nkjv Luke:1:42-42 SEEK
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Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said , "
Blessed are you among women ,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb !
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But why is this granted to me ,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me ?
*
For indeed ,
as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears ,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy .
*
Blessed is she who believed ,
for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord ."
*
And Mary said : "
My soul magnifies the Lord ,
*
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior .
*
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant ;
For behold ,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed .
*
For He who is mighty has done great things for me ,
And holy is His name .
*
And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation .
*
He has shown strength with His arm ;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts .
*
He has put down the mighty from their thrones ,
And exalted the lowly .
*
He has filled the hungry with good things ,
And the rich He has sent away empty .
*
He has helped His servant Israel ,
In remembrance of His mercy ,
*
As He spoke to our fathers ,
To Abraham and to his seed forever ."
*
And Mary remained with her about three months ,
and returned to her house .
*
Now Elizabeth '
s full time came for her to be delivered ,
and she brought forth a son .
*
When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her ,
they rejoiced with her .
*
So it was ,
on the eighth day ,
that they came to circumcise the child ;
and they would have called him by the name of his father ,
Zacharias .
*
His mother answered and said , "
No ;
he shall be called John ."
*
But they said to her , "
There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name ."
*
So they made signs to his father--what he would have him called .
*
And he asked for a writing tablet ,
and wrote ,
saying , "
His name is John ."
So they all marveled .
*
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed ,
and he spoke ,
praising God .
*
Then fear came on all who dwelt around them ;
and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea .
*
And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts ,
saying , "
What kind of child will this be ?"
And the hand of the Lord was with him .
*
Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit ,
and prophesied ,
saying :
* "
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel ,
For He has visited and redeemed His people ,
*
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David ,
*
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets ,
Who have been since the world began ,
*
That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us ,
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To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant ,
*
The oath which He swore to our father Abraham :
*
To grant us that we ,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies ,
Might serve Him without fear ,
*
In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life .
* "
And you ,
child ,
will be called the prophet of the Highest ;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways ,
*
To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins ,
*
Through the tender mercy of our God ,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us ;
*
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death ,
To guide our feet into the way of peace ."
*
So the child grew and became strong in spirit ,
and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel .
*
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also ,
and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go .
*
Then He said to them , "
The harvest truly is great ,
but the laborers are few ;
therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest .
*
Go your way ;
behold ,
I send you out as lambs among wolves .
*
Carry neither money bag ,
knapsack ,
nor sandals ;
and greet no one along the road .
*
But whatever house you enter ,
first say , "
Peace to this house .'
*
And if a son of peace is there ,
your peace will rest on it ;
if not ,
it will return to you .
*
And remain in the same house ,
eating and drinking such things as they give ,
for the laborer is worthy of his wages .
Do not go from house to house .
*
Whatever city you enter ,
and they receive you ,
eat such things as are set before you .
*
And heal the sick there ,
and say to them , "
The kingdom of God has come near to you .'
*
But whatever city you enter ,
and they do not receive you ,
go out into its streets and say ,
* "
The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you .
Nevertheless know this ,
that the kingdom of God has come near you .'
*
But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city .
* "
Woe to you ,
Chorazin !
Woe to you ,
Bethsaida !
For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon ,
they would have repented long ago ,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes .
*
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you .
*
And you ,
Capernaum ,
who are exalted to heaven ,
will be brought down to Hades .
*
He who hears you hears Me ,
he who rejects you rejects Me ,
and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me ."
*
Then the seventy returned with joy ,
saying , "
Lord ,
even the demons are subject to us in Your name ."
*
And He said to them , "
I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven .
*
Behold ,
I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions ,
and over all the power of the enemy ,
and nothing shall by any means hurt you .
*
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this ,
that the spirits are subject to you ,
but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven ."
*
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said , "
I thank You ,
Father ,
Lord of heaven and earth ,
that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes .
Even so ,
Father ,
for so it seemed good in Your sight .
*
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father ,
and no one knows who the Son is except the Father ,
and who the Father is except the Son ,
and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him ."
*
Then He turned to His disciples and said privately , "
Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see ;
*
for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see ,
and have not seen it ,
and to hear what you hear ,
and have not heard it ."
*
And behold ,
a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him ,
saying , "
Teacher ,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?"
*
He said to him , "
What is written in the law ?
What is your reading of it ?"
*
So he answered and said , ""
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart ,
with all your soul ,
with all your strength ,
and with all your mind ,'
and "
your neighbor as yourself ."'
*
And He said to him , "
You have answered rightly ;
do this and you will live ."
*
But he ,
wanting to justify himself ,
said to Jesus , "
And who is my neighbor ?"
*
Then Jesus answered and said : "
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho ,
and fell among thieves ,
who stripped him of his clothing ,
wounded him ,
and departed ,
leaving him half dead .
*
Now by chance a certain priest came down that road .
