Bible in 90 Days

Yeshua Sends Out the Seventy

10 Now after these things, the Lord assigned seventy^[a] others and sent them out by twos before Him into every town and place where He Himself was about to go. ² And He was telling them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beg the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.

³ “Go forth! Look, I am sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves. ⁴ Do not be burdened with a money belt, travel bag, or shoes; and do not greet anyone along the way. ⁵ Whatever home you enter, first say, “Shalom be on this home.” ⁶ If a son of shalom is there, your shalom will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ And remain in this same home, eating and drinking the things they offer, for the worker is deserving of his wage. Do not keep moving from house to house.

⁸ “Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what they set before you. ⁹ Then heal the sick in that town, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, then go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town sticking to our feet, we wipe off as a witness to you. But know this! The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom^[b] on that day than for that town.

¹³ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ Yet it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the Judgment than for you! ^{[c] 15} And you, Capernaum? You won’t be lifted up to heaven, will you? No, you will go down as far as Sheol. ¹⁶ The one who listens to you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

Returning with a Good Report

¹⁷ Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Master, even the demons submit to us in Your name!”

¹⁸ And Yeshua said to them, “I was watching satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I have given you authority to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been written in the heavens.”^[d]

²¹ In that very hour, He was overjoyed in the Ruach ha-Kodesh and said, “I praise You, Father, Master of the universe, that You have hidden these things from the wise and discerning and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was pleasing to You. ²² All things have been handed over to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

²³ Then turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! ²⁴ For I tell you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you are seeing yet did not see, and to hear what you are hearing yet did not hear.”

Who Is My Neighbor?

²⁵ Now a certain Torah lawyer stood up to entrap Yeshua, saying, “Teacher, what should I do to gain eternal life?”

²⁶ Then Yeshua said to him, “What has been written in the Torah? How do you read it?”

²⁷ And he replied, “You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”^[e]

²⁸ Yeshua said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But wanting to vindicate himself, he said to Yeshua, “Then who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Yeshua replied, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was attacked by robbers, who stripped him and beat him. Then they left, abandoning him as half dead. ³¹ And by chance, a kohen was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he passed by on the opposite side. ³² Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the opposite side. ³³ But a Samaritan who was traveling came upon him; and when he noticed the man, he felt compassion. ³⁴ He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then setting him on his own animal, he brought him to a lodge for travelers and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[f] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him. And whatever else you spend, upon my return I will repay you myself.’ ³⁶ Which of these three seems to you a neighbor to the one attacked by robbers?”

³⁷ And he said, “The one who showed mercy to him.”

Then Yeshua said to him, “Go, and you do the same.”

At Home with Miriam and Martha

³⁸ Now while they were traveling, Yeshua entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. ³⁹ She had a sister called Miriam, who was seated at the Master’s feet, listening to His teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving; so she approached Yeshua and said, “Master, doesn’t it concern you that my sister has left me to serve alone? Then tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ But answering her, the Lord said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and bothered about many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary. For Miriam has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”^[g]

Praying Along the Way

11 Now Yeshua was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Master, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² Then Yeshua said to them, “When you pray, say,

⁵ Then Yeshua said to them, “Which of you has a friend and will go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁶ because a friend of mine has come to me on his journey and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷ Then from within he may answer, saying, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even if the friend will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

⁹ “So I say to you, ‘Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.’ ¹¹ What father, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² And if he asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Ruach ha-Kodesh^[i] to those who ask Him!”

Crowds Demand a Sign from Heaven

¹⁴ Now Yeshua was driving out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute one spoke and the crowds were amazed. ¹⁵ But some among them said, “By beelzebul, the ruler of demons, He drives out demons.” ¹⁶ Others, testing Him, were demanding from Him a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ But Yeshua, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and a house against a house falls. ¹⁸ Now if satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say by beelzebul I drive out the demons. ¹⁹ But if by beelzebul I drive out demons, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if by the finger of God^[j] I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

²¹ “When a strong one, fully-armed, protects his own estate, his possessions are safe. ²² But as soon as someone stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, then he takes away the armor that he had trusted in and divides up his plunder. ²³ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

²⁴ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places looking for rest. Not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house where I came from.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there. And that man’s last condition becomes worse than the first.”

