Repent or Perish

13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate(A) had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?(B) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam(C) fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent,(D) you too will all perish.”

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.(E) So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!(F) Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,(G) 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.(H) 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,(I) and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,(J) the synagogue leader(K) said to the people, “There are six days for work.(L) 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?(M) 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,(N) whom Satan(O) 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,(P) but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(Q)(R)

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God(S) like?(T) 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,(U) and the birds perched in its branches.”(V)

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.”(W)

The Narrow Door

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.(X) 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,(Y) 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.’(Z)

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!’(AA)

28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth,(AB) 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(AC) 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.”(AD)

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem(AE)(AF)

31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod(AG) wants to kill you.”

32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’(AH) 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet(AI) can die outside Jerusalem!

34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,(AJ) and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate.(AK) I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[b](AL)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 13:21 Or about 27 kilograms
  2. Luke 13:35 Psalm 118:26

Stop doing wrong things or die

13 At that time, some people were with Jesus. They told him what happened to some people from Galilee. They had been burning animals as a gift for God. Pilate sent some soldiers to kill them.[a]

Jesus replied, ‘Think about those people from Galilee. Perhaps you think that they had done more bad things than other people from Galilee. Do you think that is why they had to die? No! But I tell you this. All of you have done many bad things. So you must change how you live and you must turn to God. If you do not, you will also die as they did.

And you remember what happened to those 18 people in Siloam. A high building fell down and it killed them. Perhaps you think that they had done more bad things than the other people in Jerusalem. But I tell you, no, they had not. All of you have also done many bad things. So you must change how you live and you must turn to God. If you do not, you will also die as they did.’

A story about a fig tree

Then Jesus told this story. ‘A man had a garden where he grew fruit. He had planted a fig tree there. But when he came to look for fruit on it, he could not find any. So he said to his gardener, “Look, for three years, I have come to look for fruit on this tree. But I have never found any. So cut the tree down! I do not think that it should be here. It is wasting the ground.”

“Master,” the gardener replied, “please leave the tree in the ground for one more year. Let me dig round it and let me put some good soil there.[b] If I do that, next year, the fig tree may have some fruit on it. If it does not, I will cut it down for you.” ’[c]

Jesus makes a sick woman well again

10 One day, Jesus was teaching in a Jewish meeting place. It was the Jewish day of rest.

11 There was a woman there that had a bad spirit inside her. It had lived in her for 18 years and it had made her ill. Her back was bent. She could not stand up straight. 12 Jesus saw her and he called her to come to him. He said, ‘Woman, you are now better from your illness.’ 13 He put his hands on her and immediately she could stand up straight. She praised God.

14 But the leader of the meeting place was angry because Jesus had made a sick person well on their day of rest. He said to the people there, ‘There are six days each week when we should work. Come on any of those days and get well. But you should not come on our day of rest to get well.’

15 ‘You are wrong,’ the Lord Jesus said to him. ‘You teach one thing but you do something different yourselves. On the day of rest you will undo the rope on your ox or your donkey and take it outside. You then give it water to drink. Is that not true?[d] 16 Now look at this woman. She belongs to the family of Abraham. But a bad spirit from the Devil has made her ill for 18 years. It is like he has tied her up. So it must be right to make her free on our day of rest.’

17 These words made the leaders of the meeting place feel ashamed. But the other people there were very happy. They were happy because they had seen Jesus do many good and powerful things.

Jesus tells stories about seeds and yeast

18 Then Jesus said to them, ‘I will tell you a story about the kingdom of God and what it is like. 19 It is like a very small seed of the plant called mustard. A man took this seed and he planted it in his garden. The seed grew and it became a tree. It was so big that birds came and made their nests among its branches.’

20 Jesus then said, ‘Here is another example of what the kingdom of God is like. 21 It is like how yeast works. A woman took some of it and she mixed it into three large bowls of flour. Then the yeast went through all the flour so that it grew big.’

