Bible in 90 Days

He sends the seventy on before him to preach, and instructs them how to conduct themselves. He prays to his heavenly Father, answers the scribe that tested him, and by the example of the Samaritan, shows who is our neighbour. Martha receives the Lord into her house. Mary Magdalene is fervent in hearing his word.

10 After these things, the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before him into every city and place where he himself would come. ² And he said to them, The harvest is great, but the labourers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into his harvest. ³ Go your ways. Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

⁴ Carry no wallet, nor bag, nor shoes, and address no man by the way. ⁵ Into whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house. ⁶ And if a child of peace be there, your peace will rest upon him; if not, it will return to you again. ⁷ And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they have. For the labourer is worthy of his reward. Go not from house to house.

⁸ And into whatever town you enter, if they receive you, eat such things as are set before you, ⁹ and heal the sick that are there, and say to them, The kingdom of God is come nigh upon you! ¹⁰ But into whatever town you enter, if they do not receive you, go your ways out into the streets of the same and say, ¹¹ Even the very dust that cleaves on us from your city, we wipe off against you. But yet mark this, that the kingdom of God came nigh upon you.

¹² Yea and I say to you that it shall be easier in that day for Sodom than for that town. ¹³ Woe is to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been done in Tyre and Sidon that have been done in you, they would have repented a great while ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be easier for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be thrust down to hell.

¹⁶ He who hears you, hears me; and he who rejects you, rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects him who sent me.

¹⁷ And the seventy returned back again with joy, saying, Lord, even the very devils are subject to us through your name! ¹⁸ And he said to them, I saw Satan, like lightning as it were, fall down from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all manner of power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are under your power, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

²¹ At the same time, Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, I confess unto you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hid these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to the babes. Even so, Father, for so pleased it you. ²² All things are given me by my Father. And no man knows who the Son is except the Father, nor who the Father is except the Son, and the person to whom the Son will show him.

²³ And he turned to his disciples and said privately, Happy are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things that you hear, and have not heard them.

²⁵ And a certain doctor of the law stood up and tested him, saying, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ²⁶ Jesus said to him, What is written in the law? How do you read it? ²⁷ And he answered and said, Love your Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.

²⁸ And Jesus said to him, You have answered right. This do, and you shall live. ²⁹ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, Who then is my neighbour?

³⁰ Jesus answered and said, A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of thieves who robbed him of his clothing and wounded him, and departed leaving him half dead. ³¹ And by chance there came a certain priest that same way. And when he saw him, he passed by. ³² And likewise a Levite, when he came near to the place, went and looked on him, and passed by. ³³ Then a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came near to him, and when he saw him had compassion on him, ³⁴ and went and bound up his wounds, and poured in oil and wine. And he put him on his own animal and brought him to a common inn, and made provision for him. ³⁵ And when he departed the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come back, I will recompense you. ³⁶ Which now of these three do you think was neighbour to the man that fell into the thieves’ hands?

³⁷ And the doctor of law said, He that showed mercy on him.

Then Jesus said to him, Go then and do likewise.

³⁸ It happened as they journeyed that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹ And this woman had a sister called Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his preaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much work of serving, and stood and said, Master, do you not care that my sister has left me to minister alone? Tell her therefore that she should help me. ⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you care and are troubled about many things. ⁴² Truly one is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

He teaches his disciples to pray, drives out a devil, and rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees. They require signs and tokens. He eats with the Pharisee, and reproves the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites.

11 And it happened as he was praying in a certain place that when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. ² And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, even in earth as it is in heaven. ³ Give us our daily bread evermore. ⁴ And forgive us our sins, for even we forgive every person that trespasses against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

⁵ And he said to them, If any of you had a friend, and went to him at midnight and said to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ because a friend of mine has come from a journey to me and I have nothing to set before him, ⁷ and the man inside were to answer and say, Don’t trouble me; the door is now shut, and my servants are with me in the chamber; I cannot rise and give them to you – ⁸ I say to you, though he would not arise and give him a loaf because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he would rise and give him as many as he needed. ⁹ And so I say to you: ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

¹⁰ For everyone that asks, receives, and he that seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. ¹¹ If the son asks for bread from any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, will he give him a serpent for a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then who are evil can give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father of heaven give a holy spirit to those who desire it of him? 

