Martha and Mary

³⁸ Now as they went on their way, Jesus^[a] entered a village. And a woman named ^(A)Martha ^(B)welcomed him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called ^(C)Mary, who ^(D)sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are ^(E)anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary.^[b] Mary has chosen ^(F)the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

The Lord's Prayer

11 Now Jesus^[c] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, ^(G)as John taught his disciples.” ² And he said to them, ^(H)“When you pray, say:

⁵ And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? ⁸ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything ^(Q)because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence^[e] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. ⁹ And I tell you, ^(R)ask, and ^(S)it will be given to you; ^(T)seek, and you will find; ^(U)knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ What father among you, if his son asks for^[f] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; ¹² or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, ^(V)who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father ^(W)give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul

^14 (X)Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons ^(Y)by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” ¹⁶ while others, ^(Z)to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. ^17 (AA)But he, ^(AB)knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. ¹⁸ And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, ^(AC)by whom do ^(AD)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it is by ^(AE)the finger of God that I cast out demons, then ^(AF)the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; ^22 (AG)but when one stronger than he attacks him and ^(AH)overcomes him, he takes away his ^(AI)armor in which he trusted and ^(AJ)divides his spoil. ^23 (AK)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

^24 (AL)“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through ^(AM)waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And ^(AN)the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

True Blessedness

²⁷ As he said these things, ^(AO)a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ^(AP)“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” ²⁸ But he said, ^(AQ)“Blessed rather are those ^(AR)who hear the word of God and ^(AS)keep it!”

The Sign of Jonah

^29 (AT)When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, ^(AU)“This generation is an evil generation. ^(AV)It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as ^(AW)Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ^31 (AX)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and ^(AY)condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, ^(AZ)something greater than Solomon is here. ^32 (BA)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ^(BB)condemn it, for ^(BC)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ^(BD)something greater than Jonah is here.

The Light in You

^33 (BE)“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is ^(BF)the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is ^(BG)bad, your body is full of darkness. ^35 (BH)Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. ³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, ^(BI)as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷ While Jesus^[g] was speaking, ^(BJ)a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. ³⁸ The Pharisee was astonished to see ^(BK)that he did not first wash before dinner. ³⁹ And the Lord said to him, ^(BL)“Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of ^(BM)greed and wickedness. ^40 (BN)You fools! ^(BO)Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But ^(BP)give as alms those things that are within, and behold, ^(BQ)everything is clean for you.

^42 (BR)“But woe to you Pharisees! For ^(BS)you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect ^(BT)justice and ^(BU)the love of God. ^(BV)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ⁴³ Woe to you Pharisees! For ^(BW)you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ Woe to you! ^(BX)For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ One of ^(BY)the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” ⁴⁶ And he said, “Woe to you ^(BZ)lawyers also! For ^(CA)you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ^47 (CB)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. ^48 (CC)So you are witnesses and you ^(CD)consent to the deeds of ^(CE)your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Therefore also ^(CF)the Wisdom of God said, ^(CG)‘I will send them ^(CH)prophets and apostles, ^(CI)some of whom they will ^(CJ)kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰ so that ^(CK)the blood of all the prophets, shed ^(CL)from the foundation of the world, may be ^(CM)charged against this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of ^(CN)Abel to the blood of ^(CO)Zechariah, who perished between ^(CP)the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be ^(CQ)required of this generation. ⁵² Woe to you ^(CR)lawyers! ^(CS)For you have taken away the key of ^(CT)knowledge. You ^(CU)did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

⁵³ As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, ^54 (CV)lying in wait for him, ^(CW)to catch him in something he might say.

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

12 In the meantime, ^(CX)when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ^(CY)“Beware of ^(CZ)the leaven of the Pharisees, ^(DA)which is hypocrisy. ^2 (DB)Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in ^(DC)private rooms shall be proclaimed on ^(DD)the housetops.

Have No Fear

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, ^(DE)do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him ^(DF)who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.^[h] Yes, I tell you, fear him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?^[i] And ^(DG)not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Why, ^(DH)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; ^(DI)you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

⁸ “And I tell you, ^(DJ)everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge ^(DK)before the angels of God, ⁹ but ^(DL)the one who denies me before men ^(DM)will be denied ^(DN)before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And ^(DO)everyone who speaks a word ^(DP)against the Son of Man ^(DQ)will be forgiven, but the one who ^(DR)blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ^11 (DS)And when they ^(DT)bring you before the synagogues and ^(DU)the rulers and ^(DV)the authorities, ^(DW)do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, ^12 (DX)for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

