Luke 7
International Children’s Bible
Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant
7 When Jesus finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum. 2 In Capernaum there was an army officer. He had a servant who was so sick he was nearly dead. The officer loved the servant very much. 3 When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him. The officer wanted the leaders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. 4 The men went to Jesus and begged him saying, “This officer is worthy of your help. 5 He loves our people, and he built us a synagogue.”
6 So Jesus went with the men. He was getting near the officer’s house when the officer sent friends to say, “Lord, you don’t need to come into my house. I am not good enough for you to be under my roof. 7 That is why I did not come to you myself. You only need to say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 I, too, am a man under the authority of other men. And I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. And I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. And I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and my servant obeys me.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He turned to the crowd following him and said, “I tell you, this is the greatest faith I have seen anywhere, even in Israel.”
10 The men who had been sent to Jesus went back to the house. There they found that the servant was healed.
Jesus Brings a Man Back to Life
11 The next day Jesus went to a town called Nain. His followers and a large crowd were traveling with him. 12 When he came near the town gate, he saw a funeral. A mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. A large crowd from the town was with the mother while her son was being carried out. 13 When the Lord saw her, he felt very sorry for her. Jesus said to her, “Don’t cry.” 14 He went up to the coffin and touched it. The men who were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15 And the son sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16 All the people were amazed. They began praising God. They said, “A great prophet has come to us! God is taking care of his people.”
17 This news about Jesus spread through all Judea and into all the places around there.
John Asks a Question
18 John’s followers told him about all these things. He called for two of his followers. 19 He sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the One who is coming, or should we wait for another?”
20 So the men came to Jesus. They said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the One who is coming, or should we wait for another?’”
21 At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits. He healed many blind people so that they could see again. 22 Then Jesus said to John’s followers, “Go tell John the things that you saw and heard here. The blind can see. The crippled can walk. People with a harmful skin disease are healed. The deaf can hear, and the dead are given life. And the Good News is told to the poor. 23 The person who does not lose faith is blessed!”
24 When John’s followers left, Jesus began to tell the people about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed[a] blown by the wind? 25 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. People who have fine clothes live in kings’ palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. 27 This was written about John:
‘I will send my messenger ahead of you.
He will prepare the way for you.’ Malachi 3:1
28 I tell you, John is greater than any other man ever born. But even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John.”
29 (When the people heard this, they all agreed that God’s teaching was good. Even the tax collectors agreed. These were people who were already baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and teachers of the law refused to accept God’s plan for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)
31 Then Jesus said, “What shall I say about the people of this time? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other group and says,
‘We played music for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a sad song, but you did not cry.’
33 John the Baptist came and did not eat like other people or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon in him.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating like other people and drinking wine. And you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is a friend of the tax collectors and “sinners”!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the things it does.”
Simon the Pharisee
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and sat at the table. 37 A sinful woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 She stood at Jesus’ feet, crying, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She dried his feet with her hair, kissed them many times and rubbed them with the perfume. 39 The Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this. He thought to himself, “If Jesus were a prophet, he would know that the woman who is touching him is a sinner!”
40 Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
Simon said, “Teacher, tell me.”
41 Jesus said, “There were two men. Both men owed money to the same banker. One man owed the banker 500 silver coins.[b] The other man owed the banker 50 silver coins. 42 The men had no money; so they could not pay what they owed. But the banker told the men that they did not have to pay him. Which one of the two men will love the banker more?”
43 Simon, the Pharisee, answered, “I think it would be the one who owed him the most money.”
Jesus said to Simon, “You are right.” 44 Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and dried my feet with her hair. 45 You did not kiss me, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in! 46 You did not rub my head with oil, but she rubbed my feet with perfume. 47 I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear because she showed great love. But the person who has only a little to be forgiven will feel only a little love.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The people sitting at the table began to think to themselves, “Who is this man? How can he forgive sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Because you believed, you are saved from your sins. Go in peace.”
Luke 7
Wycliffe Bible
7 And when he had fulfilled all his words into the ears of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
2 But a servant of a centurion, that was precious to him, was sick, and drawing to the death. [Soothly a servant of some man centurion, having evil, was to die, the which was precious to him.]
3 And when he had heard of Jesus, he sent to him the elder men of Jews, and prayed him [praying him], that he would come, and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they prayed him busily, and said to him, For he is worthy, that thou grant to him this thing; [And, when they came to Jesus, they prayed busily, saying to him, For he is worthy that thou give to him this thing;]
5 for he loveth our folk, and he builded to us a synagogue. [for he loveth our folk, and he built to us a synagogue.]
6 And Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent to him friends, and said [saying], Lord, do not thou be travailed, for I am not worthy, that thou enter under my roof;
7 for which thing I deemed not myself worthy, that I come to thee; but say thou by word, and my child shall be healed.
8 For I am a man ordained under power, and have knights under me [having under me knights]; and I say to this, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this thing, and he doeth [it].
9 And when this thing was heard, Jesus wondered; [and he turned,] and said to the people following him, Truly I say to you, neither in Israel I found so great faith [not in Israel I found so great faith].
10 And they that were sent, turned again home, and found the servant whole [found the servant whole], that was sick.
11 And it was done afterward, Jesus went into a city, that is called Nain, and his disciples; and full great people went with him.[a]
12 And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, lo! the son of a woman that had no more children, was borne out dead [lo! an only son of his mother was borne out dead]; and this was a widow; and much people of the city [was] with her.
