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Chapter 6

Debates About the Sabbath.[a] (A)While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.(B) Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” (C)Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those [who were] with him were hungry? [How] he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,[b] which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.”(D) Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

(E)On another sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.(F) But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there.(G) Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” 10 Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. 11 But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

The Mission of the Twelve.[c] 12 (H)In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer[d] to God. 13 When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve,[e] whom he also named apostles: 14 (I)Simon, whom he named Peter,[f] and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot,[g] 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot,[h] who became a traitor.

Ministering to a Great Multitude.(J) 17 [i]And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon 18 came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. 19 Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

Sermon on the Plain.(K) 20 [j]And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,[k]
    for the kingdom of God is yours.
21 Blessed are you who are now hungry,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
    for you will laugh.(L)
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
    and when they exclude and insult you,
    and denounce your name as evil
    on account of the Son of Man.(M)

23 Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.(N)

24 But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have received your consolation.(O)
25 But woe to you who are filled now,
    for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will grieve and weep.(P)
26 Woe to you when all speak well of you,
    for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.(Q)

Love of Enemies.[l] 27 (R)“But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,(S) 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.(T) 29 To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.(U) 32 For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.(V) 35 But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.(W) 36 Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.

Judging Others.[m] 37 (X)“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.(Y) 38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”(Z) 39 And he told them a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?(AA) 40 No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.(AB) 41 Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit.(AC) 43 [n]“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

The Two Foundations. 46 (AD)“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? 47 [o]I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them.(AE) 48 That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. 49 But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Footnotes

  1. 6:1–11 The two episodes recounted here deal with gathering grain and healing, both of which were forbidden on the sabbath. In his defense of his disciples’ conduct and his own charitable deed, Jesus argues that satisfying human needs such as hunger and performing works of mercy take precedence even over the sacred sabbath rest. See also notes on Mt 12:1–14 and Mk 2:25–26.
  2. 6:4 The bread of offering: see note on Mt 12:5–6.
  3. 6:12–16 See notes on Mt 10:1–11:1 and Mk 3:14–15.
  4. 6:12 Spent the night in prayer: see note on Lk 3:21.
  5. 6:13 He chose Twelve: the identification of this group as the Twelve is a part of early Christian tradition (see 1 Cor 15:5), and in Matthew and Luke, the Twelve are associated with the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk 22:29–30; Mt 19:28). After the fall of Judas from his position among the Twelve, the need is felt on the part of the early community to reconstitute this group before the Christian mission begins at Pentecost (Acts 1:15–26). From Luke’s perspective, they are an important group who because of their association with Jesus from the time of his baptism to his ascension (Acts 1:21–22) provide the continuity between the historical Jesus and the church of Luke’s day and who as the original eyewitnesses guarantee the fidelity of the church’s beliefs and practices to the teachings of Jesus (Lk 1:1–4). Whom he also named apostles: only Luke among the gospel writers attributes to Jesus the bestowal of the name apostles upon the Twelve. See note on Mt 10:2–4. “Apostle” becomes a technical term in early Christianity for a missionary sent out to preach the word of God. Although Luke seems to want to restrict the title to the Twelve (only in Acts 4:4, 14 are Paul and Barnabas termed apostles), other places in the New Testament show an awareness that the term was more widely applied (1 Cor 15:5–7; Gal 1:19; 1 Cor 1:1; 9:1; Rom 16:7).
  6. 6:14 Simon, whom he named Peter: see note on Mk 3:16.
  7. 6:15 Simon who was called a Zealot: the Zealots were the instigators of the First Revolt of Palestinian Jews against Rome in A.D. 66–70. Because the existence of the Zealots as a distinct group during the lifetime of Jesus is the subject of debate, the meaning of the identification of Simon as a Zealot is unclear.
  8. 6:16 Judas Iscariot: the name Iscariot may mean “man from Kerioth.”
  9. 6:17 The coastal region of Tyre and Sidon: not only Jews from Judea and Jerusalem, but even Gentiles from outside Palestine come to hear Jesus (see Lk 2:31–32; 3:6; 4:24–27).
  10. 6:20–49 Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” is the counterpart to Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5:1–7:27). It is addressed to the disciples of Jesus, and, like the sermon in Matthew, it begins with beatitudes (Lk 6:20–22) and ends with the parable of the two houses (Lk 6:46–49). Almost all the words of Jesus reported by Luke are found in Matthew’s version, but because Matthew includes sayings that were related to specifically Jewish Christian problems (e.g., Mt 5:17–20; 6:1–8, 16–18) that Luke did not find appropriate for his predominantly Gentile Christian audience, the “Sermon on the Mount” is considerably longer. Luke’s sermon may be outlined as follows: an introduction consisting of blessings and woes (Lk 6:20–26); the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36); the demands of loving one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42); good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (Lk 6:43–45); a parable illustrating the result of listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (Lk 6:46–49). At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.
  11. 6:20–26 The introductory portion of the sermon consists of blessings and woes that address the real economic and social conditions of humanity (the poor—the rich; the hungry—the satisfied; those grieving—those laughing; the outcast—the socially acceptable). By contrast, Matthew emphasizes the religious and spiritual values of disciples in the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus (“poor in spirit,” Mt 5:3; “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” Mt 5:6). In the sermon, blessed extols the fortunate condition of persons who are favored with the blessings of God; the woes, addressed as they are to the disciples of Jesus, threaten God’s profound displeasure on those so blinded by their present fortunate situation that they do not recognize and appreciate the real values of God’s kingdom. In all the blessings and woes, the present condition of the persons addressed will be reversed in the future.
  12. 6:27–36 See notes on Mt 5:43–48 and Mt 5:48.
  13. 6:37–42 See notes on Mt 7:1–12; 7:1; 7:5.
  14. 6:43–46 See notes on Mt 7:15–20 and 12:33.
  15. 6:47–49 See note on Mt 7:24–27.

