Luke 18-21

American Standard Version

18 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; ² saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man: ³ and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, ^[a]Avenge me of mine adversary. ⁴ And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ⁵ yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, ^[b]lest she ^[c]wear me out by her continual coming. ⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what ^[d]the unrighteous judge saith. ⁷ And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, ^[e]and yet he is longsuffering over them? ⁸ I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find ^[f]faith on the earth?

⁹ And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set ^[g]all others at nought: ¹⁰ Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a ^[h]publican. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this ^[i]publican. ¹² I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get. ¹³ But the ^[j]publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, ^[k]be thou merciful to me ^[l]a sinner. ¹⁴ I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

¹⁵ And they were bringing unto him also their babes, that he should touch them: but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them unto him, saying, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for ^[m]to such belongeth the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.

¹⁸ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ¹⁹ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God. ²⁰ Thou knowest the commandments, ^[n]Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother. ²¹ And he said, All these things have I observed from my youth up. ²² And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. ²³ But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich. ²⁴ And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶ And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved? ²⁷ But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. ²⁸ And Peter said, Lo, we have left ^[o]our own, and followed thee. ²⁹ And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, ³⁰ who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the ^[p]world to come eternal life.

³¹ And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man. ³² For he shall be ^[q]delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon: ³³ and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. ³⁴ And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.

³⁵ And it came to pass, as he drew nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: ³⁶ and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. ³⁸ And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. ³⁹ And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁰ And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, ⁴¹ What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. ⁴² And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath ^[r]made thee whole. ⁴³ And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

19 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. ² And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the crowd, because he was little of stature. ⁴ And he ran on before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house. ⁶ And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. ⁷ And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He is gone in to lodge with a man that is a sinner. ⁸ And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold. ⁹ And Jesus said unto him, To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

¹¹ And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was immediately to appear. ¹² He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. ¹³ And he called ten ^[s]servants of his, and gave them ten ^[t]pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come. ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not that this man reign over us. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these ^[u]servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. ¹⁶ And the first came before him, saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more. ¹⁷ And he said unto him, Well done, thou good ^[v]servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds. ¹⁹ And he said unto him also, Be thou also over five cities. ²⁰ And ^[w]another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin: ²¹ for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow. ²² He saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked ^[x]servant. Thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up that which I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow; ²³ then wherefore gavest thou not my money into the bank, and ^[y]I at my coming should have required it with interest? ²⁴ And he said unto them that stood by, Take away from him the pound, and give it unto him that hath the ten pounds. ²⁵ And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds. ²⁶ I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him. ²⁷ But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

²⁸ And when he had thus spoken, he went on before, going up to Jerusalem.

²⁹ And it came to pass, when he drew nigh unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, Go your way into the village over against you; in which as ye enter ye shall find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat: loose him, and bring him. ³¹ And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say, The Lord hath need of him. ³² And they that were sent went away, and found even as he had said unto them. ³³ And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? ³⁴ And they said, The Lord hath need of him. ³⁵ And they brought him to Jesus: and they threw their garments upon the colt, and set Jesus thereon. ³⁶ And as he went, they spread their garments in the way. ³⁷ And as he was now drawing nigh, even at 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 ^[z]mighty works which they had seen; ³⁸ saying, Blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees from the multitude said unto him, Teacher, rebuke thy disciples. ⁴⁰ And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.

⁴¹ And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it, ⁴² saying, ^[aa]If thou hadst known in ^[ab]this day, even thou, the things which belong unto ^[ac]peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ⁴³ For the days shall come upon thee, when thine enemies shall cast up a ^[ad]bank about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, ⁴⁴ and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

⁴⁵ And he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold, ⁴⁶ saying unto them, It is written, ^[ae]And my house shall be a house of prayer: but ^[af]ye have made it a den of robbers.

⁴⁷ And he was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him: ⁴⁸ and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening.

20 And it came to pass, on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the ^[ag]gospel, there came upon him the chief priests and the scribes with the elders; ² and they spake, saying unto him, Tell us: By what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? ³ And he answered and said unto them, I also will ask you a ^[ah]question; and tell me: ⁴ The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? ⁵ And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why did ye not believe him? ⁶ But if we shall say, From men; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. ⁷ And they answered, that they knew not whence it was. ⁸ And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

⁹ And he began to speak unto the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country for a long time. ¹⁰ And at the season he sent unto the husbandmen a ^[ai]servant, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. ¹¹ And he sent yet another ^[aj]servant: and him also they beat, and handled him shamefully, and sent him away empty. ¹² And he sent yet a third: and him also they wounded, and cast him forth. ¹³ And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will reverence him. ¹⁴ But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned one with another, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. ¹⁵ And they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do unto them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And when they heard it, they said, ^[ak]God forbid. ¹⁷ But he looked upon them, and said, What then is this that is written,

¹⁸ Every one that falleth on that stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.

¹⁹ And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him in that very hour; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he spake this parable against them. ²⁰ And they watched him, and sent forth spies, who feigned themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of his speech, so as to deliver him up to the ^[am]rule and to the authority of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest not the person of any, but of a truth teachest the way of God: ²² Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? ²³ But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, ²⁴ Show me a ^[an]denarius. Whose image and superscription hath it? And they said, Caesar’s. ²⁵ And he said unto them, Then render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. ²⁶ And they were not able to take hold of the saying before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

²⁷ And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection; ²⁸ and they asked him, saying, Teacher, ^[ao]Moses wrote unto us, that if a man’s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. ²⁹ There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless; ³⁰ and the second: ³¹ and the third took her; and likewise the seven also left no children, and died. ³² Afterward the woman also died. ³³ In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her to wife. ³⁴ And Jesus said unto them, The sons of this ^[ap]world marry, and are given in marriage: ³⁵ but they that are accounted worthy to attain to that ^[aq]world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: ³⁶ for neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. ³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in ^[ar]the place concerning the Bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. ³⁹ And certain of the scribes answering said, Teacher, thou hast well said. ⁴⁰ For they durst not any more ask him any question.

⁴¹ And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David’s son? ⁴² For David himself saith in the book of Psalms,

⁴⁴ David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?

⁴⁵ And in the hearing of all the people he said unto his disciples, ⁴⁶ Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts; ⁴⁷ who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation.

21 And he looked up, ^[at]and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury. ² And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. ³ And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all: ⁴ for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had.

⁵ And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said, ⁶ As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. ⁷ And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass? ⁸ And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them. ⁹ And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified: for these things must needs come to pass first; but the end is not immediately.

¹⁰ Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; ¹¹ and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. ¹² But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, ^[au]bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. ¹³ It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay. ¹⁶ But ye shall be ^[av]delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you ^[aw]shall they cause to be put to death. ¹⁷ And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. ¹⁸ And not a hair of your head shall perish. ¹⁹ In your ^[ax]patience ye shall win your ^[ay]souls.

²⁰ But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand. ²¹ Then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein. ²² For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³ Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the ^[az]land, and wrath unto this people. ²⁴ And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

²⁵ And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; ²⁶ men ^[ba]fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on ^[bb]the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. ²⁷ And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.

²⁹ And he spake to them a parable: Behold the fig tree, and all the trees: ³⁰ when they now shoot forth, ye see it and know of your own selves that the summer is now nigh. ³¹ Even so ye also, when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh. ³² Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished. ³³ Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

³⁴ But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: ³⁵ for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

³⁷ And every day he was teaching in the temple; and every night he went out, and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet. ³⁸ And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him.