¹⁴ And he was a casting out a devil that was dumb. And it followed, when the devil was gone out, the dumb man spoke. And the people were filled with wonder. ¹⁵ But some of them said, He casts out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. ¹⁶ And others challenged him, seeking from him a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, Every kingdom divided within itself will be brought to desolation, and one house will fall upon another. ¹⁸ So if Satan is divided within himself, how shall his kingdom endure? For you say that I cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub. ¹⁹ If I cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, without question the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²¹ When a strong man armed guards his house, that which he possesses is in peace. ²² But when one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him his weapons in which he trusted, and divides up his goods. ²³ He who is not with me, is against me. And he who does not gather with me, scatters.

²⁴ When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through waterless places, seeking rest. And when he finds none, he says, I will return again to my house from which I came out. ²⁵ And when he comes back, he finds it swept and set in order. ²⁶ Then he goes and gets seven other spirits worse than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the end of that man is worse than the beginning.

²⁷ And it happened, as he spoke those things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to him, Happy is the womb that bore you, and the paps that gave you suck. ²⁸ But he said, Yea, happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

²⁹ When the people were gathered thick together, he began and said, This is an evil nation. They seek a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah the prophet. ³⁰ For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of man be to this nation. ³¹ The queen of the south will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the end of the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, one greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn them, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.

³³ No man lights a candle and puts it in a concealed place, nor under a bushel, but on a candlestick, so that those who come in may see the light. ³⁴ The light of your body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is single, then is all your body full of light. But if your eye is bad, then shall all your body be full of darkness. ³⁵ Take heed therefore that the light which is in you be not darkness. ³⁶ For if all your body is lighted, having no part dark, then shall all be full of light, even as when a candle lights you with its brightness.

³⁷ And as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him, and Jesus went in and sat down to food. ³⁸ When the Pharisee saw that, he was shocked that he had not first washed before dinner. ³⁹ And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward parts are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ O foolish men, did not he who made the outside also make that which is within? ⁴¹ But rather give alms of what you have, and behold, all is clean to you. ⁴² But woe is to you Pharisees. For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, but pass over justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, but yet not have left the others undone.

⁴³ Woe to you, Pharisees, for you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets. ⁴⁴ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves that are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.

⁴⁵ Then one of the wise men of the law answered and said to him, Teacher, by so saying, you put us to rebuke also.

⁴⁶ Then he said, Woe is to you also, doctors of the law. For you load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves do not touch the packs with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷ Woe to you! You build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them; ⁴⁸ truly you bear witness that you accept the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their sepulchres. ⁴⁹ Therefore the wisdom of God spoke: I will send them prophets and apostles, and some they will slay, and some persecute, ⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the beginning of the world, may be required of this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple. Truly I say to you, it shall be required of this nation.

⁵² Woe to you, doctors of the law, for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter in, and those who came in, you opposed.

⁵³ When he spoke this way to them, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to hound him, and to stop his mouth with many questions, ⁵⁴ laying wait for him, and attempting to catch something out of his mouth that they could use to accuse him.

The leaven of the Pharisees. Christ strengthens his disciples against persecution, and warns them to beware of covetousness by the similitude of a certain rich man. He does not want them to hang upon earthly things, but to watch and to be ready for his coming.

12 As there gathered together an innumerable multitude of people (insomuch that they trod on one another), he began and said to his disciples, First of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² For there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, nor hid that will not be known. ³ For whatever you have spoken in darkness, that same shall be heard in the light. And that which you have spoken in the ear, even in secret places, shall be declared even on the top of the houses.

⁴ I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you: him fear!

⁶ Are not five sparrows bought for two copper coins? And yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, even the very hairs of your heads are numbered. Fear not, therefore. You are of more value than many sparrows.

