Genesis 23-24
New Living Translation
The Burial of Sarah
23 When Sarah was 127 years old, 2 she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.
3 Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, 4 “Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way.”
7 Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites 8 and said, “Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar 9 to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family.”
10 Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town. 11 “No, my lord,” he said to Abraham, “please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead.”
12 Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, 13 and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. “No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces[a] of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead.”
16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and paid the amount he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction.
17 So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. 18 It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. 19 Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). 20 So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.
A Wife for Isaac
24 Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2 One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. 3 Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”
6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. 7 For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants.[b] He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. 8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”
9 So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions. 10 Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. 11 He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.
12 “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”
15 Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah. 16 Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. 17 Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”
18 “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. 19 When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.
21 The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission. 22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets[c] for her wrists.
23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?”
24 “I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. 25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests.”
26 The man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 “Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.”
28 The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring. 30 He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. 31 Laban said to him, “Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the Lord! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?”
32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet. 33 Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.”
“All right,” Laban said, “tell us.”
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. 35 “And the Lord has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The Lord has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys.
36 “When Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 38 Go instead to my father’s house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.’
39 “But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ 40 He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 41 Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. 43 See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” 44 If she says, “Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too,” let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels.
47 “Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 “Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife. 49 So tell me—will you or won’t you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I’ll know what to do next.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. 54 Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight.
But early the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.”
55 “But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days,” her brother and mother said. “Then she can go.”
56 But he said, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.”
57 “Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” 58 So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham’s servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah’s childhood nurse went along with her. 60 They gave her this blessing as she parted:
“Our sister, may you become
the mother of many millions!
May your descendants be strong
and conquer the cities of their enemies.”
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. 63 One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. 64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. 65 “Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant.
And he replied, “It is my master.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. 66 Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.
Genesis 23-24
New American Standard Bible
Death and Burial of Sarah
23 Now [a]Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 Sarah died in (A)Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham [b]came in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham arose from mourning before his dead, and spoke to the (B)sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am (C)a stranger and a foreign resident among you; (D)give me [c]a (E)burial site among you so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my lord: you are a [d](F)mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead.” 7 So Abraham stood up and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If [e]you are willing to let me bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me, and plead with (G)Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in [f]your presence for [g]a burial site.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham [h]so that the sons of Heth heard, (H)that is, all who entered the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, listen to me; (I)I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” 12 And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13 But he spoke to Ephron [i]so that the people of the land heard, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me so that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a plot of land worth [j]four hundred (J)shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham (K)weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the [k]presence of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency acceptable to a merchant.
17 So (L)Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were [l]within all the confines of its border, [m]were deeded over 18 to Abraham as a possession (M)in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that was in it [n]were (N)deeded over to Abraham for [o]a burial site by the sons of Heth.
A Bride for Isaac
24 Now (O)Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had (P)blessed Abraham in every way. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in (Q)charge of all that he owned, “(R)Please place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, (S)the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you (T)shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of (U)the Canaanites, among whom I live; 4 but you will go to (V)my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” 6 Then Abraham said to him, “(W)Beware that you do not take my son back there! 7 (X)The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘(Y)To your [p]descendants I will give this land’—He will send (Z)His angel ahead of you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will (AA)be free of this oath of mine; (AB)only do not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant (AC)placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and went out with a variety of (AD)good things of his master’s in his hand; so he set out and went to [q]Mesopotamia, to (AE)the city of Nahor. 11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by (AF)the well of water [r]when it was evening, (AG)the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “(AH)Lord, God of my master Abraham, please [s](AI)grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, (AJ)I am standing by the [t]spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; 14 now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and [u]who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Rebekah Is Chosen
15 And it came about, (AK)before he had finished speaking, that behold, (AL)Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of (AM)Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was (AN)very beautiful, a virgin; no man had [v]had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “(AO)Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” 18 And (AP)she said, “Drink, my lord”; then she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, (AQ)she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. 21 (AR)Meanwhile, the man was taking a close look at her [w]in silence, to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a (AS)gold ring weighing a [x]half-shekel, and two bracelets for her [y]wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, 23 and he said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to stay overnight at your father’s house?” 24 She said to him, “(AT)I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to stay overnight.” 26 Then the man (AU)bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 And he said, “(AV)Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned (AW)His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, (AX)the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”
28 Then (AY)the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was (AZ)Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. 30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s [z]wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “[aa]This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 And he said, “(BA)Come in, (BB)blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside, since (BC)I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” 32 So the man entered the house. Then [ab](BD)Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have stated my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” 34 So he said, “I am (BE)Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly (BF)blessed my master, so that he has become [ac]rich; and He has given him (BG)flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and slave women, and camels and donkeys. 36 Now (BH)my master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master [ad]in her old age, and (BI)he has given him all that he has. 37 (BJ)My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 Then (BK)I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ 40 And he said to me, ‘(BL)The Lord, before whom I have (BM)walked, will send (BN)His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; 41 (BO)then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “So (BP)I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I have been going (BQ)successful; 43 behold, (BR)I am standing by the [ae]spring, and may it be that the [af]young unmarried woman who comes out to draw water, and to whom I say, “(BS)Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; 44 and she says to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished (BT)speaking in my heart, behold, (BU)Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew water, and (BV)I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘(BW)Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 (BX)Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the (BY)ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her [ag]wrists. 48 And I (BZ)bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, (CA)who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 So now if you are going to [ah](CB)deal kindly and truthfully with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me now, so that I may turn to the right or the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “(CC)The matter has come from the Lord; (CD)so we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he (CE)bowed himself to the ground [ai]before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out (CF)articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they got up in the morning, he said, “(CG)Send me away to my master.” 55 But her brother and her mother said, “(CH)Let the young woman stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” 56 However, he said to them, “Do not delay me, since (CI)the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to my master.” 57 And they said, “We will call the young woman and [aj]ask her.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah and (CJ)her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“May you, our sister,
(CK)Become thousands of ten thousands,
And may (CL)your [ak]descendants possess
The gate of those who hate them.”
