1   The author to Theophilus: Many writers have undertaken to draw up an account of the events that have happened among us, 2   following the traditions handed down to us by the original eyewitnesses and servants of the Gospel. 3   And so I in my turn, your Excellency, as one who has gone over the whole course of these events in detail, have decided to write a connected narrative for you, 4   so as to give you authentic knowledge about the matters of which you have been informed.

The coming of Christ

5   In the days of Herod king of Judaea there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of the priesthood called after Abijah. 6   His wife also was of priestly descent; her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were upright and devout, blamelessly observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. 7   But they had no children, for Elizabeth was barren, and both were well on in years.

8   Once, when it was the turn of his division and he was there to take part in divine service, 9   it fell to his lot, by priestly custom, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer the incense; 10   and the whole congregation was at prayer outside. It was the hour of the incense-offering. 11   There appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. 12   At this sight, Zechariah was startled, and fear overcame him. 13   But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard: your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14   Your heart will thrill with joy and many will be glad that he was born; 15   for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He shall never touch wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit; 16   and he will bring back many Israelites to the Lord their God.

The coming of Christ 17   He will go before him as forerunner, ^note possessed by the spirit and power of Elijah, to reconcile father and child, to convert the rebellious to the ways of the righteous, to prepare a people that shall be fit for the Lord.’

18   Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years.’

19   The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel; I stand in attendance upon God, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. 20   But now listen: you will lose your power of speech, and remain silent until the day when these things happen to you, because you have not believed me, though at their proper time my words will be proved true.’

21   Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, surprised that he was staying so long inside. 22   When he did come out he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had had a vision in the sanctuary. He stood there making signs to them, and remained dumb.

23   When his period of duty was completed Zechariah returned home. 24   After this his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she lived in seclusion, thinking, ‘This is the Lord's doing; 25   now at last he has deigned to take away my reproach among men.’

26   In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27   with a message for a girl betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David; the girl's name was Mary. 28   The angel went in and said to her, ‘Greetings, most favoured one! 29   The Lord is with you.’ But she was deeply troubled by what he said and wondered what this greeting might mean. 30   Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for God has been gracious to you; 31   you shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus. 32   He will be great; he will bear the title “Son of the Most High”; the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, and he will be king over Israel ^note for ever; 33   his reign shall never end.’ 34   ‘How can this be?’ said Mary; ‘I am still a virgin.’ 35   The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy child to be born will be called “Son of God”. ^note 36   Moreover your kinswoman Elizabeth has herself conceived a son in her old age; and she who is reputed barren is now in her sixth

The coming of Christ month, for God's promises can never fail.’ ^note 37    38   ‘Here am I,’ said Mary; ‘I am the Lord's servant; as you have spoken, so be it.’ Then the angel left her.

39   About this time Mary set out and went straight to a town in the uplands of Judah. 40   She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. 41   And when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby stirred in her womb. Then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried aloud, 42   ‘God's blessing is on you above all women, and his blessing is on the fruit of your womb. 43   Who am I, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44   I tell you, when your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy. 45   How happy is she who has had faith that the Lord's promise would be fulfilled!’

46   And Mary ^note said:

  ‘Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord,
   47   rejoice, rejoice, my spirit, in God my saviour;
   48   so tenderly has he looked upon his servant,
    humble as she is.
  For, from this day forth,
  all generations will count me blessed,
   49   so wonderfully has he dealt with me,
    the Lord, the Mighty One.


    His name is Holy;
   50   his mercy sure from generation to generation
    toward those who fear him;
   51   the deeds his own right arm has done
    disclose his might:
  the arrogant of heart and mind he has put to rout,
   52   he has brought down monarchs from their thrones,
    but the humble have been lifted high.
   53   The hungry he has satisfied with good things,
    the rich sent empty away.


   54   He has ranged himself at the side of Israel his servant;
     55   firm in his promise to our forefathers,
  he has not forgotten to show mercy to Abraham
    and his children's children, for ever.’

56   Mary stayed with her about three months and then returned home.

The coming of Christ

57   Now the time came for Elizabeth's child to be born, and she gave birth to a son. 58   When her neighbours and relatives heard what great favour the Lord had shown her, they were as delighted as she was. 59   Then on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60   But his mother spoke up and said, ‘No! he is to be called John.’ 61   ‘But’, they said, ‘there is nobody in your family who has that name.’ 62   They inquired of his father by signs what he would like him to be called. 63   He asked for a writing-tablet and to the astonishment of all wrote down, ‘His name is John.’ 64   Immediately his lips and tongue were freed and he began to speak, praising God. 65   All the neighbours were struck with awe, and everywhere in the uplands of Judaea the whole story became common talk. 66   All who heard it were deeply impressed and said, ‘What will this child become?’ For indeed the hand of the Lord was upon him. ^note

67   And Zechariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and uttered this prophecy:

   68   ‘Praise to the God of Israel!
For he has turned to his people, saved them and set them free,
69   and has raised up a deliverer of victorious power
  from the house of his servant David.


70   So he promised: age after age he proclaimed
  by the lips of his holy prophets,
71   that he would deliver us from our enemies,
  out of the hands of all who hate us;
72   that he would deal mercifully with our fathers,
  calling to mind his solemn covenant.


73   Such was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
   74   to rescue us from enemy hands,
and grant us, free from fear, to worship him
   75   with a holy worship, with uprightness of heart,
  in his presence, our whole life long.


76   And you, my child, you shall be called Prophet of the Highest,
for you will be the Lord's forerunner, to prepare his way
   77   and lead his people to salvation through knowledge of him,
  by the forgiveness of their sins:

The coming of Christ

78   for in the tender compassion of our God
  the morning sun from heaven will rise ^note upon us,
79   to shine on those who live in darkness, under the cloud of death,
  and to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

80   As the child grew up he became strong in spirit; he lived out in the wilds until the day when he appeared publicly before Israel.

1   In those days a decree was issued by the Emperor Augustus for a registration to be made throughout the Roman world. 2   This was the first registration of its kind; it took place when Quirinius ^note was governor of Syria. 3   For this purpose everyone made his way to his own town; 4   and so Joseph went up to Judaea from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, 5   to register at the city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of David by descent; and with him went Mary who was betrothed to him. 6   She was expecting a child, and while they were there the time came for her baby to be born, 7   and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in his swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them to lodge in the house.

8   Now in this same district there were shepherds out in the fields, keeping watch through the night over their flock, 9   when suddenly there stood before them an angel of the Lord, and the splendour of the Lord shone round them. 10   They were terror-stricken, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid; I have good news for you: there is great joy coming to the whole people. 11   Today in the city of David a deliverer has been born to you—the Messiah, the Lord. ^note 12   And this is your sign: you will find a baby lying wrapped in his swaddling clothes, in a manger.’ 13   All at once there was with the angel a great company of the heavenly host, singing the praises of God:

     14   ‘Glory to God in highest heaven,
  and on earth his peace for men on whom his favour rests.’ ^note

15   After the angels had left them and gone into heaven the shepherds said to one another, ‘Come, we must go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16   So they went with all speed and found their way to Mary and Joseph; and the baby was lying in the manger. 17   When they saw

The coming of Christ him, they recounted what they had been told about this child; 18   and all who heard were astonished at what the shepherds said. 19   But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered over them. 20   Meanwhile the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for what they had heard and seen; it had all happened as they had been told.

21   Eight days later the time came to circumcise him, and he was given the name Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived.

22   Then, after their purification had been completed in accordance with the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as prescribed in the law of the Lord: 23   ‘Every first-born male shall be deemed to belong to the Lord’), 24   and also to make the offering as stated in the law: ‘A pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.’

25   There was at that time in Jerusalem a man called Simeon. This man was upright and devout, one who watched and waited for the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26   It had been disclosed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27   Guided by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the Law, 28   he took him in his arms, praised God, and said:

29   ‘This day, Master, thou givest thy servant his discharge in peace;
  now thy promise is fulfilled.
30   For I have seen with my own eyes
31   the deliverance which thou hast made ready in full view of all the nations:
32   a light that will be a revelation to the heathen,
  and glory to thy people Israel.’

33   The child's father and mother were full of wonder at what was being said about him. 34   Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘This child is destined to be a sign which men reject; 35   and you too shall be pierced to the heart. Many in Israel will stand or fall ^note because of him, and thus the secret thoughts of many will be laid bare.’

36   There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was a very old woman, who had lived seven

The coming of Christ years with her husband after she was first married, 37   and then alone as a widow to the age of eighty-four. ^noteShe never left the temple, but worshipped day and night, fasting and praying. 38   Coming up at that very moment, she returned thanks to God; and she talked about the child to all who were looking for the liberation of Jerusalem.

39   When they had done everything prescribed in the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40   The child grew big and strong and full of wisdom; and God's favour was upon him.

41   Now it was the practice of his parents to go to Jerusalem every year for the Passover festival; 42   and when he was twelve, they made the pilgrimage as usual. 43   When the festive season was over and they started for home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know of this; 44   but thinking that he was with the party they journeyed on for a whole day, and only then did they begin looking for him among their friends and relations. 45   As they could not find him they returned to Jerusalem to look for him; 46   and after three days they found him sitting in the temple surrounded by the teachers, listening to them and putting questions; 47   and all who heard him were amazed at his intelligence and the answers he gave. 48   His parents were astonished to see him there, and his mother said to him, ‘My son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ 49   ‘What made you search?’ he said. ‘Did you not know that I was bound to be in my Father's house?’ 50   But they did not understand what he meant. 51   Then he went back with them to Nazareth, and continued to be under their authority; his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52   As Jesus grew up he advanced in wisdom and in favour with God and men.

1   In the fifteenth year of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, when Herod was prince of Galilee, his brother Philip prince of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias prince of Abilene, 2   during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3   And he went all over the Jordan valley proclaiming a baptism in token of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4   as it is written in the book of the prophecies of Isaiah:

The coming of Christ

  ‘A voice crying aloud in the wilderness,
  “Prepare a way for the Lord;
  clear a straight path for him.
   5   Every ravine shall be filled in,
  and every mountain and hill levelled;
  the corners shall be straightened,
  and the rugged ways made smooth;
   6   and all mankind shall see God's deliverance.”’

7   Crowds of people came out to be baptized by him, and he said to them: ‘You vipers' brood! Who warned you to escape from the coming retribution? 8   Then prove your repentance by the fruit it bears; and do not begin saying to yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father.” I tell you that God can make children for Abraham out of these stones here. 9   Already the axe is laid to the roots of the trees; and every tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire.’

10    11   The people asked him, ‘Then what are we to do?’ He replied, ‘The man with two shirts must share with him who has none, and anyone who has food must do the same.’ 12   Among those who came to be baptized were tax-gatherers, and they said to him, ‘Master, what are we to do?’ 13   He told them, ‘Exact no more than the assessment.’ 14   Soldiers on service also asked him, ‘And what of us?’ To them he said, ‘No bullying; no blackmail; make do with your pay!’

15   The people were on the tiptoe of expectation, all wondering about John, 16   whether perhaps he was the Messiah, but he spoke out and said to them all: ‘I baptize you with water; but there is one to come who is mightier than I. I am not fit to unfasten his shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17   His shovel is ready in his hand, to winnow his threshing-floor and gather the wheat into his granary; but he will burn the chaff on a fire that can never go out.’

18   In this and many other ways he made his appeal to the people and announced the good news. 19   But Prince Herod, when he was rebuked by him over the affair of his brother's wife Herodias and for his other misdeeds, 20   crowned them all by shutting John up in prison.