⁸ I say to you, whoever confesses me before men, him also shall the Son of man confess before the angels of God. ⁹ And he who denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it may be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

¹¹ When they bring you before the synagogues, and before the rulers and officers, take no thought how or what thing to answer, or what you will say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you ought to say.

¹³ A man in the company said to him, Master, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. ¹⁴ And he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? ¹⁵ And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness. For no man’s life stands in the abundance of the things that he possesses.

¹⁶ And he put forth a similitude to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth fruits plenteously, ¹⁷ and he thought in himself, saying, What should I do, since I have no room to store my fruits? ¹⁸ And he said, This I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my fruits and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have goods enough laid up in store for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry! ²⁰ But God said to him, You fool, this night they will call away your soul back from you. Then whose will be those things that you have laid up?

²¹ This is how it is with him who gathers riches, but is not rich in God.

²² And he spoke to his disciples: Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat; neither for your body, what you will put on. ²³ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens. For they neither sow nor reap, and have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. How much more of value are you than the birds? ²⁵ Which of you, with taking thought, can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁶ If you then are not able to do that which is least, why be anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they do not labour, they do not spin, and yet I say to you that Solomon in all his royalty was not clothed like one of these. ²⁸ If God so clothes the grass that is today in the field and tomorrow will be cast into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? ²⁹ And ask not what you shall eat or what you shall drink, neither climb up on high. ³⁰ For all such things the heathen people of the world seek for. Your Father knows that you have need of such things. ³¹ Therefore seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be ministered unto you.

³² Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you a kingdom. ³³ Sell what you have and give alms, and make yourselves pouches that won’t wear out, and treasure that won’t fail in heaven, where no thief comes or moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also.

³⁵ Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning, ³⁶ and you yourselves like men waiting for their master, for when he will return from a wedding, so that as soon as he comes and knocks, they can open to him. ³⁷ Happy are those servants whom the Lord, when he comes, finds watching. Truly I say to you, he will gird himself about and make them sit down to food, and walk by and minister to them. ³⁸ And if he comes in the second watch, yea if he comes in the third watch, and finds them so, happy are those servants. ³⁹ This understand: if the householder knew what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and not allow his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ Be prepared therefore, for the Son of man will come at an hour when you think not.

⁴¹ Then Peter said to him, Master, do you speak this similitude to us, or to all men? ⁴² And the Lord said, If there be any servant faithful and wise, whom his lord appoints over his household to give them their portion of food at due season, ⁴³ happy is that servant whom his master, when he comes, finds so doing. ⁴⁴ Of a truth I say to you, he will appoint him over all that he has. ⁴⁵ But if the evil servant says in his heart, My master will defer his coming, and begins to smite the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and to be drunken, ⁴⁶ the lord of that servant will come in a day when he thinks not, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will separate him, and will give him his reward with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ The servant that knew his master’s will and did not prepare himself, nor do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ⁴⁸ But he who did not know, and yet committed things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. For to whom much is given, of him will much be required. And to whom men commit much, the more will they ask of him.

⁴⁹ I have come to send fire on earth. And what is my desire, but that it were already kindled? ⁵⁰ But I must be baptized with a baptism – and how I am pained till it be ended! ⁵¹ Do you suppose that I have come to send peace on earth? I tell you no, but rather division. ⁵² For from henceforth there will be five in one house, divided three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ The father will be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

⁵⁴ Then he said to the people, When you see a cloud rise out of the west, straightaway you say we will have a rain shower, and so it is. ⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blow, you say we will have heat, and it comes to pass. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites, you know how to interpret the aspect of the earth and of the sky, but why is it that you cannot interpret this present time?

⁵⁷ Yea, and why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, as you are in the way, be diligent to be delivered from him, lest he bring you to the judge, and the judge commit you to the jailer, and the jailer cast you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have made good the last mite.