²⁷ Then as Yeshua was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd, raising her voice, said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that carried You and the breasts that nursed You!”

²⁸ But He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

²⁹ With the crowds increasing, Yeshua began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,^[k] so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ³¹ The Queen of the South will rise up at the Judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.^[l] And behold, something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation. And indeed, one greater than Jonah is here.

³³ “No one lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on the lampstand so that those entering may see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when it is sick, your body is full of darkness. ³⁵ Therefore, watch out that the light in you is not darkness. ³⁶ If then your body is full of light, with no part of it dark, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its gleam.”

Dinner with a Pharisee

³⁷ As He spoke, a Pharisee asked Yeshua to eat with him, so He entered and sat down. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Yeshua did not do the ritual handwashing before the meal. ³⁹ But the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Fools! Didn’t He who created the outside also create the inside? ⁴¹ But give as tzedakah those things that are within, and indeed everything is pure to you.

⁴² “But woe to you Pharisees, for you tithe mint, rue, and every garden herb,^[m] yet bypass justice and the love of God. It is necessary to do these things without neglecting the others. ⁴³ Woe to you Pharisees, for you love the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ Woe to you, for you are like unmarked tombs, and people walk over them without knowing.”

⁴⁵ But answering, one of the Torah lawyers says to Him, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us too.”

⁴⁶ Then Yeshua said, “Woe to you Torah lawyers as well, for you weigh the people down with burdens hard to carry, yet you yourselves will not touch the burdens with even a finger.

⁴⁷ “Woe to you, for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your own fathers killed! ⁴⁸ So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers, for indeed they killed them and you are building their tombs.

⁴⁹ “For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and emissaries, and some of them they will kill and persecute, ⁵⁰ so that the blood of the prophets shed since the foundation of the world might be required from this generation— ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the one who perished between the altar and the house of God.^[n] Yes, I tell you, it will be required from this generation.’

⁵² “Woe to you, Torah lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and you stood in the way of those entering.”

⁵³ When Yeshua left there, the Torah scholars and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to interrogate Him on many issues, ⁵⁴ plotting against Him to catch Him in His words.

An Aside with the Disciples

12 Meanwhile, when thousands of people had gathered, so many that they were trampling one another, Yeshua began speaking first to His disciples, “Be on guard yourselves against the hametz of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. ³ Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.

⁴ “I say to you, My friends, you should not be afraid of those who kill the body, since after this they have nothing more they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear. Fear the One who, after the killing, has authority to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear this One!

⁶ “Aren’t five sparrows being sold for two pennies?^[o] Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Indeed, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. ⁸ Now I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge him before the angels of God. ⁹ But the one who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who slanders^[p] the Ruach ha-Kodesh will not be forgiven. ¹¹ And when they bring you to the synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, ¹² because the Ruach ha-Kodesh will teach you at that time what is necessary to say.”

A Request from the Crowd

¹³ Then someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ But Yeshua said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the material goods he possesses.” ^{[q] 16} And Yeshua told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man produced good crops. ¹⁷ And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do? I don’t have a place to store my harvest!’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do! I’ll tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I’ll store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, ’O my soul, you have plenty of goods saved up for many years! So take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! Tonight your soul is being demanded back from you! And what you have prepared, whose will that be?’ ^{[r] 21} So it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich in God.”

Instructions for the Disciples

²² Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “So I say to you, do not worry about life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than birds!

²⁵ “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ^{[s] 26} So if you cannot do even something very little, why do you worry about other things? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. ^{[t] 28} But if God so clothes the grass in the field—which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow—then how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

²⁹ “So do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world strive after these things. But your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. ³² Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father chose to give you the kingdom.

