazing things!”

Levi Follows Jesus

²⁷ After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” ²⁸ Levi got up, left everything, and followed Jesus.

²⁹ Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. The dinner was at Levi’s house. At the table there were many tax collectors and other people, too. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to the followers of Jesus. They said, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor. It is the sick who need a doctor. ³² I have not come to invite good people. I have come to invite sinners to change their hearts and lives!”

Jesus Answers a Question

³³ They said to Jesus, “John’s followers often give up eating^[m] and pray, just as the Pharisees do. But your followers eat and drink all the time.”

³⁴ Jesus said to them, “When there is a wedding, you cannot make the friends of the bridegroom give up eating while he is still with them. ³⁵ But the time will come when he will be taken away from them. Then his friends will give up eating.”

³⁶ Jesus told them this story: “No one takes cloth off a new coat to cover a hole in an old coat. If he does, he ruins the new coat, and the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth. ³⁷ People never pour new wine into old leather bags for holding wine. If they do, the new wine will break the bags, and the wine will spill out. Then the leather bags for holding wine will be ruined. ³⁸ People always put new wine into new leather bags. ³⁹ No one after drinking old wine wants new wine because he says, ‘The old wine is better.’”

Jesus Is Lord over the Sabbath

6 One Sabbath day Jesus was walking through some grainfields. His followers picked the heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. ² Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing that? It is against the law of Moses to do that on the Sabbath day.”

³ Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read about what David did when he and those with him were hungry? ⁴ David went into God’s house. He took the bread that was made holy for God and ate it. And he gave some of the bread to the people with him. This was against the law of Moses. It says that only priests can eat that bread.” ⁵ Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.”

Jesus Heals a Man’s Crippled Hand

⁶ On another Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching. A man with a crippled right hand was there. ⁷ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were watching to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath day. They wanted to see Jesus do something wrong so that they could accuse him. ⁸ But he knew what they were thinking. He said to the man with the crippled hand, “Get up and stand before these people.” The man got up and stood there. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is it right to do on the Sabbath day: to do good, or to do evil? Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?” ¹⁰ Jesus looked around at all of them. He said to the man, “Let me see your hand.” The man stretched out his hand, and it was completely healed.

¹¹ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law became very angry. They said to each other, “What can we do to Jesus?”

Jesus Chooses His Apostles

¹² At that time Jesus went off to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night, praying to God. ¹³ The next morning, Jesus called his followers to him. He chose 12 of them, whom he named “apostles.” They were ¹⁴ Simon (Jesus named him Peter) and Andrew, Peter’s brother; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon (called the Zealot), ¹⁶ Judas son of James and Judas Iscariot. This Judas was the one who gave Jesus to his enemies.

Jesus Teaches and Heals

¹⁷ Jesus and the apostles came down from the mountain. Jesus stood on level ground where there was a large group of his followers. Also, there were many people from all around Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They all came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed of their sicknesses. He healed those who were troubled by evil spirits. ¹⁹ All the people were trying to touch Jesus, because power was coming from him and healing them all!

²⁰ Jesus looked at his followers and said,

²² “You are happy when people hate you and are cruel to you. You are happy when they say that you are evil because you belong to the Son of Man. ²³ At that time be full of joy, because you have a great reward in heaven. Their fathers were cruel to the prophets in the same way these people are cruel to you.

²⁶ “How terrible when all people say only good things about you. Their fathers always said good things about the false prophets.

Love Your Enemies

²⁷ “I say to you who are listening to me, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ Ask God to bless those who say bad things to you. Pray for those who are cruel to you. ²⁹ If anyone slaps you on one cheek, let him slap the other cheek too. If someone takes your coat, do not stop him from taking your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you. When a person takes something that is yours, don’t ask for it back. ³¹ Do for other people what you want them to do for you. ³² If you love only those who love you, should you get some special praise for doing that? No! Even sinners love the people who love them! ³³ If you do good only to those who do good to you, should you get some special praise for doing that? No! Even sinners do that! ³⁴ If you lend things to people, always hoping to get something back, should you get some special praise for that? No! Even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount! ³⁵ So love your enemies. Do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. If you do these things, you will have a great reward. You will be sons of the Most High God. Yes, because God is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. ³⁶ Show mercy just as your father shows mercy.

Look at Yourselves

³⁷ “Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. Don’t accuse others of being guilty, and you will not be accused of being guilty. Forgive other people, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”

³⁹ Jesus told them this story: “Can a blind man lead another blind man? No! Both of them will fall into a ditch. ⁴⁰ A student is not better than his teacher. But when the student has fully learned all that he has been taught, then he will be like his teacher.