Of the Galileans whom Pilate slew, and of those that died in Siloam. The similitude of the fig tree. Christ heals the sick woman. The parables of the mustard seed and leaven. Few enter into the kingdom. Christ reproves Herod and Jerusalem.

13 There were present at that same time people who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their own sacrifice. ² And Jesus answered and said to them, Do you suppose these Galileans were greater sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such punishment? ³ I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and slew them, do you think they were sinners above all who dwell in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

⁶ He put forth this similitude: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit on it, and found none. ⁷ Then he said to the dresser of his vineyard, Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none. Cut it down. Why is it taking up space on the ground? ⁸ And he answered and said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I dig round about it and dung it to see whether it will bear fruit. ⁹ And if it does not bear then, after that cut it down.

¹⁰ And he taught in one of their synagogues on the Sabbath days. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, and was stooped over, and could not lift herself up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said to her, Woman, you are delivered from your disease. ¹³ And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God. ¹⁴ But the leader of the synagogue responded with indignation because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and he said to the people, There are six days in which men ought to work; in them come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.

¹⁵ Then the Lord answered him and said, Hypocrite, does not each one of you on the Sabbath day loose his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it to the water? ¹⁶ And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound now eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?

¹⁷ And when he said this, all his adversaries were ashamed. But all the people rejoiced for all the tremendous deeds that were done by him.

¹⁸ Then he said, What is the kingdom of God like? or to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ Is is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew, and developed into a great tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.

²⁰ And again he said, To what may I liken the kingdom of God? ²¹ It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three bushels of flour until it was leavened right through.

²² And he went through all manner of cities and towns, teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem.

²³ Then someone said to him, Lord, are there few that will be saved?

And he said to them, ²⁴ Strive with yourselves to enter in at the strait gate. For many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able. ²⁵ When the master of the house has risen up and has shut the door to, you all will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! And he will answer and say to you, I know you not, where you are from. ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets. ²⁷ And he will say, I tell you, I do not know you, where you are from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!

²⁸ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out at the doors. ²⁹ And people will come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and will sit down in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And behold, there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.

³¹ That same day, certain of the Pharisees came and said to him, Get yourself out of the way, and depart from here, because Herod wants to kill you. ³² And he said to them, Go and tell that fox, behold, I cast out devils and heal the people today and tomorrow, and the third day I make an end of it. ³³ Nevertheless, I must be going on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish anywhere other than at Jerusalem.

³⁴ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together, like the hen gathers her nest under her wings! But you would not. ³⁵ Behold, your habitation shall be left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes that you say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

Jesus eats with the Pharisee, heals a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, teaches to be lowly, tells of the great supper, and warns people who would follow him to first determine what it will cost them. The salt of the earth.

14 And it happened that he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on a Sabbath day, and they were watching him. ² And there was before him a man who had the dropsy. ³ And Jesus addressed the wise men of law and the Pharisees, asking, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? ⁴ But they held their peace. And he took the man and healed him, and let him go. ⁵ And he spoke to them, saying, Which of you, having a donkey or an ox fallen into a pit, would not straightaway pull him out on the Sabbath day? ⁶ And they could not answer him in reply to that.

⁷ He put forth a similitude to the guests, when he observed how they sought out the seats of honour, and said to them, ⁸ When you are invited to a wedding by anyone, do not sit down in the highest place, lest a more honourable man than you be bidden by him, ⁹ and he who invited both him and you come and say to you, Make place for this man – and you then begin with shame to take the lowest seat. ¹⁰ But rather, when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest seat, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, sit up higher. Then you will have honour in the presence of those who sit at food with you. ¹¹ For whoever exalts himself will be brought low, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

¹² Then he said also to the man who had asked him to dinner, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends or your brethren, neither your kinsfolk or rich neighbours, lest they return the invitation and a recompense be made you. ¹³ But when you put on a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be happy; for they cannot recompense you, but you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

¹⁵ When one of those who sat at food also heard that, he said to Jesus, Happy is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God! 