61 Then Rebekah got up with her female attendants, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
Isaac Marries Rebekah
62 Now Isaac had come back from [al]a journey to (CM)Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in (CN)the [am]Negev. 63 Isaac went out (CO)to [an]meditate in the field toward evening; and (CP)he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. 64 Rebekah raised her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her [ao]veil and covered herself. 66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and (CQ)he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and (CR)he loved her; so Isaac was comforted after (CS)his mother’s death.
Footnotes
- Genesis 23:1 Lit the life of Sarah was
- Genesis 23:2 Or proceeded
- Genesis 23:4 Lit possession of a burial place
- Genesis 23:6 Lit prince of God
- Genesis 23:8 Lit it is with your soul
- Genesis 23:9 Lit the midst of you
- Genesis 23:9 Lit possession of a burial place
- Genesis 23:10 Lit in the ears of
- Genesis 23:13 Lit in the ears of
- Genesis 23:15 About 12.5 lb. or 5.7 kg
- Genesis 23:16 Lit ears
- Genesis 23:17 Lit in all its border around
- Genesis 23:17 Or were ratified
- Genesis 23:20 Or were ratified
- Genesis 23:20 Lit possession of a burial place
- Genesis 24:7 Lit seed
- Genesis 24:10 Heb Aram-naharaim, Aram of the two rivers
- Genesis 24:11 Lit at time of evening
- Genesis 24:12 Lit cause to occur for me
- Genesis 24:13 Lit fountain of water
- Genesis 24:14 Lit she will say
- Genesis 24:16 Lit known her
- Genesis 24:21 Lit keeping silent
- Genesis 24:22 A shekel was about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
- Genesis 24:22 Lit hands
- Genesis 24:30 Lit hands
- Genesis 24:30 Lit Thus the man
- Genesis 24:32 Lit he
- Genesis 24:35 Lit great
- Genesis 24:36 Lit after she was old
- Genesis 24:43 Lit fountain of water
- Genesis 24:43 Or virgin
- Genesis 24:47 Lit hands
- Genesis 24:49 Lit show kindness and truth to
- Genesis 24:52 Lit to
- Genesis 24:57 Lit ask her mouth
- Genesis 24:60 Lit seed
- Genesis 24:62 Lit coming to
- Genesis 24:62 I.e., South country
- Genesis 24:63 Or stroll; meaning uncertain
- Genesis 24:65 Or shawl
Luke 9
New Living Translation
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
9 One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples[a] and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money,[b] or even a change of clothes. 4 Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. 5 And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
6 So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
Herod’s Confusion
7 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,[c] heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. 8 Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.
9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.
12 Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”
13 But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” 14 For there were about 5,000 men there.
Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 So the people all sat down. 16 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. 17 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
19 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
20 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah[d] sent from God!”
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. 22 “The Son of Man[e] must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials[f]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.
35 Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One.[g] Listen to him.” 36 When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”
42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil[h] spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. 43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” 45 But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[i] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”
Using the Name of Jesus
49 John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.”
50 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
Opposition from Samaritans
51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up[j]?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.[k] 56 So they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead![l] Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- 9:1 Greek the Twelve; other manuscripts read the twelve apostles.
- 9:3 Or silver coins.
- 9:7 Greek Herod the tetrarch. Herod Antipas was a son of King Herod and was ruler over Galilee.
- 9:20 Or the Christ. Messiah (a Hebrew term) and Christ (a Greek term) both mean “anointed one.”
- 9:22 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 9:33 Greek three tabernacles.
- 9:35 Some manuscripts read This is my dearly loved Son.