⁴¹ “Why do you notice the little piece of dust that is in your brother’s eye, but you don’t see the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? ⁴² You say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye.’ Why do you say this? You cannot see that big piece of wood in your own eye! You are a hypocrite! First, take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.

Two Kinds of Fruit

⁴³ “A good tree does not produce bad fruit. Also, a bad tree does not produce good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is known by its fruit. People don’t gather figs from thornbushes. And they don’t get grapes from bushes. ⁴⁵ A good person has good things saved up in his heart. And so he brings good things out of his heart. But an evil person has evil things saved up in his heart. So he brings out bad things. A person speaks the things that are in his heart.

Two Kinds of People

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say? ⁴⁷ Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys ⁴⁸ is like a man building a house. He digs deep and lays his foundation on rock. The floods come, and the water tries to wash the house away. But the flood cannot move the house, because the house was built well. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not obey is like a man who builds his house on the ground without a foundation. When the floods come, the house quickly falls down. And that house is completely destroyed.”

Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant

7 When Jesus finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum. ² In Capernaum there was an army officer. He had a servant who was so sick he was nearly dead. The officer loved the servant very much. ³ When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him. The officer wanted the leaders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. ⁴ The men went to Jesus and begged him saying, “This officer is worthy of your help. ⁵ He loves our people, and he built us a synagogue.”

⁶ So Jesus went with the men. He was getting near the officer’s house when the officer sent friends to say, “Lord, you don’t need to come into my house. I am not good enough for you to be under my roof. ⁷ That is why I did not come to you myself. You only need to say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ I, too, am a man under the authority of other men. And I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. And I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. And I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and my servant obeys me.”

⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He turned to the crowd following him and said, “I tell you, this is the greatest faith I have seen anywhere, even in Israel.”

¹⁰ The men who had been sent to Jesus went back to the house. There they found that the servant was healed.

Jesus Brings a Man Back to Life

¹¹ The next day Jesus went to a town called Nain. His followers and a large crowd were traveling with him. ¹² When he came near the town gate, he saw a funeral. A mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. A large crowd from the town was with the mother while her son was being carried out. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, he felt very sorry for her. Jesus said to her, “Don’t cry.” ¹⁴ He went up to the coffin and touched it. The men who were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” ¹⁵ And the son sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ All the people were amazed. They began praising God. They said, “A great prophet has come to us! God is taking care of his people.”

¹⁷ This news about Jesus spread through all Judea and into all the places around there.

John Asks a Question

¹⁸ John’s followers told him about all these things. He called for two of his followers. ¹⁹ He sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the One who is coming, or should we wait for another?”

²⁰ So the men came to Jesus. They said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the One who is coming, or should we wait for another?’”

²¹ At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits. He healed many blind people so that they could see again. ²² Then Jesus said to John’s followers, “Go tell John the things that you saw and heard here. The blind can see. The crippled can walk. People with a harmful skin disease are healed. The deaf can hear, and the dead are given life. And the Good News is told to the poor. ²³ The person who does not lose faith is blessed!”

²⁴ When John’s followers left, Jesus began to tell the people about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed^[n] blown by the wind? ²⁵ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. People who have fine clothes live in kings’ palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. ²⁷ This was written about John:

²⁸ I tell you, John is greater than any other man ever born. But even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John.”

²⁹ (When the people heard this, they all agreed that God’s teaching was good. Even the tax collectors agreed. These were people who were already baptized by John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and teachers of the law refused to accept God’s plan for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)

³¹ Then Jesus said, “What shall I say about the people of this time? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other group and says,

³³ John the Baptist came and did not eat like other people or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon in him.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating like other people and drinking wine. And you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is a friend of the tax collectors and “sinners”!’ ³⁵ But wisdom is shown to be right by the things it does.”

Simon the Pharisee

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and sat at the table. ³⁷ A sinful woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ She stood at Jesus’ feet, crying, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She dried his feet with her hair, kissed them many times and rubbed them with the perfume. ³⁹ The Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this. He thought to himself, “If Jesus were a prophet, he would know that the woman who is touching him is a sinner!”

⁴⁰ Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

Simon said, “Teacher, tell me.”

⁴¹ Jesus said, “There were two men. Both men owed money to the same banker. One man owed the banker 500 silver coins.^[o] The other man owed the banker 50 silver coins. ⁴² The men had no money; so they could not pay what they owed. But the banker told the men that they did not have to pay him. Which one of the two men will love the banker more?”

