Bible in 90 Days

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed 72 others. He sent them out two by two ahead of him. They went to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is huge, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals. And don’t greet anyone on the road.

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘May this house be blessed with peace.’ ⁶ If someone there works to bring peace, your blessing of peace will rest on them. If not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, and eat and drink anything they give you. Workers are worthy of their pay. Do not move around from house to house.

⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is given to you. ⁹ Heal the sick people who are there. Tell them, ‘God’s kingdom has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But what if you enter a town and are not welcomed? Then go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘We wipe from our feet even the dust of your town. We do it to warn you. But here is what you can be sure of. God’s kingdom has come near.’ ¹² I tell you this. On judgment day it will be easier for Sodom than for that town.

¹³ “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! Suppose the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon. They would have turned away from their sins long ago. They would have put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. They would have sat down in ashes. ¹⁴ On judgment day it will be easier for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵ And what about you, Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to the heavens? No! You will go down to the place of the dead.

¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever does not accept you does not accept me. But whoever does not accept me does not accept the one who sent me.”

¹⁷ The 72 returned with joy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we speak in your name.”

¹⁸ Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to walk all over snakes and scorpions. You will be able to destroy all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. ²⁰ But do not be glad when the evil spirits obey you. Instead, be glad that your names are written in heaven.”

²¹ At that time Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit. He said, “I praise you, Father. You are Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden these things from wise and educated people. But you have shown them to little children. Yes, Father. This is what you wanted to do.

²² “My Father has given all things to me. The Father is the only one who knows who the Son is. And the only ones who know the Father are the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to make the Father known.”

²³ Then Jesus turned to his disciples. He said to them in private, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see. But they didn’t see it. They wanted to hear what you hear. But they didn’t hear it.”

The Story of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ One day an authority on the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you understand it?”

²⁷ He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5) And, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ” (Leviticus 19:18)

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do that, and you will live.”

²⁹ But the man wanted to make himself look good. So he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attacked him. They stripped off his clothes and beat him. Then they went away, leaving him almost dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down that same road. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² A Levite also came by. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side too. ³³ But a Samaritan came to the place where the man was. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him. ³⁴ He went to him, poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey. He brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two silver coins. He gave them to the owner of the inn. ‘Take care of him,’ he said. ‘When I return, I will pay you back for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of the three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”

³⁷ The authority on the law replied, “The one who felt sorry for him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do as he did.”

Jesus at the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ Jesus and his disciples went on their way. Jesus came to a village where a woman named Martha lived. She welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was busy with all the things that had to be done. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, my sister has left me to do the work by myself. Don’t you care? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered. “You are worried and upset about many things. ⁴² But few things are needed. Really, only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better. And it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples spoke to him. “Lord,” he said, “teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² Jesus said to them, “When you pray, this is what you should say.

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend. You go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. ⁶ A friend of mine on a journey has come to stay with me. I have no food to give him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, that person will not get up. And he won’t give you bread just because he is your friend. But because you keep bothering him, he will surely get up. He will give you as much as you need.

⁹ “So here is what I say to you. Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And the door will be opened to the one who knocks.

¹¹ “Fathers, suppose your son asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or suppose he asks for an egg. Which of you will give him a scorpion? ¹³ Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul

¹⁴ Jesus was driving out a demon. The man who had the demon could not speak. When the demon left, the man began to speak. The crowd was amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “Jesus is driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” ¹⁶ Others tested Jesus by asking for a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, “Any kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. A family that is divided against itself will fall. ¹⁸ If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because of what you claim. You say I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Suppose I do drive out demons with Beelzebul’s help. With whose help do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But suppose I drive out demons with the help of God’s powerful finger. Then God’s kingdom has come upon you.

²¹ “When a strong man is completely armed and guards his house, what he owns is safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks, he is overpowered. The attacker takes away the armor the man had trusted in. Then he divides up what he has stolen.

²³ “Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters.

²⁴ “What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a person? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives there, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then the evil spirit goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That person is worse off than before.”