A story about a narrow door

22 Jesus was continuing his journey towards Jerusalem. On the way, he went through towns and villages. In each one, he taught the people. 23 One day, somebody asked him, ‘Sir, will God only save a small number of people?’

24 Jesus said to the people there, ‘Do your best to go in through the narrow door. I tell you that many people will want to get in there. But they will not be able to go through it. 25 Soon the master of the house will get up and he will shut the door. And then you may still be standing outside the door. You will knock and you will say, “Master, please open the door for us to come in.”

But the master will reply, “I do not know you. I do not know where you come from.” 26 Then you will begin to say, “But Master, we had meals with you. You taught us in the streets of our villages.”

27 But he will tell you, “No! I really do not know you. I do not know where you come from. You have done very bad things, so go away from me, all of you!”

28 Then you will weep very much because you are standing outside. You will bite your teeth together.[e] You will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the place where God rules. You will also see all God's prophets there. But God will shut you outside. 29 At that time, people will come from everywhere in the world, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They will all come to take their place in the kingdom of God. There they will sit down together to eat a great meal. 30 Listen! At that time, some people that are not important now will become the most important. And some people that are now the most important will not be important then.’

31 At that moment, some Pharisees came to Jesus. ‘Go away from here,’ they said to him. ‘Go somewhere else, because Herod wants to kill you.’

32 ‘Herod is a bad man,’ Jesus replied. ‘Tell him this: “I am still causing bad spirits to come out of people. I am still making sick people well again. I will continue to do all these things for some more days. On the third day I will have finished my work.” 33 Anyway, I need to continue my journey for some more days. If they want to kill a prophet from God, it has to happen in Jerusalem.

34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed God's prophets. And they have thrown stones to kill other people that God has sent to you. Many times, I have wanted to bring all of your people near to me. A female bird covers her babies with her body to make them safe. But you would not let me keep you from danger like that. 35 So listen! Your place will now become like a wilderness where nobody lives.[f] I tell you this. You will not see me again until the day when you say, “May the Lord God bless the man who comes with his authority!” ’

Footnotes

  1. 13:1 Pilate was the leader of the Roman government in Jerusalem.
  2. 13:8 This would make the ground good to grow things.
  3. 13:9 The people are like a tree that has no fruit. But God wants them to believe. And he wants them to obey Jesus. If they do that, they will be like a tree with fruit. If they refuse to believe in Jesus, they will die.
  4. 13:15 Because an ox is very strong, people use it to work for them. It can pull many things in a cart. People also use donkeys to carry heavy things. They tie them up at night in a special place.
  5. 13:28 Biting their teeth together may have shown that they were angry. Or it may have shown they were in much pain.
  6. 13:35 God will leave his house in Jerusalem. He will let the enemies of God's people kill very many people in Jerusalem. This happened 40 years later when an enemy attacked Jerusalem.

13 Now on the same occasion there were some present reporting to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach about the men of the Galil whose blood Pilate mixed with their zevakhim (sacrifices).

And, in reply, Moshiach said, Do you think that these men of the Galil were greater chote’im (sinners) than all others of the Galil, because they suffered this shud (misfortune)?

Lo (no), I say, but unless you make teshuva, you will all likewise perish.

Or do you think that those shmonah asar (eighteen) upon whom the migdal (tower) in Shiloach fell and killed them, do you think that they were greater chote’im (sinners) than all the Bnei Adam living in Yerushalayim?

Lo (no), I tell you, but unless you make teshuva, you will all likewise perish.

And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was speaking this mashal. A certain man had an etz te’enah (fig tree) which had been planted in his kerem, and he came seeking pri (fruit) on it, and he did not find any. [YESHAYAH 5:2; YIRMEYAH 8:13]

So he said to the keeper of the kerem, Hinei shalosh shanim (three years) I come seeking pri on this etz te’enah (fig tree) and I do not find any. Therefore, cut it down! Why is it even using up the adamah (ground)?

