Genesis 18-19
New Living Translation
A Son Is Promised to Sarah
18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures[a] of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16 Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.
17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. 18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”
20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”
And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”
29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”
30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”
31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
33 When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
19 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”
“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”
3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. 4 But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”
6 So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. 7 “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”
9 “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.
10 But the two angels[b] reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. 11 Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.
12 Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13 For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the Lord, and he has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking.
15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”
16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful. 17 When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
18 “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged. 19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”
21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)
23 Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. 24 Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.
27 Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence. 28 He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.
29 But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.
Lot and His Daughters
30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. 31 One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”
33 So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
34 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
36 As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab.[c] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi.[d] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.
Genesis 18-19
New American Standard Bible
Birth of Isaac Promised
18 Now (A)the Lord appeared to [a]Abraham by the [b](B)oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three (C)men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground, 3 and said, “[c]My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not [d]pass Your servant by. 4 Please let a little water be brought and (D)wash [e]your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree; 5 and I will [f](E)bring a piece of bread, so that you may [g]refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have [h]visited your servant.” And they said, “So do as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “[i]Quickly, prepare three [j]measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes.” 7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and [k]choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree [l]as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10 He said, “(F)I will certainly return to you [m]at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now (G)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was (H)past [n]childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed [o]to herself, saying, “(I)After I have become old, am I to have pleasure, my (J)lord being old also?” 13 But the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I actually give birth to a child, when I am so old?’ 14 (K)Is anything too [p]difficult for the Lord? At the (L)appointed time I will return to you, [q]at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Sarah denied it, however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
16 Then (M)the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. 17 (N)The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham (O)what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will certainly become a great and [r]mighty nation, and in him (P)all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 For I have [s](Q)chosen him, so that he may (R)command his children and his household after him to (S)keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham (T)what He has spoken about him.” 20 And the Lord said, “(U)The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21 I will (V)go down now and see whether they have done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know.”
Abraham Appeals for Sodom
22 Then (W)the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before (X)the Lord. 23 Abraham approached and said, “(Y)Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not [t]spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do [u]such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not (Z)the Judge of all the earth [v]deal justly?” 26 So the Lord said, “(AA)If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will [w]spare the entire place on their account.” 27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have [x]ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only (AB)dust and ashes. 28 Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the entire city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Now behold, I have [y]ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32 Then he said, “(AC)Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once: suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham (AD)the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
The Doom of Sodom
19 Now the (AE)two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When (AF)Lot saw them, he stood up to meet them and [z]bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we shall spend the night in the public square.” 3 Yet he strongly urged them, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; (AG)and he prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they lay down, (AH)the men of the city—the men of Sodom—surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people [aa]from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “(AI)Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may [ab]have relations with them.” 6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. 8 Now look, (AJ)I have two daughters who have not [ac]had relations with any man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them [ad]whatever you like; only do not do anything to these men, because they have come under the [ae]shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Get out of the way!” They also said, “This one came in [af]as a foreigner, and already (AK)he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them!” So they pressed hard against [ag]Lot and moved forward to break the door. 10 But (AL)the men reached out their [ah]hands and brought Lot into the house [ai]with them, and shut the door. 11 Then (AM)they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, from the small to the great, so that they became weary of trying to find the doorway.
12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else do you have here? A son-in-law and your sons and daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because (AN)their outcry has become so great before the Lord that (AO)the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who [aj]were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, (AP)get out of this place, for the Lord is destroying the city.” (AQ)But he appeared to his sons-in-law [ak]to be joking.
15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the [al]punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men (AR)grasped his hand and the hand of his wife and the [am]hands of his two daughters, because (AS)the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out and put him outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, [an]one said, “(AT)Escape for your life! (AU)Do not look behind you, and do not stay [ao]anywhere in the (AV)surrounding area; escape to (AW)the [ap]mountains, or you will be swept away.” 18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! 19 Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your compassion, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the [aq]mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; 20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) [ar]so that my life may be saved.” 21 And he said to him, “Behold, I grant you this [as]request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the town was named [at](AX)Zoar.
23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord (AY)rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and (AZ)He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But [au]Lot’s wife, from behind him, (BA)looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 Now Abraham got up early in the morning and went to (BB)the place where he had stood before the Lord; 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the surrounding area; and [av]behold, he saw (BC)the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a [aw]furnace.
29 So it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the surrounding area, that (BD)God remembered Abraham, and (BE)sent Lot out of the midst of the destruction, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.
