Luke 13
Complete Jewish Bible
13 Just then, some people came to tell Yeshua about the men from the Galil whom Pilate had slaughtered even while they were slaughtering animals for sacrifice. 2 His answer to them was, “Do you think that just because they died so horribly, these folks from the Galil were worse sinners than all the others from the Galil? 3 No, I tell you. Rather, unless you turn to God from your sins, you will all die as they did!
4 “Or what about those eighteen people who died when the tower at Shiloach fell on them? Do you think they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Yerushalayim? 5 No, I tell you. Rather, unless you turn from your sins, you will all die similarly.”
6 Then Yeshua gave this illustration: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit but didn’t find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘Here, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for three years now without finding any. Cut it down — why let it go on using up the soil?’ 8 But he answered, ‘Sir, leave it alone one more year. I’ll dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; if not, you will have it cut down then.’”
10 Yeshua was teaching in one of the synagogues on Shabbat. 11 A woman came up who had a spirit which had crippled her for eighteen years; she was bent double and unable to stand erect at all. 12 On seeing her, Yeshua called her and said to her, “Lady, you have been set free from your weakness!” 13 He put his hands on her, and at once she stood upright and began to glorify God.
14 But the president of the synagogue, indignant that Yeshua had healed on Shabbat, spoke up and said to the congregation, “There are six days in the week for working; so come during those days to be healed, not on Shabbat!” 15 However, the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Each one of you on Shabbat — don’t you unloose your ox or your donkey from the stall and lead him off to drink? 16 This woman is a daughter of Avraham, and the Adversary kept her tied up for eighteen years! Shouldn’t she be freed from this bondage on Shabbat?” 17 By these words, Yeshua put to shame the people who opposed him; but the rest of the crowd were happy about all the wonderful things that were taking place through him.
18 So he went on to say, “What is the Kingdom of God like? With what will we compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his own garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds flying about nested in its branches.”
20 Again he said, “With what will I compare the Kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with a bushel of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose.”
22 Yeshua continued traveling through town after town and village after village, teaching and making his way toward Yerushalayim. 23 Someone asked him, “Are only a few people being saved?” 24 He answered, “Struggle to get in through the narrow door, because — I’m telling you! — many will be demanding to get in and won’t be able to, 25 once the owner of the house has gotten up and shut the door. You will stand outside, knocking at the door and saying, ‘Lord! Open up for us!’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from!’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you! you taught in our streets!’ 27 and he will tell you, ‘I don’t know where you’re from. Get away from me, all you workers of wickedness!’ 28 You will cry and grind your teeth when you see Avraham, Yitz’chak, Ya‘akov and all the prophets inside the Kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown outside. 29 Moreover, people will come from the east, the west, the north and the south to sit at table in the Kingdom of God. 30 And notice that some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”
31 Just at that moment, some P’rushim came up and said to Yeshua, “Get out and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you!” 32 He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Pay attention: today and tomorrow I am driving out demons and healing people, and on the third day I reach my goal.’ 33 Nevertheless, I must keep travelling today, tomorrow and the next day; because it is unthinkable that a prophet should die anywhere but in Yerushalayim.
34 “Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! 35 Look! God is abandoning your house to you! I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai!’”[a]
Footnotes
- Luke 13:35 Psalm 118:26
Luke 13
Expanded Bible
Change Your Hearts
13 At that time some people were there who told Jesus that Pilate [C Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea from ad 26 to 36; see 3:1] had killed some people from Galilee while they were worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing to God. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think ·this happened to them [L they suffered these things] because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee? 3 No, I tell you. But unless you ·change your hearts and lives [repent], you will [L all] be destroyed as they were! 4 [L Or] What about those eighteen people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were ·more sinful [more guilty; greater offenders] than all the others who live in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you. But unless you ·change your hearts and lives [repent], you will all be destroyed too!”
The Useless Tree
6 Jesus told this ·story [parable]: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none. 7 So the man said to his gardener, ‘[L Look,] I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down. Why should it ·waste the ground [take up space]?’ 8 But the servant answered, ‘·Master [Sir], let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some ·fertilizer [manure]. 9 If the tree produces fruit next year, good. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11 A woman was there who, for eighteen years, had an evil spirit in her that made her ·crippled [disabled]. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are ·free [released; set free] from your ·sickness [disability].” 13 Jesus ·put [laid] his hands on her, and immediately she was able to stand up straight and began ·praising [giving glory to] God.
14 The synagogue leader was ·angry [indignant] because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, “There are six days when one has to work. So come to be healed on one of those days, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord answered, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie your ·work animals [L ox or donkey from the stall] and lead them to drink water on the Sabbath day? 16 This woman that I healed, a daughter of Abraham, has been held by Satan for eighteen years. ·Surely it is not wrong [L Was it not necessary…?] for her to be freed from ·her sickness [L this bond/imprisonment] on a Sabbath day!” 17 When Jesus said this, all of those who were ·criticizing [opposing] him were ashamed, but the entire crowd rejoiced at all the ·wonderful [glorious] things Jesus was doing.
Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast(A)
18 Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it with? 19 It is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the ·wild birds [L birds of the sky] build nests in its branches.”
20 Jesus said again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom with? 21 It is like ·yeast [leaven] that a woman took and ·hid [mixed] in a large tub [C Greek: three sata; about fifty pounds] of flour until ·it made all the dough rise [L the whole was leavened; Matt. 13:33].”
The Narrow Door(B)
22 Jesus was teaching in every town and village as he traveled toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
Jesus said, 24 “·Try hard [Strive; Exert yourself] to enter through the narrow door, because many people [L I tell you] will try to enter there, but they will not be able. 25 When the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you ·can [L begin to] stand outside and knock on the door and say, ‘·Sir [Lord], open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in the streets of our town.’ 27 But he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Go away from me, all you who ·do evil [practice unrighteousness; Ps. 6:8]!’ 28 [L There; In that place] You will cry and ·grind [gnash] your teeth [C indicating pain and remorse, or perhaps anger at the master; see Ps. 35:16] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, but you yourselves thrown outside. 29 People will come from the east, west, north, and south and will ·sit down at the table [L recline; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party] in the kingdom of God [C the messianic banquet, a metaphor for God’s final salvation; Is. 25:6–8]. 30 [Indeed; L Look; T Behold] There are those who are last now who will be first in the future. And there are those who are first now who will be last in the future.”
Jesus Will Die in Jerusalem(C)
31 At that ·time [or very hour] some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away from here! Herod [C Antipas; see 3:1] wants to kill you!”
32 Jesus said to them, “Go tell that fox Herod, ‘[L Look; T Behold] Today and tomorrow I am ·forcing [driving; casting] demons out and healing people. Then, on the third day, I will ·reach my goal [accomplish my purpose; finish my work; L finish].’ 33 Yet I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. Surely it ·cannot be right [is impossible; is unthinkable] for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem.
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. ·Many times [How often] I wanted to gather your ·people [L children] as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me [Matt. 23:37–39]. 35 ·Now [L Look!; T Behold!] your house is ·left completely empty [left desolate; abandoned; Jer. 22:5]. I tell you, you will not see me until that time when you will say, ‘·God bless [L Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26].’”
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.