²⁷ As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out. She shouted, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

²⁸ He replied, “Instead, blessed are those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ As the crowds grew larger, Jesus spoke to them. “The people of today are evil,” he said. “They ask for a sign from God. But none will be given except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ He was a sign from God to the people of Nineveh. In the same way, the Son of Man will be a sign from God to the people of today. ³¹ The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And she will prove that they are guilty. She came from very far away to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. And now something more important than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that those people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now something more important than Jonah is here.

The Eye Is the Lamp of the Body

³³ “No one lights a lamp and hides it. No one puts it under a bowl. Instead, they put a lamp on its stand. Then those who come in can see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is like a lamp for your body. Suppose your eyes are healthy. Then your whole body also is full of light. But suppose your eyes can’t see well. Then your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ So make sure that the light inside you is not darkness. ³⁶ Suppose your whole body is full of light. And suppose no part of it is dark. Then your body will be full of light. It will be just as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

Six Warnings

³⁷ Jesus finished speaking. Then a Pharisee invited him to eat with him. So Jesus went in and took his place at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised. He noticed that Jesus did not wash before the meal.

³⁹ Then the Lord spoke to him. “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish,” he said. “But inside you are full of greed and evil. ⁴⁰ You foolish people! Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ Give freely to poor people to show what is inside you. Then everything will be clean for you.

⁴² “How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give God a tenth of your garden plants, such as mint and rue. But you have forgotten to be fair and to love God. You should have practiced the last things without failing to do the first.

⁴³ “How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the most important seats in the synagogues. You love having people greet you with respect in the market.

⁴⁴ “How terrible for you! You are like graves that are not marked. People walk over them without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ An authority on the law spoke to Jesus. He said, “Teacher, when you say things like that, you say bad things about us too.”

⁴⁶ Jesus replied, “How terrible for you authorities on the law! You put such heavy loads on people that they can hardly carry them. But you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

⁴⁷ “How terrible for you! You build tombs for the prophets. It was your people of long ago who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you show that you agree with what your people did long ago. They killed the prophets, and now you build the prophets’ tombs. ⁴⁹ So God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them. They will kill some. And they will try to hurt others.’ ⁵⁰ So the people of today will be punished. They will pay for all the prophets’ blood spilled since the world began. ⁵¹ I mean from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah. He was killed between the altar and the temple. Yes, I tell you, the people of today will be punished for all these things.

⁵² “How terrible for you authorities on the law! You have taken away the key to the door of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered. And you have stood in the way of those who were entering.”

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law strongly opposed him. They threw a lot of questions at him. ⁵⁴ They set traps for him. They wanted to catch him in something he might say.

Jesus Gives Words of Warning and Hope

12 During that time a crowd of many thousands had gathered. There were so many people that they were stepping on one another. Jesus spoke first to his disciples. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees,” he said. “They just pretend to be godly. ² Everything that is secret will be brought out into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered. ³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. What you have whispered to someone behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops.

⁴ “My friends, listen to me. Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t do any more than that. ⁵ I will show you whom you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you have been killed. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him. ⁶ Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God does not forget even one of them. ⁷ In fact, he even counts every hair on your head! So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

⁸ “What about someone who says in front of others that he knows me? I tell you, the Son of Man will say in front of God’s angels that he knows that person. ⁹ But what about someone who says in front of others that he doesn’t know me? I, the Son of Man, will say in front of God’s angels that I don’t know him. ¹⁰ Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “You will be brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities. But do not worry about how to stand up for yourselves or what to say. ¹² The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

The Story of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “tell my brother to divide the family property with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge or umpire between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against wanting to have more and more things. Life is not made up of how much a person has.”

¹⁶ Then Jesus told them a story. He said, “A certain rich man’s land produced a very large crop. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have any place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones. I will store my extra grain in them. ¹⁹ I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain stored away for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink and have a good time.” ’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You foolish man! Tonight I will take your life away from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

²¹ “That is how it will be for whoever stores things away for themselves but is not rich in the sight of God.”