21   During a general baptism of the people, when Jesus too had been baptized and was praying, 22   heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove; and there came a voice

The coming of Christ from heaven, ‘Thou art my Son, my Beloved; ^note on thee my favour rests.’ ^note

23   When Jesus began his work he was about thirty years old, the son, 24   as people thought, of Joseph, son of Heli, son of Matthat, son of Levi, 25   son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, son of Mattathiah, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, son of Maath, 26   son of Mattathiah, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, 27   son of Johanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, 28   son of Neri, son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, 29   son of Er, son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, 30   son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Symeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, 31   son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, son of Melea, son of Menna, 32   son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, son of Jesse, son of Obed, 33   son of Boaz, son of Salmon, son of Nahshon, son of Amminadab, ^note son of Arni, ^note son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, 34   son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, 35   son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, 36   son of Cainan, son of Arpachshad, son of Shem, son of Noah, 37   son of Lamech, son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, 38   son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, son of Enosh, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

1    2   Full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan, and for forty days was led by the Spirit up and down the wilderness and tempted by the devil.

All that time he had nothing to eat, and at the end of it he was famished. 3   The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.’ 4   Jesus answered, ‘Scripture says, “Man cannot live on bread alone.”’

5   Next the devil led him up and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world. 6   ‘All this dominion will I give to you,’ he said, ‘and the glory that goes with it; for it has been put in my hands and I can give it to anyone I choose. 7   You have only to do homage to me and it shall all be yours.’ 8   Jesus answered him, ‘Scripture says, “You shall do homage to the Lord your God and worship him alone.”’

9   The devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the parapet of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself

The coming of Christ down; 10   for Scripture says, “He will give his angels orders to take care of you”, 11   and again, “They will support you in their arms for fear you should strike your foot against a stone.”’ 12   Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said, “You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.”’

13   So, having come to the end of all his temptations, the devil departed, biding his time.

In Galilee: success and opposition

14   Then Jesus, armed with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee; and reports about him spread through the whole countryside. 15   He taught in their synagogues and all men sang his praises.

16   So he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went to synagogue on the Sabbath day as he regularly did. He stood up 17   to read the lesson and was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the scroll and found the passage which says,

18   ‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me;
he has sent me to announce good news to the poor,
to proclaim release for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind;
to let the broken victims go free,
19   to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.’

20   He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.

21   He began to speak: ‘Today’, he said, ‘in your very hearing this text has come true.’ ^note 22   There was a general stir of admiration; they were surprised that words of such grace should fall from his lips. 23   ‘Is not this Joseph's son?’ they asked. Then Jesus said, ‘No doubt you will quote the proverb to me, “Physician, heal yourself!”, and say, “We have heard of all your doings at Capernaum; do the same here in your own home town.” 24   I tell you this,’ he went on: ‘no prophet is recognized in his own country. 25   There were many widows in Israel, you may be sure, in Elijah's time, when for three years and six months the skies never opened, and famine lay hard over the whole country; 26   yet it was to none of those that Elijah was sent, but to a widow at Sarepta in the territory of Sidon. 27   Again, in the time

In Galilee: success and opposition of the prophet Elisha there were many lepers in Israel, and not one of them was healed, but only Naaman, the Syrian.’ 28   At these words the whole congregation were infuriated. 29   They leapt up, threw him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which it was built, meaning to hurl him over the edge. 30   But he walked straight through them all, and went away.

31   Coming down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, he taught the people on the Sabbath, 32   and they were astounded at his teaching, for what he said had the note of authority. 33   Now there was a man in the synagogue possessed by a devil, an unclean spirit. He shrieked at the top of his voice, 34   ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you ^note come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.’ 35   Jesus rebuked him: ‘Be silent’, he said, ‘and come out of him.’ Then the devil, after throwing the man down in front of the people, left him without doing him any injury. 36   Amazement fell on them all and they said to one another: ‘What is there in this man's words? He gives orders to the unclean spirits with authority and power, and out they go.’ 37   So the news spread, and he was the talk of the whole district.

38   On leaving the synagogue he went to Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was in the grip of a high fever; and they asked him to help her. 39   He came and stood over her and rebuked the fever. It left her, and she got up at once and waited on them.

40   At sunset all who had friends suffering from one disease or another brought them to him; and he laid his hands on them one by one and cured them. 41   Devils also came out of many of them, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he rebuked them and forbade them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

42   When day broke he went out and made his way to a lonely spot. But the people went in search of him, and when they came to where he was they pressed him not to leave them. 43   But he said, ‘I must give the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, for that is what I was sent to do.’ 44   So he proclaimed the Gospel in the synagogues of Judaea. ^note

1   One day as he stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the people crowded upon him to listen to the word of God, 2   he noticed two boats lying at the water's edge; the fishermen had come ashore

In Galilee: success and opposition and were washing their nets. 3   He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore; then he went on teaching the crowds from his seat in the boat. 4   When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ 5   Simon answered, ‘Master, we were hard at work all night and caught nothing at all; but if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ 6   They did so and made a big haul of fish; and their nets began to split. 7   So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. 8   This they did, and loaded both boats to the point of sinking. When Simon saw what had happened he fell at Jesus's knees and said, ‘Go, Lord, leave me, sinner that I am!’ 9   For he and all his companions were amazed at the catch they had made; 10   so too were his partners James and John, Zebedee's sons. ‘Do not be afraid,’ said Jesus to Simon; ‘from now on you will be catching men.’ 11   As soon as they had brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

12   He was once in a certain town where there happened to be a man covered with leprosy; seeing Jesus, he bowed to the ground and begged his help. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘if only you will, you can cleanse me.’ 13   Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘Indeed I will; be clean again.’ 14   The leprosy left him immediately. Jesus then ordered him not to tell anybody. ‘But go,’ he said, ‘show yourself to the priest, and make the offering laid down by Moses for your cleansing; that will certify the cure.’ 15   But the talk about him spread all the more; great crowds gathered to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. 16   And from time to time he would withdraw to lonely places for prayer.

17   One day he was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting round. People had come from every village of Galilee and from Judaea and Jerusalem, ^note and the power of the Lord was with him to heal the sick. 18   Some men appeared carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They tried to bring him in and set him down in front of Jesus, 19   but finding no way to do so because of the crowd, they went up on to the roof and let him down through the tiling, bed and all, into the middle of the company in front of Jesus. 20   When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’

In Galilee: success and opposition

21   The lawyers and the Pharisees began saying to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow with his blasphemous talk? Who but God alone can forgive sins?’ 22   But Jesus knew what they were thinking and answered them: ‘Why do you harbour thoughts like these? 23   Is it easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? 24   But to convince you that the Son of Man has the right on earth to forgive sins’—he turned to the paralysed man—‘I say to you, stand up, take your bed, and go home.’ 25   And at once he rose to his feet before their eyes, took up the bed he had been lying on, and went home praising God. 26   They were all lost in amazement and praised God; filled with awe they said, ‘You would never believe the things we have seen today.’

27   Later, when he went out, he saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, at his seat in the custom-house, and said to him, ‘Follow me’; 28   and he rose to his feet, left everything behind, and followed him.

29   Afterwards Levi held a big reception in his house for Jesus; among the guests was a large party of tax-gatherers and others. 30   The Pharisees and the lawyers of their sect complained to his disciples: ‘Why do you eat and drink’, they said, ‘with tax-gatherers and sinners?’ 31   Jesus answered them: ‘It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick; 32   I have not come to invite virtuous people, but to call sinners to repentance.’

33   Then they said to him, ‘John's disciples are much given to fasting and the practice of prayer, and so are the disciples of the Pharisees; but yours eat and drink.’ 34   Jesus replied, ‘Can you make the bridegroom's friends fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35   But a time will come: the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and that will be the time for them to fast.’

36   He told them this parable also: ‘No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one; if he does, he will have made a hole in the new cloak, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37   Nor does anyone put new wine into old wine-skins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will be wasted, and the skins ruined. 38    39   Fresh skins for new wine! And no one after drinking old wine wants new; for he says, “The old wine is good.”’

1   One Sabbath he was going through the cornfields, and his disciples were plucking the ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2   Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath?’ 3   Jesus answered, ‘So you have not

In Galilee: success and opposition read what David did when he and his men were hungry? 4   He went into the House of God and took the sacred bread to eat and gave it to his men, though priests alone are allowed to eat it, and no one else.’ 5   He also said, ‘The Son of Man is sovereign even over the Sabbath.’

6   On another Sabbath he had gone to synagogue and was teaching. There happened to be a man in the congregation whose right arm was withered; 7   and the lawyers and the Pharisees were on the watch to see whether Jesus would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge to bring against him. 8   But he knew what was in their minds and said to the man with the withered arm, ‘Get up and stand out here.’ 9   So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I put the question to you: is it permitted to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ 10   He looked round at them all and then said to the man, ‘Stretch out your arm.’ 11   He did so, and his arm was restored. But they were beside themselves with anger, and began to discuss among themselves what they could do to Jesus.

12   During this time he went out one day into the hills to pray, and spent the night in prayer to God. 13   When day broke he called his disciples to him, and from among them he chose twelve and named them Apostles: 14   Simon, to whom he gave the name of Peter, and Andrew his brother, 15   James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16   Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who turned traitor.

17   He came down the hill with them and took his stand on level ground. There was a large concourse of his disciples and great numbers of people from Jerusalem and Judaea and from the seaboard of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to listen to him, and to be cured of their diseases. 18   Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured; 19   and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, because power went out from him and cured them all.

20   Then turning to his disciples he began to speak:

‘How blest are you who are in need; the kingdom of God is yours.

21   ‘How blest are you who now go hungry; your hunger shall be satisfied.

‘How blest are you who weep now; you shall laugh.

22   ‘How blest you are when men hate you, when they outlaw you and insult you, and ban your very name as infamous, because of the Son

In Galilee: success and opposition of Man. 23   On that day be glad and dance for joy; for assuredly you have a rich reward in heaven; in just the same way did their fathers treat the prophets.

24   ‘But alas for you who are rich; you have had your time of happiness.

25   ‘Alas for you who are well-fed now; you shall go hungry.

‘Alas for you who laugh now; you shall mourn and weep.

26   ‘Alas for you when all speak well of you; just so did their fathers treat the false prophets.

27   ‘But to you who hear me I say:

28   ‘Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who treat you spitefully. 29   When a man hits you on the cheek, offer him the other cheek too; when a man takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. 30   Give to everyone who asks you; when a man takes what is yours, do not demand it back. 31   Treat others as you would like them to treat you.

32   ‘If you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you? 33   Even sinners love those who love them. Again, if you do good only to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do as much. 34   And if you lend only where you expect to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to each other to be repaid in full. 35   But you must love your enemies and do good; and lend without expecting any return; ^note and you will have a rich reward: you will be sons of the Most High, because he himself is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36   Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.

37   ‘Pass no judgement, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; acquit, and you will be acquitted; give, and gifts will be given you. 38   Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; for whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt to you in return.’

39   He also offered them a parable: ‘Can one blind man be guide to another? 40   Will they not both fall into the ditch? A pupil is not superior to his teacher; but everyone, when his training is complete, will reach his teacher's level.

41   ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye, with never a thought for the great plank in your own? 42   How can you

In Galilee: success and opposition say to your brother, “My dear brother, let me take the speck out of your eye”, when you are blind to the plank in your own? You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's.

