At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha^(A) opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary,^(B) who sat at the Lord’s feet^(C) listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care^(D) that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried^(E) and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a](F) Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer^(A)(B)

11 One day Jesus was praying^(C) in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord,^(D) teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity^[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.^(H)

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;^(I) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,^{(A) 11} and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.^(B) She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her,^(C) and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,^(D) the synagogue leader^(E) said to the people, “There are six days for work.^(F) So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?^{(G) 16} Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,^(H) whom Satan^(I) has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,^(J) but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(K)(L)

¹⁸ Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God^(M) like?^(N) What shall I compare it to? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,^(O) and the birds perched in its branches.”^(P)

²⁰ Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? ²¹ It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”^(Q)

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

²² Then came the Festival of Dedication^[a] at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(A) 24} The Jews^(B) who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”^(C)

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you,^(D) but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,^{(E) 26} but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.^{(F) 27} My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,^(G) and they follow me.^{(H) 28} I give them eternal life,^(I) and they shall never perish;^(J) no one will snatch them out of my hand.^{(K) 29} My Father, who has given them to me,^(L) is greater than all^[b];^(M) no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”^(N)

³¹ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,^{(O) 32} but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³ “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”^(P)

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law,^(Q) ‘I have said you are “gods”’^[c]?^{(R) 35} If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God^(S) came—and Scripture cannot be set aside^(T)— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart^(U) as his very own^(V) and sent into the world?^(W) Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?^{(X) 37} Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.^{(Y) 38} But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”^{(Z) 39} Again they tried to seize him,^(AA) but he escaped their grasp.^(AB)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan^(AC) to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, ⁴¹ and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign,^(AD) all that John said about this man was true.”^{(AE) 42} And in that place many believed in Jesus.^(AF)