13 And when the Lord Jesus had seen her, he had ruth on her, and said to her, Do not thou weep.
14 And he came nigh, and touched the bier [And he came, and touched the bier]; and they that bare the bier stood. And he said, Young man, I say to thee, rise up.
15 And he that was dead sat up again, and began to speak [And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak]; and he gave him to his mother.
16 And dread took all men, and they magnified God, and said [saying], For a great prophet is risen among us, and, For God hath visited his people.
17 And this word went out of him into all Judaea, and into all the country about.
18 And John's disciples told him of all these things. [And the disciples of John told to him of all these things.]
19 And John called twain of his disciples, and sent them to Jesus, and said [And John called together two of his disciples, and sent to Jesus, saying], Art thou he that is to come, or abide we another?
20 And when the men came to him [Soothly when the men had come to him], they said, John Baptist sent us to thee, and said [saying], Art thou he that is to come, or we abide another?
21 And in that hour he healed many men of their sicknesses, and wounds, and [of] evil spirits; and he gave sight to many blind men.
22 And Jesus answered, and said to them [And Jesus answering said to them], Go ye again, and tell ye to John those things that ye have heard and seen; blind men see, crooked men go, mesels be made clean, deaf men hear, dead men rise again, poor men be taken to preaching of the gospel.
23 And he that shall not be caused to stumble in me [And whoever shall not be offended in me], is blessed.
24 And when the messengers of John were gone forth [And when the messengers of John had gone away], he began to say of John to the people, What went ye out into desert to see? a reed wagged with the wind [a reed waved with the wind]?
25 But what went ye out to see? a man clothed with soft clothes? Lo! they that be in [a] precious cloak [Lo! they that be in precious cloth] and in delights, be in kings' houses.
26 But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
27 This is he, of whom it is written, Lo! I send mine angel before thy face, which shall make ready thy way before thee.
28 Certainly I say to you, there is no man a more prophet among the children of women, than is John Baptist [Soothly I say to you, among the children of women, no man is more prophet than John Baptist]; but he that is less in the kingdom of heavens, is more than he.
29 And all the people hearing, and publicans, that had been baptized with the baptism of John, justified God; [And all the people hearing, and publicans, baptized with the baptism of John, justified God;]
30 but the Pharisees and the wise men of the law, that were not baptized of him [forsooth Pharisees and wise men of law, not baptized of him], despised the counsel of God against themselves.
31 And the Lord said, Therefore to whom shall I say men of this generation like, and to whom be they like?
32 They be like to children [They be like children] sitting in the market, and speaking together, and saying, We have sung to you with pipes, and ye have not danced; we have made mourning [we have made lamentation, or mourning], and ye have not wept.
33 For John Baptist came, neither eating bread, nor drinking wine, and ye say, He hath a fiend.
34 Man's Son came eating and drinking, and ye say, Lo! a man a devourer [Lo! a man (a) devourer, or glutton], and drinking wine, a friend of publicans and of sinful men.
35 And wisdom is justified of [all] her sons.
36 But one of the Pharisees prayed Jesus, that he should eat with him. And he entered into the house of the Pharisee, and sat at the meat.
37 And lo! a sinful woman, that was in the city, as she knew, that Jesus sat at meat in the house of the Pharisee, she brought an alabaster box of ointment; [And lo! a woman sinner, that was in the city, as she knew, that Jesus had sat at the meat in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster box of ointment;]
38 and she stood behind beside his feet, and began to moist his feet with tears [and standing behind beside his feet, began to moist his feet with tears], and wiped [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed with ointment.
39 And the Pharisee seeing, that had called him, said within himself, saying, If this were a prophet, he should know, who and what manner woman it were that toucheth him, for she is a sinful woman. [Soothly the Pharisee seeing, that called him, saith within himself, saying, If this were a prophet, soothly he should know, who and what manner woman it is that toucheth him, for she is a sinner.]
40 And Jesus answered, and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to thee. And he said, Master, say thou. [And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to thee. And he saith, Master, say thou.]
41 And he answered, Two debtors were to one lender; and one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty; [And he answered, Two debtors were to some lender, or usurer; one owed five hundred pence, and an other fifty;]
42 but when they had not whereof to yield, he forgave [freely] to both. Who then loveth him more? [soothly them not having whereof they should yield, he forgave freely to both. Who of them therefore loveth him more?]
43 Simon answered, and said, I guess, that he to whom he forgave more. And he answered to him, Thou hast deemed rightly.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said to Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest no water to my feet; but this hath moisted my feet with tears [forsooth this woman hath moisted my feet with tears], and wiped with her hairs.
45 Thou hast not given to me a kiss; but this, since she entered, ceased not to kiss my feet.[b]
46 Thou anointedest not mine head with oil [Thou hast not anointed mine head with oil]; but this anointed my feet with ointment.
47 For which thing I say to thee, many sins be forgiven to her, for she hath loved much [for she loved much]; and to whom is less forgiven, he loveth less.
48 And Jesus said to her, Thy sins be forgiven to thee.
49 And they that sat together at the meat, began to say within themselves, Who is this that [also] forgiveth sins.
50 But he said to the woman, Thy faith hath made thee safe; go thou in peace.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
2001 by Terence P. Noble