¹⁶ Then Jesus said to him, A certain man prepared a great supper and invited many people. ¹⁷ And he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready. ¹⁸ And they all at once began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a farm, and I need to go and see it; I pray you, have me excused. ¹⁹ And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen and I’m going to inspect them; I pray you, have me excused. ²⁰ The third said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

²¹ And the servant went and brought his master word of this. Then was the lord of the house displeased, and said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and quarters of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.

²² And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you ordered, and still there is room. ²³ And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel the people to come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.

²⁵ A great number of people went with Jesus, and he turned and said to them, ²⁶ If a person comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife, and children, and brethren and sisters, and moreover his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ Which of you, thinking of building a tower, would not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has sufficient to complete it?– ²⁹ lest after he has laid the foundation and is not able to complete it, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish it. ³¹ Or, what king goes to make battle against another king, and does not sit down first and cast in his mind whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000? ³² If not, while the other is yet a great way off, he will send ambassadors and seek peace. ³³ So now then, none of you who will not renounce all that he has can be my disciple.

³⁴ Salt is good. But if salt has lost her saltness, what can be seasoned with it? ³⁵ It is neither good for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out at the doors. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The loving mercy of God is openly seen in the parables of the hundredth sheep and of the son that was lost.

15 Then all the publicans and sinners sought him out, in order to hear him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, He receives sinners into his company, and eats with them. ³ Then Jesus put forth this similitude to them, saying, ⁴ What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the countryside and go after the one that is lost until he finds him? ⁵ And when he has found him, he puts him on his shoulders with joy. ⁶ And as soon as he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost! ⁷ I say to you that likewise there will be joy in heaven over one sinner that repents more than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

⁸ Or what woman who has ten drachmas, if she loses one, does not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and search diligently till she finds it? ⁹ And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma that I had lost. ¹⁰ Likewise I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.

¹¹ And he said, A certain man had two sons, ¹² and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the part of the goods that belongs to me. And he divided the substance of his wealth between them. ¹³ And not long after, the younger son gathered all that he had together, and took his journey into a far country. And there he wasted his goods with riotous living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent all that he had, there arose a great dearth throughout all that same land, and he began to be in want. ¹⁵ And he went and attached himself to a citizen of that same country, who sent him to his field to keep his swine. ¹⁶ And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate, but no man gave to him.

¹⁷ Then he came to himself and said, How many hired servants at my father’s have bread enough, and I am dying of hunger? ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.

²⁰ And he arose and went to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. ²² But his father said to his servants, Bring forth that best garment and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring here the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is now found. And they began to be merry.

²⁵ The elder brother was in the field, and when he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing, ²⁶ and called one of his servants and asked what those things meant. ²⁷ And the servant said to him, Your brother is come, and your father had the fatted calf killed, because he has received him safe and sound.

²⁸ And the elder brother was angry and would not go in. Then his father came out and entreated him. ²⁹ He answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years I have served you, and not once broken your commandment, and yet you never gave me so much as a kid to make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this your son comes, who has devoured your goods with harlots, you have for his pleasure killed the fatted calf!

³¹ And the father said to him, Son, you were always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost, and is found.

The parable of the wicked mammon. Not one tittle of God’s word shall perish. Of the rich man and poor Lazarus.

16 And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward that was accused of wasting his goods. ² And he summoned him and said to him, How is it that I hear this of you? Give accounts of your stewardship, for you may no longer be steward.

³ The steward said within himself, What can I do? For my master will take away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig, and to beg I am ashamed. ⁴ I know what to do, so that when I am put out of the stewardship, people may receive me into their houses.

⁵ Then he called all his master’s debtors, and said to the first, How much do you owe to my master? ⁶ And he said, A hundred tons of oil. And the steward said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. ⁷ Then he said to another, What do you owe? And he said, A hundred quarters of wheat. The steward said to him, Take your bill and write eighty.