But in reply he says to him, Adoni, leave it also this year, until I may dig around it and may throw fertilizer on it,

And if indeed it produces pri in the future, tov me’od (very well); otherwise, you will cut down it [Ro 11:23].

10 Now in one of the shuls Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was saying shiurim on Shabbos.

11 And an isha which had a ruach hamachla (a spirit of an infirmity, illness) shmonah asar (eighteen) years was bent double and was not able to straighten up at all.

12 And when he saw her, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach called out to her and said, Isha (Woman), you have been set free from your machla (illness).

13 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed his hands upon her. And ofen ort (immediately) she was straightened and she was crying, Baruch Hashem!

14 And in reply the Rosh of the Beit HaKnesset, being indignant that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach had given refuah (healing) on Shabbos, was saying to the multitude, There are sheshah yamim (six days) in which melachah (work) should be done; therefore, come during those sheshah yamim and get your refuah; but not on Shabbos! [SHEMOT 20:9]

15 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu answered him and said, Tzevu’im! Does not each of you on Shabbos untie his ox or his donkey from the evus (animal feeding trough) and lead it away to water him?

16 But ought not this isha, a bat Avraham Avinu as she is, whom Hasatan has bound hinei, nebbach (regrettably) these shmonah asar (eighteen) long years—should she not have been set free from this bond on Shabbos?

17 And as Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said these things, all his mitnaggedim (opponents) were put to bushah (shame), and all the multitude was having simcha with chedvah (rejoicing) over all the things of kavod being accomplished by him. [YESHAYAH 66:5]

18 Therefore, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was saying, What is the Malchut Hashem like? And to what shall I make a tzushtel (comparison) of it?

19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden, and it grew and became an etz (tree), and the OPH HASHOMAYIM nested in its branches.

20 And again Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, To what shall I compare the Malchut Hashem?

21 It is like chametz (leaven), which an isha took and hid in shalosh (three) measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.

22 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was itinerating throughout the shtetlach (towns) and villages saying shiurim and heading on toward Yerushalayim.

23 And someone said to him, Adoni, are there only a few coming to Yeshuat Eloheinu? And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them,

24 Strive to enter through the sha’ar hatzarut (gate of narrowness), because many, I say to you, will seek to enter and they will not be able to.

25 After the Baal Bayit gets up and shuts the delet, and you begin to stand outside and to knock on the delet, saying, Adoneinu, open up for us! And in reply, he will say to you, I do not have daas of you; from where are you from?

26 Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in your presence, and in our rekhovot (streets) you taught.

27 And he will speak, saying to you, I do not know you, from where are you from? Go away from me, kol po’alei resha (all workers of evil)!

28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you will see Avraham Avinu and Yitzchak and Yaakov and all the Neviim in the Malchut Hashem, but you yourselves being thrown out.

29 And they will come from mizrach (east) and maarav (west) and from tzafon (north) and darom (south) and they will be the ones bimesibba (reclining at tish) in the Malchut Hashem.

30 And there are some acharonim who will be rishonim and there are some rishonim who will be acharonim.

31 In the same hour some Perushim approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, saying to him, Depart and go from here, because Herod wants to kill you.

32 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Go and tell that fox, Hinei, I cast out shedim and I accomplish refuot (healings) hayom (today) and makhar (tomorrow) and Yom HaShlishi (The Third Day) I reach my goal.

33 Nevertheless, it is necessary for me to travel on hayom (today) and makhar (tomorrow) and the yom following, because it cannot be that a navi should have his violent death and his histalkus (passing) outside Yerushalayim.

34 O Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, she who kills the Neviim and stones the ones sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your yeladim just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!

35 Hinei your Beis [HaMikdash] is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you shall by no means see me until the zman (time) comes when you say, BARUCH HABAH BSHEM ADONAI! [YIRMEYAH 12:17; TEHILLIM 118:26; RO 11:26]