³³ “Sell your possessions and do tzedakah. Make money pouches for yourselves that do not get old—a treasure in the heavens that never runs out, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

³⁵ “Have your belt strapped on and lamps burning. ³⁶ Be like people waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.

³⁷ “Happy are those slaves whose master finds them alert when he comes. Amen, I tell you, he will prepare himself and have them recline at table, and will come and serve them.

³⁸ “And if he comes in the second or even the third watch^[u] and finds them so, they will be happy. ³⁹ But understand this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you don’t expect.”

⁴¹ Then Peter said, “Master, are You telling this parable for us, or for everyone?”

⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their food portion at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whose master finds him so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, his master will put him in charge of all his possessions.

⁴⁵ “But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the young slave boys and girls and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. And he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

⁴⁷ “That slave who knew his master’s will but did not prepare or act according to his desire will be harshly whipped. ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know and did things worthy of a beating will be whipped lightly. From everyone given much, much will be required; and from the one for whom more is provided, all the more they will ask of him.

⁴⁹ “I came to pour out fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze! ⁵⁰ But I have an immersion to endure,^[v] and how distressed I am until it is finished!

⁵¹ “Do you suppose that I have come to bring shalom on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one house in opposition, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father,

mother against daughter and daughter against mother,

mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”^[w]

Lessons for the Crowds

⁵⁴ Then He also was saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, instantly you say, ‘A rainstorm is coming’—and so it is. ⁵⁵ And when a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It will be a scorcher’—and so it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! The surface of the earth and sky you know how to interpret yet you don’t know how to interpret this present time? ⁵⁷ Why can’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ For while you are going with your accuser to the authorities, make an effort to come to a settlement with him—so he doesn’t drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer of the court, and the officer of the court throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid back the last little bit.”^[x]

13 Now there were some present at the same time who told Yeshua about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² He answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans are worse sinners than the rest of the Galileans because they have suffered these things? ³ No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you all will perish the same way.

⁴ “Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and were killed, do you suppose that they are worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you all will perish the same way.

⁶ Then Yeshua began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree he had planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. ⁷ So he said to the gardener, ‘Indeed, for three years I‘ve come searching for fruit on this fig tree and found none. Remove it! Why does it use up the ground?’

⁸ “But answering, the gardener said to him, ‘Master, leave it alone for this year also, until I dig around it and apply fertilizer. ⁹ And if it bears fruit, good. But if not, cut it down.’”

Teaching by Example at the Synagogue

¹⁰ Now Yeshua was teaching in one of the synagogues on Shabbat. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman with a disabling spirit for eighteen years, bent over and completely unable to stand up straight. ¹² When Yeshua saw her, He called out to her and said, “Woman, you are set free from your disability.” ¹³ Then He laid hands on her, and instantly she stood up straight and began praising God.

¹⁴ But the synagogue leader, indignant that Yeshua had healed on Shabbat, started telling the crowd, “There are six days in which work should be done^[y]—so come to be healed on those days and not on Yom Shabbat!”

¹⁵ But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites! On Shabbat doesn’t each of you untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to give it drink? ¹⁶ So this one, a daughter of Abraham incapacitated by satan for eighteen years, shouldn’t she be set free from this imprisonment on Yom Shabbat?” ¹⁷ When Yeshua said these things, all His opponents were put to shame; but the whole crowd was rejoicing at all the glorious things done by Him.^[z]

Teaching throughout the Towns and Villages

¹⁸ So Yeshua was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and dropped into his own garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” ^{[aa] 20} Again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? ²¹ It is like hametz, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.

²² And He continued on His journey through the towns and villages, teaching and making His way to Jerusalem. ²³ And someone said to Him, “Master, are only a few being saved?”

Then Yeshua said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ Once the Master of the household gets up and shuts the door, and you’re standing outside and begin knocking on the door, saying, ‘Master, open up for us,’ then He will say to you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will start to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your company, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Get away from Me, all of you evildoers!’”^[ab]

²⁸ “There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ And they will come from the east and west and from the north and south, and they will recline at table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And indeed, some are last who shall be first, and some are first who shall be last.”