And when he saw him ,
he passed by on the other side .
*
Likewise a Levite ,
when he arrived at the place ,
came and looked ,
and passed by on the other side .
*
But a certain Samaritan ,
as he journeyed ,
came where he was .
And when he saw him ,
he had compassion .
*
So he went to him and bandaged his wounds ,
pouring on oil and wine ;
and he set him on his own animal ,
brought him to an inn ,
and took care of him .
*
On the next day ,
when he departed ,
he took out two denarii ,
gave them to the innkeeper ,
and said to him , "
Take care of him ;
and whatever more you spend ,
when I come again ,
I will repay you .'
*
So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves ?"
*
And he said , "
He who showed mercy on him ."
Then Jesus said to him , "
Go and do likewise ."
*
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village ;
and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house .
*
And she had a sister called Mary ,
who also sat at Jesus '
feet and heard His word .
*
But Martha was distracted with much serving ,
and she approached Him and said , "
Lord ,
do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone ?
Therefore tell her to help me ."
*
And Jesus answered and said to her , "
Martha ,
Martha ,
you are worried and troubled about many things .
*
But one thing is needed ,
and Mary has chosen that good part ,
which will not be taken away from her ."
*
Now it came to pass ,
as He was praying in a certain place ,
when He ceased ,
that one of His disciples said to Him , "
Lord ,
teach us to pray ,
as John also taught his disciples ."
*
So He said to them , "
When you pray ,
say :
Our Father in heaven ,
Hallowed be Your name .
Your kingdom come .
Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven .
*
Give us day by day our daily bread .
*
And forgive us our sins ,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us .
And do not lead us into temptation ,
But deliver us from the evil one ."
*
And He said to them , "
Which of you shall have a friend ,
and go to him at midnight and say to him , "
Friend ,
lend me three loaves ;
*
for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey ,
and I have nothing to set before him ';
*
and he will answer from within and say , "
Do not trouble me ;
the door is now shut ,
and my children are with me in bed ;
I cannot rise and give to you '?
*
I say to you ,
though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend ,
yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs .
* "
So I say to you ,
ask ,
and it will be given to you ;
seek ,
and you will find ;
knock ,
and it will be opened to you .
*
For everyone who asks receives ,
and he who seeks finds ,
and to him who knocks it will be opened .
*
If a son asks for bread from any father among you ,
will he give him a stone ?
Or if he asks for a fish ,
will he give him a serpent instead of a fish ?
*
Or if he asks for an egg ,
will he offer him a scorpion ?
*
If you then ,
being evil ,
know how to give good gifts to your children ,
how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him !"
*
And He was casting out a demon ,
and it was mute .
So it was ,
when the demon had gone out ,
that the mute spoke ;
and the multitudes marveled .
*
But some of them said , "
He casts out demons by Beelzebub ,
the ruler of the demons ."
*
Others ,
testing Him ,
sought from Him a sign from heaven .
*
But He ,
knowing their thoughts ,
said to them : "
Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ,
and a house divided against a house falls .
*
If Satan also is divided against himself ,
how will his kingdom stand ?
Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub .
*
And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub ,
by whom do your sons cast them out ?
Therefore they will be your judges .
*
But if I cast out demons with the finger of God ,
surely the kingdom of God has come upon you .
*
When a strong man ,
fully armed ,
guards his own palace ,
his goods are in peace .
*
But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him ,
he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted ,
and divides his spoils .
*
He who is not with Me is against Me ,
and he who does not gather with Me scatters .
* "
When an unclean spirit goes out of a man ,
he goes through dry places ,
seeking rest ;
and finding none ,
he says , "
I will return to my house from which I came .'
*
And when he comes ,
he finds it swept and put in order .
*
Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself ,
and they enter and dwell there ;
and the last state of that man is worse than the first ."
*
And it happened ,
as He spoke these things ,
that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him , "
Blessed is the womb that bore You ,
and the breasts which nursed You !"
*
But He said , "
More than that ,
blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it !"
*
And while the crowds were thickly gathered together ,
He began to say , "
This is an evil generation .
It seeks a sign ,
and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet .
*
For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites ,
so also the Son of Man will be to this generation .
*
The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them ,
for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon ;
and indeed a greater than Solomon is here .
*
The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it ,
for they repented at the preaching of Jonah ;
and indeed a greater than Jonah is here .
* "
No one ,
when he has lit a lamp ,
puts it in a secret place or under a basket ,
but on a lampstand ,
that those who come in may see the light .
*
The lamp of the body is the eye .
Therefore ,
when your eye is good ,
your whole body also is full of light .
But when your eye is bad ,
your body also is full of darkness .
*
Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness .
*
If then your whole body is full of light ,
having no part dark ,
the whole body will be full of light ,
as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light ."
*
And as He spoke ,
a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him .
So He went in and sat down to eat .
*
When the Pharisee saw it ,
he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner .
*
Then the Lord said to him , "
Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean ,
but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness .
*
Foolish ones !
Did not He who made the outside make the inside also ?
*
But rather give alms of such things as you have ;
then indeed all things are clean to you .
* "
But woe to you Pharisees !
For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs ,
and pass by justice and the love of God .
These you ought to have done ,
without leaving the others undone .
*
Woe to you Pharisees !
For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces .
*
Woe to you ,
scribes and Pharisees ,
hypocrites !
For you are like graves which are not seen ,
and the men who walk over them are not aware of them ."
*
Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him , "
Teacher ,
by saying these things You reproach us also ."
*
And He said , "
Woe to you also ,
lawyers !
For you load men with burdens hard to bear ,
and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers .
*
Woe to you !
For you build the tombs of the prophets ,
and your fathers killed them .
*
In fact ,
you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers ;
for they indeed killed them ,
and you build their tombs .
*
Therefore the wisdom of God also said , "
I will send them prophets and apostles ,
and some of them they will kill and persecute ,'
*
that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation ,
*
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple .
Yes ,
I say to you ,
it shall be required of this generation .
* "
Woe to you lawyers !
For you have taken away the key of knowledge .
You did not enter in yourselves ,
and those who were entering in you hindered ."
*
And as He said these things to them ,
the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently ,
and to cross-examine Him about many things ,
*
lying in wait for Him ,
and seeking to catch Him in something He might say ,
that they might accuse Him .
*
In the meantime ,
when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together ,
so that they trampled one another ,
He began to say to His disciples first of all , "
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees ,
which is hypocrisy .
*
For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed ,
nor hidden that will not be known .
*
Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light ,
and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops .
* "
And I say to you ,
My friends ,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body ,
and after that have no more that they can do .
*
But I will show you whom you should fear :
Fear Him who ,
after He has killed ,
has power to cast into hell ;
yes ,
I say to you ,
fear Him !
* "
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins ?
And not one of them is forgotten before God .
*
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered .
Do not fear therefore ;
you are of more value than many sparrows .
* "
Also I say to you ,
whoever confesses Me before men ,
him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God .
*
But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God .
* "
And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man ,
it will be forgiven him ;
but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit ,
it will not be forgiven .
* "
Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities ,
do not worry about how or what you should answer ,
or what you should say .
*
For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say ."
*
Then one from the crowd said to Him , "
Teacher ,
tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me ."
*
But He said to him , "
Man ,
who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you ?"
*
And He said to them , "
Take heed and beware of covetousness ,
for one '
s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses ."
*
Then He spoke a parable to them ,
saying : "
The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully .
*
And he thought within himself ,
saying , "
What shall I do ,
since I have no room to store my crops ?'
*
So he said , "
I will do this :
I will pull down my barns and build greater ,
and there I will store all my crops and my goods .
*
And I will say to my soul , "
Soul ,
you have many goods laid up for many years ;
take your ease ;
eat ,
drink ,
and be merry ."'
*
But God said to him , "
Fool !
This night your soul will be required of you ;
then whose will those things be which you have provided ?'
* "
So is he who lays up treasure for himself ,
and is not rich toward God ."
*
Then He said to His disciples , "
Therefore I say to you ,
do not worry about your life ,
what you will eat ;
nor about the body ,
what you will put on .
*
Life is more than food ,
and the body is more than clothing .
*
Consider the ravens ,
for they neither sow nor reap ,
which have neither storehouse nor barn ;
and God feeds them .
Of how much more value are you than the birds ?
*
And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature ?
*
If you then are not able to do the least ,
why are you anxious for the rest ?
*
Consider the lilies ,
how they grow :
they neither toil nor spin ;
and yet I say to you ,
even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these .
*
If then God so clothes the grass ,
which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven ,
how much more will He clothe you ,
O you of little faith ?
* "
And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink ,
nor have an anxious mind .
*
For all these things the nations of the world seek after ,
and your Father knows that you need these things .
*
But seek the kingdom of God ,
and all these things shall be added to you .
* "
Do not fear ,
little flock ,
for it is your Father '
s good pleasure to give you the kingdom .
*
Sell what you have and give alms ;
provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old ,
a treasure in the heavens that does not fail ,
where no thief approaches nor moth destroys .
*
For where your treasure is ,
there your heart will be also .
* "
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning ;
*
and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master ,
when he will return from the wedding ,
that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately .
*
Blessed are those servants whom the master ,
when he comes ,
will find watching .
Assuredly ,
I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat ,
and will come and serve them .
*
And if he should come in the second watch ,
or come in the third watch ,
and find them so ,
blessed are those servants .
*
But know this ,
that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come ,
he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into .
*
Therefore you also be ready ,
for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect ."
*
Then Peter said to Him , "
Lord ,
do You speak this parable only to us ,
or to all people ?"
