So he debated, 'What am I to do? I have no room to store my crops.'

And he said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my granaries and build larger ones, where I can store all my produce and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample stores laid up for many a year; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'

But if that servant says to himself, 'My lord and master is long of arriving,' and if he starts to beat the menservants and maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk,

Then it may bear fruit next year. If not, you can have it cut down.'"

once the master of the House has got up and closed the door. You may stand outside and knock at the door, crying, 'Lord, open for us,' but he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.'

"Go and tell that fox," he replied, "I cast out daemons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and on the third day I complete my task!

See, your House is left to yourselves. I tell you, you will never see me till the day comes when you say, Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name."

No, when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in he will tell you, 'Move higher up, my friend.' Then you will be honoured before your fellow guests.

But they all alike proceeded to decline. The first said to him, 'I have bought a farm and I am obliged to go and look at it. Pray consider me excused.'

The second said, 'I have bought five pair of oxen and I am going to try them. Pray consider me excused.'

the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the roads and hedges and make people come in, to fill up my house.

For I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.'"

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, aye and his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine;

whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me, he cannot be a disciple of mine.

and when he gets home he gathers his friends and neighbours: 'Rejoice with me,' he says to them, 'for I have found the sheep I lost.'

And when she finds it she gathers her women-friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the shilling I lost.'

and the younger said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' So he divided his means among them.

But when he came to his senses he said, 'How many hired men of my father have more than enough to eat, and here am I perishing of hunger!

I will be up and off to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;

I don't deserve to be called your son any more; only make me like one of your hired men."'

for my son here was dead and he has come to life, he was lost and he is found.' So they began to make merry.

but he replied, 'Look at all the years I have been serving you! I have never neglected any of your orders, and yet you have never given me so much as a kid, to let me make merry with my friends.

The father said to him, 'My son, you and I are always together, all I have is yours.

The factor said to himself, 'What am I to do, now that my master is taking the factorship away from me? I am too weak to dig, I am ashamed to beg.

Ah, I know what I will do, so that people will welcome me to their houses when I am deposed from the factorship.'

So he summoned every single one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much are you owing to my master?'

And I tell you, use mammon, dishonest as it is, to make friends for yourselves, so that when you die they may welcome you to the eternal abodes.

so he called out, 'Father Abraham, take pity on me, send Lazarus to dip his fingertip in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in these flames.'

But Abraham said, 'Remember, my son, you got all the bliss when you were alive, just as Lazarus got the ills of life; he is in comfort now, and you are in anguish.

Then he said, 'Well, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house,

for I have five brothers; let him bear testimony to them, that they may not come to this place of torture as well.'

Will the man not rather say to him, 'Get some thing ready for my supper; gird yourself and wait on me till I eat and drink; then you can eat and drink yourself'?

And in that town there was a widow who used to go and appeal to him for 'Justice against my opponent!'

still, as this widow is bothering me, I will see justice done to her ??not to have her for ever coming and pestering me.'

Twice a week I fast; on all my income I pay tithes.'

But the taxgatherer stood far away and would not lift even his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'O God, have mercy on me for my sins!'

but Jesus called for the infants. "Let the children come to me," he said, "do not stop them: the Realm of God belongs to such as these.

Jesus said to him, "Why call me 'good'? No one is good, no one but God.

He said, "I have observed all these commands from my youth."

When Jesus heard this he said to him, "You lack one thing more; sell all you have, distribute the money among the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me."

So he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"

The people in front checked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

"What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to regain my sight."

Why then did you not put my money into the bank, so that I could have got it with interest when I came back?'

And now for these enemies of mine who objected to me reigning over them ??bring them here and slay them in my presence.' "

"It is written," he told them, "my house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers."

He answered them, "Well, I will ask you a question. Tell me,

Said the owner of the vineyard, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.'

But when the vinedressers saw him, they argued to themselves, 'Here is the heir, let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.'