Lot and His Daughters
30 Now Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and (BF)stayed in the [ax]mountains, because he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man [ay]on earth to [az](BG)have relations with us according to the custom of all the earth. 32 Come, (BH)let’s make our father drink wine, and let’s sleep with him so that we may keep [ba]our family alive through our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and slept with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. 34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Look, I slept last night with my father; let’s make him drink wine tonight too, then you go in and sleep with him, so that we may keep [bb]our family alive through our father.” 35 So they had their father drink wine that night too, and the younger got up and slept with him; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. 36 And so both of the daughters of Lot conceived by their father. 37 The firstborn gave birth to a son, and named him (BI)Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 As for the younger, she also gave birth to a son, and named him Ben-ammi; he is the father of [bc]the sons of (BJ)Ammon to this day.
Footnotes
- Genesis 18:1 Lit him
- Genesis 18:1 Or terebinths
- Genesis 18:3 Or O Lord
- Genesis 18:3 Lit pass away from Your servant
- Genesis 18:4 I.e., referring to the three visitors
- Genesis 18:5 Lit take
- Genesis 18:5 Lit sustain your heart
- Genesis 18:5 Lit come to
- Genesis 18:6 Lit Hasten three measures
- Genesis 18:6 Heb seah; one seah is about 7 qt. or 7.7 liters
- Genesis 18:7 Lit good
- Genesis 18:8 Lit and
- Genesis 18:10 Lit when the time revives
- Genesis 18:11 Lit the way of women
- Genesis 18:12 Lit within
- Genesis 18:14 Or wonderful
- Genesis 18:14 Lit when the time revives
- Genesis 18:18 Or populous
- Genesis 18:19 Lit known
- Genesis 18:24 Or forgive
- Genesis 18:25 Lit like this thing
- Genesis 18:25 Lit do justice
- Genesis 18:26 Or forgive
- Genesis 18:27 Or resolved
- Genesis 18:31 Or resolved
- Genesis 19:1 Lit bowed himself
- Genesis 19:4 Or without exception; lit from every end
- Genesis 19:5 Lit know them; i.e., have intercourse
- Genesis 19:8 Lit known man
- Genesis 19:8 Lit as is good in your sight
- Genesis 19:8 Lit shadow
- Genesis 19:9 Lit to sojourn
- Genesis 19:9 Lit the man, against Lot
- Genesis 19:10 Lit hand
- Genesis 19:10 Lit to
- Genesis 19:14 Or had married; lit were taking
- Genesis 19:14 Lit like one who was joking
- Genesis 19:15 Or wrongdoing
- Genesis 19:16 Lit hand
- Genesis 19:17 Lit he
- Genesis 19:17 Lit in all the circle
- Genesis 19:17 Lit mountain
- Genesis 19:19 Lit mountain
- Genesis 19:20 Lit and my soul will live
- Genesis 19:21 Lit thing
- Genesis 19:22 I.e., small
- Genesis 19:26 Lit his
- Genesis 19:28 Lit he saw, and behold
- Genesis 19:28 Lit kiln
- Genesis 19:30 Lit mountain
- Genesis 19:31 Or in the land
- Genesis 19:31 Lit come in to
- Genesis 19:32 Lit seed from our father
- Genesis 19:34 Lit seed from our father
- Genesis 19:38 Heb Beney-Ammon
Psalm 3
New Living Translation
Psalm 3
A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.
1 O Lord, I have so many enemies;
so many are against me.
2 So many are saying,
“God will never rescue him!” Interlude[a]
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
4 I cried out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude
5 I lay down and slept,
yet I woke up in safety,
for the Lord was watching over me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
who surround me on every side.
7 Arise, O Lord!
Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
8 Victory comes from you, O Lord.
May you bless your people. Interlude
Footnotes
- 3:2 Hebrew Selah. The meaning of this word is uncertain, though it is probably a musical or literary term. It is rendered Interlude throughout the Psalms.
Psalm 3
New American Standard Bible
Morning Prayer of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David, when [a]he fled from his son Absalom.
3 Lord, how (A)my enemies have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no (B)salvation for him in God.” Selah
3 But You, Lord, are (C)a shield around me,
My (D)glory, and the One who (E)lifts my head.
4 I was crying out to the Lord with my voice,
And He (F)answered me from (G)His holy [b]mountain. Selah
5 [c]I (H)lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will (I)not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have (J)set themselves against me all around.
