路加福音 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
百夫长的信心
7 耶稣向众人讲完道后，进了迦百农。 2 当时，有一个百夫长很赏识的奴仆病了，生命垂危。 3 百夫长听说耶稣的事，就托几位犹太人的长老去请耶稣来医治他的奴仆。 4 他们便来恳求耶稣，说：“这位百夫长值得你帮助， 5 因为他爱我们的同胞，为我们建造会堂。” 6 耶稣就跟他们去了。
快抵达时，那百夫长又请几位朋友去见耶稣，对祂说：“主啊，不用劳驾，我不配让你亲自来我家。 7 我自认不配见你的面，只要你一句话，我的奴仆必定康复。 8 因为我有上司，也有部下。我命令我的部下去，他就去；要他来，他就来。我吩咐奴仆做什么事，他一定照办。”
9 耶稣听了这番话，感到惊奇，转身对跟从祂的百姓说：“我告诉你们，就是在以色列，我也从未见过有这么大信心的人。”
10 派去的几位朋友回到百夫长家里，发现那奴仆已经痊愈了。
寡妇的独子起死回生
11 过了不久[a]，耶稣去拿因城，随行的有门徒和一大群人。 12 耶稣快到城门口时，从城里走出一队送殡的人，死者是一个寡妇的独子，有许多城中的人陪着她。 13 耶稣看见那寡妇，怜悯之心油然而生，就对她说：“不要哭！” 14 随即上前按住抬尸架，抬的人停了下来。耶稣说：“年轻人，我吩咐你起来！” 15 那死者就坐了起来，并开口说话。耶稣把他交给他母亲。
16 在场的人惊惧万分，把荣耀归给上帝，说：“我们中间出了一位大先知！”又说：“上帝眷顾了祂的百姓！” 17 有关祂的这消息传遍了犹太和附近地区。
施洗者约翰的疑问
18 约翰从自己的门徒那里获悉这些事后， 19 就叫了两个门徒来，派他们去问主：“将要来的那位就是你吗？还是我们要等别人呢？”
20 他们找到耶稣，便问：“施洗者约翰派我们来请教你，‘将要来的那位就是你吗？还是我们要等别人呢？’”
21 那时，耶稣刚治好了许多患各种疾病和被鬼附身的人，又使许多瞎子得见光明。 22 耶稣便回答说：“你们回去把所见所闻告诉约翰，就是瞎子看见，瘸子走路，麻风病人得洁净，聋子听见，死人复活，穷人听到福音。 23 凡对我没有失去信心的人有福了！”
耶稣称赞施洗者约翰
24 约翰的门徒离去后，耶稣对众人谈论约翰，说：“你们从前去旷野要看什么呢？看随风摇动的芦苇吗？ 25 如果不是，你们到底想看什么？是看穿绫罗绸缎的人吗？那些衣着华丽、生活奢侈的人住在王宫里。 26 你们究竟想看什么？看先知吗？是的，我告诉你们，他不只是先知。 27 圣经上说，‘看啊，我要差遣我的使者在你前面为你预备道路。’这里所指的就是约翰。 28 我告诉你们，凡妇人所生的，没有一个比约翰大，但上帝国中最微不足道的也比他大。”
29 众百姓和税吏听了这番话，都承认上帝是公义的，因为他们接受了约翰的洗礼。 30 但那些法利赛人和律法教师没有接受约翰的洗礼，拒绝了上帝为他们所定的旨意。
31 主又说：“我用什么来比拟这个世代的人呢？他们像什么呢？ 32 他们就如街头上戏耍的孩童——彼此呼叫，
“‘我们吹娶亲的乐曲，
你们不跳舞；
我们唱送葬的哀歌，
你们不哭泣。’
33 施洗者约翰来了，禁食禁酒，你们就说他被鬼附身了； 34 人子来了，又吃又喝，你们就说，‘看啊，祂是个贪吃好酒之徒，与税吏和罪人为友！’ 35 然而，智慧会在追求智慧的人身上得到验证。”
罪妇的悔改
36 有一个法利赛人请耶稣到他家里吃饭，耶稣应邀赴宴。 37 那城里住着一个女人，生活败坏。她听说耶稣在那法利赛人家里吃饭，就带了一个盛满香膏的玉瓶进去。 38 她站在耶稣背后，挨着祂的脚哭，泪水滴湿了祂的脚，就用自己的头发擦干，又连连亲祂的脚，并抹上香膏。
39 请耶稣的法利赛人看在眼里，心想：“如果这人真的是先知，就该知道摸祂的是谁，是个什么样的女人，她是个罪人。”
40 耶稣对他说：“西门，我有话跟你说。”
西门答道：“老师，请说。”
41 耶稣说：“有一个债主借给一个人五百个银币，又借给另一个人五十个银币。 42 二人都没有能力还债，这位债主就免了他们的债务。你想，哪一位会更爱债主呢？”
43 西门答道：“我相信是那个被免去较多债的人。”
44 耶稣说：“你判断得对！”随后转向那女人，继续对西门说：“你看见这女人了吗？我到你家里来，你没有拿水给我洗脚，这女人却用她的眼泪洗我的脚，还亲自用头发擦干。 45 你没有亲吻我，但我进来以后，这女人却不停地吻我的脚。 46 你没有用油为我抹头，这女人却用香膏抹我的脚。 47 所以我告诉你，她众多的罪都被赦免了，因此她的爱深切；那些获得赦免少的，他们的爱也少。”
48 耶稣对那女人说：“你的罪都被赦免了。”
49 同席的人彼此议论说：“这人是谁？竟然能赦免人的罪！”
50 耶稣又对那女人说：“你的信心救了你，平安地走吧！”
Footnotes
- 7:11 “过了不久”有古卷作“次日”。
Luke 7
The Voice
In addition to teaching and healing, Jesus also gathers disciples, who are simply students or apprentices. Their classroom is the world—hillsides and beaches, homes and country roads, fields and city streets. Their subject is life—life in the kingdom of God. Jesus has many students, both men and women, but He forms a special inner circle known as “the twelve.” The number “twelve” is highly symbolic because the Jewish people were originally composed of twelve tribes. However, over the centuries, some of the tribes were decimated. By calling together a new twelve, Jesus seems to be dramatizing a new beginning for the people of God. The original twelve tribes found their identity in the law of Moses, but now Jesus is giving a new way of life for His twelve to learn and follow.