43   ‘There is no such thing as a good tree producing worthless fruit, nor yet a worthless tree producing good fruit. 44   For each tree is known by its own fruit: you do not gather figs from thistles, and you do not pick grapes from brambles. 45   A good man produces good from the store of good within himself; and an evil man from evil within produces evil. For the words that the mouth utters come from the overflowing of the heart.

46   ‘Why do you keep calling me “Lord, Lord”—and never do what I tell you? 47   Everyone who comes to me and hears what I say, and acts upon it—I will show you what he is like. 48   He is like a man who, in building his house, dug deep and laid the foundations on rock. When the flood came, the river burst upon that house, but could not shift it, because it had been soundly built. 49   But he who hears and does not act is like a man who built his house on the soil without foundations. As soon as the river burst upon it, the house collapsed, and fell with a great crash.’

1   When he had finished addressing the people, he went to Capernaum. 2   A centurion there had a servant whom he valued highly; this servant was ill and near to death. 3   Hearing about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders with the request that he would come and save his servant's life. 4   They approached Jesus and pressed their petition earnestly: 5   ‘He deserves this favour from you,’ they said, ‘for he is a friend of our nation and it is he who built us our synagogue.’ 6   Jesus went with them; but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends with this message: ‘Do not trouble further, sir; 7   it is not for me to have you under my roof, and that is why I did not presume to approach you in person. But say the word and my servant will be cured. 8   I know, for in my position I am myself under orders, with soldiers under me. I say to one, “Go”, and he goes; to another, “Come here”, and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this”, and he does it.’ 9   When Jesus heard this, he admired the man, and, turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, ‘I tell you, nowhere, even in Israel, have I found faith like this.’ 10   And the messengers returned to the house and found the servant in good health.

In Galilee: success and opposition

11   Afterwards ^note Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. 12   As he approached the gate of the town he met a funeral. The dead man was the only son of his widowed mother; and many of the townspeople were there with her. 13   When the Lord saw her his heart went out to her, and he said, ‘Weep no more.’ 14   With that he stepped forward and laid his hand on the bier; and the bearers halted. Then he spoke: ‘Young man, rise up!’ 15   The dead man sat up and began to speak; and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16   Deep awe fell upon them all, and they praised God. ‘A great prophet has arisen among us’, they said, and again, ‘God has shown his care for his people.’ 17   The story of what he had done ran through all parts of Judaea and the whole neighbourhood.

18    19   John too was informed of all this by his disciples. Summoning two of their number he sent them to the Lord with this message: ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect some other?’ 20   The messengers made their way to Jesus and said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you: he asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect some other?”’ 21   There and then he cured many sufferers from diseases, plagues, and evil spirits; and on many blind people he bestowed sight. 22   Then he gave them his answer: ‘Go’, he said, ‘and tell John what you have seen and heard: how the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, 23   the poor are hearing the good news—and happy is the man who does not find me a stumbling-block.’

24   After John's messengers had left, Jesus began to speak about him to the crowds: ‘What was the spectacle that drew you to the wilderness? 25   A reed-bed swept by the wind? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man dressed in silks and satins? Surely you must look in palaces for grand clothes and luxury. 26   But what did you go out to see? 27   A prophet? Yes indeed, and far more than a prophet. He is the man of whom Scripture says,

  “Here is my herald, whom I send on ahead of you,
  and he will prepare your way before you.”

28   I tell you, there is not a mother's son greater than John, and yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’

29   When they heard him, all the people, including the tax-gatherers, praised God, for they had accepted John's baptism; 30   but the Pharisees

In Galilee: success and opposition and lawyers, who refused his baptism, had rejected ^note God's purpose for themselves.

31   ‘How can I describe the people of this generation? What are they like? 32   They are like children sitting in the market-place and shouting at each other,

  “We piped for you and you would not dance.”
  “We wept and wailed, and you would not mourn.”

33   For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” 34   The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, “Look at him! a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!” 35   And yet God's wisdom is proved right by all who are her children.’

36   One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him; he went to the Pharisee's house and took his place at table. 37   A woman who was living an immoral life in the town had learned that Jesus was at table in the Pharisee's house and had brought oil of myrrh in a small flask. 38   She took her place behind him, by his feet, weeping. His feet were wetted with her tears and she wiped them with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the myrrh. 39   When his host the Pharisee saw this he said to himself, ‘If this fellow were a real prophet, he would know who this woman is that touches him, and what sort of woman she is, a sinner.’ 40   Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Speak on, Master’, said he. 41   ‘Two men were in debt to a money-lender: one owed him five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. 42   As neither had anything to pay with he let them both off. 43   Now, which will love him most?’ Simon replied, ‘I should think the one that was let off most.’ ‘You are right’, said Jesus. 44   Then turning to the woman, he said to Simon, ‘You see this woman? I came to your house: you provided no water for my feet; but this woman has made my feet wet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45   You gave me no kiss; but she has been kissing my feet ever since I came in. 46   You did not anoint my head with oil; but she has anointed my feet with myrrh. 47   And so, I tell you, her great love proves that her many sins have been forgiven; where little has been forgiven, little love is shown.’ 48   Then he

In Galilee: success and opposition said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ 49   The other guests began to ask themselves, ‘Who is this, that he can forgive sins?’ 50   But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

1   After this he went journeying from town to town and village to village, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. With 2   him were the Twelve and a number of women who had been set free from evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, known as Mary of Magdala, 3   from whom seven devils had come out, Joanna, the wife of Chuza a steward of Herod's, Susanna, and many others. These women provided for them out of their own resources.

4   People were now gathering in large numbers, and as they made their way to him from one town after another, he said in a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. 5   And as he sowed, some seed fell along the footpath, where it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6   Some seed fell on rock and, after coming up, withered for lack of moisture. 7   Some seed fell in among thistles, and the thistles grew up with it and choked it. 8   And some of the seed fell into good soil, and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.’ As he said this he called out, ‘If you have ears to hear, then hear.’

9    10   His disciples asked him what this parable meant, and he said, ‘It has been granted to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but the others have only parables, so that they may look but see nothing, hear but understand nothing.

11   ‘This is what the parable means. The seed is the word of God. 12   Those along the footpath are the men who hear it, and then the devil comes and carries off the word from their hearts for fear they should believe and be saved. 13   The seed sown on rock stands for those who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but have no root; they are believers for a while, but in the time of testing they desert. 14   That which fell among thistles represents those who hear, but their further growth is choked by cares and wealth and the pleasures of life, and they bring nothing to maturity. 15   But the seed in good soil represents those who bring a good and honest heart to the hearing of the word, hold it fast, and by their perseverance yield a harvest.

16   ‘Nobody lights a lamp and then covers it with a basin or puts it under the bed. On the contrary, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that those who come in may see the light. 17   For there is nothing hidden

In Galilee: success and opposition that will not become public, nothing under cover that will not be made known and brought into the open.

18   ‘Take care, then, how you listen; for the man who has will be given more, and the man who has not will forfeit even what he thinks he has.’

19   His mother and his brothers arrived but could not get to him for the crowd. 20   He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.’ 21   He replied, ‘My mother and my brothers—they are those who hear the word of God and act upon it.’

22   One day he got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out; and as they sailed along he went to sleep. 23   Then a heavy squall struck the lake; they began to ship water and were in grave danger. 24   They went to him, and roused him, crying, ‘Master, Master, we are sinking!’ He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the turbulent waters. 25   The storm subsided and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked. In fear and astonishment they said to one another, ‘Who can this be? He gives his orders to wind and waves, and they obey him.’

26   So they landed in the country of the Gergesenes, ^note which is opposite Galilee. 27   As he stepped ashore he was met by a man from the town who was possessed by devils. For a long time he had neither worn clothes nor lived in a house, but stayed among the tombs. 28   When he saw Jesus he cried out, and fell at his feet shouting, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I implore you, do not torment me.’

29   For Jesus was already ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many a time it had seized him, and then, for safety's sake, they would secure him with chains and fetters; but each time he broke loose, and with the devil in charge made off to the solitary places.

30   Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion’, he replied. 31   This was because so many devils had taken possession of him. And they begged him not to banish them to the Abyss.

32   There happened to be a large herd of pigs nearby, feeding on the hill; and the spirits begged him to let them go into these pigs. 33   He gave them leave; the devils came out of the man and went into

In Galilee: success and opposition the pigs, and the herd rushed over the edge into the lake and were drowned.

34   The men in charge of them saw what had happened, and, taking to their heels, they carried the news to the town and country-side; and the people came out to see for themselves. 35   When they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the devils had gone out sitting at his feet clothed and in his right mind, they were afraid. 36   The spectators told them how the madman had been cured. 37   Then the whole population of the Gergesene ^note district asked him to go, for they were in the grip of a great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38   The man from whom the devils had gone out begged leave to go with him; but Jesus sent him away: 39   ‘Go back home,’ he said, ‘and tell them everything that God has done for you.’ The man went all over the town spreading the news of what Jesus had done for him.

40   When Jesus returned, the people welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41   Then a man appeared—Jairus was his name and he was president of the synagogue. Throwing himself down at Jesus's feet he begged him to come to his house, 42   because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. And while Jesus was on his way he could hardly breathe for the crowds.

43   Among them was a woman who had suffered from haemorrhages for twelve years; and ^note nobody had been able to cure her. 44   She came up from behind and touched the edge of ^note his cloak, and at once her haemorrhage stopped. 45   Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched me?’ All disclaimed it, and Peter and his companions said, ‘Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing upon you!’ 46   But Jesus said, ‘Someone did touch me, for I felt that power had gone out from me.’ 47   Then the woman, seeing that she was detected, came trembling and fell at his feet. Before all the people she explained why she had touched him and how she had been instantly cured. 48   He said to her, ‘My daughter, your faith has cured you. Go in peace.’

49   While he was still speaking, a man came from the president's house with the message, ‘Your daughter is dead; trouble the Rabbi no further.’ 50   But Jesus heard, and interposed. ‘Do not be afraid,’ he said; ‘only show faith and she will be well again.’ 51   On arrival at the house he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother. 52   And all were

In Galilee: success and opposition weeping and lamenting for her. He said, ‘Weep no more; she is not dead: 53   she is asleep’; and they only laughed at him, well knowing that she was dead. 54   But Jesus took hold of her hand and called her: ‘Get up, my child.’ 55   Her spirit returned, she stood up immediately, and he told them to give her something to eat. 56   Her parents were astounded; but he forbade them to tell anyone what had happened.

1   He now called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority to overcome all the devils and to cure diseases, 2   and sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3   ‘Take nothing for the journey,’ he told them, ‘neither stick nor pack, neither bread nor money; nor are you each to have a second coat. 4   When you are admitted to a house, stay there, and go on from there. 5   As for those who will not receive you, when you leave their town shake the dust off your feet as a warning to them.’ 6   So they set out and travelled from village to village, and everywhere they told the good news and healed the sick.

7   Now Prince Herod heard of all that was happening, and did not know what to make of it; for some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8   others that Elijah had appeared, others again that one of the old prophets had come back to life. 9   Herod said, ‘As for John, I beheaded him myself; but who is this I hear such talk about?’ And he was anxious to see him.

10   On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done; and he took them with him and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. 11   But the crowds found out and followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who were in need of healing. 12   When evening was drawing on, the Twelve came up to him and said, ‘Send these people away; then they can go into the villages and farms round about to find food and lodging; for we are in a lonely place here.’ 13   ‘Give them something to eat yourselves’, he replied. But they said, ‘All we have is five loaves and two fishes, nothing more—unless perhaps we ourselves are to go and buy provisions for all this company.’ 14   (There were about five thousand men.) He said to his disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of fifty or so.’ 15   They did so and got them all seated. 16   Then, taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17   They all ate to their

In Galilee: success and opposition hearts' content; and when the scraps they left were picked up, they filled twelve great baskets.