⁴³ Simon, the Pharisee, answered, “I think it would be the one who owed him the most money.”

Jesus said to Simon, “You are right.” ⁴⁴ Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and dried my feet with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not kiss me, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in! ⁴⁶ You did not rub my head with oil, but she rubbed my feet with perfume. ⁴⁷ I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear because she showed great love. But the person who has only a little to be forgiven will feel only a little love.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ The people sitting at the table began to think to themselves, “Who is this man? How can he forgive sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Because you believed, you are saved from your sins. Go in peace.”

The Group with Jesus

8 The next day, while Jesus was traveling through some cities and small towns, he preached and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. The 12 apostles were with him. ² There were also some women with him who had been healed of sicknesses and evil spirits. One of the women was Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out. ³ Also among the women were Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod’s helper), Susanna, and many other women. These women used their own money to help Jesus and his apostles.

A Story About Planting Seed

⁴ A great crowd gathered. People were coming to Jesus from every town. He told them this story:

⁵ “A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell beside the road. People walked on the seed, and the birds ate all this seed. ⁶ Some seed fell on rock. It began to grow but then died because it had no water. ⁷ Some seed fell among thorny weeds. This seed grew, but later the weeds choked the good plants. ⁸ And some seed fell on good ground. This seed grew and made 100 times more grain.”

Jesus finished the story. Then he called out, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”

⁹ Jesus’ followers asked him, “What does this story mean?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “You have been chosen to know the secret truths of the kingdom of God. But I use stories to speak to other people. I do this so that:

¹¹ “This is what the story means: The seed is God’s teaching. ¹² What is the seed that fell beside the road? It is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but then the devil comes and takes it away from their hearts. So they cannot believe the teaching and be saved. ¹³ What is the seed that fell on rock? It is like those who hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly. But they don’t have deep roots. They believe for a while, but then trouble comes. They stop believing and turn away from God. ¹⁴ What is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? It is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing. So they never produce good fruit. ¹⁵ And what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like those who hear God’s teaching with a good, honest heart. They obey God’s teaching and patiently produce good fruit.

Use What You Have

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. Instead, he puts the lamp on a lampstand so that those who come in will have enough light to see. ¹⁷ Everything that is hidden will become clear. Every secret thing will be made known. ¹⁸ So be careful how you listen. The person who has something will be given more. But to the person who has nothing, this will happen: Even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

Jesus’ True Family

¹⁹ Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. There was such a crowd that they could not get to him. ²⁰ Someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to see you.”

²¹ Jesus answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God’s teaching and obey it!”

Jesus Stops a Storm

²² One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat. He said to them, “Come with me across the lake.” And so they started across. ²³ While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A big storm blew up on the lake. The boat began to fill with water, and they were in danger.

²⁴ The followers went to Jesus and woke him. They said, “Master! Master! We will drown!”

Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. The wind stopped, and the lake became calm. ²⁵ Jesus said to his followers, “Where is your faith?”

The followers were afraid and amazed. They said to each other, “What kind of man is this? He commands the wind and the water, and they obey him!”

A Man with Demons Inside Him

²⁶ Jesus and his followers sailed across the lake from Galilee to the area where the Gerasene^[p] people live. ²⁷ When Jesus got out of the boat, a man from the town came to Jesus. This man had demons inside him. For a long time he had worn no clothes. He lived in the burial caves, not in a house. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him. The man said with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please don’t punish me!” ²⁹ He said this because Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. Many times it had taken hold of him. He had been kept under guard and chained hand and foot. But he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon out into the desert.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

The man answered, “Legion.”^[q] (He said his name was “Legion” because many demons were in him.) ³¹ The demons begged Jesus not to send them into eternal darkness.^{[r] 32} On the hill there was a large herd of pigs eating. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs. So Jesus allowed them to do this. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd of pigs ran down the hill and into the lake. All the pigs drowned.

³⁴ The men who took care of the pigs ran away. They told about this in the town and the countryside. ³⁵ And people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man sitting there at Jesus’ feet. The man was clothed and in his right mind because the demons were gone. But the people were frightened. ³⁶ The men who saw these things happen told the others all about how Jesus had made the man well. ³⁷ All the people of the Gerasene country asked Jesus to go away. They were all very afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake.