^13 (DY)Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, ^(DZ)“Man, ^(EA)who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, ^(EB)“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, ^(EC)“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ^(ED)‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my ^(EE)barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up ^(EF)for many years; relax, ^(EG)eat, drink, be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ^(EH)‘Fool! ^(EI)This night ^(EJ)your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, ^(EK)whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one ^(EL)who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Be Anxious

²² And he said to his disciples, ^(EM)“Therefore I tell you, ^(EN)do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ^24 (EO)Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. ^(EP)Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his ^(EQ)span of life?^{[j] 26} If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,^[k] yet I tell you, ^(ER)even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, ^(ES)O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor ^(ET)be worried. ³⁰ For ^(EU)all the nations of the world seek after these things, and ^(EV)your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, ^(EW)seek ^(EX)his^[l] kingdom, ^(EY)and these things will be added to you.

^32 (EZ)“Fear not, little ^(FA)flock, for ^(FB)it is your Father's good pleasure to give you ^(FC)the kingdom. ^33 (FD)Sell your possessions, and ^(FE)give to the needy. ^(FF)Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with ^(FG)a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ^34 (FH)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You Must Be Ready

^35 (FI)“Stay dressed for action^[m] and ^(FJ)keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ and be like men who are ^(FK)waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and ^(FL)knocks. ^37 (FM)Blessed are those servants^[n] whom the master finds ^(FN)awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, ^(FO)he will dress himself for service and ^(FP)have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! ^39 (FQ)But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour ^(FR)the thief was coming, he^[o] would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ^(FS)ready, for ^(FT)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, ^(FU)are you telling this parable for us or for all?” ⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is ^(FV)the faithful and ^(FW)wise ^(FX)manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? ^43 (FY)Blessed is that servant^[p] whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you, ^(FZ)he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master ^(GA)is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and ^(GB)get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come ^(GC)on a day when he does not expect him and ^(GD)at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. ^47 (GE)And that servant who ^(GF)knew his master's will but ^(GG)did not get ready ^(GH)or act according to his will, will receive a ^(GI)severe beating. ^48 (GJ)But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, ^(GK)will receive a light beating. ^(GL)Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Not Peace, but Division

^49 (GM)“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! ^50 (GN)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how ^(GO)great is my distress until it is accomplished! ^51 (GP)Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? ^(GQ)No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, ^(GR)father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Time

⁵⁴ He also said to the crowds, ^(GS)“When you see ^(GT)a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. ⁵⁵ And ^(GU)when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be ^(GV)scorching heat,’ and it happens. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! ^(GW)You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Settle with Your Accuser

⁵⁷ “And why ^(GX)do you not judge ^(GY)for yourselves what is right? ^58 (GZ)As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, ^(HA)you will never get out until you have paid the very last ^(HB)penny.”^[q]

Repent or Perish

13 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood ^(HC)Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, ^(HD)“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you ^(HE)repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in ^(HF)Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you ^(HG)repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ And he told this parable: “A man had ^(HH)a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. ^(HI)Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ ⁸ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. ⁹ Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

A Woman with a Disabling Spirit

¹⁰ Now ^(HJ)he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had had ^(HK)a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” ¹³ And he ^(HL)laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she ^(HM)glorified God. ¹⁴ But ^(HN)the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus ^(HO)had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, ^(HP)“There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! ^(HQ)Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ And ought not this woman, ^(HR)a daughter of Abraham whom ^(HS)Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” ¹⁷ As he said these things, ^(HT)all his adversaries were put to shame, and ^(HU)all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

^18 (HV)He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like ^(HW)a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

²⁰ And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? ^21 (HX)It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in ^(HY)three measures of flour, until it was ^(HZ)all leavened.”

The Narrow Door

^22 (IA)He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and ^(IB)journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³ And someone said to him, “Lord, ^(IC)will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, ^24 (ID)“Strive ^(IE)to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ^25 (IF)When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ^(IG)‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ^(IH)‘I do not know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ^(II)‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But he will say, ‘I tell you, ^(IJ)I do not know where you come from. ^(IK)Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ ^28 (IL)In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see ^(IM)Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but ^(IN)you yourselves cast out. ²⁹ And ^(IO)people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and ^(IP)recline at table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And behold, ^(IQ)some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Lament over Jerusalem

³¹ At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from ^(IR)here, for ^(IS)Herod wants to kill you.” ³² And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day ^(IT)I finish my course. ³³ Nevertheless, ^(IU)I ^(IV)must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that ^(IW)a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ ^34 (IX)O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that ^(IY)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! ^(IZ)How often would I have ^(JA)gathered ^(JB)your children together ^(JC)as a hen gathers her brood ^(JD)under her wings, and ^(JE)you were not willing! ³⁵ Behold, ^(JF)your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ^(JG)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Healing of a Man on the Sabbath