18   One day when he was praying alone in the presence of his disciples, he asked them, ‘Who do the people say I am?’ 19   They answered, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others that one of the old prophets has come back to life.’ 20   ‘And you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ 21   Peter answered, ‘God's Messiah.’ Then he gave them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. 22   And he said, ‘The Son of Man has to undergo great sufferings, and to be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and doctors of the law, to be put to death and to be raised again on the third day.’

23   And to all he said, ‘If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind; day after day he must take up his cross, and come with me. 24   Whoever cares for his own safety is lost; but if a man will let himself be lost for my sake, that man is safe. 25   What will a man gain by winning the whole world, at the cost of his true self? 26   For whoever is ashamed of me and mine, ^note the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27   And I tell you this: there are some of those standing here who will not taste death before they have seen the kingdom of God.’

28   About eight days after this conversation he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up into the hills to pray. 29   And while he was praying the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white. 30   Suddenly there were two men talking with him; 31   these were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, the destiny he was to fulfil in Jerusalem. 32   Meanwhile Peter and his companions had been in a deep sleep; but when they awoke, they saw his glory and the two men who stood beside him. 33   And as these were moving away from Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, how good it is that we are here! Shall we make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah?’; but he spoke without knowing what he was saying. 34   The words were still on his lips, when there came a cloud which cast a shadow over them; they were afraid as they entered the cloud, and from it came a voice: 35    ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him.’ 36   When the voice had spoken, Jesus was seen to be alone. The disciples kept silence and at that time told nobody anything of what they had seen.

In Galilee: success and opposition

37   Next day when they came down from the hills he was met by a large crowd. 38   All at once there was a shout from a man in the crowd: ‘Master, look at my son, I implore you, my only child. 39   From time to time a spirit seizes him, gives a sudden scream, and throws him into convulsions with foaming at the mouth, and it keeps on mauling him and will hardly let him go. 40   I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ 41   Jesus answered, ‘What an unbelieving and perverse generation! How long shall I be with you and endure you all? 42   Bring your son here.’ But before the boy could reach him the devil dashed him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43   And they were all struck with awe at the majesty of God.

Amid the general wonder and admiration at all he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘What I now say is for you: 44   ponder my words. The Son of Man is to be given up into the power of men.’ 45   But they did not understand this saying; it had been hidden from them, so that they should not ^note grasp its meaning, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

46   A dispute arose among them: which of them was the greatest? 47   Jesus knew what was passing in their minds, so he took a child by the hand and stood him at his side, 48   and said, ‘Whoever receives this child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives the One who sent me. For the least among you all—he is the greatest.’

49   ‘Master,’ said John, ‘we saw a man driving out devils in your name, but as he is not one of us we tried to stop him.’ 50   Jesus said to him, ‘Do not stop him, for he who is not against you is on your side.’

Journeys and encounters

51   As the time approached when he was to be taken up to heaven, he set his face resolutely towards Jerusalem, 52   and sent messengers ahead. They set out and went into a Samaritan village to make arrangements for him; 53   but the villagers would not have him because he was making for Jerusalem. 54   When the disciples James and John saw this they said, ‘Lord, may we call down fire from heaven to

Journeys and encounters burn them up ^note?’ 55    56   But he turned and rebuked them, ^note and they went on to another village.

57   As they were going along the road a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ 58   Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have their holes, the birds their roosts; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ 59   To another he said, ‘Follow me’, but the man replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ 60   Jesus said, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; you must go and announce the kingdom of God.’

61   Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, sir; but let me first say goodbye to my people at home.’ 62   To him Jesus said, ‘No one who sets his hand to the plough and then keeps looking back ^note is fit for the kingdom of God.’

1   After this the Lord appointed a further seventy-two ^note and sent them on ahead in pairs to every town and place he was going to visit himself. 2   He said to them: ‘The crop is heavy, but labourers are scarce; you must therefore beg the owner to send labourers to harvest his crop. 3   Be on your way. And look, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4   Carry no purse or pack, and travel barefoot. 5   Exchange no greetings on the road. When you go into a house, let your first words be, “Peace to this house.” 6   If there is a man of peace there, your peace will rest upon him; if not, it will return and rest upon you. 7   Stay in that one house, sharing their food and drink; for the worker earns his pay. Do not move from house to house. 8   When you come into a town and they make you welcome, eat the food provided for you; 9   heal the sick there, and say, “The kingdom of God has come close to you.” 10   When you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, 11   go out into its streets and say, “The very dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off to your shame. Only take note of this: the kingdom of God has come close.” 12   I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the great Day than for that town.

13   ‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Journeys and encounters 14   But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement than for you. 15   And as for you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to the skies? No, brought down to the depths!

16   ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the One who sent me.’

17   The seventy-two ^note came back jubilant. ‘In your name, Lord,’ they said, ‘even the devils submit to us.’ 18   He replied, ‘I watched how Satan fell, like lightning, out of the sky. 19   And now you see that I have given you the power to tread underfoot snakes and scorpions and all the forces of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you. ^note 20   Nevertheless, what you should rejoice over is not that the spirits submit to you, but that your names are enrolled in heaven.’

21   At that moment Jesus exulted in the Holy ^note Spirit and said, ‘I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and wise, and revealing them to the simple. Yes, Father, such ^note was thy choice.’ 22   Then turning to his disciples he said, ^note ‘Everything is entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is but the Father, or who the Father is but the Son, and those to whom the Son may choose to reveal him.’

23   Turning to his disciples in private he said, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you are seeing! 24   I tell you, many prophets and kings wished to see what you now see, yet never saw it; to hear what you hear, yet never heard it.’

25   On one occasion a lawyer came forward to put this test question to him: ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26   Jesus said, ‘What is written in the Law? 27   What is your reading of it?’ He replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ 28   ‘That is the right answer,’ said Jesus; ‘do that and you will live.’

29   But he wanted to vindicate himself, so he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ 30   Jesus replied, ‘A man was on his way from Jerusalem down to Jericho when he fell in with robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went off leaving him half dead. 31   It so happened

Journeys and encounters that a priest was going down by the same road; but when he saw him, he went past on the other side. 32   So too a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him went past on the other side. 33   But a Samaritan who was making the journey came upon him, and when he saw him was moved to pity. 34   He went up and bandaged his wounds, bathing them with oil and wine. Then he lifted him on to his own beast, brought him to an inn, and looked after him there. 35   Next day he produced two silver pieces and gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Look after him; and if you spend any more, I will repay you on my way back.” 36   Which of these three do you think was neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ 37   He answered, ‘The one who showed him kindness.’ Jesus said, ‘Go and do as he did.’

38   While they were on their way Jesus came to a village where a woman named Martha made him welcome in her home. 39   She had a sister, Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and stayed there listening to his words. 40   Now Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to get on with the work by myself? Tell her to come and lend a hand.’ 41   But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha, you are fretting and fussing about so many things; 42   but one thing is necessary. ^noteThe part that Mary has chosen is best; and it shall not be taken away from her.’

1   Once, in a certain place, Jesus was at prayer. When he ceased, one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ 2   He answered, ‘When you pray, say,

  “Father, ^note thy name be hallowed;
  thy kingdom come. ^note
   3   Give us each day our daily bread. ^note
   4   And forgive us our sins,
  for we too forgive all who have done us wrong.
  And do not bring us to the test.”’ ^note

5   Then he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend who comes to him in the middle of the night and says, “My friend, lend me three

Journeys and encounters loaves, 6   for a friend of mine on a journey has turned up at my house, and I have nothing to offer him”; 7   and he replies from inside, “Do not bother me. The door is shut for the night; my children and I have gone to bed; and I cannot get up and give you what you want.” 8   I tell you that even if he will not provide for him out of friendship, the very shamelessness of the request will make him get up and give him all he needs. 9   And so I say to you, ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. 10   For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11   ‘Is there a father among you who will offer his son ^note a snake when he asks for fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 12    13   If you, then, bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit ^note to those who ask him!’

14   He was driving out a devil which was dumb; and when the devil had come out, the dumb man began to speak. The people were astonished, 15   but some of them said, ‘It is by Beelzebub prince of devils that he drives the devils out.’ 16   Others, by way of a test, demanded of him a sign from heaven. 17   But he knew what was in their minds, and said, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself goes to ruin, and a divided household falls. 18   Equally if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?—since, as you would have it, I drive out the devils by Beelzebub. 19   If it is by Beelzebub that I cast out devils, by whom do your own people drive them out? 20   If this is your argument, they themselves will refute you. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out the devils, then be sure the kingdom of God has already come upon you.

21   ‘When a strong man fully armed is on guard over his castle his possessions are safe. 22   But when someone stronger comes upon him and overpowers him, he carries off the arms and armour on which the man had relied and divides the plunder.

23   ‘He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. ^note

24   ‘When an unclean spirit comes out of a man it wanders over the deserts seeking a resting-place; and if it finds none, it says, “I will

Journeys and encounters go back to the home I left.” 25   So it returns and finds the house ^note swept clean, and tidy. 26   Off it goes and collects seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they all come in and settle down; and in the end the man's plight is worse than before.’

27   While he was speaking thus, a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Happy the womb that carried you and the breasts that suckled you!’ 28   He rejoined, ‘No, happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it.’

29   With the crowds swarming round him he went on to say: ‘This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, and the only sign that will be given it is the sign of Jonah. 30   For just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31   At the Judgement, when the men of this generation are on trial, the Queen of the South will appear against ^note them and ensure their condemnation, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and what is here is greater than Solomon. 32   The men of Nineveh will appear at the Judgement when this generation is on trial, and ensure ^note its condemnation, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and what is here is greater than Jonah.

33   ‘No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar, ^note but rather on the lamp-stand so that those who enter may see the light. 34   The lamp of your body is the eye. When your eyes are sound, you have light for your whole body; but when the eyes are bad, you are in darkness. 35    36   See to it then that the light you have is not darkness. If you have light for your whole body with no trace of darkness, it will all be as bright as when a lamp flashes its rays upon you.’

37   When he had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to a meal. 38   He came in and sat down. The Pharisee noticed with surprise that he had not begun by washing before the meal. 39   But the Lord said to him, ‘You Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate; but inside you there is nothing but greed and wickedness. 40   You fools! 41   Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? But let what is in the cup ^note be given in charity, and all is clean.

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42   ‘Alas for you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and rue and every garden-herb, but have no care for justice and the love of God. It is these you should have practised, without neglecting the others. ^note

43   ‘Alas for you Pharisees! You love the seats of honour in synagogues, and salutations in the market-places.

44   ‘Alas, alas, you are like unmarked graves over which men may walk without knowing it.’

45   In reply to this one of the lawyers said, ‘Master, when you say things like this you are insulting us too.’ 46   Jesus rejoined: ‘Yes, you lawyers, it is no better with you! For you load men with intolerable burdens, and will not put a single finger to the load.

47   ‘Alas, you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers murdered, 48   and so testify that you approve of the deeds your fathers did; they committed the murders and you provide the tombs.

49   ‘This is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and messengers; and some of these they will persecute and kill”; 50   so that this generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world; 51   from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all.

52   ‘Alas for you lawyers! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not go in yourselves, and those who were on their way in, you stopped.’

