Chronological

¹¹ Jesus was going on the road to Jerusalem. He went between the countries of Samaria and Galilee.

¹² When he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy came to him. They stood far away.

¹³ And they called out, `Jesus, Master, help us!'

¹⁴ When Jesus saw them, he said to them, `Go and let the priests look at you.' While they were going, they were healed of the leprosy.

¹⁵ One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back. He praised God with a loud voice.

¹⁶ He bowed down in front of Jesus and thanked him. He was a man from the country of Samaria.

¹⁷ Then Jesus asked, `Were not ten people healed? Where are the other nine?

¹⁸ Is this stranger the only one who has come back to praise God?'

¹⁹ Then he said to the man, `Get up and go on your way. You were healed because you believed.'

²⁰ The Pharisees asked Jesus, `When will the kingdom of God come?' He answered them, `You cannot see the kingdom of God when it comes.

²¹ People will not be able to say, "Look, here it is!" or "There it is! That is because the kingdom of God is inside you.'

²² Jesus said to his disciples, `The time will come when you will want to see one of the days of the Son of Man. But you will not see it.

²³ People will say to you, "Look! Here he is!" or "Look! There he is!" But do not go out or follow them.

²⁴ When lightning comes, it lights up the whole sky. It will be like that on the day when the Son of Man comes.

²⁵ But first he will have much trouble. The people who are living now will not believe in him.

²⁶ `The way it was in the time of Noah is the way it will be in the time of the Son of Man.

²⁷ People ate and drank. They married and gave their daughters to be married. All this went on until the day when Noah went into his house built on a boat. Then there was much water and all the people outside the boat died.

²⁸ `It was the same way in the time of Lot. People ate and drank. They bought and sold. They planted and built.

²⁹ Then one day Lot went out of the city of Sodom. Then on that day fire and burning rock came down from the sky and killed all the people.

³⁰ `That is the way it will be on the day when the Son of Man is seen.

³¹ On that day a man will be at the top of his house, and his things will be below. But he must not go down to get his things. In the same way a man will be in the field, but he must not go back home.

³² Remember what happened to Lot's wife.

³³ Anyone who wants to keep his life will lose it. And anyone who gives up his life will keep it.

³⁴ `I tell you, on that night two people may be in one bed. One will be taken away and the other will be left.

³⁵ Two women will be making flour together. One woman will be taken away and the other woman will be left.

³⁶ Two men will be in a field. One man will be taken away and the other man will be left.'

³⁷ They asked him, `Where will this be, Lord?' He said, `The big birds that eat meat will go to the place where the dead body is.'

18 Jesus told them a story to teach them that they should keep on talking with God and not give up.

² He said, `There was a judge in a city. He did not respect God or care about people.

³ There was a woman in that city whose husband was dead. The woman came to the judge again and again. She said, "Save me from my enemy!"

⁴ For a long time he would not do it. But after a time he said, "I do not respect God or care about people.

⁵ But this woman is troubling me. So I will save her from her enemy. If I do not, she will keep coming until I am tired." '

⁶ The Lord said, `The judge was a bad man. And yet you should listen to what he says.

⁷ When the people whom God has chosen call to him day and night, he will save them from their enemies. He may let them wait a time.

⁸ But I tell you, he will save them from their enemies soon. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any people who believe in him?'

⁹ There were some people who thought they were very good. And they thought that other people were not good. Jesus told this story to them.

¹⁰ He said, `Two men went to the temple to talk with God. One was a Pharisee and the other one was a tax collector.

¹¹ `The Pharisee stood and said to himself, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men. They steal, cheat, and commit adultery. I thank you that I am not like this tax collector.

¹² Two times in the week I do not eat - I fast. I give away one tenth part of all I get."

¹³ `The tax collector stood far away. He did not even look up towards heaven. But he beat his chest, and said, "God, I am a bad man. Help me!"

¹⁴ I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God. The other one was not. Everyone who puts himself up in a high place will be brought down to a low place. And everyone who puts himself in a low place will be brought up to a high place.'