Luke 7
New Testament for Everyone
The healing of the centurion’s servant
7 When Jesus had finished saying all these words in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum.
2 There was a centurion who had a slave who was particularly precious to him. This slave was ill, at the point of death. 3 The centurion heard about Jesus, and sent some Jewish elders to him, to ask him to come and rescue his slave. 4 They approached Jesus and begged him eagerly.
“He deserves a favor like this from you,” they said. 5 “He loves our people, and he himself built us our synagogue.”
6 Jesus went with them.
When he was not far off from the house, the centurion sent friends to him with a further message.
“Master,” he said, “don’t trouble yourself. I don’t deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That’s why I didn’t think myself worthy to come to you in person. But—just say the word, and my slave will be healed. 8 You see, I’m used to living under authority, and I have soldiers reporting to me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; to another one, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this he was astonished.
“Let me tell you,” he said, turning to the crowd that was following him, “I haven’t found faith of this kind, even in Israel.”
10 The people who had been sent to him went back to the house. There they found the slave in good health.
The raising of the widow’s son
11 Not long afterwards, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with him, and so did a large crowd. 12 As he got near to the gate of the city, a young man was being carried out dead. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. There was a substantial crowd of the townspeople with her.
13 When the master saw her, he was very sorry for her. “Don’t cry,” he said to her. 14 Then he went up and touched the bier, and the people carrying it stood still.
“Young fellow,” he said, “I’m telling you—get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother.
16 Terror came over all of them. They praised God.
“A great prophet has risen among us!” they said. “God has visited his people!”
17 This report went out about him in the whole of Judaea and the surrounding countryside.
Jesus and John the Baptist
18 The disciples of John the Baptist told him about all these things. John called two of these followers 19 and sent them to the master with this message: “Are you the Coming One, or should we expect someone else?”
20 The men arrived where Jesus was. “John the Baptist,” they said, “has sent us to you to say, ‘Are you the Coming One, or should we expect someone else?’ ”
21 Then and there Jesus healed several people of diseases, plagues and possession by unclean spirits; and he restored the sight of several blind people. 22 Then he answered them: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, people with virulent skin diseases are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor hear the gospel. 23 And a blessing on the person who isn’t shocked by me!”
24 So off went John’s messengers.
Jesus then began to talk to the crowds about John. “Why did you go out into the desert?” he asked. “What were you looking for? A reed swaying in the breeze? 25 Well then, what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in silks and satins? See here, if you want to find people wearing fine clothes and living in luxury, you’d better look in royal palaces. 26 So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one of whom the Bible says, ‘Look: I send my messenger before my face; he will get my path ready ahead of me.’
28 “Let me tell you this,” he went on. “Nobody greater than John has ever been born of women. But the one who is least in God’s kingdom is greater than he is.”
29 When all the people, and the tax-collectors, heard that, they praised God for his faithfulness; they had been baptized with John’s baptism. 30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers, who had not been baptized by John, rejected God’s plan for them.
31 “What picture can I use,” Jesus continued, “for the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They’re like children sitting in the square and calling this old riddle to each other:
We piped for you and you didn’t dance;
we wailed for you and you didn’t cry!
33 “When John the Baptist came, he didn’t eat bread or drink wine, and you say, ‘He’s got a demon!’ 34 When the son of man came, eating and drinking, you say, ‘Look! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!’ 35 Well, wisdom is justified by all her children.”
Jesus anointed by a sinful woman
36 A Pharisee asked Jesus to dine with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 A woman from the town, a known bad character, discovered that he was there at table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 Then she stood behind Jesus’ feet, crying, and began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw what was going on.
“If this fellow really was a prophet,” he said to himself, “he’d know what sort of a woman this is who is touching him! She’s a sinner!”
40 “Simon,” replied Jesus, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” he replied.
41 “Once upon a time there was a moneylender who had two debtors. The first owed him five hundred dinars, the second fifty. 42 Neither of them could pay him, and he let them both off. So which of them will love him more?”
43 “The one he let off the more, I suppose,” replied Simon.
“Quite right,” said Jesus.
44 Then, turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, “You see this woman? When I came into your house, you didn’t give me water to wash my feet—but she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t give me a kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet from the moment I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47 “So the conclusion I draw is this: she must have been forgiven many sins! Her great love proves it! But if someone has been forgiven only a little, they will love only a little.”