Do Not Worry

²² Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said, “I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. ²³ There is more to life than eating. There are more important things for the body than clothes. ²⁴ Think about the ravens. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t have any barns at all. But God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds! ²⁵ Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? ²⁶ You can’t do that very little thing. So why worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Think about how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in his royal robes was dressed like one of those flowers. ²⁸ If that is how God dresses the wild grass, how much better will he dress you! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small! ²⁹ Don’t spend time thinking about what you will eat or drink. Don’t worry about it. ³⁰ People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But put God’s kingdom first. Then those other things will also be given to you.

³² “Little flock, do not be afraid. Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell what you own. Give to those who are poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out. Store up riches in heaven that will never be used up. There, no thief can come near it. There, no moth can destroy it. ³⁴ Your heart will be where your riches are.

Be Ready

³⁵ “Be dressed and ready to serve. Keep your lamps burning. ³⁶ Be like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding dinner. When he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready when he comes. What I’m about to tell you is true. The master will then dress himself so he can serve them. He will have them take their places at the table. And he will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready. It will even be good if he comes in the middle of the night or toward morning. ³⁹ But here is what you must understand. Suppose the owner of the house knew at what hour the robber was coming. He would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him.”

⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this story to us, or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord answered, “Suppose a master puts one of his servants in charge of his other servants. The servant’s job is to give them the food they are to receive at the right time. The master wants a faithful and wise manager for this. ⁴³ It will be good for the servant if the master finds him doing his job when the master returns. ⁴⁴ What I’m about to tell you is true. The master will put that servant in charge of everything he owns. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time to come back.’ Suppose that servant begins to beat the other servants, both men and women. Suppose he feeds himself. And suppose he drinks until he gets drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come back on a day the servant doesn’t expect him. The master will return at an hour the servant doesn’t know. Then the master will cut him to pieces. He will send the servant to the place where unbelievers go.

⁴⁷ “Suppose a servant knows the master’s wishes. But the servant doesn’t get ready and doesn’t do what the master wants. Then that servant will receive a heavy beating. ⁴⁸ But suppose the servant does not know his master’s wishes. And suppose the servant does things for which he should be punished. He will receive a lighter beating. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. Even more will be asked of the person who is supposed to take care of much.

Jesus Will Separate People From One Another

⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth. How I wish the fire had already started! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism of suffering to go through. And I must go through it. ⁵¹ Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you. I have come to separate people. ⁵² From now on there will be five members in a family, each one against the other. There will be three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be separated. Father will turn against son and son against father. Mother will turn against daughter and daughter against mother. Mother-in-law will turn against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Understanding the Meaning of What Is Happening

⁵⁴ Jesus spoke to the crowd. He said, “You see a cloud rising in the west. Right away you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And it does. ⁵⁵ The south wind blows. So you say, ‘It’s going to be hot.’ And it is. ⁵⁶ You pretenders! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and the sky. Why can’t you understand the meaning of what is happening right now?

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ Suppose someone has a claim against you, and you are on your way to court. Try hard to settle the matter on the way. If you don’t, that person may drag you off to the judge. The judge may turn you over to the officer. And the officer may throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny!”

Turn Away From Sin or Die

13 Some people who were there at that time told Jesus about certain Galileans. Pilate had mixed their blood with their sacrifices. ² Jesus said, “These people from Galilee suffered greatly. Do you think they were worse sinners than all the other Galileans? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you turn away from your sins, you will all die too. ⁴ Or what about the 18 people in Siloam? They died when the tower fell on them. Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you turn away from your sins, you will all die too.”

⁶ Then Jesus told a story. “A man had a fig tree,” he said. “It was growing in his vineyard. When he went to look for fruit on it, he didn’t find any. ⁷ So he went to the man who took care of the vineyard. He said, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree. But I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year. I’ll dig around it and feed it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

Jesus Heals a Disabled Woman on the Sabbath Day

¹⁰ Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath day. ¹¹ A woman there had been disabled by an evil spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. ¹² Jesus saw her. He asked her to come to him. He said to her, “Woman, you will no longer be disabled. I am about to set you free.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her. Right away she stood up straight and praised God.