53   After he had left the house, the lawyers and Pharisees began to assail him fiercely and to ply him with a host of questions, 54   laying snares to catch him with his own words.

1   Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, packed so close that they were treading on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples: ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees; I mean their hypocrisy. 2   There is nothing covered up that will not be uncovered, nothing hidden that will not be made known. 3   You may take it, then, that everything you have said in the dark will be heard in broad daylight, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the house-tops.

4   ‘To you who are my friends I say: Do not fear those who kill the body and after that have nothing more they can do. 5   I will warn

Journeys and encounters you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Believe me, he is the one to fear.

6   ‘Are not sparrows five for twopence? And yet not one of them is overlooked by God. 7   More than that, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Have no fear; you are worth more than any number of sparrows.

8   ‘I tell you this: everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God; 9   but he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

10   ‘Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will receive forgiveness; but for him who slanders the Holy Spirit there will be no forgiveness.

11   ‘When you are brought before synagogues and state authorities, do not begin worrying about how you will conduct your defence or what you will say. 12   For when the time comes the Holy Spirit will instruct you what to say.’

13   A man in the crowd said to him, ‘Master, tell my brother to divide the family property with me.’ 14   He replied, ‘My good man, who set me over you to judge or arbitrate?’ ^note 15   Then he said to the people, ‘Beware! Be on your guard against greed of every kind, for even when a man has more than enough, his wealth does not give him life.’ 16   And he told them this parable: ‘There was a rich man whose land yielded heavy crops. 17   He debated with himself: “What am I to do? 18   I have not the space to store my produce. This is what I will do,” said he: “I will pull down my storehouses and build them bigger. 19   I will collect in them all my corn and other goods, and then say to myself, ‘Man, you have plenty of good things laid by, enough for many years: take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’” 20   But God said to him, “You fool, this very night you must surrender your life; you have made your money—who will get it now?” 21   That is how it is with the man who amasses wealth for himself and remains a pauper in the sight of God. ^note

22   ‘Therefore’, he said to his disciples, ‘I bid you put away anxious thoughts about food to keep you alive and clothes to cover your body. 23    24   Life is more than food, the body more than clothes. Think of the ravens: they neither sow nor reap; they have no storehouse

Journeys and encounters or barn; yet God feeds them. You are worth far more than the birds! 25   Is there a man among you who by anxious thought can add a foot to his height ^note? 26   If, then, you cannot do even a very little thing, why are you anxious about the rest?

27   ‘Think of the lilies: they neither spin nor weave; ^note yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendour was not attired like one of these. 28   But if that is how God clothes the grass, which is growing in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown on the stove, how much more will he clothe you! 29   How little faith you have! And so you are not to set your mind on food and drink; you are not to worry. 30   For all these are things for the heathen to run after; but you have a Father who knows that you need them. 31   No, set your mind upon his kingdom, and all the rest will come to you as well.

32   ‘Have no fear, little flock; for your Father has chosen to give you the Kingdom. 33   Sell your possessions and give in charity. Provide for yourselves purses that do not wear out, and never-failing treasure in heaven, where no thief can get near it, no moth destroy it. 34   For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35    36   ‘Be ready for action, with belts fastened and lamps alight. Be like men who wait for their master's return from a wedding-party, ready to let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37   Happy are those servants whom the master finds on the alert when he comes. I tell you this: he will fasten his belt, seat them at table, and come and wait on them. 38   Even if it is the middle of the night or before dawn when he comes, happy they if he finds them alert. 39   And remember, if the householder had known what time the burglar was coming he would not have let his house be broken into. 40   Hold yourselves ready, then, because the Son of Man will come at the time you least expect him.’

41   Peter said, ‘Lord, do you intend this parable specially for us or is it for everyone?’ 42   The Lord said, ‘Well, who is the trusty and sensible man whom his master will appoint as his steward, to manage his servants and issue their rations at the proper time? 43   Happy that servant who is found at his task when his master comes! 44   I tell you this: he will be put in charge of all his master's property. 45   But if that servant says to himself, “The master is a long time coming”, and begins to bully the menservants and maids, and eat and drink and get drunk; 46   then the master will arrive on a day that servant

Journeys and encounters does not expect, at a time he does not know, and will cut him in pieces. Thus he will find his place among the faithless.

47   ‘The servant who knew his master's wishes, yet made no attempt to carry them out, will be flogged severely. 48   But one who did not know them and earned a beating will be flogged less severely. Where a man has been given much, much will be expected of him; and the more a man has had entrusted to him the more he will be required to repay.

49   ‘I have come to set fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50   I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until the ordeal is over! 51   Do you suppose I came to establish peace on earth? 52   No indeed, I have come to bring division. For from now on, five members of a family will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53   father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother against son's wife and son's wife against her mother-in-law.’

54   He also said to the people, ‘When you see cloud banking up in the west, you say at once, “It is going to rain”, and rain it does. 55   And when the wind is from the south, you say, “There will be a heat-wave”, and there is. 56   What hypocrites you are! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; how is it you cannot interpret this fateful hour?

57   ‘And why can you not judge for yourselves what is the right course? 58   When you are going with your opponent to court, make an effort to settle with him while you are still on the way; otherwise he may drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable put you in jail. 59   I tell you, you will not come out till you have paid the last farthing.’

1   At that very time there were some people present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2   He answered them: ‘Do you imagine that, because these Galileans suffered this fate, they must have been greater sinners than anyone else in Galilee? 3   I tell you they were not; but unless you repent, you will all of you come to the same end. 4   Or the eighteen people who were killed when the tower fell on them at Siloam—do you imagine they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? 5   I tell you they were not; but unless you repent, you will all of you come to the same end.’

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6   He told them this parable: ‘A man had a fig-tree growing in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, but found none. 7   So he said to the vine-dresser, “Look here! For the last three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig-tree without finding any. Cut it down. 8   Why should it go on using up the soil?” But he replied, “Leave it, sir, this one year while I dig round it and manure it. 9   And if it bears next season, well and good; if not, you shall have it down.”’

10    11   One Sabbath he was teaching in a synagogue, and there was a woman there possessed by a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent double and quite unable to stand up straight. 12   When Jesus saw her he called her and said, ‘You are rid of your trouble.’ 13   Then he laid his hands on her, and at once she straightened up and began to praise God. 14   But the president of the synagogue, indignant with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, intervened and said to the congregation, ‘There are six working-days: come and be cured on one of them, and not on the Sabbath.’ 15   The Lord gave him his answer: ‘What hypocrites you are!’ he said. ‘Is there a single one of you who does not loose his ox or his donkey from the manger and take it out to water on the Sabbath? 16   And here is this woman, a daughter of Abraham, who has been kept prisoner by Satan for eighteen long years: was it wrong for her to be freed from her bonds on the Sabbath?’ 17   At these words all his opponents were covered with confusion, while the mass of the people were delighted at all the wonderful things he was doing.

18   ‘What is the kingdom of God like?’ he continued. ‘What shall I compare it with? 19   It is like a mustard-seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew to be a tree and the birds came to roost among its branches.’

20   Again he said, ‘The kingdom of God, what shall I compare it with? 21   It is like yeast which a woman took and mixed with half a hundred-weight of flour till it was all leavened.’

22   He continued his journey through towns and villages, teaching as he made his way towards Jerusalem. 23   Someone asked him, ‘Sir, are only a few to be saved?’ 24   His answer was: ‘Struggle to get in through the narrow door; for I tell you that many will try to enter and not be able.

25   ‘When once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may stand outside and knock, and say, “Sir, let us in!”,

Journeys and encounters but he will only answer, “I do not know where you come from.” 26   Then you will begin to say, “We sat at table with you and you taught in our streets.” 27   But he will repeat, “I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Out of my sight, all of you, you and your wicked ways!” 28   There will be wailing and grinding of teeth there, when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrown out. 29   From east and west people will come, from north and south, for the feast in the kingdom of God. 30   Yes, and some who are now last will be first, and some who are first will be last.’

31   At that time a number of Pharisees came to him and said, ‘You should leave this place and go on your way; Herod is out to kill you.’ 32   He replied, ‘Go and tell that fox, “Listen: today and tomorrow I shall be casting out devils and working cures; on the third day I reach my goal.” 33   However, I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is unthinkable for a prophet to meet his death anywhere but in Jerusalem.

34   ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that murders the prophets and stones the messengers sent to her! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings; but you would not let me. 35   Look, look! there is your temple, forsaken by God. And I tell you, you shall never see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!”’

1   One Sabbath he went to have a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee; and they were watching him closely. 2   There, in front of him, was a man suffering from dropsy. 3   Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees: ‘Is it permitted to cure people on the Sabbath or not?’ 4   They said nothing. So he took the man, cured him, and sent him away. 5   Then he turned to them and said, ‘If one of you has a donkey ^note or an ox and it falls into a well, will he hesitate to haul it up on the Sabbath day?’ 6   To this they could find no reply.

7   When he noticed how the guests were trying to secure the places of honour, he spoke to them in a parable: 8   ‘When you are asked by someone to a wedding-feast, do not sit down in the place of honour. It may be that some person more distinguished than yourself has been invited; 9   and the host will come and say to you, “Give this man

Journeys and encounters your seat.” Then you will look foolish as you begin to take the lowest place. 10   No, when you receive an invitation, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he will say, “Come up higher, my friend.” Then all your fellow-guests will see the respect in which you are held. 11   For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’

12   Then he said to his host, ‘When you are having a party for lunch or supper, do not invite your friends, your brothers or other relations, or your rich neighbours; they will only ask you back again and so you will be repaid. 13   But when you give a party, ask the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; and so find happiness. 14   For they have no means of repaying you; but you will be repaid on the day when good men rise from the dead.’

15   One of the company, after hearing all this, said to him, ‘Happy the man who shall sit at the feast in the kingdom of God!’ 16   Jesus answered, ‘A man was giving a big dinner party and had sent out many invitations. 17   At dinner-time he sent his servant with a message for his guests, “Please come, everything is now ready.” 18   They began one and all to excuse themselves. The first said, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go and look over it; please accept my apologies.” 19   The second said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them out; please accept my apologies.” 20   The next said, “I have just got married and for that reason I cannot come.” 21   When the servant came back he reported this to his master. The master of the house was angry and said to him, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring me in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” 22   The servant said, “Sir, your orders have been carried out and there is still room.” 23   The master replied, “Go out on to the highways and along the hedgerows and make them come in; I want my house to be full. 24   I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my banquet.”’

25   Once when great crowds were accompanying him, he turned to them and said: 26   ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine. 27   No one who does not carry his cross and come with me can be a disciple of mine. 28   Would any of you think of building a tower without first sitting down and calculating the cost, to see whether he could afford to finish it? 29   Otherwise, if he has laid its foundation and then is not able to complete it, all the

Journeys and encounters onlookers will laugh at him. 30   “There is the man,” they will say, “who started to build and could not finish.” 31   Or what king will march to battle against another king, without first sitting down to consider whether with ten thousand men he can face an enemy coming to meet him with twenty thousand? 32   If he cannot, then, long before the enemy approaches, he sends envoys, and asks for terms. 33   So also none of you can be a disciple of mine without parting with all his possessions.

34   ‘Salt is a good thing; but if salt itself becomes tasteless, what will you use to season it? 35   It is useless either on the land or on the dung-heap: it can only be thrown away. If you have ears to hear, then hear.’