7 Jesus shared all these sayings with the crowd that day on the plain. When He was finished, He went into the town of Capernaum. 2 There, a Centurion had a slave he loved dearly. The slave was sick—about to die— 3 so when the Centurion heard about Jesus, he contacted some Jewish elders. He sent them to ask Jesus to come and heal his dear slave. 4 With great emotion and respect, the elders presented their request to Jesus.
Jewish Elders: This man is worthy of Your help. It’s true that he’s a Centurion, 5 but he loves our nation. In fact, he paid for our synagogue to be built.
6 So Jesus accompanied them. When they approached the Centurion’s home, the Centurion sent out some friends to bring a message to Jesus.
Message of the Centurion: Lord, don’t go to the trouble of coming inside. I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. 7 That’s why I sent others with my request. Just say the word, and that will be enough to heal my servant. 8 I understand how authority works, being under authority myself and having soldiers under my authority. I command to one, “Go,” and he goes. I say to another, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my slave, “Do this,” and he obeys me.
9 Jesus was deeply impressed when He heard this. He turned to the crowd that followed Him.
John, it seems, is having second thoughts. Is Jesus really the One we have expected? Is He the Anointed One? But who can blame John for these doubts? After all, John is in prison, unjustly held by a corrupt, immoral ruler. Ultimately the desert prophet will have his head severed from his body when the drunken, lusty king makes a silly promise in front of dinner guests. So who can blame John for seeking assurance from the Lord? Jesus, realizing fully the kinds of expectations others have, gently reminds John and his disciples of the Scriptures: “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead live, and the poor receive the good news.” Luke doesn’t say how John responds to the report as he nears his own end. What is clear is that Jesus has the utmost respect for His colleague and cousin. He doesn’t reject him for his doubts but tries to send him reassurance.
Jesus: Listen, everyone. This outsider, this Roman, has more faith than I have found even among our own Jewish people.
10 The friends of the Centurion returned home, and they found the slave was completely healed.
11 It wasn’t long after this when Jesus entered a city called Nain. Again all of His disciples accompanied Him, along with a huge crowd. 12 He was coming near the gate of the city as a corpse was being carried out. This man was the only child and support of his widowed mother, and she was accompanied by a large funeral crowd.
13 As soon as the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her.
Jesus: Don’t weep.
14 Then He came to the stretcher, and those carrying it stood still.
Jesus: Young man, listen! Get up!
15 The dead man immediately sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother, 16 and everyone was both shocked and jubilant. They praised God.
Funeral Crowd: A tremendous prophet has arisen in our midst! God has visited His people!