Luke 7
New Living Translation
The Faith of a Roman Officer
7 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. 2 At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer[a] was sick and near death. 3 When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. 4 So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, 5 “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”
6 So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. 7 I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 8 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” 10 And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.
Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son
11 Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” 17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.
Jesus and John the Baptist
18 The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19 and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,[b] or should we keep looking for someone else?”
20 John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’”
21 At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. 22 Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 23 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.[c]”
24 After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 25 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. 26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way before you.’[d]
28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”
29 When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right,[e] for they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.
31 “To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them? 32 They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t weep.’
33 For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man,[f] on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.[g]”
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.[h] 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver[i] to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”
50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Footnotes
- 7:2 Greek a centurion; similarly in 7:6.
- 7:19 Greek Are you the one who is coming? Also in 7:20.
- 7:23 Or who are not offended by me.
- 7:27 Mal 3:1.
- 7:29 Or praised God for his justice.
- 7:34 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 7:35 Or But wisdom is justified by all her children.
- 7:36 Or and reclined.
- 7:41 Greek 500 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage.
Luke 7
New American Standard Bible
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Slave
7 (A)When He had completed all His [a]teaching in the hearing of the people, (B)He went to Capernaum.
2 Now a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 When he heard about Jesus, (C)he sent some [b]Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they strongly urged Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.” 6 Now Jesus started on His way with them; but already, when He was not yet far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “[c]Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof; 7 for that reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but just [d]say the word, and my servant [e]shall be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under myself; 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, (D)not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10 And when those 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; and His disciples were going along with Him, [f]accompanied by a large crowd. 12 Now as He approached the gate of the city, [g]a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13 When (E)the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, “Do not go on weeping.” 14 And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 (F)Fear gripped them all, and they began (G)glorifying God, saying, “A great (H)prophet has appeared among us!” and, “God has [h]visited His people!” 17 (I)And this report about Him spread throughout Judea and in all the surrounding region.
The Messengers from John
18 (J)The disciples of John also reported to him about all these things. 19 And after summoning [i]two of his disciples, John sent them to (K)the Lord, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to [j]look for another?” 20 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, [k]to ask, ‘Are You the Coming One, or are we to [l]look for another?’” 21 At that very [m]time He (L)cured many people of diseases and (M)afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were (N)blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and (O)people who are poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is [n]anyone who does not take offense at Me.”
24 When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the [o]wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 [p]But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written:
28 I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is [r]least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged (Q)God’s justice, (R)having been baptized with (S)the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the [s](T)lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by [t]John.
31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.’ 33 For John the Baptist has come neither (U)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, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a [u]heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and [v]sinners!’ 35 And yet wisdom (V)is vindicated by all her children.”
The Anointing in Galilee
36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 (W)And there was a woman in the city who was a [w]sinner; and when she learned 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 to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were (X)a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a [x]sinner!”
Parable of Two Debtors
40 And Jesus responded and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he [y]replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred [z](Y)denarii, and the other, fifty. 42 When they (Z)were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you (AA)gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You [aa](AB)gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. 46 (AC)You did not [ab]anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And He said to her, “(AD)Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying [ac]to themselves, “(AE)Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “(AF)Your faith has saved you; (AG)go in peace.”
Footnotes
- Luke 7:1 Lit words
- Luke 7:3 Lit elders of the Jews
- Luke 7:6 Or Sir
- Luke 7:7 Lit say with a word
- Luke 7:7 A command in Greek
- Luke 7:11 Lit and a
- Luke 7:12 Lit one who had died
- Luke 7:16 Or cared for
- Luke 7:19 Lit a certain two
- Luke 7:19 Or wait for
- Luke 7:20 Lit saying
- Luke 7:20 Or wait for
- Luke 7:21 Lit hour
- Luke 7:23 Lit whoever
- Luke 7:24 I.e., desert
- Luke 7:25 Or Well then, what
- Luke 7:27 Lit before Your face
- Luke 7:28 Or less
- Luke 7:30 I.e., experts in the Mosaic Law
- Luke 7:30 Lit him
- Luke 7:34 Or wine drinker
- Luke 7:34 I.e., irreligious Jews
- Luke 7:37 I.e., an immoral woman
- Luke 7:39 I.e., an immoral woman
- Luke 7:40 Lit says
- Luke 7:41 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Luke 7:45 A customary form of greeting between rabbis
- Luke 7:46 A customary act of hospitality
- Luke 7:49 Or among
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.