The Question about the Sabbath(A)

(B)Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples began to pick the heads of wheat, rub them in their hands, and eat the grain. Some Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what our Law says you cannot do on the Sabbath?”

Jesus answered them, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his men were hungry? (C)He went into the house of God, took the bread offered to God, ate it, and gave it also to his men. Yet it is against our Law for anyone except the priests to eat that bread.”

And Jesus concluded, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Man with a Paralyzed Hand(D)

On another Sabbath Jesus went into a synagogue and taught. A man was there whose right hand was paralyzed. Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees wanted a reason to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man, “Stand up and come here to the front.” The man got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: What does our Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To help or to harm? To save someone's life or destroy it?” 10 He looked around at them all; then he said[a] to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand became well again.

11 They were filled with rage and began to discuss among themselves what they could do to Jesus.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles(E)

12 At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God. 13 When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon (who was called the Patriot), 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became the traitor.

Jesus Teaches and Heals(F)

17 When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon; 18 they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed. 19 All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.

Happiness and Sorrow(G)

20 Jesus looked at his disciples and said,

“Happy are you poor;
    the Kingdom of God is yours!
21 “Happy are you who are hungry now;
    you will be filled!
“Happy are you who weep now;
    you will laugh!

22 (H)“Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! 23 (I)Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.

24 “But how terrible for you who are rich now;
    you have had your easy life!
25 “How terrible for you who are full now;
    you will go hungry!
“How terrible for you who laugh now;
    you will mourn and weep!

26 “How terrible when all people speak well of you; their ancestors said the very same things about the false prophets.

Love for Enemies(J)

27 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. 30 Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back. 31 (K)Do for others just what you want them to do for you.

32 “If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that! 34 And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount! 35 (L)No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others(M)

37 “Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. 38 Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands—all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”

39 (N)And Jesus told them this parable: “One blind man cannot lead another one; if he does, both will fall into a ditch. 40 (O)No pupils are greater than their teacher; but all pupils, when they have completed their training, will be like their teacher.

41 “Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but pay no attention to the log in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Please, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye,’ yet cannot even see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit(P)

43 “A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit. 44 (Q)Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes. 45 (R)A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

The Two House Builders(S)

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and yet don't do what I tell you? 47 Anyone who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys them—I will show you what he is like. 48 He is like a man who, in building his house, dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. The river flooded over and hit that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But anyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a man who built his house without laying a foundation; when the flood hit that house it fell at once—and what a terrible crash that was!”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 6:10 said; some manuscripts have said angrily.

The Question about the Sabbath

One sabbath[a] while Jesus[b] was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful[c] on the sabbath?” Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

The Man with a Withered Hand

On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Teaches and Heals

17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Blessings and Woes

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
    for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.

22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you[d] on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
    for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
    for you will mourn and weep.

26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Love for Enemies

27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.[e] Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s[f] eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor,[g] ‘Friend,[h] let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s[i] eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

The Two Foundations

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.[j] 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 6:1 Other ancient authorities read On the second first sabbath
  2. Luke 6:1 Gk he
  3. Luke 6:2 Other ancient authorities add to do
  4. Luke 6:22 Gk cast out your name as evil
  5. Luke 6:35 Other ancient authorities read despairing of no one
  6. Luke 6:41 Gk brother’s
  7. Luke 6:42 Gk brother
  8. Luke 6:42 Gk brother
  9. Luke 6:42 Gk brother’s
  10. Luke 6:48 Other ancient authorities read founded upon the rock

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

(A)Now it happened that [a]Jesus was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath, and His disciples (B)were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what (C)is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And Jesus, answering them, said, “Have you not even read (D)what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the [b]consecrated bread, which (E)is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?” And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

(F)On another Sabbath He entered (G)the synagogue and taught; and a man was there [c]whose right hand was withered. Now the scribes and the Pharisees (H)were watching Him [d]closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him. But He (I)knew [e]what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and [f]come forward!” And he got up and [g]came forward. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” 10 And after (J)looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. 11 But they themselves were filled with senseless rage, and began discussing together what they might do to Jesus.