17 News of Jesus spread across the whole province of Judea and beyond to the surrounding regions. 18 When these reports reached John’s disciples, they brought news to John himself, who was known for his preaching and ritual cleansing.[a] 19 John sent two of his disciples to ask the Lord, “Are You the Promised One, or shall we keep looking for someone else?”
20 They came to Jesus and asked their question exactly as directed by John the Baptist.
21 Before He answered John’s messengers, Jesus cured many from various diseases, health conditions, and evil spirits. He even caused many blind people to regain their sight.
Jesus (to John’s disciples): 22 Go and tell John what you’ve witnessed with your own eyes and ears: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking again, the lepers are clean again, the deaf hear again, the dead live again, and good news is preached to the poor.[b] 23 Whoever is not offended by Me is blessed indeed.
24 When John’s messengers left, Jesus talked to the crowds about John.
Jesus: When you went out into the wilderness to see John, what were you expecting? A reed shaking in the wind? 25 What were you looking for? A man in expensive clothing? Look, if you were looking for fancy clothes and luxurious living, you went to the wrong place—you should have gone to the kings’ courts, not to the wilderness! 26 What were you seeking? A prophet? Ah yes, that’s what John is, and even more than a prophet. 27 The prophet Malachi was talking about John when he wrote,
I will send My messenger before You,
to clear Your path in front of You.[c]
28 Listen, there is no human being greater than this man, John the Baptist. Yet even the least significant person in the coming kingdom of God is greater than John.
29 The common people and tax collectors heard God’s own wisdom in Jesus’ assessment of John because they had been ritually cleansed through baptism by John. 30 But the Pharisees and religious scholars hardened their hearts and turned their backs on God’s purposes for them because they had refused John’s baptism.[d]
Jesus: 31 The people of this generation—what are they like? To what can they be compared? 32 I’ll tell you: they’re like spoiled kids sitting in the marketplace playing games, calling out,
We played the pipes for you,
but you didn’t dance to our tune!
We cried like mourners,
but you didn’t cry with us!
33 You can’t win with this generation. John the Baptist comes along, fasting and abstaining from wine, and you say, “This guy is demon-possessed!” 34 The Son of Man comes along, feasting and drinking wine, and you say, “This guy is a glutton and a drunk, a friend of scoundrels and tax collectors!” 35 Well, wisdom’s true children know wisdom when they hear it.
36-40 Once a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to be a guest for a meal.
Picture this:
Just as Jesus enters the man’s home and takes His place at the table, a woman from the city—notorious as a woman of ill repute—follows Him in. She has heard that Jesus will be at the Pharisee’s home, so she comes in and approaches Him, carrying an alabaster flask of perfumed oil. Then she begins to cry, she kneels down so her tears fall on Jesus’ feet, and she starts wiping His feet with her own hair. Then she actually kisses His feet, and she pours the perfumed oil on them.
Simon (thinking): Now I know this guy is a fraud. If He were a real prophet, He would have known this woman is a sinner and He would never let her get near Him, much less touch Him . . . or kiss Him!
Jesus (knowing what the Pharisee is thinking): Simon, I want to tell you a story.
Simon: Tell me, Teacher.
Jesus: 41 Two men owed a certain lender a lot of money. One owed 100 weeks’ wages, and the other owed 10 weeks’ wages. 42 Both men defaulted on their loans, but the lender forgave them both. Here’s a question for you: which man will love the lender more?
Simon: 43 Well, I guess it would be the one who was forgiven more.
Jesus: Good answer.
44-46 Now Jesus turns around so He’s facing the woman, although He’s still speaking to Simon.
Jesus: Do you see this woman here? It’s kind of funny. I entered your home, and you didn’t provide a basin of water so I could wash the road dust from My feet. You didn’t give Me a customary kiss of greeting and welcome. You didn’t offer Me the common courtesy of providing oil to brighten My face. But this woman has wet My feet with her own tears and washed them with her own hair. She hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. And she has applied perfumed oil to My feet. 47 This woman has been forgiven much, and she is showing much love. But the person who has shown little love shows how little forgiveness he has received.
48 (to the woman) Your sins are forgiven.
Simon and Friends (muttering among themselves): 49 Who does this guy think He is? He has the audacity to claim the authority to forgive sins?
Jesus (to the woman): 50 Your faith has liberated you. Go in peace.
Footnotes
- 7:18 Literally, immersing, to show repentance
- 7:22 Isaiah 29:18; 35:5–6
- 7:27 Malachi 3:1
- 7:30 Literally, immersed, to show repentance
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.