¹⁴ Jesus had healed the woman on the Sabbath day. This made the synagogue leader angry. He told the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days. But do not come on the Sabbath day.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You pretenders! Doesn’t each of you go to the barn and untie your ox or donkey on the Sabbath day? Then don’t you lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶ This woman is a member of Abraham’s family line. But Satan has kept her disabled for 18 long years. Shouldn’t she be set free on the Sabbath day from what was keeping her disabled?”

¹⁷ When Jesus said this, all those who opposed him were put to shame. But the people were delighted. They loved all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Stories of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

¹⁸ Then Jesus asked, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it to? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a garden. It grew and became a tree. The birds sat in its branches.”

²⁰ Again he asked, “What can I compare God’s kingdom to? ²¹ It is like yeast that a woman used. She mixed it into 60 pounds of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough.”

The Narrow Door

²² Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching the people. He was on his way to Jerusalem. ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, ²⁴ “Try very hard to enter through the narrow door. I tell you, many will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵ The owner of the house will get up and close the door. Then you will stand outside knocking and begging. You will say, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you. And I don’t know where you come from.’

²⁶ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you. You taught in our streets.’

²⁷ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you. And I don’t know where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil!’

²⁸ “You will weep and grind your teeth together when you see those who are in God’s kingdom. You will see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets there. But you yourselves will be thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from east and west and north and south. They will take their places at the feast in God’s kingdom. ³⁰ Then the last will be first. And the first will be last.”

Jesus’ Sadness Over Jerusalem

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus. They said to him, “Leave this place. Go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

³² He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons. I will keep on healing people today and tomorrow. And on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day. Certainly no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me. ³⁵ Look, your house is left empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ” (Psalm 118:26)

Jesus Eats at a Pharisee’s House

14 One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat in the house of a well-known Pharisee. While he was there, he was being carefully watched. ² In front of him was a man whose body was badly swollen. ³ Jesus turned to the Pharisees and the authorities on the law. He asked them, “Is it breaking the Law to heal on the Sabbath day?” ⁴ But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man and healed him. Then he sent him away.

⁵ He asked them another question. He said, “Suppose one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day. Wouldn’t you pull it out right away?” ⁶ And they had nothing to say.

⁷ Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. So he told them a story. ⁸ He said, “Suppose someone invites you to a wedding feast. Do not take the place of honor. A person more important than you may have been invited. ⁹ If so, the host who invited both of you will come to you. He will say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be filled with shame. You will have to take the least important place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, take the lowest place. Then your host will come over to you. He will say, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. ¹¹ All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.”

¹² Then Jesus spoke to his host. “Suppose you give a lunch or a dinner,” he said. “Do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you to eat with them. So you will be paid back. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite those who are poor. Also invite those who can’t see or walk. ¹⁴ Then you will be blessed. Your guests can’t pay you back. But you will be paid back when those who are right with God rise from the dead.”

The Story of the Great Banquet

¹⁵ One of the people at the table with Jesus heard him say those things. So he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in God’s kingdom.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “A certain man was preparing a great banquet. He invited many guests. ¹⁷ Then the day of the banquet arrived. He sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant told them, ‘Come. Everything is ready now.’

¹⁸ “But they all had the same idea. They began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have just bought a field. I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’

¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

²⁰ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

²¹ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry. He ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can’t see or walk.’

²² “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done. But there is still room.’

²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those people who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”

The Cost of Being a Disciple

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and spoke to them. He said, ²⁶ “Anyone who comes to me must hate their father and mother. They must hate their wife and children. They must hate their brothers and sisters. And they must hate even their own life. Unless they do this, they can’t be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever doesn’t carry their cross and follow me can’t be my disciple.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you sit down first and figure out how much it will cost? Then you will see whether you have enough money to finish it. ²⁹ Suppose you start building and are not able to finish. Then everyone who sees what you have done will laugh at you. ³⁰ They will say, ‘This person started to build but wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. And suppose he has 10,000 men, while the other has 20,000 coming against him. Won’t he first sit down and think about whether he can win? ³² And suppose he decides he can’t win. Then he will send some men to ask how peace can be made. He will do this while the other king is still far away. ³³ In the same way, you must give up everything you have. Those of you who don’t cannot be my disciple.