A Warning to Move On

³¹ In that hour, some Pharisees came up and said to Yeshua, “Get out and leave from here, because Herod wants to kill You!”

³² But Yeshua said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Indeed, I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’ ³³ But I must keep going today and tomorrow because it just can’t be that a prophet would perish outside Jerusalem.

³⁴ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate!^[ac] For I tell you, you will never see Me until you say, ‘Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’^[ad]”

A Dinner Conversation on Shabbat

14 Now when Yeshua went into the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat a meal on Shabbat, they were watching Him closely. ² And there before Him was a man swollen with fluid. ³ So Yeshua said to the Torah lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it permitted to heal on Shabbat, or not?”

⁴ But they kept silent. So Yeshua took hold of him and healed him, and He sent him away. ⁵ Then He said to them, “Which of you, with a son or an ox falling into a well on Yom Shabbat, will not immediately pull him out?” ^{[ae] 6} And they could not reply to these things.

⁷ Yeshua began telling a parable to those who had been invited, when He noticed how they were choosing the seats of honor. He said to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding, don’t take the seat of honor, for someone more highly esteemed than you may have been invited by him. ⁹ Then the one who invited both of you will come to you and say, ‘Give up this seat.’ And with shame, you would proceed to take the lowest seat. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest seat so that when the one who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you shall be honored in the presence of all those who are dining with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”^[af]

¹² Then Yeshua was also saying to the one who invited Him, “When you host a luncheon or dinner, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise they might invite you in return as your payback. ¹³ But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, since they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

¹⁵ Now hearing this, one of those dining with Yeshua said to Him, “Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁶ But Yeshua said to him, “A certain man was hosting a large banquet, and he invited many. ¹⁷ At the time for the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, everything is already prepared.’

¹⁸ “But every one of them began to beg off. The first said to him, ‘I bought a farm, and I’m obligated to go out to see it. I’m asking you to have me excused.’ ¹⁹ Then another one said, ‘I’ve purchased five teams of oxen, and I’m going to check them out. I’m asking you to have me excused.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I’ve married a wife, so I cannot come.’^[ag]

²¹ “The slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house got angry and said to his slave, ‘Quickly go out into the squares and alleys of the city and bring here the poor, the maimed, the blind, and the lame.’

²² “And the slave said, ‘Master, I have done as you instructed, and still there is room.’

²³ “So the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the thoroughfares and fenced areas, and press them to come in so my home may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”

Telling Parables Along the Road

²⁵ Now great crowds were traveling with Yeshua; and He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—and yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

²⁸ “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and figure out the cost, to see if he has enough to finish it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish everything, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish!’

³¹ “Or what king, going to make war against another king, won’t first sit down to consider whether he is able with ten thousand to confront the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ^{[ah] 32} If not, while the other is still far away, he sends an ambassador and asks for peace. ³³ So in the same way, whoever does not renounce all that he has, cannot be My disciple.

³⁴ “Therefore, salt is good; but if the salt should lose its flavor, how shall it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is not suitable for the soil or for a manure heap—it is thrown out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

15 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Yeshua. ² The Pharisees and the Torah scholars began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³ So He told this parable to them, saying, ⁴ “Which man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found my sheep that was lost!’ ⁷ I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one repenting sinner than over the ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”

⁸ “Or which woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin,^[ai] does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? ⁹ When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found the coin I had lost!’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

¹¹ Then Yeshua said, “A certain man had two sons, ¹² and the younger of them said to the father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that comes to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.

¹³ “Not many days later, the younger son gathered everything and traveled to a far country, and there he squandered his inheritance on wild living. ¹⁴ Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine came against that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he was longing to fill up on the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one was giving him any.

¹⁷ “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food overflowing, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I’ll get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.