³⁸ The man that Jesus had healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Go back home and tell people what God did for you.” So the man went all over town telling how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

⁴⁰ When Jesus got back to the other side of the lake, a crowd welcomed him. Everyone was waiting for him. ⁴¹ A man named Jairus came to Jesus. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. He bowed down at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house. ⁴² Jairus had only one daughter. She was 12 years old, and she was dying.

While Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house, the people were crowding all around him. ⁴³ A woman was there who had been bleeding for 12 years. She had spent all her money on doctors, but no doctor was able to heal her. ⁴⁴ The woman came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. At that moment, her bleeding stopped. ⁴⁵ Then Jesus said, “Who touched me?”

All the people said they had not touched Jesus. Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and are pushing against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone did touch me! I felt power go out from me.” ⁴⁷ When the woman saw that she could not hide, she came forward, shaking. She bowed down before Jesus. While all the people listened, she told why she had touched him. Then, she said, she was healed immediately. ⁴⁸ Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are healed because you believed. Go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue ruler and said to the ruler, “Your daughter has died! Don’t bother the teacher now.”

⁵⁰ When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well.”

⁵¹ Jesus went to the house. He let only Peter, John, James, and the girl’s father and mother go inside with him. ⁵² All the people were crying and feeling sad because the girl was dead. But Jesus said, “Don’t cry. She is not dead; she is only sleeping.”

⁵³ The people laughed at Jesus because they knew that the girl was dead. ⁵⁴ But Jesus took her by the hand and called to her, “My child, stand up!” ⁵⁵ Her spirit came back into her, and she stood up immediately. Jesus said, “Give her something to eat.” ⁵⁶ The girl’s parents were amazed. Jesus told them not to tell anyone about what happened.

Jesus Sends Out the Apostles

9 Jesus called the 12 apostles together. He gave them power to heal sicknesses and power over all demons. ² Jesus sent the apostles out to tell about God’s kingdom and to heal the sick. ³ He said to them, “When you travel, don’t take a walking stick. Also, don’t carry a bag, or food, or money. Take for your trip only the clothes you are wearing. ⁴ When you go into a house, stay there until it is time to leave. ⁵ If the people in the town will not welcome you, go outside the town and shake the dust off of your feet.^[s] This will be a warning to them.”

⁶ So the apostles went out. They traveled through all the towns. They told the Good News and healed people everywhere.

Herod Is Confused About Jesus

⁷ Herod, the governor, heard about all these things that were happening. He was confused because some people said, “John the Baptist is risen from death.” ⁸ Others said, “Elijah has come to us.” And still others said, “One of the prophets from long ago has risen from death.” ⁹ Herod said, “I cut off John’s head. So who is this man I hear these things about?” And Herod kept trying to see Jesus.

More Than 5,000 People Fed

¹⁰ When the apostles returned, they told Jesus all the things they had done on their trip. Then Jesus took them away to a town called Bethsaida. There, Jesus and his apostles could be alone together. ¹¹ But the people learned where Jesus went and followed him. Jesus welcomed them and talked with them about God’s kingdom. He healed those who needed to be healed.

¹² Late in the afternoon, the 12 apostles came to Jesus and said, “No one lives in this place. Send the people away. They need to find food and places to sleep in the towns and countryside around here.”

¹³ But Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

They said, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you want us to go buy food for all these people?” ¹⁴ (There were about 5,000 men there.)

Jesus said to his followers, “Tell the people to sit in groups of about 50 people.”

¹⁵ So the followers did this, and all the people sat down. ¹⁶ Then Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for the food. Then Jesus divided the food and gave it to the followers to give to the people. ¹⁷ All the people ate and were satisfied. And there was much food left. Twelve baskets were filled with pieces of food that were not eaten.

Jesus Is the Christ

¹⁸ One time when Jesus was praying alone, his followers came together there. Jesus asked them, “Who do the people say I am?”

¹⁹ They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah.^[t] And others say you are one of the prophets from long ago who has come back to life.”

²⁰ Then Jesus asked, “And who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ from God.”

²¹ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone. Then he said, ²² “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. The Son of Man will be killed. But after three days he will be raised from death.”

²³ Jesus went on to say to all of them, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must say ‘no’ to the things he wants. Every day he must be willing even to die on a cross, and he must follow me. ²⁴ Whoever wants to save his life will lose it. And whoever gives his life for me will save it. ²⁵ It is worth nothing for a man to have the whole world, if he himself is destroyed or lost. ²⁶ If anyone is ashamed of me and my teaching, then I^[u] will be ashamed of him. I will be ashamed of him at the time I come with my glory and with the glory of the Father and the holy angels. ²⁷ I tell you the truth. Some of you people standing here will see the kingdom of God before you die.”