*
And the Lord said , "
Who then is that faithful and wise steward ,
whom his master will make ruler over his household ,
to give them their portion of food in due season ?
*
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes .
*
Truly ,
I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has .
*
But if that servant says in his heart , "
My master is delaying his coming ,'
and begins to beat the male and female servants ,
and to eat and drink and be drunk ,
*
the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him ,
and at an hour when he is not aware ,
and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers .
*
And that servant who knew his master '
s will ,
and did not prepare himself or do according to his will ,
shall be beaten with many stripes .
*
But he who did not know ,
yet committed things deserving of stripes ,
shall be beaten with few .
For everyone to whom much is given ,
from him much will be required ;
and to whom much has been committed ,
of him they will ask the more .
* "
I came to send fire on the earth ,
and how I wish it were already kindled !
*
But I have a baptism to be baptized with ,
and how distressed I am till it is accomplished !
*
Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth ?
I tell you ,
not at all ,
but rather division .
*
For from now on five in one house will be divided :
three against two ,
and two against three .
*
Father will be divided against son and son against father ,
mother against daughter and daughter against mother ,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law ."
*
Then He also said to the multitudes , "
Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west ,
immediately you say , "
A shower is coming ';
and so it is .
*
And when you see the south wind blow ,
you say , "
There will be hot weather ';
and there is .
*
Hypocrites !
You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth ,
but how is it you do not discern this time ?
* "
Yes ,
and why ,
even of yourselves ,
do you not judge what is right ?
*
When you go with your adversary to the magistrate ,
make every effort along the way to settle with him ,
lest he drag you to the judge ,
the judge deliver you to the officer ,
and the officer throw you into prison .
*
I tell you ,
you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite ."
*
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices .
*
And Jesus answered and said to them , "
Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans ,
because they suffered such things ?
*
I tell you ,
no ;
but unless you repent you will all likewise perish .
*
Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them ,
do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem ?
*
I tell you ,
no ;
but unless you repent you will all likewise perish ."
*
He also spoke this parable : "
A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard ,
and he came seeking fruit on it and found none .
*
Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard , "
Look ,
for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none .
Cut it down ;
why does it use up the ground ?'
*
But he answered and said to him , "
Sir ,
let it alone this year also ,
until I dig around it and fertilize it .
*
And if it bears fruit ,
well .
But if not ,
after that you can cut it down ."'
*
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath .
*
And behold ,
there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years ,
and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up .
*
But when Jesus saw her ,
He called her to Him and said to her , "
Woman ,
you are loosed from your infirmity ."
*
And He laid His hands on her ,
and immediately she was made straight ,
and glorified God .
*
But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation ,
because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath ;
and he said to the crowd , "
There are six days on which men ought to work ;
therefore come and be healed on them ,
and not on the Sabbath day ."
*
The Lord then answered him and said , "
Hypocrite !
Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall ,
and lead it away to water it ?
*
So ought not this woman ,
being a daughter of Abraham ,
whom Satan has bound--think of it--for eighteen years ,
be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath ?"
*
And when He said these things ,
all His adversaries were put to shame ;
and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him .
*
Then He said , "
What is the kingdom of God like ?
And to what shall I compare it ?
*
It is like a mustard seed ,
which a man took and put in his garden ;
and it grew and became a large tree ,
and the birds of the air nested in its branches ."
*
And again He said , "
To what shall I liken the kingdom of God ?
*
It is like leaven ,
which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened ."
*
And He went through the cities and villages ,
teaching ,
and journeying toward Jerusalem .
*
Then one said to Him , "
Lord ,
are there few who are saved ?"
And He said to them ,
* "
Strive to enter through the narrow gate ,
for many ,
I say to you ,
will seek to enter and will not be able .
*
When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door ,
and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door ,
saying , "
Lord ,
Lord ,
open for us ,'
and He will answer and say to you , "
I do not know you ,
where you are from ,'
*
then you will begin to say , "
We ate and drank in Your presence ,
and You taught in our streets .'
*
But He will say , "
I tell you I do not know you ,
where you are from .
Depart from Me ,
all you workers of iniquity .'
*
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth ,
when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God ,
and yourselves thrust out .
*
They will come from the east and the west ,
from the north and the south ,
and sit down in the kingdom of God .
*
And indeed there are last who will be first ,
and there are first who will be last ."
*
On that very day some Pharisees came ,
saying to Him , "
Get out and depart from here ,
for Herod wants to kill You ."
*
And He said to them , "
Go ,
tell that fox , "
Behold ,
I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow ,
and the third day I shall be perfected .'
*
Nevertheless I must journey today ,
tomorrow ,
and the day following ;
for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem .
* "
O Jerusalem ,
Jerusalem ,
the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her !
How often I wanted to gather your children together ,
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings ,
but you were not willing !
*
See !