²⁰ “And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let’s celebrate with a feast! ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life—he was lost and is found!’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was out in the field. And as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he called out to one of the servants and began to ask what these things could be.

²⁷ “The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “But the older son was angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came outside and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look, so many years I’ve slaved away for you—not once did I ignore your order. Yet you’ve never given me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came—the one who has squandered your wealth with prostitutes—for him you killed the fattened calf!”

³¹ “Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours. ³² But it was right to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life! He was lost, but is found.’”

A Lesson for the Disciples

16 Now Yeshua was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a household manager, and this manager was accused of squandering his belongings. ² So he called the manager and said to him, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

³ “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I’ll do, so that when I’m put out of management others will welcome me into their homes.’ ⁵ So he called in each one of his master’s debtors, and he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “He said, ‘One hundred units of olive oil.’

“The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘Now how much do you owe?’

“He said, ‘A hundred units of wheat.’

“The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’

⁸ “Now the master praised the crooked manager because he had acted shrewdly, for the sons of this age are smarter when dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. ⁹ I say to you, make friends for yourselves from the wealth of the world, so when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal shelters.

¹⁰ “One who is faithful in the smallest matters is also faithful in much, and the one unjust in the smallest matters will likewise be unjust in much. ¹¹ So then, if you cannot be trusted with unjust wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? ¹² Now if you have not been trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you anything of your own? ¹³ No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick by one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money.”^[aj]

The Pharisees Listen In

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and sneering at Yeshua. ¹⁵ But He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before the people, but God knows your hearts.^[ak] For what is prized among men is detestable in God’s sight.”

¹⁶ “The Torah and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since then, the Good News of the kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and everyone tries forcing his way in. ¹⁷ But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single serif^[al] of the Torah to fail. ¹⁸ Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. And he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

¹⁹ “Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, living it up in luxury every day. ²⁰ But a poor man named Lazarus had been laid at his gate, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming to lick his sores.

²² “It happened that the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. Then the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And from Sheol, as he was in torment, he raised his eyes. And he sees Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his side. ^{[am] 24} So he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! And send Lazarus so he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, because I am suffering torment in this flame.’^[an]

²⁵ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your life you received your good things, even as Lazarus received the bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are tormented. ²⁶ Besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is firmly set, so that those who want to cross over to you cannot, nor can those from there cross over to us.

²⁷ “Then the rich man said, ‘I beg you then, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house! ²⁸ For I have five brothers to warn, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “But Abraham said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!’”

Back to Teaching His Own

17 Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Stumbling blocks are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom they come! ² It would be better for him to have a millstone put around his neck and to be hurled into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

³ “Keep yourselves alert! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

⁵ Then the emissaries said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “If you have faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. ⁷ But if you have a slave who is plowing or tending sheep, who among you will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come right in, and recline at table’? ⁸ But won’t he instead say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat! Dress yourself and wait on me while I eat and drink; and afterward, you may eat and drink’? ⁹ He doesn’t thank the slave because he did what he was commanded, does he? ¹⁰ So you too, when you’ve done everything you are commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves. We have done only what we were supposed to do.’”

On the Move through Samaria

¹¹ Now while going up to Jerusalem, Yeshua was passing between Samaria and the Galilee. ¹² As He entered a certain village, ten men with tzara’at came toward Him. They stood some distance away ^{[ao] 13} and raised their voices, saying, “Yeshua, Master, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴ When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the kohanim.”^[ap] And as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ Now one of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, glorifying God with a loud voice. ¹⁶ And he fell at Yeshua’s feet, facedown, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Then Yeshua answered and said, “Weren’t ten cleansed? But where are the nine? ¹⁸ Weren’t any found who came back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then Yeshua said to the man, “Stand up and go! Your faith has made you well.”