48 Then he said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 “Who is this,” the other guests began to say among themselves, “who even forgives sins?”
50 “Your faith has saved you,” said Jesus to the woman. “Go in peace.”
Luke 7
Amplified Bible
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Slave
7 After He had finished all that He had to say in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.(A)
2 Now a [Roman] [a]centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and on the verge of death. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 4 When they reached Jesus, they pleaded with Him earnestly [to come], saying, “He is worthy for You to do this for him, 5 because he loves our nation and he built us our synagogue [at his own expense].” 6 And Jesus went with them. But when He was near the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You. But just speak a word, and my slave will be healed. 8 For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith [as this man’s].” 10 When the messengers who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
11 Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain [near Nazareth], and His disciples and a large crowd accompanied Him. 12 Now as He approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her [in the funeral procession]. 13 When the Lord saw her, He felt [great] compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 And He came up and touched the bier [on which the body rested], and the pallbearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!” 15 The man who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Fear and profound awe gripped them all, and they began glorifying and honoring and praising God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people [to help and care for and provide for them]!” 17 This news about Him spread through all of Judea and in all the surrounding countryside.(B)
A Delegation from John
18 John’s disciples brought word to him [in prison] of all these things.(C) 19 John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the [b]Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else?” 20 So the men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptist sent us to You to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else?’” 21 At that very hour Jesus healed many people of sicknesses and infirmities and evil spirits; and He gave [the gracious gift of] sight to many who were blind. 22 So He replied to them, “Go and tell John about everything you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news (gospel) preached to them.(D) 23 Blessed [joyful, spiritually favored] is he who does not take offense at Me.”
24 When John’s messengers left, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? [c]A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh wilderness]? Those who wear splendid clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces! 26 But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one [d]far more [eminent and remarkable] than a prophet [who foretells the future]. 27 This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi],
‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’(E)
28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater [in privilege] than he.” 29 All the people and the tax collectors who heard Jesus, acknowledged [the validity of] God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers [who were experts in the Mosaic Law] annulled and set aside God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.
31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation [who set aside God’s plan], and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, and saying, ‘We played the flute for you [pretending to be at a wedding], and you did not dance; we sang a dirge [pretending to be at a funeral], and you did not weep [so nothing we did appealed to you].’ 33 For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a man who is a glutton and a [heavy] wine-drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews].’ 35 Yet wisdom is vindicated and shown to be right by all her children [by the lifestyle, moral character, and good deeds of her followers].”
The Anointing in Galilee
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and He went into the Pharisee’s house [in the region of Galilee] and reclined at the table. 37 Now there was a woman in the city who was [known as] a [e]sinner; and [f]when she found out that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume; 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began wetting His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and [respectfully] kissed His feet [as an act signifying both affection and submission] and [g]anointed them with the perfume. 39 Now when [Simon] the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, that she is a [notorious] sinner [an outcast, devoted to sin].”
Parable of Two Debtors
40 Jesus, answering, said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed him five hundred [h]denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they had no means of repaying [the debts], he freely forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I take it, for whom he forgave more.” Jesus said to him, “You have decided correctly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house [but you failed to extend to Me the usual courtesies shown to a guest]; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair [demonstrating her love]. 45 You gave Me no [welcoming] kiss, but from the moment I came in, she has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 You did not [even] anoint My head with [ordinary] oil, but she has anointed My feet with [costly and rare] perfume. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith [in Me] has saved you; go in peace [free from the distress experienced because of sin].”
Footnotes
- Luke 7:2 A Roman military officer commanding a hundred men.
- Luke 7:19 Lit Coming One.
- Luke 7:24 I.e. something too ordinary to be of any interest.
- Luke 7:26 John was unique among the prophets because he was sent to prepare the hearts of the people for the immediate disclosure of their Messiah.
- Luke 7:37 I.e. an immoral woman or prostitute.
- Luke 7:37 When a Rabbi (teacher) was visiting in someone’s home, it was acceptable for uninvited guests to come and listen to the conversation.
- Luke 7:38 There were apparently two anointings of Jesus. This one in the home of Simon the Pharisee (identified in v 40) in the area of Galilee by an unnamed woman, and the other in the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany, by Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. The anointing in Bethany preceded the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8).
- Luke 7:41 A denarius was equivalent to a day’s wages.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