Jesus with Moses and Elijah

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, James, and John and went up on a mountain to pray. ²⁹ While Jesus was praying, his face was changed, and his clothes became shining white. ³⁰ Then two men were talking with Jesus. The men were Moses and Elijah.^{[v] 31} They appeared in heavenly glory, talking with Jesus about his death which would happen in Jerusalem. ³² Peter and the others were asleep. But they woke up and saw the glory of Jesus. They also saw the two men who were standing with him. ³³ When Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter said, “Master, it is good that we are here. We will put three tents here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Peter did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴ While Peter was saying these things, a cloud came down all around them. Peter, James, and John became afraid when the cloud covered them. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud. The voice said, “This is my Son. He is the One I have chosen. Obey him.”

³⁶ When the voice finished speaking, only Jesus was there. Peter, James, and John said nothing. At that time they told no one about what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Sick Boy

³⁷ The next day, Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain. A large crowd met Jesus. ³⁸ A man in the crowd shouted to Jesus, “Teacher, please come and look at my son. He is the only child I have. ³⁹ An evil spirit comes into my son, and then he shouts. He loses control of himself, and he foams at the mouth. The evil spirit keeps on hurting him and almost never leaves him. ⁴⁰ I begged your followers to make the evil spirit leave my son, but they could not do it.”

⁴¹ Jesus answered, “You people who live now have no faith. Your lives are all wrong. How long must I be with you and be patient with you?” Then Jesus said to the man, “Bring your son here.”

⁴² While the boy was coming, the demon threw him on the ground. The boy lost control of himself. But Jesus gave a strong command to the evil spirit. Then the boy was healed, and Jesus gave him back to his father. ⁴³ All the people were amazed at the great power of God.

Jesus Talks About His Death

The people were all wondering about the things Jesus did. But he said to his followers, ⁴⁴ “Don’t forget the things I tell you now: The Son of Man will be handed over into the control of men.” ⁴⁵ But the followers did not understand what Jesus meant. The meaning was hidden from them so that they could not understand it. But they were afraid to ask Jesus about what he said.

The Most Important Person

⁴⁶ Jesus’ followers began to have an argument about which one of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and stood the child beside him. ⁴⁸ Then Jesus said, “If anyone accepts a little child like this in my name, then he accepts me. And when he accepts me, he accepts the One who sent me. He who is least among you all—he is the greatest.”

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

⁴⁹ John answered, “Master, we saw someone using your name to force demons out of people. We told him to stop because he does not belong to our group.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Don’t stop him. If a person is not against you, then he is for you.”

A Samaritan Town

⁵¹ The time was coming near when Jesus would leave and be taken to heaven. He was determined to go to Jerusalem ⁵² and sent some men ahead of him. The men went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for Jesus. ⁵³ But the people there would not welcome him because he was going toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ James and John, the followers of Jesus, saw this. They said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?”^[w]

⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and scolded them. [And Jesus said, “You don’t know what kind of spirit you belong to. ⁵⁶ The Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of men but to save them.”]^[x] Then he and his followers went to another town.

Following Jesus

⁵⁷ They were all going along the road. Someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you any place you go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus answered, “The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests to live in. But the Son of Man has no place to rest his head.”

⁵⁹ Jesus said to another man, “Follow me!”

But the man said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Let the people who are dead bury their own dead! You must go and tell about the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Another man said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.”

⁶² Jesus said, “Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Sends the 72 Men

10 After this, the Lord chose 72^[y] others. He sent them out in pairs. He sent them ahead of him into every town and place where he planned to go. ² He said to them, “There are a great many people to harvest. But there are only a few workers to harvest them. God owns the harvest. Pray to God that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest. ³ You can go now. But listen! I am sending you, and you will be like sheep among wolves. ⁴ Don’t carry a purse, a bag, or sandals. Don’t stop to talk with people on the road. ⁵ Before you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be with this house.’ ⁶ If a peaceful man lives there, your blessing of peace will stay with him. If the man is not peaceful, then your blessing of peace will come back to you. ⁷ Stay in the same house. Eat and drink what the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don’t move from house to house. ⁸ If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you. ⁹ Heal the sick who live there. Tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is soon coming to you!’ ¹⁰ But if you go into a town, and the people don’t welcome you, then go out into the streets of that town. Say to them, ¹¹ ‘Even the dirt from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you.^[z] But remember that the kingdom of God is coming soon.’ ¹² I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be worse for the people of that town than for the people of Sodom.^[aa]

Jesus Warns Unbelievers

¹³ “How terrible for you, Korazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon,^[ab] those people would have changed their lives and stopped sinning long ago. They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show that they had changed. ¹⁴ But on the Judgment Day it will be worse for you than for Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum,^[ac] will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will be thrown down to the depths!