Your house is left to you desolate ;
and assuredly ,
I say to you ,
you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say , "
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD !"'
*
Now it happened ,
as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath ,
that they watched Him closely .
*
And behold ,
there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy .
*
And Jesus ,
answering ,
spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees ,
saying , "
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath ?"
*
But they kept silent .
And He took him and healed him ,
and let him go .
*
Then He answered them ,
saying , "
Which of you ,
having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit ,
will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day ?"
*
And they could not answer Him regarding these things .
*
So He told a parable to those who were invited ,
when He noted how they chose the best places ,
saying to them :
* "
When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast ,
do not sit down in the best place ,
lest one more honorable than you be invited by him ;
*
and he who invited you and him come and say to you , "
Give place to this man ,'
and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place .
*
But when you are invited ,
go and sit down in the lowest place ,
so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you , "
Friend ,
go up higher .'
Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you .
*
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled ,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted ."
*
Then He also said to him who invited Him , "
When you give a dinner or a supper ,
do not ask your friends ,
your brothers ,
your relatives ,
nor rich neighbors ,
lest they also invite you back ,
and you be repaid .
*
But when you give a feast ,
invite the poor ,
the maimed ,
the lame ,
the blind .
*
And you will be blessed ,
because they cannot repay you ;
for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just ."
*
Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things ,
he said to Him , "
Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God !"
*
Then He said to him , "
A certain man gave a great supper and invited many ,
*
and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited , "
Come ,
for all things are now ready .'
*
But they all with one accord began to make excuses .
The first said to him , "
I have bought a piece of ground ,
and I must go and see it .
I ask you to have me excused .'
*
And another said , "
I have bought five yoke of oxen ,
and I am going to test them .
I ask you to have me excused .'
*
Still another said , "
I have married a wife ,
and therefore I cannot come .'
*
So that servant came and reported these things to his master .
Then the master of the house ,
being angry ,
said to his servant , "
Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city ,
and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind .'
*
And the servant said , "
Master ,
it is done as you commanded ,
and still there is room .'
*
Then the master said to the servant , "
Go out into the highways and hedges ,
and compel them to come in ,
that my house may be filled .
*
For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper ."'
*
Now great multitudes went with Him .
And He turned and said to them ,
* "
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother ,
wife and children ,
brothers and sisters ,
yes ,
and his own life also ,
he cannot be My disciple .
*
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple .
*
For which of you ,
intending to build a tower ,
does not sit down first and count the cost ,
whether he has enough to finish it --
*
lest ,
after he has laid the foundation ,
and is not able to finish ,
all who see it begin to mock him ,
*
saying , "
This man began to build and was not able to finish .'
*
Or what king ,
going to make war against another king ,
does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand ?
*
Or else ,
while the other is still a great way off ,
he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace .
*
So likewise ,
whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple .
* "
Salt is good ;
but if the salt has lost its flavor ,
how shall it be seasoned ?
*
It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill ,
but men throw it out .
He who has ears to hear ,
let him hear !"
*
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him .
*
And the Pharisees and scribes complained ,
saying , "
This Man receives sinners and eats with them ."
*
So He spoke this parable to them ,
saying :
* "
What man of you ,
having a hundred sheep ,
if he loses one of them ,
does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness ,
and go after the one which is lost until he finds it ?
*
And when he has found it ,
he lays it on his shoulders ,
rejoicing .
*
And when he comes home ,
he calls together his friends and neighbors ,
saying to them , "
Rejoice with me ,
for I have found my sheep which was lost !'
*
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance .
* "
Or what woman ,
having ten silver coins ,
if she loses one coin ,
does not light a lamp ,
sweep the house ,
and search carefully until she finds it ?
*
And when she has found it ,
she calls her friends and neighbors together ,
saying , "
Rejoice with me ,
for I have found the piece which I lost !'
*
Likewise ,
I say to you ,
there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents ."
*
Then He said : "
A certain man had two sons .
*
And the younger of them said to his father , "
Father ,
give me the portion of goods that falls to me .'
So he divided to them his livelihood .
*
And not many days after ,
the younger son gathered all together ,
journeyed to a far country ,
and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living .
*
But when he had spent all ,
there arose a severe famine in that land ,
and he began to be in want .
*
Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country ,
and he sent him into his fields to feed swine .
*
And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate ,
and no one gave him anything .
* "
But when he came to himself ,
he said , "
How many of my father '
s hired servants have bread enough and to spare ,
and I perish with hunger !
*
I will arise and go to my father ,
and will say to him , "
Father ,
I have sinned against heaven and before you ,
*
and I am no longer worthy to be called your son .
Make me like one of your hired servants ."'
* "
And he arose and came to his father .
But when he was still a great way off ,
his father saw him and had compassion ,
and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him .
*
And the son said to him , "
Father ,
I have sinned against heaven and in your sight ,
and am no longer worthy to be called your son .'