²⁰ Now when Yeshua 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 signs to be seen. ²¹ Nor will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

²² Then Yeshua said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. ²³ They will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go and chase after them. ²⁴ For just as the lightning flashes from one part of the sky and lights up another part, so will the Son of Man be in His day. ²⁵ But first He must suffer much and be rejected by this generation. ²⁶ As it was in the days of Noah,^[aq] so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. ²⁷ They were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸ “It was just the same in the days of Lot.^[ar] They were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. ²⁹ But on the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ Things will be the same on the day when the Son of Man is made fully known. ³¹ In that day, the one who is on the roof, and his possessions in the house, must not go down to take them away. In the same way, the one who is in the field must not turn back. ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ^{[as] 33} Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

³⁴ “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken along and the other left. ³⁵ There will be two women grinding at the same place. One will be taken and the other left.” (³⁶ )^[at]

³⁷ “Where, Lord?” they replied.

And He said to them, “Where there is a corpse, there also will the vultures be gathered.”^[au]

18 Then Yeshua told them a parable to show that they should always pray and not be discouraged, ² He said, “There was a judge in a certain city who neither feared God nor respected people. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’

⁴ “He was unwilling at the time. But afterward he said to himself, ‘Although I don’t fear God or respect people, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so she won’t wear me out by her incessant coming.’”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge is saying. ⁷ Won’t God do justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He be slow to help them? ⁸ I tell you, He will quickly give them justice. But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

⁹ Then Yeshua spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, while holding others in contempt. ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘O God, I thank You that I am not like other people—thieving, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and tithe on all that I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, wouldn’t even lift his eyes toward heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ ^{[av] 14} I tell you, this man, rather than the other, went down to his home declared righteous. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹⁵ Now they were bringing even their babies to Yeshua, so He might touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they began rebuking them. ¹⁶ But Yeshua called for them, saying, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ Amen, I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

¹⁸ And a religious leader inquired of Yeshua, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁹ “Why are you calling Me good?” Yeshua said to him. “No one is good except One—that is God. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”^[aw]

²¹ The man said, “All these I have kept since my youth.”

²² When Yeshua heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all, as much as you have, and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” ²³ But upon hearing these things, he became deeply distressed, for he was very rich.

²⁴ Gazing at him, Yeshua said, “How hard it is for the rich to 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 the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ Then those who heard said, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷ But Yeshua said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”^[ax]

²⁸ Then Peter said, “Look, we’ve left everything of our own to follow You.”

²⁹ And Yeshua said to them, “Amen, I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who will not receive many times as much in this age; and in the olam ha-ba, eternal life.”

³¹ Then Yeshua took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem, and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be carried out. ³² He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and He will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. ³³ After they have scourged Him, they will kill Him. Yet on the third day, He will rise again.” ³⁴ But they understood none of these things; this message was hidden from them, and they did not understand what He was saying.

Approaching Jericho

³⁵ Now as Yeshua was approaching Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting by the road, begging. ³⁶ But when he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him that Yeshua ha-Natzrati was passing by. ³⁸ And he cried out, saying, “Yeshua, Ben-David, have mercy on me!”

³⁹ And those leading the way were scolding him, so he would be quiet. But he kept shouting all the more, “Ben-David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁰ So Yeshua stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to Him. And when he came near, Yeshua asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want Me to do for you?”

And he said, “Master, I want to see again!”

⁴² Yeshua said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has made you well.” ⁴³ Immediately the man received his sight and began following Yeshua, glorifying God. And when all the people saw it, they also gave praise to God.

Visiting Zacchaeus in Jericho

19 Now Yeshua entered Jericho and was passing through. ² And here was a man by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ Zacchaeus was trying to see who Yeshua was, but he couldn’t because of the crowd, for he was short in height. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Yeshua, for He was about to pass through that way.

⁵ When Yeshua came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

⁶ Zacchaeus hurried and came down and welcomed Him joyfully.

⁷ But when everyone saw it, they began to grumble, saying, “Yeshua has gone to be the guest of a sinner!”