1   Another time, the tax-gatherers and other bad characters were all crowding in to listen to him; 2   and the Pharisees and the doctors of the law began grumbling among themselves: ‘This fellow’, they said, ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ 3   He answered them with this parable: 4   ‘If one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the missing one until he has found it? 5   How delighted he is then! 6   He lifts it on to his shoulders, and home he goes to call his friends and neighbours together. “Rejoice with me!” he cries. “I have found my lost sheep.” 7   In the same way, I tell you, there will be greater joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.

8   ‘Or again, if a woman has ten silver pieces and loses one of them, does she not light the lamp, sweep out the house, and look in every corner till she has found it? 9   And when she has, she calls her friends and neighbours together, and says, “Rejoice with me! I have found the piece that I lost.” 10   In the same way, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’

11    12   Again he said: ‘There was once a man who had two sons; and the younger said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the property.” 13   So he divided his estate between them. A few days later the younger son turned the whole of his share into cash and left home for a distant country, where he squandered it in reckless living. 14   He had spent it all, when a severe famine fell upon that country and he began to feel the pinch. 15   So he went and attached himself to one of the local landowners, who sent him on to his farm to mind the

Journeys and encounters pigs. 16   He would have been glad to fill his belly with ^note the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17   Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father's paid servants have more food than they can eat, and here am I, starving to death! 18   I will set off and go to my father, and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned, against God and against you; 19   I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.’” 20   So he set out for his father's house. But while he was still a long way off his father saw him, and his heart went out to him. He ran to meet him, flung his arms round him, and kissed him. 21   The son said, “Father, I have sinned, against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son.” ^note 22   But the father said to his servants, “Quick! fetch a robe, my best one, and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23   Bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us have a feast to celebrate the day. 24   For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And the festivities began.

25   ‘Now the elder son was out on the farm; and on his way back, as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26   He called one of the servants and asked what it meant. 27   The servant told him, “Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has him back safe and sound.” 28   But he was angry and refused to go in. 29   His father came out and pleaded with him; but he retorted, “You know how I have slaved for you all these years; I never once disobeyed your orders; and you never gave me so much as a kid, for a feast with my friends. 30   But now that this son of yours turns up, after running through your money with his women, you kill the fatted calf for him.” 31   “My boy,” said the father, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32   How could we help celebrating this happy day? Your brother here was dead and has come back to life, was lost and is found.”’

1   He said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a steward, and he received complaints that this man was squandering the property. 2   So he sent for him, and said, “What is this that I hear? Produce your accounts, for you cannot be manager here any longer.” 3   The steward said to himself, “What am I to do now that my employer is dismissing me? I am not strong enough to dig, and too proud to

Journeys and encounters beg. 4   I know what I must do, to make sure that, when I have to leave, there will be people to give me house and home.” 5   He summoned his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” 6   He replied, “A thousand gallons of olive oil.” He said, “Here is your account. Sit down and make it five hundred; and be quick about it.” 7   Then he said to another, “And you, how much do you owe?” He said, “A thousand bushels of wheat”, and was told, “Take your account and make it eight hundred.” 8   And the master applauded the dishonest steward for acting so astutely. For the worldly are more astute than the other-worldly in dealing with their own kind.

9   ‘So I say to you, use your worldly wealth to win friends for yourselves, so that when money is a thing of the past you may be received into an eternal home.

10   ‘The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted also in great; and the man who is dishonest in little things is dishonest also in great things. 11   If, then, you have not proved trustworthy with the wealth of this world, who will trust you with the wealth that is real? 12   And if you have proved untrustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

13   ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters; for either he will hate the first and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and think nothing of the second. You cannot serve God and Money.’

14   The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and scoffed at him. 15   He said to them, ‘You are the people who impress your fellowmen with your righteousness; but God sees through you; for what sets itself up to be admired by men is detestable in the sight of God.

16   ‘Until John, it was the Law and the prophets: since then, there is the good news of the kingdom of God, and everyone forces his way in.

17   ‘It is easier for heaven and earth to come to an end than for one dot or stroke of the Law to lose its force.

18   ‘A man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

19   ‘There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple and the finest linen, and feasted in great magnificence every day. 20   At his gate, covered with sores, 21   lay a poor man named Lazarus, who would have been glad to satisfy his hunger with the scraps from the rich

Journeys and encounters man's table. 22   Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores. One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. 23   The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up; and there, far away, was Abraham with Lazarus close beside him. 24   “Abraham, my father,” he called out, “take pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue, for I am in agony in this fire.” 25   But Abraham said, “Remember, my child, that all the good things fell to you while you were alive, and all the bad to Lazarus; now he has his consolation here and it is you who are in agony. 26   But that is not all: there is a great chasm fixed between us; no one from our side who wants to reach you can cross it, and none may pass from your side to us.” 27   “Then, father,” he replied, “will you send him to my father's house, 28   where I have five brothers, to warn them, so that they too may not come to this place of torment?” 29   But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.” 30   “No, father Abraham,” he replied, “but if someone from the dead visits them, they will repent.” 31   Abraham answered, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets they will pay no heed even if someone should rise from the dead.”’

1   He said to his disciples, ‘Causes of stumbling are bound to arise; but woe betide the man through whom they come. 2   It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round his neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3   Keep watch on yourselves.

‘If your brother wrongs you, reprove him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4   Even if he wrongs you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times saying, “I am sorry”, you are to forgive him.’

5    6   The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’; and the Lord replied, ‘If you had faith no bigger even than a mustard-seed, you could say to this mulberry-tree, “Be rooted up and replanted in the sea”; and it would at once obey you.

7   ‘Suppose one of you has a servant ploughing or minding sheep. When he comes back from the fields, will the master say, “Come along at once and sit down”? 8   Will he not rather say, “Prepare my supper, fasten your belt, and then wait on me while I have my meal; you can have yours afterwards”? 9   Is he grateful to the servant for

Journeys and encounters carrying out his orders? 10   So with you: when you have carried out all your orders, you should say, “We are servants and deserve no credit; we have only done our duty.”’

11   In the course of his journey to Jerusalem he was travelling through the borderlands of Samaria and Galilee. 12   As he was entering a village he was met by ten men with leprosy. They stood some way off and called out to him, ‘Jesus, Master, take pity on us.’ 13    14   When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests’; and while they were on their way, they were made clean. 15   One of them, finding himself cured, turned back praising God aloud. 16   He threw himself down at Jesus's feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17   At this Jesus said: ‘Were not all ten cleansed? The other nine, where are they? 18   Could none be found to come back and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ 19   And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way; your faith has cured you.’

20   The Pharisees asked him, ‘When will the kingdom of God come?’ He said, ‘You cannot tell by observation when the kingdom of God comes. 21   There will be no saying, “Look, here it is!” or “there it is!”; for in fact the kingdom of God is among you.’ ^note

22   He said to the disciples, ‘The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23   They will say to you, “Look! There!” and “Look! Here!” Do not go running off in pursuit. 24   For like the lightning-flash that lights up the earth from end to end, will the Son of Man be when his day comes. 25   But first he must endure much suffering and be repudiated by this generation.

26   ‘As things were in Noah's days, so will they be in the days of the Son of Man. 27   They ate and drank and married, until the day that Noah went into the ark and the flood came and made an end of them all. 28   As things were in Lot's days, also: they ate and drank; they bought and sold; 29   they planted and built; but the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from the sky and made 30   an end of them all—it will be like that on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

31   ‘On that day the man who is on the roof and his belongings in the house must not come down to pick them up; he, too, who is

Journeys and encounters in the fields must not go back. 32    33   Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses it will save it, and live.

34   ‘I tell you, on that night there will be two men in one bed: one will be taken, the other left. 35   There will be two women together grinding corn: one will be taken, the other left.’ ^note 37   When they heard this they asked, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.’

1   He spoke to them in a parable to show that they should keep on praying and never lose heart: 2   ‘There was once a judge who cared nothing for God or man, 3   and in the same town there was a widow who constantly came before him demanding justice against her opponent. 4   For a long time he refused; but in the end he said to himself, “True, I care nothing for God or man; 5   but this widow is so great a nuisance that I will see her righted before she wears me out with her persistence.”’ 6   The Lord said, ‘You hear what the unjust judge says; 7   and will not God vindicate his chosen, who cry out to him day and night, while he listens patiently to them ^note? 8   I tell you, he will vindicate them soon enough. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’

9   And here is another parable that he told. It was aimed at those who were sure of their own goodness and looked down on everyone else. 10   ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-gatherer. 11   The Pharisee stood up and prayed thus: ^note “I thank thee, O God, that I am not like the rest of men, greedy, dishonest, adulterous; or, for that matter, like this tax-gatherer. 12    13   I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all that I get.” But the other kept his distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven, but beat upon his breast, saying, “O God, have mercy on me, sinner that I am.” 14   It was this man, I tell you, and not the other, who went home acquitted of his sins. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’

15   They even brought babies for him to touch. When the disciples saw them they rebuked them, 16   but Jesus called for the children and said, ‘Let the little ones come to me; do not try to stop them;

Journeys and encounters for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17   I tell you that whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.’

18   A man of the ruling class put this question to him: ‘Good Master, what must I do to win eternal life?’ 19   Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? 20   No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not give false evidence; honour your father and mother.”’ 21    22   The man answered, ‘I have kept all these since I was a boy.’ On hearing this Jesus said, ‘There is still one thing lacking: sell everything you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, follow me.’ 23   At these words his heart sank; for he was a very rich man. 24   When Jesus saw it he said, ‘How hard it is for the wealthy to enter 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   Those who heard asked, ‘Then who can be saved?’ 27   He answered, ‘What is impossible for men is possible for God.’

28   Peter said, ‘We here have left our belongings to become your followers.’ 29   Jesus said, ‘I tell you this: there is no one who has given up home, or wife, brothers, parents, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30   who will not be repaid many times over in this age, and in the age to come have eternal life.’

Challenge to Jerusalem

31   He took the Twelve aside and said, ‘We are now going up to Jerusalem; and all that was written by the prophets will come true for the Son of Man. 32   He will be handed over to the foreign power. 33   He will be mocked, maltreated, and spat upon. They will flog him and kill him. And on the third day he will rise again.’ 34   But they understood nothing of all this; they did not grasp what he was talking about; its meaning was concealed from them.

35   As he approached Jericho a blind man sat at the roadside begging. 36    37   Hearing a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ 38   Then he shouted out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.’ 39   The people in front told him

Challenge to Jerusalem to hold his tongue; but he called out all the more, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ 40   Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. 41   When he came up he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ 42   ‘Sir, I want my sight back’, he answered. Jesus said to him, ‘Have back your sight; your faith has cured you.’ 43   He recovered his sight instantly; and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all the people gave praise to God for what they had seen.

1    2   Entering Jericho he made his way through the city. There was a man there named Zacchaeus; he was superintendent of taxes and very rich. 3   He was eager to see what Jesus looked like; but, being a little man, he could not see him for the crowd. 4   So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycomore-tree in order to see him, for he was to pass that way. 5   When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, be quick and come down; I must come and stay with you today.’ 6   He climbed down as fast as he could and welcomed him gladly. 7   At this there was a general murmur of disapproval. ‘He has gone in’, they said, ‘to be the guest of a sinner.’ 8   But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Here and now, sir, I give half my possessions to charity; and if I have cheated anyone, I am ready to repay him four times over.’ 9   Jesus said to him, ‘Salvation has come to this house today! 10   —for this man too is a son of Abraham, and the Son of Man has come to seek and save what is lost.’