⁸ And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely. For among their own, the children of this world are wiser than the children of light. ⁹ And I say also to you, make friends for yourselves with the wicked mammon, so that when you depart this world, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

¹⁰ He who is faithful in that which is least, the same is faithful in much. And he who is unfaithful in the least is unfaithful also in much. ¹¹ So then, if you have not been faithful in the wicked mammon, who will believe you in that which is true? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in another man’s business, who will give you your own?

¹³ No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will lean to the one and neglect the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.

¹⁴ All these things the Pharisees also heard, who were covetous; and they mocked him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men, is abominable in the sight of God.

¹⁶ The law and the prophets reigned until the time of John; and since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone strives to go in.

¹⁷ Sooner can heaven and earth perish, than one tittle of the law can pass away. ¹⁸ Whosoever forsakes his wife and marries another, breaks matrimony, and every man who marries her that is divorced from her husband, commits adultery also.

¹⁹ There was a certain rich man that was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared deliciously every day. ²⁰ And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus who lay at his gate, full of sores, ²¹ longing to be relieved of hunger with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Nevertheless, the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried; ²³ and being in hell, in torments, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue! For I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵ But Abraham said to him, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your pleasure, and contrariwise Lazarus pain. Now therefore he is comforted, and you are punished. ²⁶ Beyond all this, between all you and us there is a great space set, so that those who would desire to go from here to you cannot, and none may come from there to us.

²⁷ Then he said, I pray you therefore, Father, send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brethren, to warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

²⁹ Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them.

³⁰ And he said, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one came to them from the dead, they would repent.

³¹ He said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe though one rose from death again.

Christ teaches his disciples to avoid occasions of evil, to forgive one another, steadfastly to trust in God, and that no one should presume in his own works. He heals the ten lepers, and speaks of the latter days, and of the end of the world.

17 Then Jesus said to his disciples, It cannot be avoided but that offences will come. Nevertheless, woe be to him through whom they come. ² It would be better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and that he were cast into the sea, than that he should hurt one of these little ones.

³ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, I am sorry – forgive him.

⁵ And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith. ⁶ And the Lord said, If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, and were to say to this sycamine tree, Pluck yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea, it would obey you.

⁷ Who among you, if he had a servant plowing or feeding sheep, would say to him when he came in from the field, Go quickly, and sit down to food? ⁸ And not rather say to him, Prepare for me to sup, and gird yourself up, and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you shall eat and drink? ⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did that which was commanded of him? I think not. ¹⁰ So likewise you, when you have done all the things that are commanded of you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.

¹¹ And it so was that, as he journeyed to Jerusalem, he passed through Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off, ¹³ and put forth their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!

¹⁴ When he saw them, he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, turned back again and with a loud voice praised God, ¹⁶ and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, and gave him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the other nine? ¹⁸ There are not found any that returned again to give God praise, save only this stranger. ¹⁹ And he said to the man, Arise and go your way; your faith has made you whole.

²⁰ When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with watching for it. ²¹ Neither may men say, See here, look there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

²² And he said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one day of the Son of man, and you will not see it. ²³ And they will say to you, See here, see there! Do not go after them or follow them. ²⁴ For as the lightning that appears out of the one part of the heaven and shines to the other part of heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his days. ²⁵ But first he must suffer many things, and be refused by this nation.

²⁶ As it happened in the time of Noah, so shall it be in the time of the Son of man: ²⁷ they ate, they drank, they married wives, and were married, right up to the same day that Noah went into the ark; and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise also as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. ²⁹ And even the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. ³⁰ After these examples shall it be in the day when the Son of man appears.

³¹ At that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his stuff in the house, not come down to take it out. And likewise, let not him who is in the fields turn back again to what he left behind. ³² Remember Lot’s wife. ³³ Whosoever would go about to save his life, shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life, shall save it. ³⁴ I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; the one will be received, and the other will be left. ³⁵ Two will also be a-grinding together; the one will be received, and the other left.

³⁷ And they answered and said to him, Where, Lord? And he said to them, Wherever the body is, there will the eagles resort.

