And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

How blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing this when he comes!

"I have come to bring fire to the earth. [Note: This means division within families. See verses 51-53] And how I wish that fire were already started [i.e., so I could complete my mission sooner]!

For from this time, a family of five in one house will be on opposite sides, three against two and two against three.

Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

I tell you, you will not be released from there until you have paid the last coin [Note: This coin amounted to about five minutes of a farm laborer's pay, or about fifty cents in 1994]."

It was at this time that some people came to tell him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Then He answered them, "Do you think, because these Galileans suffered like this, that they were worse sinners than all the rest of the Galileans?

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

and if it bears fruit after this, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”

And just then [He met] a woman who had an [evil] spirit that had caused her to be deformed for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not raise herself up. [Note: This was probably osteomyelitis or osteoporosis].

But the official of the synagogue became angry because Jesus had healed [someone] on the Sabbath day. [Note: This was viewed as a violation of proper Sabbath day observance by certain Jews who interpreted the law of Moses with narrow legalism]. So, the official said to the crowd, "There are six days [in the week] for people to work. Therefore, you should come to be healed on one of them, and not on the Sabbath day."

And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

Even while He was saying this, His opponents were blushing with shame, but all the people were rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.

This prompted Him to say, "What is the Kingdom of God like? and to what shall I compare it?

And He will say [i.e., the Lord is represented as saying this in the judgment. See Matt. 7:23; 8:11-12], 'I tell you, I do not know where you came from, [so] go away from me, all you people who have done sinful things.'

Note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

At that time, certain Pharisees came to him and said, Go away from this place, because Herod's purpose is to put you to death.

And he said to them, Having gone, say to this fox, Behold, I cast out demons and finish cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I am fully perfected.

And there He saw a certain man suffering from dropsy [Note: This is a condition in which the tissues of the body retain too much fluid].

This led Jesus to ask the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it allowable to cure people on the Sabbath?"

But they could make no reply to this.

Afterwards observing how eager the guests were for the first places, he gave them this instruction:

And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

On the contrary, when you are invited go and take the lowest place, that when your host comes round he may say to you, 'My friend, come up higher.' This will be doing you honour in the presence of all the other guests.

But one of the fellow-guests heard this, and said to Him, "Happy will be the man who is fortunate enough to be at the feast in the kingdom of God."

And another said, 'I have married a wife, and for this [reason] I am not able to come.'

So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, 'Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'

After this a great multitude being gather'd about him, he address'd himself to them,

Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

It is not suitable for the soil [i.e., for growing crops] or for fertilizer, but [only] for people to throw out. [See note on Matt. 5:13]. The person who has ears to hear with ought to listen [to this] carefully."

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

And a few days later, this younger son gathered everything together and traveled to a distant country where he squandered his possessions in wild living.

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Then he called one of the servant-boys and asked him what this meant.

upon this he was full of resentment, and refused to go in: and when his father came out to persuade him, he replied to his father,

But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

And he also said to the disciples, "A certain man was rich, who had a manager. And charges were brought to him that this person was squandering his possessions.

And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

I must do something that will secure me a reception in other families, when I have lost my place in this.

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

And I say to you, Make friends for yourselves through the wealth of this life, so that when it comes to an end, you may be taken into the eternal resting-places.

If, then, you have not been true in your use of the wealth of this life, who will give into your care the true wealth?

Now the Pharisees who were lovers of money had been listening to all this, and they began to ridicule Him.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, 'For this reason, I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

It would be good [i.e., better] for him to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a huge, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle], rather than having him cause one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] to be led astray [from God].

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

Perceiving this, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the Priests." And while on their way to do this they were made clean.

then prostrating himself at the feet of Jesus, he gave him thanks. now this man was a Samaritan.

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

"And this was in the time of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of man.

after this manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.

On that day, the person who is on a housetop [Note: This was a flat area where people retired for rest, prayer, etc., with its stairway on the outside], whose belongings are [still] in his house, is not to go down and [attempt to] take any of them away. And the person who is in a field [i.e., doing farm work], also is not to return [to his house].

I tell you, in this night, there shall be two men in one bed; one shall be taken and the other left.

There will be two women grinding grain together [Note: This was done with a hand-operated millstone where two persons sat across from each other and rotated a circular stone over kernels of grain]; one will be taken while the other one will be left. {{Some ancient manuscripts include verse

[This verse is not in the majority of the Greek manuscripts.]

Then they asked Him, "Where, Lord, will this be?" And He said to them, "Wherever there is carrion the vultures will flock."

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

He said, "There was a certain judge in this town who did not revere God nor respect man.

And he would not for a long while: but after this he said, Though I fear not God, nor respect man;

Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

observe, said Jesus, that language of this unrighteous judge.

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

People were bringing babies to Jesus so He could touch them [i.e., to bestow a blessing on them], but when His disciples saw this, they spoke harshly to these people.

Then a person of distinction ask'd him this question, good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

And [when he] heard [this], Jesus said to him, "{You still lack one thing}: Sell all that you have, and distribute [the proceeds] to the poor--and you will have treasure in heaven--and come, follow me."

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

When Jesus noticed this, he said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

So those who heard [this] said, "And who can be saved?"

Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

And it happened as Jesus was approaching Jericho [Note: This was a town about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem], that a certain blind man was [seen] sitting along side of the road, begging.

and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant.

And immediately his sight was restored and he followed Jesus, giving honor to God. And when all the people saw this, they [too] praised God.

And behold, a man called by name, Zacchaeus. And he was a chief tax collector, and this man was rich.

So, he ran on ahead [of the crowd] and climbed up a mulberry tree [Note: This was a tree that produced a fig-like fruit] in order to see Jesus, who was supposed to pass that way [soon].

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him: Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for I must spend this day at your house.

upon seeing this, they all murmur'd, saying, he is going to be treated by a dissolute person.

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Their attention being raised by this, Jesus pursued his discourse with a parable, occasion'd by their thinking, that, because he was advanc'd so nigh to Jerusalem, the kingdom of God would immediately commence.

So, He said, "A certain distinguished gentleman went to a distant country to receive a royal appointment [i.e., as king over a territory] and then return. [Note: This is the only parable of Jesus' that correlates with a known incident; that of Herod's son Archelaus going to Rome to receive from Caesar Augustus an appointment to rule over Judea, Samaria and Idumaea in

And he sent for ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds and said to them, Do business with this till I come.

But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

So he said to this one also, 'And you be over five cities.'

And when he had said this, he went on in front of them, going up to Jerusalem.

And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying [it]?' you will say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'"

Now [as] he was drawing near by this time to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began rejoicing to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen,

They were saying, 'May the King who comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord, be blessed. May there be peace in heaven and praise [to God] in the highest [i.e., may this praise reach to the highest heaven].'

upon this some of the Pharisees, who were in the crowd, said to him, master, rebuke your disciples.