Old/New Testament

²³ “Master,” somebody said to him, “will there be only a few that are saved?”

²⁴ “Struggle hard,” Jesus replied, “to get in by the narrow gate. Let me tell you: many will try to get in and won’t be able to. ²⁵ When the householder gets up and shuts the door—at that moment you will begin to stand outside and knock at the door and say, ‘Master, open the door for us.’ Then he will say in response, ‘I don’t know where you’ve come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate with you and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!’ ²⁷ And he will say to you, ‘I don’t know where you people are from. Be off with you, you wicked lot.’

²⁸ “That’s where you’ll find weeping and gnashing of teeth: when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, and you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from East and West, from North and South, and sit down to feast in God’s kingdom. ³⁰ And, listen to this: some who are last will be first, and some of the first will be last.”

Jesus grieves over Jerusalem

³¹ Just then some Pharisees came up and spoke to Jesus.

“Get away from here,” they said, “because Herod wants to kill you.”

³² “Go and tell that fox,” replied Jesus, “ ‘Look here: I’m casting out demons today and tomorrow, and completing my healings. I’ll be finished by the third day. ³³ But I have to continue my travels today, tomorrow and the day after that! It couldn’t happen that a prophet would perish away from Jerusalem.’

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets, and stone the people sent to you! How many times did I want to collect your children, like a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would have none of it! ³⁵ Look, your house has been abandoned. Let me tell you this: you will never see me until you are prepared to say, ‘Welcome with a blessing in the name of the Lord!’ ”