¹⁶ “He who listens to you is really listening to me. He who refuses to accept you is really refusing to accept me. And he who refuses to accept me is refusing to accept the One who sent me.”

Satan Falls

¹⁷ When the 72^[ad] men came back from their trip, they were very happy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!”

¹⁸ Jesus said to the men, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from the sky. ¹⁹ Listen! I gave you power to walk on snakes and scorpions. I gave you more power than the Enemy has. Nothing will hurt you. ²⁰ You should be happy, but not because the spirits obey you. You should be happy because your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Prays to the Father

²¹ Then the Holy Spirit made Jesus rejoice. He said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and smart. But you have shown them to those who are like little children. Yes, Father, you did this because this is what you really wanted.

²² “My Father has given me all things. No one knows the Son—only the Father knows. And only the Son knows the Father. The only people who will know about the Father are those whom the Son chooses to tell.”

²³ Then Jesus turned to his followers and said privately, “You are blessed to see what you now see! ²⁴ I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you now see. But they did not see these things. And many prophets and kings wanted to hear what you now hear. But they did not hear these things.”

The Good Samaritan

²⁵ Then a teacher of the law stood up. He was trying to test Jesus. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to get life forever?”

²⁶ Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”

²⁷ The man answered, “Love the Lord your God. Love him with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.”^[ae] Also, “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.”^[af]

²⁸ Jesus said to him, “Your answer is right. Do this and you will have life forever.”

²⁹ But the man wanted to show that the way he was living was right. So he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ To answer this question, Jesus said, “A man was going down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Some robbers attacked him. They tore off his clothes and beat him. Then they left him lying there, almost dead. ³¹ It happened that a Jewish priest was going down that road. When the priest saw the man, he walked by on the other side of the road. ³² Next, a Levite^[ag] came there. He went over and looked at the man. Then he walked by on the other side of the road. ³³ Then a Samaritan^[ah] traveling down the road came to where the hurt man was lying. He saw the man and felt very sorry for him. ³⁴ The Samaritan went to him and poured olive oil and wine^[ai] on his wounds and bandaged them. He put the hurt man on his own donkey and took him to an inn. At the inn, the Samaritan took care of him. ³⁵ The next day, the Samaritan brought out two silver coins^[aj] and gave them to the innkeeper. The Samaritan said, ‘Take care of this man. If you spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come again.’”

³⁶ Then Jesus said, “Which one of these three men do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by the robbers?”

³⁷ The teacher of the law answered, “The one who helped him.”

Jesus said to him, “Then go and do the same thing he did!”

Mary and Martha

³⁸ While Jesus and his followers were traveling, Jesus went into a town. A woman named Martha let Jesus stay at her house. ³⁹ Martha had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach. ⁴⁰ Martha became angry because she had so much work to do. She went in and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. ⁴² Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will never be taken away from her.”

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

11 One time Jesus was praying in a place. When he finished, one of his followers said to him, “John taught his followers how to pray. Lord, please teach us how to pray, too.”

² Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say:

Continue to Ask

^5-6 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house at midnight and said to him, ‘A friend of mine has come into town to visit me. But I have nothing for him to eat. Please loan me three loaves of bread.’ ⁷ Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you the bread now.’ ⁸ I tell you, maybe friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread. But he will surely get up to give you what you need if you continue to ask. ⁹ So I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. ¹⁰ Yes, if a person continues asking, he will receive. If he continues searching, he will find. And if he continues knocking, the door will open for him. ¹¹ What would you fathers do if your son asks you for^[al] a fish? Would any of you give him a snake? ¹² Or, if your son asks for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? ¹³ Even though you are bad, you know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Jesus’ Power Is from God

¹⁴ One time Jesus was sending a demon out of a man who could not talk. When the demon came out, the man was able to speak. The people were amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul to force demons out of people. Beelzebul is the ruler of demons.”