He teaches to be fervent in prayer continually. Of the Pharisee and the publican. The kingdom of God belongs to children. Christ answers the ruler, and promises reward to all who suffer loss for his sake and follow him. The blind man is restored to his sight.

18 And he put forth a similitude to them signifying that people ought always to pray, and not to be weary of it, ² saying, There was a judge in a certain city who neither feared God nor regarded man. And there was a certain widow in the same city, who came to him, ³ saying, Avenge me of my adversary! ⁴ And he would not for a while. But afterward he said to himself, Though I do not fear God or care about people, ⁵ yet because this widow is troubling me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out with nagging.

⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will God not avenge his elect who cry day and night to him – yea, though he defer them? ⁸ I tell you, he will avenge them, and that quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, do you suppose he will find faith on the earth?

⁹ And he put forth this similitude to certain people who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus within himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers – or like this publican. ¹² I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. ¹³ But the publican stood afar off, and would not lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. ¹⁴ I tell you, this man departed home to his house justified more than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be brought low, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

¹⁵ They brought to him also babes, so that he could touch them. When his disciples saw that, they rebuked the people. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him and said, Allow the children to come to me, and do not forbid them. For of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, he shall not enter therein.

¹⁸ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what ought I to do to obtain eternal life? ¹⁹ Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? None is good, save God only. ²⁰ You know the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honour your father and your mother.

²¹ And he said, All these I have kept from my youth.

²² When Jesus heard that, he said to him, You lack yet one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow me.

²³ When the man heard that, he was downcast, for he was very rich.

²⁴ When Jesus saw him grieve, he said, With what difficulty do those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶ Then said those who heard that, And who then can be saved? ²⁷ And he said, Things that are impossible with men, are possible with God.

²⁸ Then Peter said, Lo, we have left everything and have followed you. ²⁹ And he said to them, Truly I say to you, there is no man who leaves house, or father and mother, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, ³⁰ who will not receive much more in this world, and in the world to come, everlasting life.

³¹ He took the twelve and said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things will be fulfilled that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man. ³² He will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, and will be despitefully abused, and will be spit upon. ³³ And when they have scourged him, they will put him to death. And the third day, he will arise again.

³⁴ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hid from them, and they could not perceive the things that were spoken.

³⁵ And it came to pass, as he came near to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging. ³⁶ And when he heard the people pass by, he asked what it meant. ³⁷ And they said to him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. ³⁸ And he called out, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! ³⁹ And the people who were in front admonished him to hold his peace. But he cried all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me!

⁴⁰ And Jesus stood still, and directed him to be brought to him. And when he had come near, Jesus asked him, saying, ⁴¹ What do you want me to do for you? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight! ⁴² Jesus said to him, Receive your sight; your faith has saved you. ⁴³ And immediately he saw, and followed him, praising God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave laud to God.

Of Zaccheus, and of the ten servants to whom the minas were delivered. Christ rides to Jerusalem and weeps over it.

19 And he entered in and went through Jericho. ² And there was a man named Zaccheus, who was a chief publican, and was rich also. ³ And he made efforts to see Jesus, who he was. But due to the press of people, he could not, because he was of a low stature. ⁴ And so he ran ahead and climbed up into a wild fig tree in order to see him, for he would be coming that way.

⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, Zacche, come down at once, for today I must stay at your house. ⁶ And he came down hastily, and brought him home joyfully. ⁷ And when the people saw that, they all murmured, saying, He has gone in to stay with a man that is a sinner.

⁸ And Zacche stood forth and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord: half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have done any man wrong, I will restore him fourfold. ⁹ And Jesus said to him, This day salvation has come to this house, seeing that he also has become the child of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

¹¹ As the people listened to these things, he added a similitude, because he was nearing Jerusalem, and also because they thought that the kingdom of God would shortly appear. ¹² He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return. ¹³ And he called his ten servants and gave them ten minas, saying to them, Trade with these till I come. ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him and sent messengers after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, when the nobleman returned and had received his kingdom, he commanded those servants to whom he had given his money to be called to him, to find out how each had done. ¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, Lord, your mina has increased ten minas. ¹⁷ And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little thing, you shall have authority over ten cities. ¹⁸ And the other came, saying, Lord, your mina has increased five minas. ¹⁹ And to him he said, You also shall be over five cities.