- 9:42 Greek unclean.
- 9:48 Greek in my name.
- 9:54 Some manuscripts add as Elijah did.
- 9:55 Some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion to verse 55 and an additional sentence in verse 56: And he said, “You don’t realize what your hearts are like. 56 For the Son of Man has not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.”
- 9:60 Greek Let the dead bury their own dead.
Luke 9
New American Standard Bible
Ministry of the Twelve
9 (A)Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to (B)proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. 3 And He said to them, “(C)Take nothing for your journey, (D)neither a staff, nor a [a]bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two [b]tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there [c]until you leave that city. 5 And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, (E)shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And as they were leaving, they began going [d]throughout the villages, (F)preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
7 (G)Now (H)Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that (I)John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that (J)Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And (K)he kept trying to see Him.
10 (L)When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. (M)And taking them with Him, He withdrew privately to a city called (N)Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and He welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God, and curing those who had need of healing.
Five Thousand Men Fed
12 Now the day [e]was ending, and the twelve came up and said to Him, “Dismiss the crowd, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get [f]something to eat; because here, we are in a secluded place.” 13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” But they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (For there were about five thousand men.) But He said to His disciples, “Have them recline to eat (O)in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so, and had them all recline. 16 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He blessed them and broke them, and gave them to the disciples again and again, to serve the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied; and [g]the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve (P)baskets full.
Peter Says Jesus is The Christ
18 (Q)And it happened that while He was (R)praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the [h]people say that I am?” 19 They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “(S)The [i]Christ of God.” 21 But He [j](T)warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, 22 (U)saying, “(V)The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised on the third day.”
23 And He was saying to them all, “(W)If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For (X)whoever wants to save his [k]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [l]life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. 25 For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but (Y)loses or forfeits himself? 26 (Z)For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27 But I say to you truthfully, (AA)there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 (AB)About eight days after these sayings, He took along (AC)Peter, John, and James, and (AD)went up on the mountain (AE)to pray. 29 And while He was (AF)praying, the appearance of His face (AG)became different, and His clothing became white and [m]gleaming. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who, appearing in [n]glory, were speaking of His (AH)departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions (AI)had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him. 33 And as [o]these two men were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “(AJ)Master, it is good that we are here; and (AK)let’s make three [p]tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—(AL)not realizing what he was saying. 34 But while he was saying this, a cloud [q]formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And then (AM)a voice came from the cloud, saying, “(AN)This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” 36 And when the voice [r]had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And (AO)they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
37 (AP)On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38 And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only son, 39 and a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40 And I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” 41 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 Now while he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the [s](AQ)greatness of God.
(AR)But while everyone was astonished at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “As for you, let these words sink into your ears: (AS)for the Son of Man is going to be [t]handed over to men.” 45 But (AT)they [u]did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not comprehend it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
The Test of Greatness
46 (AU)Now an argument [v]started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, (AV)knowing [w]what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side, 48 and He said to them, “(AW)Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; (AX)for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
49 (AY)John answered and said, “(AZ)Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow along with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; (BA)for the one who is not against you is [x]for you.”
51 When the days were approaching for (BB)His [y]ascension, He [z]was determined (BC)to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the (BD)Samaritans to [aa]make arrangements for Him. 53 And they did not receive Him, (BE)because [ab]He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples (BF)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to (BG)command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them.[ac] 56 And they went on to another village.
Exacting Discipleship
57 (BH)As they were going on the road, (BI)someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but (BJ)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “(BK)Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and (BL)proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but (BM)first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “(BN)No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- Luke 9:3 Or knapsack
- Luke 9:3 A long shirt worn next to the skin
- Luke 9:4 Lit and leave from there
- Luke 9:6 Or from village to village
- Luke 9:12 Lit began to decline
- Luke 9:12 Lit provisions
- Luke 9:17 Lit what was left over to them of the broken pieces was
- Luke 9:18 Lit crowds
- Luke 9:20 I.e., Messiah
- Luke 9:21 Or strictly admonished
- Luke 9:24 Or soul
- Luke 9:24 Or soul
- Luke 9:29 Or flashing like lightning
- Luke 9:31 Or splendor
- Luke 9:33 Lit they
- Luke 9:33 Or sacred tents
- Luke 9:34 Lit occurred
- Luke 9:36 Lit occurred
- Luke 9:43 Or majesty
- Luke 9:44 Or betrayed
- Luke 9:45 Lit were not knowing
- Luke 9:46 Lit entered
- Luke 9:47 Lit the reasoning; or argument
- Luke 9:50 Or on your side
- Luke 9:51 Lit taking up
- Luke 9:51 Lit set His face
- Luke 9:52 Or prepare
- Luke 9:53 Lit His face was proceeding toward
- Luke 9:55 Some late mss add: and said, “You do not know of what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