* "
But the father said to his servants , "
Bring out the best robe and put it on him ,
and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet .
*
And bring the fatted calf here and kill it ,
and let us eat and be merry ;
*
for this my son was dead and is alive again ;
he was lost and is found .'
And they began to be merry .
* "
Now his older son was in the field .
And as he came and drew near to the house ,
he heard music and dancing .
*
So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant .
*
And he said to him , "
Your brother has come ,
and because he has received him safe and sound ,
your father has killed the fatted calf .'
* "
But he was angry and would not go in .
Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him .
*
So he answered and said to his father , "
Lo ,
these many years I have been serving you ;
I never transgressed your commandment at any time ;
and yet you never gave me a young goat ,
that I might make merry with my friends .
*
But as soon as this son of yours came ,
who has devoured your livelihood with harlots ,
you killed the fatted calf for him .'
* "
And he said to him , "
Son ,
you are always with me ,
and all that I have is yours .
*
It was right that we should make merry and be glad ,
for your brother was dead and is alive again ,
and was lost and is found ."'
*
He also said to His disciples : "
There was a certain rich man who had a steward ,
and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods .
*
So he called him and said to him , "
What is this I hear about you ?
Give an account of your stewardship ,
for you can no longer be steward .'
* "
Then the steward said within himself , "
What shall I do ?
For my master is taking the stewardship away from me .
I cannot dig ;
I am ashamed to beg .
*
I have resolved what to do ,
that when I am put out of the stewardship ,
they may receive me into their houses .'
* "
So he called every one of his master '
s debtors to him ,
and said to the first , "
How much do you owe my master ?'
*
And he said , "
A hundred measures of oil .'
So he said to him , "
Take your bill ,
and sit down quickly and write fifty .'
*
Then he said to another , "
And how much do you owe ?'
So he said , "
A hundred measures of wheat .'
And he said to him , "
Take your bill ,
and write eighty .'
*
So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly .
For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light .
* "
And I say to you ,
make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon ,
that when you fail ,
they may receive you into an everlasting home .
*
He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much ;
and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much .
*
Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon ,
who will commit to your trust the true riches ?
*
And if you have not been faithful in what is another man '
s ,
who will give you what is your own ?
* "
No servant can serve two masters ;
for either he will hate the one and love the other ,
or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other .
You cannot serve God and mammon ."
*
Now the Pharisees ,
who were lovers of money ,
also heard all these things ,
and they derided Him .
*
And He said to them , "
You are those who justify yourselves before men ,
but God knows your hearts .
For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God .
* "
The law and the prophets were until John .
Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached ,
and everyone is pressing into it .
*
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail .
* "
Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery ;
and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery .
* "
There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day .
*
But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus ,
full of sores ,
who was laid at his gate ,
*
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man '
s table .
Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores .
*
So it was that the beggar died ,
and was carried by the angels to Abraham '
s bosom .
The rich man also died and was buried .
*
And being in torments in Hades ,
he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off ,
and Lazarus in his bosom .
* "
Then he cried and said , "
Father Abraham ,
have mercy on me ,
and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue ;
for I am tormented in this flame .'
*
But Abraham said , "
Son ,
remember that in your lifetime you received your good things ,
and likewise Lazarus evil things ;
but now he is comforted and you are tormented .
*
And besides all this ,
between us and you there is a great gulf fixed ,
so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot ,
nor can those from there pass to us .'
* "
Then he said , "
I beg you therefore ,
father ,
that you would send him to my father '
s house ,
*
for I have five brothers ,
that he may testify to them ,
lest they also come to this place of torment .'
*
Abraham said to him , "
They have Moses and the prophets ;
let them hear them .'
*
And he said , "
No ,
father Abraham ;
but if one goes to them from the dead ,
they will repent .'
*
But he said to him , "
If they do not hear Moses and the prophets ,
neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead ."'
*
Then He said to the disciples , "
It is impossible that no offenses should come ,
but woe to him through whom they do come !
*
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck ,
and he were thrown into the sea ,
than that he should offend one of these little ones .
*
Take heed to yourselves .
If your brother sins against you ,
rebuke him ;
and if he repents ,
forgive him .
*
And if he sins against you seven times in a day ,
and seven times in a day returns to you ,
saying , "
I repent ,'
you shall forgive him ."
*
And the apostles said to the Lord , "
Increase our faith ."
*
So the Lord said , "
If you have faith as a mustard seed ,
you can say to this mulberry tree , "
Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea ,'
and it would obey you .
*
And which of you ,
having a servant plowing or tending sheep ,
will say to him when he has come in from the field , "
Come at once and sit down to eat '?
*
But will he not rather say to him , "
Prepare something for my supper ,
and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk ,
and afterward you will eat and drink '?
*
Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him ?
I think not .
*
So likewise you ,
when you have done all those things which you are commanded ,
say , "
We are unprofitable servants .