¹⁶ Other people wanted to test Jesus. They asked him to give them a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, “Every kingdom that is divided and fights against itself will be destroyed. And a family that fights against itself will break apart. ¹⁸ So if Satan is fighting against himself, then how will his kingdom last? You say that I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons. ¹⁹ But if I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, then by what power do your people force out demons? So your own people prove that you are wrong. ²⁰ But if I use the power of God to force out demons, the kingdom of God has come to you!

²¹ “When a strong man with many weapons guards his own house, then the things in his house are safe. ²² But suppose a stronger man comes and defeats him. The stronger man will take away the weapons that the first man trusted to keep his house safe. Then the stronger man will do what he wants with the first man’s things.

²³ “If anyone is not with me, he is against me. He who does not work with me is working against me.

The Empty Man

²⁴ “When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But that spirit finds no place to rest. So it says, ‘I will go back to the home I left.’ ²⁵ When the spirit comes back to that person, it finds that home swept clean and made neat. ²⁶ Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself. Then all the evil spirits go into that person and live there. And he has even more trouble than he had before.”

People Who Are Truly Blessed

²⁷ When Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out. She said to Jesus, “Your mother is blessed because she gave birth to you and nursed you.”

²⁸ But Jesus said, “Those who hear the teaching of God and obey it—they are the ones who are truly blessed.”

Give Us Proof!

²⁹ The crowd grew larger. Jesus said, “The people who live today are evil. They ask for a miracle as a sign from God. But they will have no sign—only the sign of Jonah.^{[am] 30} Jonah was a sign for those people who lived in Nineveh. In the same way the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this time. ³¹ On the Judgment Day the Queen of the South^[an] will stand up with the men who live now. She will show that they are guilty because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here! ³² On the Judgment Day the men of Nineveh will stand up with the people who live now. And they will show that you are guilty, because when Jonah preached to those people, they changed their hearts and lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here!

Be a Light to the World

³³ “No one takes a light and puts it under a bowl or hides it. Instead, he puts the light on a lampstand so that the people who come in can see. ³⁴ Your eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, then your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are evil, then your whole body will be full of darkness. ³⁵ So be careful! Don’t let the light in you become darkness. ³⁶ If your whole body is full of light, and none of it is dark, then you will shine bright, as when a lamp shines on you.”

Jesus Accuses the Pharisees

³⁷ After Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him. So Jesus went in and sat at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Jesus did not wash his hands^[ao] before the meal. ³⁹ The Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish. But inside you are full of greed and evil. ⁴⁰ You are foolish. The same One who made what is outside also made what is inside. ⁴¹ So give what is in your cups and dishes to the poor. Then you will be fully clean. ⁴² But how terrible for you Pharisees! You give God one-tenth of even your mint, your rue, and every other plant in your garden. But you forget to be fair to other people and to love God. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things—like giving one-tenth. ⁴³ How terrible for you Pharisees, because you love to get the most important seats in the synagogues. And you love people to show respect to you in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ How terrible for you, because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it.”

Jesus Talks to Teachers of the Law

⁴⁵ One of the teachers of the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, when you say these things, you are insulting us, too.”

⁴⁶ Jesus answered, “How terrible for you, you teachers of the law! You make strict rules that are very hard for people to obey. But you yourselves don’t even try to follow those rules. ⁴⁷ How terrible for you, because you build tombs for the prophets. But these are the prophets that your fathers killed! ⁴⁸ And now you show that you approve of what your fathers did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for the prophets! ⁴⁹ This is why in his wisdom God said, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them. Some of my prophets and apostles will be killed, and others will be treated cruelly.’ ⁵⁰ So you who live now will be punished for the deaths of all the prophets who were killed since the beginning of the world. ⁵¹ You will be punished for the killing of Abel and for the killing of Zechariah.^[ap] Zechariah was killed between the altar and the Temple. Yes, I tell you that you people who live now will be punished for them all.

⁵² “How terrible for you, you teachers of the law. You have hidden the key to learning about God. You yourselves would not learn, and you stopped others from learning, too.”

⁵³ When Jesus was leaving, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to give him trouble, asking him questions about many things. ⁵⁴ They were trying to catch Jesus saying something wrong.

Don’t Be Like the Pharisees

12 Many thousands of people had gathered. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to them, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees. They are hypocrites. ² Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. ³ The things you say in the dark will be told in the light. The things you have whispered in an inner room will be shouted from the top of the house.”

Fear Only God

⁴ Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of people. People can kill the body, but after that they can do nothing more to hurt you. ⁵ I will show you the One to fear. You should fear him who has the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, he is the One you should fear.