Choosing the Twelve

12 Now it was [h]at this time that He went off to (K)the mountain to (L)pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer with God. 13 And when day came, (M)He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as (N)apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and his brother Andrew; and [i]James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; 15 and (O)Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

17 And then Jesus (P)came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was (Q)a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the coastal region of (R)Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were being cured. 19 And all the [j]people were trying to (S)touch Him, because (T)power was coming from Him and healing them all.

The Beatitudes

20 And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, (U)Blessed are [k]you who are poor, for (V)yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are [l]you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are [m]you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 (W)Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they [n](X)exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice on that day and (Y)jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to [o]treat the prophets (Z)the same way. 24 But woe to (AA)you who are rich, for (AB)you are receiving your comfort in full. 25 Woe to you who [p]are well-fed now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to [q]treat the (AC)false prophets the same way.

27 “But I say to you who hear, (AD)love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, (AE)pray for those who are abusive to you. 29 (AF)Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your [r]cloak, do not withhold your [s]tunic from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 [t](AG)Treat people the same way you want them to [u]treat you. 32 (AH)If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 (AI)And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But (AJ)love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be (AK)sons of (AL)the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people. 36 [v]Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 (AM)Do not [w]judge, and you will not be judged; and do not [x]condemn, and you will not be condemned; [y](AN)pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will [z]pour (AO)into your lap a (AP)good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

39 Now He also spoke a parable to them: (AQ)A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 (AR)A [aa]student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at the [ab]speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the [ac]speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the [ad]speck that is in your brother’s eye. 43 (AS)For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, [ae]on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit. 44 (AT)For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 (AU)The good person out of the good [af]treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; (AV)for his mouth speaks from [ag]that which fills his heart.

The Parable of the Builders

46 “Now (AW)why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 (AX)Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and [ah]acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who [ai]dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 6:1 Lit He
  2. Luke 6:4 Lit loaves of presentation
  3. Luke 6:6 Lit and his
  4. Luke 6:7 Or maliciously
  5. Luke 6:8 Lit their thoughts
  6. Luke 6:8 Lit stand into the middle
  7. Luke 6:8 Lit stood
  8. Luke 6:12 Lit in these days
  9. Luke 6:14 Or Jacob, also vv 15 and 16
  10. Luke 6:19 Lit crowd
  11. Luke 6:20 Lit the poor
  12. Luke 6:21 Lit the ones who
  13. Luke 6:21 Lit the ones who
  14. Luke 6:22 Or excommunicate
  15. Luke 6:23 Lit do to
  16. Luke 6:25 Or have plenty to eat
  17. Luke 6:26 Lit do to
  18. Luke 6:29 Or outer garment
  19. Luke 6:29 A long shirt worn next to the skin
  20. Luke 6:31 Lit Do to
  21. Luke 6:31 Lit do to
  22. Luke 6:36 Or Prove yourselves merciful
  23. Luke 6:37 Or continually judge
  24. Luke 6:37 Or continually condemn
  25. Luke 6:37 Or continually pardon
  26. Luke 6:38 Lit give
  27. Luke 6:40 Or disciple
  28. Luke 6:41 Or splinter
  29. Luke 6:42 Or splinter
  30. Luke 6:42 Or splinter
  31. Luke 6:43 Lit again
  32. Luke 6:45 Or treasury, storehouse
  33. Luke 6:45 Lit the abundance of
  34. Luke 6:47 Lit does
  35. Luke 6:48 Lit dug and went deep

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(A)

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.(B) Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”(C)

Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(D) He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat.(E) And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man(F) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

On another Sabbath(G) he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely(H) to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.(I) But Jesus knew what they were thinking(J) and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious(K) and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles(L)

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.(M) 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:(N) 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew,(O) Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Blessings and Woes(P)

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,(Q) 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him,(R) because power was coming from him and healing them all.(S)

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.(T)
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.(U)
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.(V)
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you(W) and insult you(X)
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.(Y)

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,(Z) because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.(AA)

24 “But woe to you who are rich,(AB)
    for you have already received your comfort.(AC)
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.(AD)
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.(AE)
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.(AF)

Love for Enemies(AG)

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,(AH) 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.(AI) 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.(AJ) 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.(AK)

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?(AL) Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?(AM) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them,(AN) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children(AO) of the Most High,(AP) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful,(AQ) just as your Father(AR) is merciful.

Judging Others(AS)

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.(AT) Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(AU) 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.(AV) For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”(AW)

39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?(AX) 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.(AY)

41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit(AZ)

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.(BA) People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.(BB)

The Wise and Foolish Builders(BC)

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(BD) and do not do what I say?(BE) 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,(BF) I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”