Chapter 7

The Healing of a Centurion’s Slave.^{(A) 1 [a]}When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum.^{[b] 2} A centurion^[c] there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. ³ When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. ⁴ They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, ⁵ for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” ⁶ And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.^{[d] 7} Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. ⁸ For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ⁹ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” ¹⁰ When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Raising of the Widow’s Son.^{[e] 11 (B)}Soon afterward he journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. ¹² As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.^{(C) 13} When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.^{(D) 16} Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.”^{(E) 17} This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

The Messengers from John the Baptist.^{[f] 18 (F)}The disciples of John told him about all these things. John summoned two of his disciples ¹⁹ and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”^{(G) 20} When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” ²¹ At that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. ²² And he said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.^{(H) 23} And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”^[g]

Jesus’ Testimony to John. ^24 [h]When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.^(I) “What did you go out to the desert to see—a reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵ Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. ²⁶ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.^{(J) 27} This is the one about whom scripture says:

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” ^29 (L)(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; ³⁰ but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

^31 [i]“Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?^{(M) 32} They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^{(N) 35} But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

The Pardon of the Sinful Woman.^{[j] 36 (O)}A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.^{[k] 37} Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.^(P) Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,^{(Q) 38} she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. ³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. ⁴¹ “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages^[l] and the other owed fifty. ⁴² Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴ Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.^[m] But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” ⁴⁸ He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”^{(R) 49} The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”^{(S) 50} But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”