“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’

"Listen to another parable [i.e., a brief story used to illustrate His teaching]: There was the owner of a farm who planted a vineyard and built a fence around it. He constructed a grape squeezing device, built a [lookout] tower [near it], leased it to tenant farmers and then went to another country.

When the grape harvest drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit.

Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them.

And He took a cup [i.e., probably wine made from fresh or possibly preserved grape juice], gave thanks to God, then passed it to them, saying, "All of you, drink from it;

But I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine [i.e., grape juice] from now on until that day when I will drink it again with you [i.e., figuratively] in my Father's kingdom."

Pilate said to them, "Take [a group of] guards [with you]; go and make the grave site as secure as you can."

And at that very moment, there in their synagogue, a man in the grip of an unclean spirit shrieked out.

And no one puts freshly squeezed grape juice into bottles made of previously used animal skins. If he does, the grape juice will [cause cracks and] burst the [dried-out] animal skins and the grape juice will [all leak out and] be wasted, and the animal skin bottles will become useless. But people put freshly squeezed grape juice into newly prepared animal skin bottles."

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop.

And other [seed] fell on the good soil, and produced grain, coming up and increasing, and it bore [a crop]--one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred [times as much].

but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”

By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head.

But when the crop permits, he sends [in] the sickle right away, because the harvest has come."

And He commanded them all to recline, group by group, on the green grass.

And they reclined group by group, by hundred and by fifty.

But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up.

Taking a child, He set him before them; and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his portion of the crop.

or, to the people (See Luke 20:9)] by using parables. He said, "A man planted a vineyard and built a fence around it. He dug a place for constructing a grape squeezing device, built a [lookout] tower [near it], then leased it out to tenant farmers and went to another country.

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, in a private group, were asking Him,

Then He took a cup [i.e., probably wine made from fresh or possibly preserved grape juice], and when He had given thanks to God, He passed it to them and they all drank from it.

Truly I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine [i.e., grape juice] any more until that day when I will drink it again [i.e., figuratively] in the kingdom of God."

that he would save us from our enemies and from the grip of all who hate us.

He granted us deliverance from our enemies' grip so that we could serve him without fear

but believing him to be in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. And they began searching for him among [their] relatives and [their] acquaintances,

Then Jesus got up and left the synagogue and went to Simon’s (Peter’s) house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.

And no one puts freshly squeezed grape juice into previously used bottles made of animal skins. [If he does], the newly squeezed juice will [crack and] burst the [dried out] animal skins and [all the juice will] spill out, and the animal skin bottles will [also] become useless.

But freshly squeezed grape juice must be put into newly made animal skins.

And no one who has drunk aged wine wants newly squeezed [juice], for he says, 'The older [grape juice] is better.'"

Then He came down [from the mountain] with them and stood on a level place [where] a large crowd of His disciples and a large group of people had gathered to hear Him and be healed from their diseases.

for each tree from its own fruit is known, for not from thorns do they gather figs, nor from a bramble do they crop a grape.

and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod's property manager, and Susanna and many others. These [all] had provided the material support for the group from their own means.

And some fell into good soil, and grew up and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”

And those people [represented by the seed] that fell among thorns are the ones who have heard [the word], and as they go about their business, they become choked by worry, by money and by worldly pleasures, and produce no mature crop.

But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance."

For he gave an order to the evil spirit to come out of the man. For frequently it would take a grip of him: and he was kept under control, and prisoned with chains; but parting the chains in two, he would be sent by the driving of the evil spirit into waste places.

For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them be seated in groups, about fifty to a group.

Now after these things [happened] the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples [Note: Some ancient manuscripts say "seventy." This group would have been in addition to the twelve. See Luke 9:1], and sent them two by two on ahead of Him into every town and locality that He planned to visit.

And He said to them, "There is certainly plenty to harvest, but there are [too] few people to do the work. You should pray to the Lord of the harvest to send [more] workers out into the field to gather His crop.

He then told them a parable: "The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop,

and thus he reason'd with himself, what shall I do for want of room to store up my crop?

Look at the ravens; they do not plant seeds or harvest [a crop]; they do not have a storage locker or a barn, and [yet] God feeds them [adequately]. Are you not a lot more valuable than those birds?

He would have gladly eaten the [carob] pods that the pigs were eating [but they could not satisfy his hunger], and no one was giving anything to him.

for I was afraid of you, knowing you are a hard man to deal with and that you pick up [and keep] something you did not lay down [i.e., lose], and you harvest a crop that you did not plant.'

The gentleman replied to him, 'I will judge you [based] on what you [yourself] have [just] said, you evil slave. [Since] you knew that I am a hard man to deal with, picking up [and keeping] something I had not laid down, and harvesting a crop I had not planted,

At vintage-time he sent a servant to the vine-dressers, for them to give him a share of the crop; but the vine-dressers beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.