We have done what was our duty to do ."'
*
Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee .
*
Then as He entered a certain village ,
there met Him ten men who were lepers ,
who stood afar off .
*
And they lifted up their voices and said , "
Jesus ,
Master ,
have mercy on us !"
*
So when He saw them ,
He said to them , "
Go ,
show yourselves to the priests ."
And so it was that as they went ,
they were cleansed .
*
And one of them ,
when he saw that he was healed ,
returned ,
and with a loud voice glorified God ,
*
and fell down on his face at His feet ,
giving Him thanks .
And he was a Samaritan .
*
So Jesus answered and said , "
Were there not ten cleansed ?
But where are the nine ?
*
Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner ?"
*
And He said to him , "
Arise ,
go your way .
Your faith has made you well ."
*
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come ,
He answered them and said , "
The kingdom of God does not come with observation ;
*
nor will they say , "
See here !'
or "
See there !'
For indeed ,
the kingdom of God is within you ."
*
Then He said to the disciples , "
The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man ,
and you will not see it .
*
And they will say to you , "
Look here !'
or "
Look there !'
Do not go after them or follow them .
*
For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven ,
so also the Son of Man will be in His day .
*
But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation .
*
And as it was in the days of Noah ,
so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man :
*
They ate ,
they drank ,
they married wives ,
they were given in marriage ,
until the day that Noah entered the ark ,
and the flood came and destroyed them all .
*
Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot :
They ate ,
they drank ,
they bought ,
they sold ,
they planted ,
they built ;
*
but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all .
*
Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed .
* "
In that day ,
he who is on the housetop ,
and his goods are in the house ,
let him not come down to take them away .
And likewise the one who is in the field ,
let him not turn back .
*
Remember Lot '
s wife .
*
Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it ,
and whoever loses his life will preserve it .
*
I tell you ,
in that night there will be two men in one bed :
the one will be taken and the other will be left .
*
Two women will be grinding together :
the one will be taken and the other left .
*
Two men will be in the field :
the one will be taken and the other left ."
*
And they answered and said to Him , "
Where ,
Lord ?"
So He said to them , "
Wherever the body is ,
there the eagles will be gathered together ."
*
Then He spoke a parable to them ,
that men always ought to pray and not lose heart ,
*
saying : "
There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man .
*
Now there was a widow in that city ;
and she came to him ,
saying , "
Get justice for me from my adversary .'
*
And he would not for a while ;
but afterward he said within himself , "
Though I do not fear God nor regard man ,
*
yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her ,
lest by her continual coming she weary me ."'
*
Then the Lord said , "
Hear what the unjust judge said .
*
And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him ,
though He bears long with them ?
*
I tell you that He will avenge them speedily .
Nevertheless ,
when the Son of Man comes ,
will He really find faith on the earth ?"
*
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous ,
and despised others :
* "
Two men went up to the temple to pray ,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector .
*
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself , "
God ,
I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners ,
unjust ,
adulterers ,
or even as this tax collector .
*
I fast twice a week ;
I give tithes of all that I possess .'
*
And the tax collector ,
standing afar off ,
would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven ,
but beat his breast ,
saying , "
God ,
be merciful to me a sinner !'
*
I tell you ,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other ;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled ,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted ."
*
Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them ;
but when the disciples saw it ,
they rebuked them .
*
But Jesus called them to Him and said , "
Let the little children come to Me ,
and do not forbid them ;
for of such is the kingdom of God .
*
Assuredly ,
I say to you ,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it ."
*
Now a certain ruler asked Him ,
saying , "
Good Teacher ,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?"
*
So Jesus said to him , "
Why do you call Me good ?
No one is good but One ,
that is ,
God .
*
You know the commandments : "
Do not commit adultery ,' "
Do not murder ,' "
Do not steal ,' "
Do not bear false witness ,' "
Honor your father and your mother ."'
*
And he said , "
All these things I have kept from my youth ."
*
So when Jesus heard these things ,
He said to him , "
You still lack one thing .
Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor ,
and you will have treasure in heaven ;
and come ,
follow Me ."
*
But when he heard this ,
he became very sorrowful ,
for he was very rich .
*
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful ,
He said , "
How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God !
*
For 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 ."
*
And those who heard it said , "
Who then can be saved ?"
*
But He said , "
The things which are impossible with men are possible with God ."
*
Then Peter said , "
See ,
we have left all and followed You ."
*
So He said to them , "
Assuredly ,
I say to you ,
there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children ,
for the sake of the kingdom of God ,
*
who shall not receive many times more in this present time ,
and in the age to come eternal life ."
*
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them , "
Behold ,
we are going up to Jerusalem ,
and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished .
*
For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon .
*
They will scourge Him and kill Him .
And the third day He will rise again ."
*
But they understood none of these things ;
this saying was hidden from them ,
and they did not know the things which were spoken .