⁶ “When five sparrows are sold, they cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. ⁷ Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.

Don’t Be Ashamed of Jesus

⁸ “I tell you, if anyone stands before others and says that he believes in me, then I will say that he belongs to me. I will say this before the angels of God. ⁹ But if anyone stands before others and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that he does not belong to me. I will say this before the angels of God.

¹⁰ “If a person says something against the Son of Man, he can be forgiven. But a person who says bad things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When men bring you into the synagogues before the leaders and other important men, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say. ¹² At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”

Jesus Warns Against Selfishness

¹³ One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.”

¹⁴ But Jesus said to him, “Who said that I should be your judge or decide how to divide the property between you two?” ¹⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life is not measured by the many things he owns.”

¹⁶ Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop of food. ¹⁷ The rich man thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones! I will put all my grain and other goods together in my new barns. ¹⁹ Then I can say to myself, I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’

²⁰ “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’

²¹ “This is how it will be for anyone who stores things up only for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Don’t Worry

²² Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live. Don’t worry about the clothes you need for your body. ²³ Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes. ²⁴ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t save food in houses or barns. But God takes care of them. And you are worth much more than birds. ²⁵ None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it. ²⁶ If you cannot do even the little things, then why worry about the big things? ²⁷ Look at the wild flowers. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ²⁸ God clothes the grass in the field like that. That grass is living today, but tomorrow it will be thrown into the fire. So you know how much more God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! ²⁹ Don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it. ³⁰ All the people in the world are trying to get those things. Your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ The thing you should seek is God’s kingdom. Then all the other things you need will be given to you.

Don’t Trust in Money

³² “Don’t fear, little flock. Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell the things you have and give to the poor. Get for yourselves purses that don’t wear out. Get the treasure in heaven that never runs out. Thieves can’t steal it in heaven, and moths can’t destroy it. ³⁴ Your heart will be where your treasure is.

Always Be Ready

³⁵ “Be ready! Be dressed for service and have your lamps shining. ³⁶ Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The servants immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ Those servants will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that his servants are ready and waiting for him. I tell you the truth. The master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table. Then the master will serve them. ³⁸ Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be happy when he comes in and finds them still waiting.

³⁹ “Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, then the owner would not allow the thief to enter his house. ⁴⁰ So you also must be ready! The Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”

Who Is the Trusted Servant?

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?”

⁴² The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? Who is the servant the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time? ⁴³ When the master comes and finds his servant doing the work he gave him, that servant will be very happy. ⁴⁴ I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns. ⁴⁵ But what will happen if the servant is evil and thinks that his master will not come back soon? That servant will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ Then the master will come when that servant is not ready. It will be a time when the servant is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who don’t obey.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows! ⁴⁸ But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. Everyone who has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more.”

Jesus Causes Division

⁴⁹ Jesus continued speaking, “I came to set fire to the world. I wish it were already burning! ⁵⁰ I must be baptized with a different kind of baptism.^[aq] I feel very troubled until it is over. ⁵¹ Do you think that I came to give peace to the world? No! I came to divide the world! ⁵² From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ A father and son will be divided: The son will be against his father. The father will be against his son. A mother and her daughter will be divided: The daughter will be against her mother. The mother will be against her daughter. A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law will be divided: The daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law will be against her daughter-in-law.”

Understanding the Times

⁵⁴ Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds coming up in the west, you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And soon it begins to rain. ⁵⁵ When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You can understand the weather. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?

Settle Your Problems

⁵⁷ “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ When someone is suing you, and you are going with him to court, try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t settle it, he may take you to the judge. The judge might turn you over to the officer. And the officer might throw you into jail. ⁵⁹ You will not get out of there until they have taken everything you have.”

Change Your Hearts

13 At that time some people were there with Jesus. They told him about what had happened to some people from Galilee. Pilate^[ar] killed those people while they were worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing to God. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think this happened to them because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee? ³ No, they were not! But if all of you don’t change your hearts and lives, then you will be destroyed as they were! ⁴ What about those 18 people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more sinful than all the others who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ They were not! But I tell you, if you don’t change your hearts and lives, then you will all be destroyed too!”

The Useless Tree

⁶ Jesus told this story: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none. ⁷ So the man said to his servant who took care of his vineyard, ‘I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the ground?’ ⁸ But the servant answered, ‘Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some fertilizer. ⁹ Maybe the tree will produce fruit next year. If the tree still doesn’t produce fruit, then you can cut it down.’”