1 When He had finished all these sayings in the hearing of the people, He went into Capernaum.
2 There was a Roman captain who had a slave that was very dear to him, and he was sick and at the point of death,
3 When the captain heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, to ask Him to come and bring his slave safe through the illness.
4 So they went to Jesus and continued to urge Him earnestly, saying, "He deserves that you do this for him,
5 for he loves our nation, and he is the man who built us our synagogue."
6 Then Jesus started to go with them. But when He was not far from the house, the captain sent friends to say to Him, "My Lord, stop troubling yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.
7 And so I did not deem myself worthy even to come to you. But simply speak the word, and let my servant-boy be cured.
8 For I too am under authority of others, and have soldiers under me, and I order one to go, and he goes, another to come, and he comes, my slave to do this, and he does it."
9 When Jesus heard this, He was astounded at him, and turning to the crowd that was following Him He said, "I tell you, I have not found, in a single case among the Jews, so great faith as this!"
10 Then the messengers returned to the house and found the slave well.
11 Soon afterwards He chanced to go to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a great throng of people were going along with Him.
12 As He approached the gate of the town, look, there was being carried out a dead man, his mother's only son, and she was a widow! A considerable crowd of townspeople were with her.
13 Now when the Lord saw her, His heart was moved with pity for her, and so He said to her, "Stop weeping."
14 Then He went up and touched the hearse and the bearers stopped; and He said, "Young man, I tell you, arise."
15 Then the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16 So awe seized them all, and they began to praise God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has visited His people!"
17 This story about Him spread all over Judea and all the surrounding country.
18 Now John's disciples told him about all these things.
19 So John called two of them to him and sent them to the Lord, to ask, "Are you the One who was to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?"
20 So the men went to Him and said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the One who was to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?'"
21 At that very hour He cured many people of diseases and scourges and evil spirits, and graciously granted sight to many blind persons.
22 And so He answered them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind are seeing and the crippled are walking, the lepers are being healed and the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised and the poor are having the good news preached to them.
23 And happy is the man who finds no cause for stumbling over me."
24 But when John's messengers had gone, He began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the desert to gaze at? A reed that is tossed to and fro by the wind?
25 If not, what did you go out there to see? A man dressed in silks and satins? No. People who dress gorgeously and live luxuriously are found in royal palaces.
26 If not, then what did you go out there to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is far more than a prophet.
27 This is the man of whom the Scripture says: "'Attention! I send my messenger on before you. He will prepare the road ahead of you.'
28 "I tell you, of all men born of women there is not one greater than John; and yet the one who is of least importance in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, vindicated the righteous requirements of God by submitting to John's baptism,
30 but the Pharisees and experts in the law thwarted God's purpose for themselves by refusing to be baptized by him.
31 So to what can I compare the men of this age, and what are they like?
32 They are like little children sitting in the market-place and calling to their fellows in the game: "'We played the wedding march for you, but you did not dance. We sang the funeral dirge, but you did not mourn.'
33 "For John the Baptist came eating no bread and drinking no wine, and yet you say, 'He has a demon!'
34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking with others, and yet you say, 'Just look at Him! A glutton and a wine-drinker, an intimate friend of tax-collectors and notorious sinners!'
35 But wisdom is vindicated by all who are truly wise."
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Him to take dinner with him. So He came to the Pharisee's house and took His place at the table.
37 There was a woman in the town who was a social outcast, and when she learned that He was taking dinner at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster bottle of perfume
38 and took her stand behind Him at His feet, continually weeping. Then she began to wet His feet with her tears, but she continued to wipe them off with the hair of her head, and she kept right on kissing His feet with affection and anointing them with the perfume.
39 So when the Pharisee who invited Him saw it, he said to himself, "If He were really a prophet, He would know who and of what character the woman is who is clinging to Him -- that she is a social outcast."
40 Then Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," said he, "go on and say it."
41 "Two men were in debt to a money-lender. One owed him a hundred dollars, the other ten.
42 Since they could not pay him, he graciously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which one of them will love him more?"
43 Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he canceled most." Then He said, "You are correct in your judgment."
44 And turning face to face with the woman He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came to your house; you did not give me any water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss, but she, from the moment I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet with affection.
46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfume.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, as many as they are, are forgiven, for she has loved me so much. But the one who has little to be forgiven loves me little."
48 And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven!"
49 The men at the table began to say to themselves, "Who is this man, who even forgives sins?"