*
Then it happened ,
as He was coming near Jericho ,
that a certain blind man sat by the road begging .
*
And hearing a multitude passing by ,
he asked what it meant .
*
So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by .
*
And he cried out ,
saying , "
Jesus ,
Son of David ,
have mercy on me !"
*
Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet ;
but he cried out all the more , "
Son of David ,
have mercy on me !"
*
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him .
And when he had come near ,
He asked him ,
*
saying , "
What do you want Me to do for you ?"
He said , "
Lord ,
that I may receive my sight ."
*
Then Jesus said to him , "
Receive your sight ;
your faith has made you well ."
*
And immediately he received his sight ,
and followed Him ,
glorifying God .
And all the people ,
when they saw it ,
gave praise to God .
*
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho .
*
Now behold ,
there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector ,
and he was rich .
*
And he sought to see who Jesus was ,
but could not because of the crowd ,
for he was of short stature .
*
So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him ,
for He was going to pass that way .
*
And when Jesus came to the place ,
He looked up and saw him ,
and said to him , "
Zacchaeus ,
make haste and come down ,
for today I must stay at your house ."
*
So he made haste and came down ,
and received Him joyfully .
*
But when they saw it ,
they all complained ,
saying , "
He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner ."
*
Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord , "
Look ,
Lord ,
I give half of my goods to the poor ;
and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation ,
I restore fourfold ."
*
And Jesus said to him , "
Today salvation has come to this house ,
because he also is a son of Abraham ;
*
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost ."
*
Now as they heard these things ,
He spoke another parable ,
because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately .
*
Therefore He said : "
A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return .
*
So he called ten of his servants ,
delivered to them ten minas ,
and said to them , "
Do business till I come .'
*
But his citizens hated him ,
and sent a delegation after him ,
saying , "
We will not have this man to reign over us .'
* "
And so it was that when he returned ,
having received the kingdom ,
he then commanded these servants ,
to whom he had given the money ,
to be called to him ,
that he might know how much every man had gained by trading .
*
Then came the first ,
saying , "
Master ,
your mina has earned ten minas .'
*
And he said to him , "
Well done ,
good servant ;
because you were faithful in a very little ,
have authority over ten cities .'
*
And the second came ,
saying , "
Master ,
your mina has earned five minas .'
*
Likewise he said to him , "
You also be over five cities .'
* "
Then another came ,
saying , "
Master ,
here is your mina ,
which I have kept put away in a handkerchief .
*
For I feared you ,
because you are an austere man .
You collect what you did not deposit ,
and reap what you did not sow .'
*
And he said to him , "
Out of your own mouth I will judge you ,
you wicked servant .
You knew that I was an austere man ,
collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow .
*
Why then did you not put my money in the bank ,
that at my coming I might have collected it with interest ?'
* "
And he said to those who stood by , "
Take the mina from him ,
and give it to him who has ten minas .'
* (
But they said to him , "
Master ,
he has ten minas .')
* "
For I say to you ,
that to everyone who has will be given ;
and from him who does not have ,
even what he has will be taken away from him .
*
But bring here those enemies of mine ,
who did not want me to reign over them ,
and slay them before me ."'
*
When He had said this ,
He went on ahead ,
going up to Jerusalem .
*
And it came to pass ,
when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany ,
at the mountain called Olivet ,
that He sent two of His disciples ,
*
saying , "
Go into the village opposite you ,
where as you enter you will find a colt tied ,
on which no one has ever sat .
Loose it and bring it here .
*
And if anyone asks you , "
Why are you loosing it ?'
thus you shall say to him , "
Because the Lord has need of it ."'
*
So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them .
*
But as they were loosing the colt ,
the owners of it said to them , "
Why are you loosing the colt ?"
*
And they said , "
The Lord has need of him ."
*
Then they brought him to Jesus .
And they threw their own clothes on the colt ,
and they set Jesus on him .
*
And as He went ,
many spread their clothes on the road .
*
Then ,
as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives ,
the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen ,
*
saying : ""
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD !'
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest !"
*
And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd , "
Teacher ,
rebuke Your disciples ."
*
But He answered and said to them , "
I tell you that if these should keep silent ,
the stones would immediately cry out ."
*
Now as He drew near ,
He saw the city and wept over it ,
*
saying , "
If you had known ,
even you ,
especially in this your day ,
the things that make for your peace !
But now they are hidden from your eyes .
*
For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you ,
surround you and close you in on every side ,
*
and level you ,
and your children within you ,
to the ground ;
and they will not leave in you one stone upon another ,
because you did not know the time of your visitation ."
*
Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it ,
*
saying to them , "
It is written , "
My house is a house of prayer ,'
but you have made it a "
den of thieves ."'
*
And He was teaching daily in the temple .
But the chief priests ,
the scribes ,
and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him ,
*
and were unable to do anything ;
for all the people were very attentive to hear Him .