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord. “Look, Master, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have somehow cheated anyone, I repay four times as much!”^[ay]

⁹ Then Yeshua said to him, “Today salvation has come to this home, because he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

¹¹ As they were listening to this, Yeshua went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they supposed that the kingdom of God was about to appear at once. ¹² Therefore He said, “A certain nobleman went to a faraway land to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. ¹³ And calling ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas^[az] and said to them, ‘Do business until I come back.’ ¹⁴ But his citizens detested him and they sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this fellow to reign over us!’ ¹⁵ When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he called for those slaves to whom he had given the money. He wanted to know how much business they had done. ¹⁶ Now the first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your one mina has made ten.’ ¹⁷ The master said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you were faithful with so little, take charge over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ Also, the second slave came, saying, ‘Your mina, Master, made five.’ ¹⁹ Then he also said to this one, ‘You are likewise over five cities.’ ²⁰ But another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina. I was keeping it safe in a handkerchief, ²¹ for I was afraid of you because you are a strict man. You take what you did not make and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² He said to him, ‘By the words of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked slave! You knew that I am strict, taking what I did not make and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank, so that when I came back I could have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ Then to the bystanders he said, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ²⁵ But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas!’ ²⁶ ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more shall be given. But from the one who doesn’t have, even what he does have shall be taken away. ²⁷ But those hostile to me, who didn’t want me to reign over them, bring them here and execute them before me.’”

Riding into Jerusalem

²⁸ After saying these things, Yeshua was going on ahead, up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When He got near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,^[ba] He sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village ahead. As you enter, you will find a colt tied up, that no one has ever sat upon. Untie it and bring it. ³¹ And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Master needs it.’”

³² Those who were headed out found things just as He told them. ³³ Then as they were untying the colt, his owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They said, “The Master needs it.” ³⁵ Then they brought it to Yeshua, threw their cloaks^[bb] on the colt, and set Yeshua on it. ^{[bc] 36} And as He went along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road. ^{[bd] 37} When Yeshua came near the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to rejoice. They praised God with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen, ³⁸ saying,

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!”

⁴⁰ But answering, Yeshua said, “I tell you that if these keep silent, the stones will shout out!”^[bf]

⁴¹ As He drew near and saw Jerusalem, He wept over her, ⁴² saying, “If only you had recognized this day the things that lead to shalom! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with barricades and hem you in on all sides. ^{[bg] 44} And they will smash you to the ground—you and your children within you. And they won’t leave within you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Confrontation at the Temple

⁴⁵ Then Yeshua entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants, ⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written,

‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’^[bh]

but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”^[bi]

⁴⁷ And He was teaching every day in the Temple. The ruling kohanim and the Torah scholars, even the leaders of the people, were trying to destroy Him; ⁴⁸ but they could not find any way to do it, because all the people were hanging on His words.

20 On one of the days while Yeshua was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the Good News, the ruling kohanim and the Torah scholars, together with the elders, confronted Him. ² And they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is the one who gave You this authority?”

³ But answering, Yeshua said to them, “I also will ask you a question, and you tell Me: ⁴ the immersion of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

⁵ They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ then all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John is a prophet.” ⁷ So they answered that they didn’t know where it came from.

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

⁹ Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,^[bj] leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. ¹⁰ And at the season, he sent a servant to the tenants so that they would give him part of the vineyard’s fruit. But the tenants beat him up and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ So he proceeded to send another servant. They beat him too and treated him shamefully, and they sent him away empty-handed. ¹² And he proceeded to send a third one. They wounded this one too, and they threw him out.

¹³ “Now the master of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love. Probably they will show him respect.’ ¹⁴ But when the tenants saw him, they discussed the matter among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours.’ ¹⁵ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the master of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

But when they heard this, they said, “May it never happen!”

¹⁷ Then Yeshua looked right at them and said, “Then what is this that has been written,

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be shattered; but the one upon whom it falls, it will crush him.”^[bl]

¹⁹ The Torah scholars and the ruling kohanim tried to grab Him that very hour, because they realized that He spoke this parable against them—but they feared the people.