³⁴ “Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is not good for the soil. And it is not good for the trash pile. It will be thrown out.

“Whoever has ears should listen.”

The Story of the Lost Sheep

15 The tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were whispering among themselves. They said, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them a story. ⁴ He said, “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Won’t he leave the 99 in the open country? Won’t he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ When he finds it, he will joyfully put it on his shoulders ⁶ and go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together. He will say, ‘Be joyful with me. I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins.

The Story of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the house? Won’t she search carefully until she finds the coin? ⁹ And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say, ‘Be joyful with me. I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin.”

The Story of the Lost Son

¹¹ Jesus continued, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger son spoke to his father. He said, ‘Father, give me my share of the family property.’ So the father divided his property between his two sons.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son packed up all he had. Then he left for a country far away. There he wasted his money on wild living. ¹⁴ He spent everything he had. Then the whole country ran low on food. So the son didn’t have what he needed. ¹⁵ He went to work for someone who lived in that country. That person sent the son to the fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ The son wanted to fill his stomach with the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “Then he began to think clearly again. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough food! But here I am dying from hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven. And I have sinned against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer fit to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattest calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ This son of mine was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “The older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants. He asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come home,’ the servant replied. ‘Your father has killed the fattest calf. He has done this because your brother is back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry. He refused to go in. So his father went out and begged him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve worked like a slave for you. I have always obeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But this son of yours wasted your money with some prostitutes. Now he comes home. And for him you kill the fattest calf!’

³¹ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me. Everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad. This brother of yours was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.’ ”

The Story of the Clever Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples another story. He said, “There was a rich man who had a manager. Some said that the manager was wasting what the rich man owned. ² So the rich man told him to come in. He asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Tell me exactly how you have handled what I own. You can’t be my manager any longer.’

³ “The manager said to himself, ‘What will I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig. And I’m too ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I’m going to do. I’ll do something so that when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called in each person who owed his master something. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “ ‘I owe 900 gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill. Sit down quickly and change it to 450 gallons.’

⁷ “Then he asked the second one, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“ ‘I owe 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill and change it to 800 bushels.’

⁸ “The manager had not been honest. But the master praised him for being clever. The people of this world are clever in dealing with those who are like themselves. They are more clever than God’s people. ⁹ I tell you, use the riches of this world to help others. In that way, you will make friends for yourselves. Then when your riches are gone, you will be welcomed into your eternal home in heaven.

¹⁰ “Suppose you can be trusted with something very little. Then you can also be trusted with something very large. But suppose you are not honest with something very little. Then you will also not be honest with something very large. ¹¹ Suppose you have not been worthy of trust in handling worldly wealth. Then who will trust you with true riches? ¹² Suppose you have not been worthy of trust in handling someone else’s property. Then who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters at the same time. Either you will hate one of them and love the other. Or you will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees loved money. They heard all that Jesus said and made fun of him. ¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “You try to make yourselves look good in the eyes of other people. But God knows your hearts. What people think is worth a lot is hated by God.

More Teachings

¹⁶ “The teachings of the Law and the Prophets were preached until John the Baptist came. Since then, the good news of God’s kingdom is being preached. And everyone is trying very hard to enter it. ¹⁷ It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest part of a letter to drop out of the Law.

¹⁸ “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. Also, the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “Once there was a rich man. He was dressed in purple cloth and fine linen. He lived an easy life every day. ²⁰ A man named Lazarus was placed at his gate. Lazarus was a beggar. His body was covered with sores. ²¹ Even dogs came and licked his sores. All he wanted was to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.

²² “The time came when the beggar died. The angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In the place of the dead, the rich man was suffering terribly. He looked up and saw Abraham far away. Lazarus was by his side. ²⁴ So the rich man called out, ‘Father Abraham! Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water. Then he can cool my tongue with it. I am in terrible pain in this fire.’