"Show me a shilling. Whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they replied.

Why, David himself says in the book of psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand,

He said, "Take care that you are not misled; for many will come in my name saying, 'I am he' and 'the time is near' ??do not go after them.

But before all that, men will lay hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons; you will be dragged before kings and governors for the sake of my name.

You will be hated by all on account of my name;

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words never.

From hour to hour keep awake, praying that you may succeed in escaping all these dangers to come and in standing before the Son of man."

So Jesus despatched Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the passover for us that we may eat it."

and tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks you, Where is the room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?'

Then he took a loaf, and after thanking God he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This means my body given up for your sake; do this in memory of me."

So too he gave them the cup after supper, saying, "This cup means the new covenant ratified by my blood shed for your sake.

But the hand of my betrayer is on the table beside me!

It is you who have stood by me through my trials;

so, even as my Father has assigned me royal power,

I assign you the right of eating and drinking at my table in my Realm and of sitting on thrones to rule the twelve tribes of Israel.

but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And you in turn must be a strength to your brothers."

Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow to-day before you have three times denied that you know me."

For I tell you, this word of scripture must be fulfilled in me: he was classed among criminals. Yes, there is an end to all that refers to me."

and when he reached the spot he said to them, "Pray that you may not slip into temptation."

saying, "Father, if it please thee, take this cup away from me. But thy will, not mine, be done."

He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not slip into temptation."

Jesus said, "Let me do this at least," and cured him by touching his ear.

Then he said to the high priests and commanders of the temple and elders who had appeared to take him, "Have you sallied out to arrest me like a robber, with swords and cudgels?

Day after day I was beside you in the temple, and you never stretched a hand against me. But this is your hour, and the dark Power has its way."

the Lord turned round and looked at Peter, and then Peter remembered what the Lord had told him, that 'Before cock-crow to-day you will disown me three times.'

"Tell us if you are the Christ." He said to them, "You will not believe me if I tell you,

and you will not answer me when I put a question to you.

Pilate said to them, "You brought me this man as being an inciter to rebellion among the people. I have examined him before you and found nothing criminal about him, for all your accusations against him.

but Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children!

And he added, "Jesus, do not forget me when you come to reign."

"I tell you truly," said Jesus, "you will be in paradise with me this very day."

Then with a loud cry Jesus said, "Father, I trust my spirit to thy hands," and with these words he expired.

Look at my hands and feet. It is I! Feel me and see; a ghost has not flesh and bones as you see I have."

Then he said to them, "When I was still with you, this is what I told you, that whatever is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled."

And I will send down on you what my Father has promised; wait in the city till you are endued with power from on high."

(John testified to him with the cry, 'This was he of whom I said, my successor has taken precedence of me, for he preceded me.')

"I am baptizing with water," John replied, "but my successor is among you, One whom you do not recognize,

That is he of whom I said, 'The man who is to succeed me has taken precedence of me, for he preceded me.'

I myself did not recognize him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descending and resting, that is he who baptizes with the holy Spirit.'

Now Jesus turned, and when he observed them coming after him, he asked them, "What do you want?" They replied, "Rabbi" (which may be translated, 'teacher'), "where are you staying?"

In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the messiah" (which may be translated, 'Christ').

Next day Jesus determined to leave for Galilee; there he met Philip and told him, "Follow me."

Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered, "When you were under that fig tree, before ever Philip called you, I saw you."

"Woman," said Jesus, "what have you to do with me? My time has not come yet."

and told the pigeon-dealers, "Away with these! My Father's house is not to be turned into a shop!"

Do not wonder at me telling you, 'You must all be born from above.'

that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

For God loved the world so dearly that he gave up his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life, instead of perishing.

You can bear me out, that I said, 'I am not the Christ'; what I said was, 'I have been sent in advance of him.'

He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens to him, is heartily glad at the sound of the bridegroom's voice. Such is my joy, and it is complete.