23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,(A) because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’(B)

26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’(C)

28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth,(D) when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west(E) and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”(F)

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23 Someone asked him, “Lord,[a] are only a few people going to be saved?”

He told them, 24 “Keep on struggling to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you that many people will try to enter, but won’t be able to do so. 25 After the homeowner gets up and closes the door, you can stand[b] outside, knock on the door, and say again and again, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say,[c] ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will tell you, ‘I don’t know where you come from. Get away from me, all you who practice evil!’ 28 In that place there will be crying and gnashing of teeth[d] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves being driven away on the outside. 29 People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 30 You see, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 13:23 Or Sir
  2. Luke 13:25 Lit. begin to stand
  3. Luke 13:26 Lit. begin to say
  4. Luke 13:28 I.e. extreme pain

23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

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