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember what happened in your lifetime. You received your good things. Lazarus received bad things. Now he is comforted here, and you are in terrible pain. ²⁶ Besides, a wide space has been placed between us and you. So those who want to go from here to you can’t go. And no one can cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “The rich man answered, ‘Then I beg you, father Abraham. Send Lazarus to my family. ²⁸ I have five brothers. Let Lazarus warn them. Then they will not come to this place of terrible suffering.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have the teachings of Moses and the Prophets. Let your brothers listen to them.’

³⁰ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will turn away from their sins.’

³¹ “Abraham said to him, ‘They do not listen to Moses and the Prophets. So they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Sin, Faith and Duty

17 Jesus spoke to his disciples. “Things that make people sin are sure to come,” he said. “But how terrible it will be for anyone who causes those things to come! ² Suppose people lead one of these little ones to sin. It would be better for those people to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck. ³ So watch what you do.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, tell them they are wrong. Then if they turn away from their sins, forgive them. ⁴ Suppose they sin against you seven times in one day. And suppose they come back to you each time and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ You must forgive them.”

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith!”

⁶ He replied, “Suppose you have faith as small as a mustard seed. Then you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up. Be planted in the sea.’ And it will obey you.

⁷ “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. And suppose the servant came in from the field. Will you say to him, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸ No. Instead, you will say, ‘Prepare my supper. Get yourself ready. Wait on me while I eat and drink. Then after that you can eat and drink.’ ⁹ Will you thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰ It’s the same with you. Suppose you have done everything you were told to do. Then you should say, ‘We are not worthy to serve you. We have only done our duty.’ ”

Jesus Heals Ten Men Who Have a Skin Disease

¹¹ Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men met him. They had a skin disease. They were standing close by. ¹³ And they called out in a loud voice, “Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!”

¹⁴ Jesus saw them and said, “Go. Show yourselves to the priests.” While they were on the way, they were healed.

¹⁵ When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Weren’t all ten healed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Didn’t anyone else return and give praise to God except this outsider?” ¹⁹ Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

The Coming of God’s Kingdom

²⁰ Once the Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s kingdom would come. He replied, “The coming of God’s kingdom is not something you can see. ²¹ People will not say, ‘Here it is.’ Or, ‘There it is.’ That’s because God’s kingdom is among you.”

²² Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. “The time is coming,” he said, “when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man. But you won’t see it. ²³ People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ Or, ‘Here he is!’ Don’t go running off after them. ²⁴ When the Son of Man comes, he will be like the lightning. It flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. ²⁵ But first the Son of Man must suffer many things. He will not be accepted by the people of today.

²⁶ “Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. ²⁷ People were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸ “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking. They were buying and selling. They were planting and building. ²⁹ But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven. And all the people were destroyed.

³⁰ “It will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is shown to the world. ³¹ Suppose someone is on the housetop on that day. And suppose what they own is inside the house. They should not go down to get what they own. No one in the field should go back for anything either. ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ³³ Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it. Whoever loses their life will keep it. ³⁴ I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed. One person will be taken and the other left. ^35-36 Two women will be grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other left.”

³⁷ “Where, Lord?” his disciples asked.

He replied, “The vultures will gather where there is a dead body.”

The Story of the Widow Who Would Not Give Up

18 Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said, “In a certain town there was a judge. He didn’t have any respect for God or care about what people thought. ³ A widow lived in that town. She came to the judge again and again. She kept begging him, ‘Make things right for me. Someone is treating me badly.’

⁴ “For some time the judge refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t have any respect for God. I don’t care about what people think. ⁵ But this widow keeps bothering me. So I will see that things are made right for her. If I don’t, she will someday come and attack me!’ ”

⁶ The Lord said, “Listen to what the unfair judge says. ⁷ God’s chosen people cry out to him day and night. Won’t he make things right for them? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, God will see that things are made right for them. He will make sure it happens quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find people on earth who have faith?”

The Story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ Jesus told a story to some people who were sure they were right with God. They looked down on everyone else. ¹⁰ He said to them, “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed. ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people,’ he said. ‘I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood farther away than the Pharisee. He would not even look up to heaven. He brought his hand to his heart and prayed. He said, ‘God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you, the tax collector went home accepted by God. But not the Pharisee. All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.”