14 One Sabbath, ^(JH)when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were ^(JI)watching him carefully. ² And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. ³ And Jesus responded to ^(JJ)the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ^(JK)“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” ⁴ But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. ⁵ And he said to them, ^(JL)“Which of you, having a son^[r] or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” ^6 (JM)And they could not reply to these things.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

⁷ Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed ^(JN)how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, ⁹ and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, ^(JO)so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ¹¹ For ^(JP)everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

¹² He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give ^(JQ)a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers^[s] or your relatives or rich neighbors, ^(JR)lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a feast, ^(JS)invite ^(JT)the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid ^(JU)at ^(JV)the resurrection of the just.”

¹⁵ When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, ^(JW)“Blessed is everyone who will ^(JX)eat bread in the kingdom of God!” ¹⁶ But he said to him, ^(JY)“A man once ^(JZ)gave a great banquet and invited many. ¹⁷ And at the time for the banquet he ^(KA)sent his servant^[t] to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ^(KB)‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in ^(KC)the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ ²³ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you,^{[u] (KD)}none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

The Cost of Discipleship

²⁵ Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ^26 (KE)“If anyone comes to me and ^(KF)does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, ^(KG)yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ^27 (KH)Whoever does not ^(KI)bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not ^(KJ)first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not ^(KK)sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. ^33 (KL)So therefore, any one of you who ^(KM)does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Salt Without Taste Is Worthless

^34 (KN)“Salt is good, ^(KO)but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? ³⁵ It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. ^(KP)He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now ^(KQ)the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. ² And the Pharisees and the scribes ^(KR)grumbled, saying, ^(KS)“This man receives sinners and ^(KT)eats with them.”

³ So he told them this parable: ^4 (KU)“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, ^(KV)if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine ^(KW)in the open country, and ^(KX)go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, ^(KY)he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for ^(KZ)I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who ^(LA)repents than over ninety-nine ^(LB)righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,^[v] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? ⁹ And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before ^(LC)the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

¹¹ And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me ^(LD)the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided ^(LE)his property between them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in ^(LF)reckless living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to^[w] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he ^(LG)was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “But ^(LH)when he ^(LI)came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, ^(LJ)I have sinned against ^(LK)heaven and before you. ^19 (LL)I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ ²⁰ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ^(LM)ran and ^(LN)embraced him and ^(LO)kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. ^(LP)I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’^{[x] 22} But the father said to his servants,^[y] ‘Bring quickly ^(LQ)the best robe, and put it on him, and put ^(LR)a ring on his hand, and ^(LS)shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring ^(LT)the fattened calf and kill it, and ^(LU)let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴ For this my son ^(LV)was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, ²⁹ but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might ^(LW)celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, ^(LX)who has devoured ^(LY)your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹ And he said to him, ‘Son, ^(LZ)you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² It was fitting ^(MA)to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother ^(MB)was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had ^(MC)a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. ² And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your ^(MD)management, for you can no longer be manager.’ ³ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ ⁵ So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ He said, ‘A hundred measures^[z] of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures^[aa] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸ The master commended the dishonest manager for his ^(ME)shrewdness. For ^(MF)the sons of this world^[ab] are ^(MG)more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than ^(MH)the sons of light. ⁹ And I tell you, ^(MI)make friends for yourselves by means of ^(MJ)unrighteous wealth,^[ac] so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

^10 (MK)“One who is ^(ML)faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. ¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in ^(MM)that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? ^13 (MN)No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

The Law and the Kingdom of God

^14 (MO)The Pharisees, who were ^(MP)lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ^(MQ)ridiculed him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “You are those who ^(MR)justify yourselves before men, but ^(MS)God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men ^(MT)is an abomination in the sight of God.

^16 (MU)“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then ^(MV)the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and ^(MW)everyone forces his way into it.^{[ad] 17} But ^(MX)it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

Divorce and Remarriage

^18 (MY)“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in ^(MZ)purple and fine linen and ^(NA)who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate ^(NB)was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with ^(NC)what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by ^(ND)the angels ^(NE)to Abraham's side.^[ae] The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in ^(NF)Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and ^(NG)saw Abraham far off and Lazarus ^(NH)at his side. ²⁴ And he called out, ^(NI)‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and ^(NJ)cool my tongue, for ^(NK)I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that ^(NL)you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have ^(NM)Moses and the Prophets; ^(NN)let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, ^(NO)father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’