Then he sent out another slave [i.e., to arrange for receiving the crop], but the tenant farmers beat him also, shamefully abused him and sent him away empty handed [as well].

But before all these things happen, the authorities will grab hold of you, and persecute you, and turn you over to the synagogues and prisons [i.e., for punishment and confinement]. They will take you in front of kings and governors for being loyal to me.

for I tell you, I will not drink this fruit of the vine [i.e., grape juice] from now on until [I do, figuratively, when] the kingdom of God has come."

And when they had lighted a fire in the middle of the court and had seated themselves in a group round it, Peter was sitting among them,

Then the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus before Pilate.

But the group became more insistent, saying, "He is stirring up the people and teaching [these things] throughout all Judea. He began [doing this] in Galilee and [has continued it] even to this place [i.e., Jerusalem]."

But all His acquaintances, and the women who used to follow Him from Galilee in a group, were standing at a distance looking on.

Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb,

Already the reaper is receiving his wages and he is gathering fruit for eternal life; so that he who plants and he who reaps may rejoice together.

So, the saying is true that one person plants and another harvests [the crop].

I sent you to reap [a crop] for which you have not worked. Others have worked and you have been privileged to reap the results of their work.”

Some experts in the law of Moses and Pharisees brought [to Him] a woman who had been caught committing an immoral sexual act and stood her in the middle of the group.

So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to tell others about Him.

“I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop.

to replace Judas in this ministry and this group of apostles, from which he fell away to go to where he belonged" [i.e., to the place of punishment for unrepentant sinners].

But God raised Him up, having released Him from the sharp pains [He experienced when dying], because it was not possible that He could be held in death's grip.

Then he seized the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankles became strong and steady,

Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all [things] were theirs in common.

Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his partisans were dispersed and came to nothing.

Later on another man, named Judas of Galilee, appeared during the census [Note: The time and circumstances of this census were probably known to the original readers], and led [a group of] people away after him, but he also was killed and all of his followers were scattered.

So the Twelve called the whole group of disciples together and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect messages from God in order to wait on tables.

And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch),

So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

As Peter talked with him, he entered [the house] and found a large group of people assembled.

And when she recognized Peter's voice [speaking to her from outside], she ran back in [to where the prayer group was assembled] without even opening the door, and joyously told them that it was Peter [knocking].

Now Herod had been in a violent quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him as a group. After they had won over Blastus, who oversaw security for the king's sleeping quarters, they asked for a peace agreement because their country depended on the king's country for food.

his hand is falling upon thee, thou shalt be blind, and not see the sun for some time." immediately his eyes were covered with obscurity and darkness; so that he grop'd about for somebody to lead him by the hand.

The same thing happened in Iconium when Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large group of both Jews and Greeks believed.

And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Symeon [i.e., Peter] reported how God first sent [someone to preach] to the Gentiles in order to reach a group of them [with the Gospel message] for His name.

So when they were dismissed, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the entire group together, they delivered the letter.

Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

that they might seek God, if perhaps they could grope for Him and find Him. Yes, though He is not far from any one of us.

And all the city was filled with confusion. And they rushed with one accord to the theater, keeping a firm grip on Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, traveling companions of Paul.

Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them.

But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!”

And when he said this, there developed a conflict of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group was divided.

When daylight came, [a group of] Jews conspired together, agreeing under oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

And they found me neither in the temple disputing against any man, nor making a gang of a group, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city.

And when the ship got into the grip of it, and was not able to make headway into the wind, we gave way, and went before it.

So it is conditioned on faith, that it might be in accordance with God's unmerited favor, so that the promise might be in force for all the descendants of Abraham, not only for those who belong to the law party but also for those who belong to the faith group of Abraham. He is the father of us all,

What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened.

What soldier ever served [in the army] and paid his own expenses? Who [ever] planted a grape orchard and did not get to eat some of the grapes it produced? Or, who [ever] tended a flock of goats and did not get to drink some of the milk?

Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop.

But now Christ has been raised up from the dead; [He is] the firstfruits of those who have died. [Note: By "firstfruits" is meant the first installment of the crop which promises the entire harvest eventually].

But each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those [who are] Christ's at his coming,

But do not forget that he who sows with a niggardly hand will also reap a niggardly crop, and that he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

He who furnishes the sower with seed and with bread to eat will supply seed for you and multiply it; he will increase the crop of your charities ??11 you will be enriched on all hands, so that you can be generous on all occasions, and your generosity, of which I am the agent, will make men give thanks to God;

For men of this stamp are sham apostles, dishonest workmen, assuming the garb of Apostles of Christ.

who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, who have persecuted us, and who please neither God nor any group of people,

So then, brothers, continue to stand firm and keep a tight grip on the teachings you have received from us, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

Women in turn are to dress modestly and quietly in seemly garb; they are not to adorn themselves with plaits of hair, with gold or pearls or expensive finery,