11   While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was now close to Jerusalem and they thought the reign of God might dawn at any moment. 12   He said, ‘A man of noble birth went on a long journey abroad, to be appointed king and then return. 13   But first he called ten of his servants and gave them a pound each, saying, “Trade with this while I am away.” 14   His fellow-citizens hated him, and they sent a delegation on his heels to say, “We do not want this man as our king.” 15   However, back he came as king, and sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, to see what profit each had made. 16   The first came and said, “Your pound, sir, has made ten more.” 17   “Well done,” he replied; “you are a good servant. You have shown yourself trustworthy in a very small matter, and you shall have charge of ten cities.” 18   The second came and said, “Your pound, sir, has made five more”; 19   and he also was told, “You too, take charge of five cities.” 20   The third came and said, “Here is your pound, sir; I kept it put away in a handkerchief. 21   I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man: you draw out what you never put in

Challenge to Jerusalem and reap what you did not sow.” 22   “You rascal!” he replied; “I will judge you by your own words. You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, that I draw out what I never put in, and reap what I did not sow? 23   Then why did you not put my money on deposit, and I could have claimed it with interest when I came back?” 24   Turning to his attendants he said, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man with ten.” 25    26   “But, sir,” they replied, “he has ten already.” “I tell you,” he went on, “the man who has will always be given more; but the man who has not will forfeit even what he has. 27   But as for those enemies of mine who did not want me for their king, bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.”’

28   With that Jesus went forward and began the ascent to Jerusalem. 29   As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples with these instructions: 30   ‘Go to the village opposite; as you enter it you will find tethered there a colt which no one has yet ridden. 31   Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks why you are untying it, say, “Our Master needs it.”’ 32   The two went on their errand and found it as he had told them; and while they were untying the colt, 33   its owners asked, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ 34   They answered, ‘Our Master needs it.’ 35   So they brought the colt to Jesus.

Then they threw their cloaks on the colt, for Jesus to mount, 36   and they carpeted the road with them as he went on his way. 37   And now, as he approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole company of his disciples in their joy began to sing aloud the praises of God for all the great things they had seen:

38   ‘Blessings on him who comes as king in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, glory in highest heaven!’

39   Some Pharisees who were in the crowd said to him, ‘Master, reprimand your disciples.’ 40   He answered, ‘I tell you, if my disciples keep silence the stones will shout aloud.’

41    42   When he came in sight of the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If only you had known, on this great day, the way that leads to peace! 43   But no; it is hidden from your sight. For a time will come upon you, when your enemies will set up siege-works against you; they will encircle you and hem you in at every point; 44   they will bring you to the ground, you and your children within your walls, and

Challenge to Jerusalem not leave you one stone standing on another, because you did not recognize God's moment when it came.’

45   Then he went into the temple and began driving out the traders, with these words: 46   ‘Scripture says, “My house shall be a house of prayer”; but you have made it a robbers' cave.’

47   Day by day he taught in the temple. And the chief priests and lawyers were bent on making an end of him, with the support of the leading citizens, 48   but found they were helpless, because the people all hung upon his words.

1   One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling them the good news, the priests and lawyers, and the elders with them, came upon him and accosted him. 2   ‘Tell us’, they said, ‘by what authority you are acting like this; who gave you this authority?’ 3   He answered them, ‘I have a question to ask you too: tell me, was the baptism of John from God or from men?’ 4    5   This set them arguing among themselves: ‘If we say, “from God”, he will say, “Why did you not believe him?” 6   And if we say, “from men”, the people will all stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.’ 7    8   So they replied that they could not tell. And Jesus said to them, ‘Then neither will I tell you by what authority I act.’

9   He went on to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, let it out to vine-growers, and went abroad for a long time. 10   When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce; but the tenants thrashed him and sent him away empty-handed. 11   He tried again and sent a second servant; but he also was thrashed, outrageously treated, and sent away empty-handed. 12   He tried once more with a third; this one too they wounded and flung out. 13   Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What am I to do? I will send my own dear son; ^note perhaps they will respect him.” 14   But when the tenants saw him they talked it over together. “This is the heir,” they said; “let us kill him so that the property may come to us.” 15   So they flung him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16   He will come and put these tenants to death and let the vineyard to others.’

17   When they heard this, they said, ‘God forbid!’ But he looked straight at them and said, ‘Then what does this text of Scripture

Challenge to Jerusalem mean: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the main corner-stone”? 18   Any man who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; and if it falls on a man he will be crushed by it.’

19   The lawyers and chief priests wanted to lay hands on him there and then, for they saw that this parable was aimed at them; but they were afraid of the people. 20   So they watched their opportunity and sent secret agents in the guise of honest men, to seize upon some word of his as a pretext for handing him over to the authority and jurisdiction of the Governor. 21   They put a question to him: ‘Master,’ they said, ‘we know that what you speak and teach is sound; you pay deference to no one, but teach in all honesty the way of life that God requires. 22   Are we or are we not permitted to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor?’ 23   He saw through their trick and said, ‘Show me a silver piece. 24   Whose head does it bear, and whose inscription?’ 25   ‘Caesar's’, they replied. ‘Very well then,’ he said, ‘pay Caesar what is due to Caesar, and pay God what is due to God.’ 26   Thus their attempt to catch him out in public failed, and, astonished by his reply, they fell silent.

27   Then some Sadducees came forward. They are the people who deny that there is a resurrection. 28   Their question was this: ‘Master, Moses laid it down for us that if there are brothers, and one dies leaving a wife but no child, then the next should marry the widow and carry on his brother's family. 29   Now, there were seven brothers: the first took a wife and died childless; 30   then the second married her, then the third. 31   In this way the seven of them died leaving no children. 32    33   Afterwards the woman also died. At the resurrection whose wife is she to be, since all seven had married her?’ 34   Jesus said to them, ‘The men and women of this world marry; 35   but those who have been judged worthy of a place in the other world and of the resurrection from the dead, 36   do not marry, for they are not subject to death any longer. They are like angels; they are sons of God, because they share in the resurrection. 37   That the dead are raised to life again is shown by Moses himself in the story of the burning bush, when he calls the Lord, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”. 38   God is not God of the dead but of the living; for him all are ^note alive.’

39    40   At this some of the lawyers said, ‘Well spoken, Master.’ For there was no further question that they ventured to put to him.

Challenge to Jerusalem

41   He said to them, ‘How can they say that the Messiah is son of David? 42   For David himself says in the Book of Psalms: “The Lord said to my Lord, 43   ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’” 44   Thus David calls him “Lord”; how then can he be David's son?’

45    46   In the hearing of all the people Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Beware of the doctors of the law who love to walk up and down in long robes, and have a great liking for respectful greetings in the street, the chief seats in our synagogues, and places of honour at feasts. 47   These are the men who eat up the property of widows, while they say long prayers for appearance' sake; and they will receive the severest sentence.’

1   He looked up and saw the rich people dropping their gifts into the chest of the temple treasury; 2   and he noticed a poor widow putting in two tiny coins. 3   ‘I tell you this,’ he said: ‘this poor widow has given more than any of them; 4   for those others who have given had more than enough, but she, with less than enough, has given all she had to live on.’

5   Some people were talking about the temple and the fine stones and votive offerings with which it was adorned. 6   He said, ‘These things which you are gazing at—the time will come when not one stone of them will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’ 7   ‘Master,’ they asked, ‘when will it all come about? What will be the sign when it is due to happen?’

8   He said, ‘Take care that you are not misled. For many will come claiming my name and saying, “I am he”, and, “The Day is upon us.” 9   Do not follow them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not fall into a panic. These things are bound to happen first; but the end does not follow immediately.’ 10   Then he added, ‘Nation will make war upon nation, kingdom upon kingdom; 11   there will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in many places; in the sky terrors and great portents.

12   ‘But before all this happens they will set upon you and persecute you. You will be brought before synagogues and put in prison; you will be haled before kings and governors for your allegiance to me. 13    14   This will be your opportunity to testify; so make up your minds not to prepare your defence beforehand, 15   because I myself will give you power of utterance and a wisdom which no opponent will be able to resist or refute. 16   Even your parents and brothers,

Challenge to Jerusalem your relations and friends, will betray you. Some of you will be put to death; and all will hate you for your allegiance to me. 17    18   But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19   By standing firm you will win true life for yourselves.

20   ‘But when you see Jerusalem encircled by armies, then you may be sure that her destruction is near. 21   Then those who are in Judaea must take to the hills; those who are in the city itself must leave it, and those who are out in the country must not enter; 22   because this is the time of retribution, when all that stands written is to be fulfilled. 23   Alas for women who are with child in those days, or have children at the breast! For there will be great distress in the land and a terrible judgement upon this people. 24   They will fall at the sword's point; they will be carried captive into all countries; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by foreigners until their day has run its course.

25   ‘Portents will appear in sun, moon, and stars. On earth nations will stand helpless, not knowing which way to turn from the roar and surge of the sea; 26   men will faint with terror at the thought of all that is coming upon the world; for the celestial powers will be shaken. 27   And then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and glory. 28   When all this begins to happen, stand upright and hold your heads high, because your liberation is near.’

29   He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig-tree, or any other tree. 30   As soon as it buds, you can see for yourselves that summer is near. 31   In the same way, when you see all this happening, you may know that the kingdom of God is near.

32   ‘I tell you this: the present generation will live to see it all. 33   Heaven and earth will pass away; my words will never pass away.

34   ‘Keep a watch on yourselves; do not let your minds be dulled by dissipation and drunkenness and worldly cares so that the great Day closes upon you suddenly like a trap; 35   for that day will come on all men, wherever they are, the whole world over. 36   Be on the alert, praying at all times for strength to pass safely through all these imminent troubles and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.’

37   His days were given to teaching in the temple; and then he would leave the city and spend the night on the hill called Olivet. 38   And in the early morning the people flocked to listen to him in the temple. ^note

The final conflict

1   Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, known as Passover, was approaching, 2   and the chief priests and the doctors of the law were trying to devise some means of doing away with him; for they were afraid of the people.

3   Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve; 4   and Judas went to the chief priests and officers of the temple police to discuss ways and means of putting Jesus into their power. 5   They were greatly pleased and undertook to pay him a sum of money. 6   He agreed, and began to look out for an opportunity to betray him to them without collecting a crowd.

7   Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover victim had to be slaughtered, 8   and Jesus sent Peter and John with these instructions: ‘Go and prepare for our Passover supper.’ 9   ‘Where would you like us to make the preparations?’ they asked. 10   He replied, ‘As soon as you set foot in the city a man will meet you carrying a jar of water. Follow him into the house that he enters and give this message to the householder: 11   “The Master says, ‘Where is the room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” 12   He will show you a large room upstairs all set out: make the preparations there.’ 13   They went and found everything as he had said. So they prepared for Passover.

14   When the time came he took his place at table, and the apostles with him; 15   and he said to them, ‘How I have longed ^note to eat this Passover with you before my death! 16   For I tell you, never again shall I ^note eat it until the time when it finds its fulfilment in the kingdom of God.’

17   Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and share it among yourselves; 18   for I tell you, from this moment I shall drink from the fruit of the vine no more until the time when the kingdom of God comes.’ 19   And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it; and he gave it to them, with the words: ‘This is my body.’ ^note

The final conflict

21   ‘But mark this—my betrayer is here, his hand with mine on the table. 22   For the Son of Man is going his appointed way; but alas for that man by whom he is betrayed!’ 23   At this they began to ask among themselves which of them it could possibly be who was to do this thing.