Little Children Are Brought to Jesus

¹⁵ People were also bringing babies to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on the babies. When the disciples saw this, they told the people to stop. ¹⁶ But Jesus asked the children to come to him. “Let the little children come to me,” he said. “Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. ¹⁷ What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.”

Rich People and the Kingdom of God

¹⁸ A certain ruler asked Jesus a question. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”

¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God. ²⁰ You know what the commandments say. ‘Do not commit adultery. Do not commit murder. Do not steal. Do not be a false witness. Honor your father and mother.’ ” (Exodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20)

²¹ “I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy,” the ruler said.

²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You are still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

²³ When the ruler heard this, he became very sad. He was very rich. ²⁴ Jesus looked at him. Then he said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter God’s kingdom! ²⁵ Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for someone who is rich to enter God’s kingdom!”

²⁶ Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus replied, “Things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

²⁸ Peter said to him, “We have left everything we had in order to follow you!”

²⁹ “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus said to them. “Has anyone left home or wife or husband or brothers or sisters or parents or children for God’s kingdom? ³⁰ They will receive many times as much in this world. In the world to come they will receive eternal life.”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death

³¹ Jesus took the 12 disciples to one side. He told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. ³² He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will make fun of him. They will laugh at him and spit on him. ³³ They will whip him and kill him. On the third day, he will rise from the dead!”

³⁴ The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them. So they didn’t know what Jesus was talking about.

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

³⁵ Jesus was approaching Jericho. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging. ³⁶ The blind man heard the crowd going by. He asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

³⁸ So the blind man called out, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

³⁹ Those who led the way commanded him to stop. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus spoke to him. ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“Lord, I want to be able to see,” the blind man replied.

⁴² Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you.” ⁴³ Right away he could see. He followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich. ³ Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.

⁵ Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, “Jesus has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took.”

⁹ Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham’s family line. ¹⁰ The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.”

The Story of Three Slaves

¹¹ While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away. ¹² Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. ¹³ So he sent for ten of his slaves. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.

¹⁴ “But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵ “But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the slaves he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.

¹⁶ “The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’

¹⁷ “ ‘You have done well, my good slave!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’

¹⁸ “The second slave came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’

¹⁹ “His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’

²⁰ “Then another slave came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. ²¹ I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’

²² “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil slave! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? ²³ Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’

²⁴ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’

²⁵ “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’

²⁶ “He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what they have will be taken away from them. ²⁷ And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey’s colt tied up. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

³² Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them. ³³ They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵ Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their coats on the road.

³⁷ Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives. There the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had seen. They shouted,

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “tell your disciples to stop!”

⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

⁴¹ He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to weep. ⁴² He said, “I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side. ⁴⁴ You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another.”

Jesus Clears Out the Temple

⁴⁵ Then Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out those who were selling there. ⁴⁶ He told them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be a house where people can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a ‘den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)

⁴⁷ Every day Jesus was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law were trying to kill him. So were the leaders among the people. ⁴⁸ But they couldn’t find any way to do it. All the people were paying close attention to his words.

The Authority of Jesus Is Questioned

20 One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. He was announcing the good news to them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law came up to him. The elders came with them. ² “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they all said. “Who gave you this authority?”

³ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, ⁴ was John’s baptism from heaven? Or did it come from people?”

⁵ They talked to one another about it. They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘From people,’ all the people will throw stones at us and kill us. They believe that John was a prophet.”

⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know where John’s baptism came from.”

⁸ Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.”

The Story of the Renters

⁹ Jesus went on to tell the people a story. “A man planted a vineyard,” he said. “He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time. ¹⁰ At harvest time he sent a slave to the renters. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat the slave. Then they sent him away with nothing. ¹¹ So the man sent another slave. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing. ¹² The man sent a third slave. The renters wounded him and threw him out.

¹³ “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.’

¹⁴ “But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’ ¹⁵ So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him.

“What will the owner of the vineyard do to the renters? ¹⁶ He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “We hope this never happens!”

¹⁷ Jesus looked right at them and said, “Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written,

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”

¹⁹ The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once. They knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people.