²⁰ And the third came and said, Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept in a napkin. ²¹ For I feared you, because you are a hard man. You take where you did not invest, and reap what you did not sow.

²² And his lord said to him, By your own mouth I judge you, you evil servant. You knew that I am a hard man, taking where I did not invest and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then didn’t you put my money into the bank, so that at my coming I could have claimed what is my own with profit?

²⁴ And he said to those who stood by, Take from him that mina, and give it the one who has ten minas. ²⁵ And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas!

²⁶ I say to you that to all those who have, it will be given, and from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken from him. ²⁷ Moreover, those my enemies who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.

²⁸ And when Jesus had thus spoken, he went on ahead, ascending up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ And it so was, when he came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, ³⁰ saying, Go into the town which is in front of you, in which, as soon as you enter, you will find a colt tied, on which no man ever yet sat. Untie him and bring him here. ³¹ And if anyone asks you why you are untying him, thus say to him: The Lord has need of him.

³² Those who were sent went their way and found it just as he had said to them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, the owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt? ³⁴ And they said, Because the Lord has need of him.

³⁵ And they brought him to Jesus. And they cast their cloaks on the colt and set Jesus thereon. ³⁶ And as he went, people spread their cloaks in the way. ³⁷ And when he came now to where he was to descend from the Mount of Olives, the whole number of the disciples began to rejoice, and to laud God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, Blessed be the king that comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the company said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. ⁴⁰ He answered and said to them, I tell you, if these held their peace, the stones would cry out.

⁴¹ And when he came near, he beheld the city and wept on it, ⁴² saying, If only you had known those things that belong to your peace, at this your very time! But now they are hid from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you that your enemies will cast up a siege-mound about you, and compass you around, and hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and lay you level with the ground, with your children who are in you. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not acknowledge the time of your visitation.

⁴⁵ And he went into the temple and began to cast out those who sold therein, and those who bought, ⁴⁶ saying to them, It is written: My house is the house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves.

⁴⁷ And he taught daily in the temple. The high priests and the scribes and the chief men of the people went about to destroy him, but could not find what to do, ⁴⁸ because all the people stayed close by him, and listened attentively to him.

They ask Christ one question, and he asks them another. The parable of the vineyard. Of tribute to be given to Caesar, and how Christ stops the mouths of the Sadducees.

20 And it happened in one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, the high priests and the scribes came with the elders ² and spoke to him, saying, Tell us by what authority you do these things. Or who is it that gave you this authority? ³ He answered and said to them, I also will ask you a question, and answer me. ⁴ The baptism of John: was it from heaven, or of men?

⁵ And they thought within themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say, Why then did you not believe him? ⁶ But if we say of men, all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John is a prophet. ⁷ And they answered that they did not know where it was from.

⁸ And Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

⁹ Then he began and put forth to the people this similitude: A certain man planted a vineyard and let it out to farmers, and went himself into a far country for a great season. ¹⁰ And when the time came, he sent a servant to his tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruits of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ And again he sent yet another servant. And they beat him and grievously used him also, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² Moreover he sent a third too, and him they wounded and cast out.

¹³ Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my dear son; him perhaps they will respect, when they see him. ¹⁴ But when the farmers saw him, they thought in themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, let us kill him so that the inheritance can be ours. ¹⁵ And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now, what will the lord of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy these farmers, and will let out his vineyard to others.

When they heard that, they said, God forbid!

¹⁷ And he looked upon them and said, What then does this mean that is written: The stone that the builders refused, the same is made the head cornerstone; ¹⁸ whosoever stumbles at that stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder?

¹⁹ And the high priests and the scribes in that same hour went about to lay hands on him, but they feared the people. For they perceived that he had spoken this similitude against them.