24   Then a jealous dispute broke out: who among them should rank highest? 25   But he said, ‘In the world, kings lord it over their subjects; and those in authority are called their country's “Benefactors”. 26   Not so with you: on the contrary, the highest among you must bear himself like the youngest, the chief of you like a servant. 27   For who is greater—the one who sits at table or the servant who waits on him? Surely the one who sits at table. Yet here am I among you like a servant.

28   ‘You are the men who have stood firmly by me in my times of trial; 29   and now I vest in you the kingship which my Father vested in me; 30   you shall eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit ^note on thrones as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.

31   ‘Simon, Simon, take heed: Satan has been given leave to sift all of you like wheat; 32   but for you I have prayed that your faith may not fail; and when you have come to yourself, you must lend strength to your brothers.’ 33   ‘Lord,’ he replied, ‘I am ready to go with you to prison and death.’ 34   Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow tonight until you have three times over denied that you know me.’

35   He said to them, ‘When I sent you out barefoot without purse or pack, were you ever short of anything?’ 36   ‘No’, they answered. ‘It is different now,’ he said; ‘whoever has a purse had better take it with him, and his pack too; and if he has no sword, let him sell his cloak to buy one. 37   For Scripture says, “And he was counted among the outlaws”, and these words, I tell you, must find fulfilment in me; indeed, all that is written of me is being fulfilled.’ 38   ‘Look, Lord,’ they said, ‘we have two swords here.’ ‘Enough, enough!’ he replied.

39   Then he went out and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, accompanied by the disciples. 40   When he reached the place he said to them, ‘Pray that you may be spared the hour of testing.’

The final conflict 41   He himself withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and began to pray: 42   ‘Father, if it be thy will, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but thine be done.’

43   And now there appeared to him an angel from heaven bringing him strength, and in anguish of spirit he prayed the more urgently; 44    and his sweat was like clots of blood falling to the ground. ^note

45   When he rose from prayer and came to the disciples he found them asleep, worn out by grief. 46   ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he said. ‘Rise and pray that you may be spared the test.’

47   While he was still speaking a crowd appeared with the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, at their head. He came up to Jesus to kiss him; 48   but Jesus said, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’

49   When his followers saw what was coming, they said, ‘Lord, shall we use our swords?’ 50   And one of them struck at the High Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. 51   But Jesus answered, ‘Let them have their way.’ Then he touched the man's ear and healed him. ^note

52   Turning to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders, who had come to seize him, he said, ‘Do you take me for a bandit, that you have come out with swords and cudgels to arrest me? 53   Day after day, when I was in the temple with you, you kept your hands off me. But this is your moment—the hour when darkness reigns.’

54   Then they arrested him and led him away. They brought him to the High Priest's house, and Peter followed at a distance. 55   They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat round it, and Peter sat among them. 56   A serving-maid who saw him sitting in the firelight stared at him and said, ‘This man was with him too.’ 57   But he denied it: ‘Woman,’ he said, ‘I do not know him.’ 58   A little later someone else noticed him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said to him, ‘No, I am not.’ 59   About an hour passed and another spoke more strongly still: ‘Of course this fellow was with him. 60   He must have been; he is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, a cock crew; 61   and the Lord turned and looked

The final conflict at Peter. And Peter remembered the Lord's words, ‘Tonight before the cock crows you will disown me three times.’ ^note

63   The men who were guarding Jesus mocked at him. They beat him, 64   they blindfolded him, and they kept asking him, ‘Now, prophet, who hit you? 65   Tell us that.’ And so they went on heaping insults upon him.

66   When day broke, the elders of the nation, chief priests, and doctors of the law assembled, and he was brought before their Council. 67   ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘are you the Messiah?’ ‘If I tell you,’ he replied, ‘you will not believe me; 68   and if I ask questions, you will not answer. 69   But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of Almighty God.’ ^note 70   ‘You are the Son of God, then?’ they all said, and he replied, ‘It is you who say I am.’ ^note 71   They said, ‘Need we call further witnesses? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.’

1   With that the whole assembly rose, and they brought him before Pilate. 2   They opened the case against him by saying, ‘We found this man subverting our nation, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be Messiah, a king.’ ^note 3   Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ 4   He replied, ‘The words are yours.’ ^notePilate then said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no case for this man to answer.’ 5   But they insisted: ‘His teaching is causing disaffection among the people all through Judaea. It started from Galilee and has spread as far as this city.’

6    7   When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean, and on learning that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction he remitted the case to him, for Herod was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8   When Herod saw Jesus he was greatly pleased; having heard about him, he had long been wanting to see him, and had been hoping to see some miracle performed by him. 9   He questioned him at some length without getting any reply; 10   but the chief priests and lawyers appeared and pressed the case against him vigorously. 11   Then Herod and his troops treated him with contempt and ridicule, and sent him back to Pilate dressed in a gorgeous robe. 12   That same day Herod and Pilate became friends; till then there had been a standing feud between them.

The final conflict

13   Pilate now called together the chief priests, councillors, and people, and said to them, 14   ‘You brought this man before me on a charge of subversion. But, as you see, I have myself examined him in your presence and found nothing in him to support your charges. 15   No more did Herod, for he has referred him back to us. Clearly he has done nothing to deserve death. 16   I therefore propose to let him off with a flogging.’ 18   But ^note there was a general outcry, ‘Away with him! 19   Give us Barabbas.’ (This man had been put in prison for a rising that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) 20   Pilate addressed them again, 21   in his desire to release Jesus, but they shouted back, ‘Crucify him, crucify him!’ 22   For the third time he spoke to them: ‘Why, what wrong has he done? I have not found him guilty of any capital offence. 23   I will therefore let him off with a flogging.’ But they insisted on their demand, shouting that Jesus should be crucified. 24   Their shouts prevailed and Pilate decided that they should have their way. 25   He released the man they asked for, the man who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and gave Jesus up to their will.

26   As they led him away to execution they seized upon a man called Simon, from Cyrene, on his way in from the country, put the cross on his back, and made him walk behind Jesus carrying it.

27   Great numbers of people followed, many women among them, who mourned and lamented over him. 28   Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; no, weep for yourselves and your children. 29   For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Happy are the barren, the wombs that never bore a child, the breasts that never fed one.” 30   Then they will start saying to the mountains, “Fall on us”, and to the hills, “Cover us.” 31   For if these things are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

32   There were two others with him, criminals who were being led away to execution; 33   and when they reached the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, and the criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left. 34   Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’ ^note

35   They divided his clothes among them by casting lots. The people

The final conflict stood looking on, and their rulers jeered at him: ‘He saved others: now let him save himself, if this is God's Messiah, his Chosen.’ 36   The soldiers joined in the mockery and came forward offering him their sour wine. 37   ‘If you are the king of the Jews,’ they said, ‘save yourself.’ 38   There was an inscription above his head which ran: ‘This is the king of the Jews.’

39   One of the criminals who hung there with him taunted him: ‘Are not you the Messiah? 40   Save yourself, and us.’ But the other rebuked him: ‘Have you no fear of God? You are under the same sentence as he. 41   For us it is plain justice; we are paying the price for our misdeeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42   And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come to your throne.’ ^note 43   He answered, ‘I tell you this: today you shall be with me in Paradise.’

44   By now it was about midday and a darkness fell over the whole land, which lasted until three in the afternoon; 45   the sun's light failed. 46   And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus gave a loud cry and said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit’; and with these words he died. 47   The centurion saw it all, and gave praise to God. ‘Beyond all doubt’, he said, ‘this man was innocent.’

48   The crowd who had assembled for the spectacle, when they saw what had happened, went home beating their breasts.

49   His friends had all been standing at a distance; the women who had accompanied him from Galilee stood with them and watched it all.

50   Now there was a man called Joseph, a member of the Council, a good, 51   upright man, who had dissented from their policy and the action they had taken. He came from the Judaean town of Arimathaea, and he was one who looked forward to the kingdom of God. 52   This man now approached Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53   Taking it down from the cross, he wrapped it in a linen sheet, and laid it in a tomb cut out of the rock, in which no one had been laid before. 54   It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

55   The women who had accompanied him from Galilee followed; they took note of the tomb and observed how his body was laid. 56   Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes; and on the Sabbath they rested in obedience to the commandment.

1   But on the Sunday morning very early they came to the tomb bringing

The final conflict the spices they had prepared. 2   Finding that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, they went inside; 3   but the body was not to be found. 4   While they stood utterly at a loss, all of a sudden two men in dazzling garments were at their side. 5   They were terrified, and stood with eyes cast down, but the men said, ‘Why search among the dead for one who lives? ^note 6   Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee, about the Son of Man: 7   how he must be given up into the power of sinful men and be crucified, and must rise again on the third day.’ 8    9   Then they recalled his words and, returning from the tomb, they reported all this to the Eleven and all the others.

10   The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother ^note of James, and they, with the other women, told the apostles. 11   But the story appeared to them to be nonsense, and they would not believe them. ^note

13   That same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, 14   which lay about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all these happenings. 15   As they talked and discussed it with one another, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16   but something kept them from seeing who it was. 17   He asked them, ‘What is it you are debating as you walk?’ They halted, 18   their faces full of gloom, and one, called Cleopas, answered, ‘Are you the only person staying in Jerusalem not to know ^note what has happened there in the last few days?’ 19   ‘What do you mean?’ he said. ‘All this about Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied, ‘a prophet powerful in speech and action before God and the whole people; 20   how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified him. 21   But we had been hoping that he was the man to liberate Israel. What is more, this is the third day since it happened, 22   and now some women of our company have astounded us: 23   they went early to the tomb, but failed to find his body, and returned with a story that they had seen a vision of angels who told them he was alive. 24   So some of our people went to the tomb and found things just as the women had said; but him they did not see.’

The final conflict

25   ‘How dull you are!’ he answered. ‘How slow to believe all that the prophets said! 26   Was the Messiah not bound to suffer thus before entering upon his glory?’ 27   Then he began with Moses and all the prophets, and explained to them the passages which referred to himself in every part of the scriptures.

28   By this time they had reached the village to which they were going, 29   and he made as if to continue his journey, but they pressed him: ‘Stay with us, for evening draws on, and the day is almost over.’ 30   So he went in to stay with them. And when he had sat down with them at table, he took bread and said the blessing; he broke the bread, and offered it to them. 31   Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32   They said to one another, ‘Did we not feel our hearts on fire as he talked with us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’

33   Without a moment's delay they set out and returned to Jerusalem. There they found that the Eleven and the rest of the company had assembled, and were saying, ‘It is true: 34   the Lord has risen; he has appeared to Simon.’ 35   Then they gave their account of the events of their journey and told how he had been recognized by them at the breaking of the bread.

36   As they were talking about all this, there he was, standing among them. ^note 37   Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. 38   But he said, ‘Why are you so perturbed? Why do questionings arise in your minds? 39   Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see; no ghost has flesh and bones as you can see that I have.’ ^note 41   They were still unconvinced, still wondering, for it seemed too good to be true. So he asked them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ 42    43   They offered him a piece of fish they had cooked, which he took and ate before their eyes.

44   And he said to them, ‘This is what I meant by saying, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms was bound to be fulfilled.’ 45    46   Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what is written: that the Messiah is to suffer death and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47   and that in his name repentance bringing the forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to all nations. 48   Begin from Jerusalem; it is you who are the witnesses

The final conflict to it all. 49   And mark this: I am sending upon you my Father's promised gift; so stay here in this city until you are armed with the power from above.’

50   Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and blessed them with uplifted hands; 51   and in the act of blessing he parted from them. ^note 52    53   And they ^note returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and spent all their time in the temple praising God.

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