Knox Bible

1

After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and sent them before him, two and two, into all the cities and villages he himself was to visit.

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The harvest, he told them, is plentiful enough, but the labourers are few; you must ask the Lord to whom the harvest belongs to send labourers out for the harvesting.

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Go then, and remember, I am sending you out to be like lambs among wolves.

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You are not to carry purse, or wallet, or shoes; you are to give no one greeting on your way.

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When you enter a house, say first of all, Peace be to this house;

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and if those who dwell there are men of good will, your good wishes shall come down upon it; if not, they will come back to you the way they went.

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Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they have to give you; the labourer has a right to his maintenance; do not move from one house to another.

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When you enter a city, and they make you welcome, be content to eat the fare they offer you:

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and heal those who are sick there; and tell them, The kingdom of God is close upon you.

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But if you enter a city where they will not make you welcome, go out into their streets, and say,

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We brush off in your faces the very dust from your city that has clung to our feet; and be sure of this, the kingdom of God is close at hand.

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I tell you, it shall go less hard with Sodom at the day of judgement, than with that city.

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Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida! Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago, humbling themselves with sackcloth and ashes, if the miracles done in you had been done there instead.

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And indeed, it shall go less hard with Tyre and Sidon at the judgement, than with you.

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And thou, Capharnaum, dost thou hope to be lifted up high as heaven? Thou shalt be brought low as hell.

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He who listens to you, listens to me; he who despises you, despises me; and he who despises me, despises him that sent me.

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And the seventy-two disciples came back full of rejoicing; Lord, they said, even the devils are made subject to us through thy name.

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He said to them, I watched, while Satan was cast down like a lightning-flash from heaven.

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Behold, I have given you the right to trample on snakes and scorpions, and all the power of the enemy, and take no hurt from it.

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But you, instead of rejoicing that the devils are made subject to you, should be rejoicing that your names are enrolled in heaven.

21

At this time, Jesus was filled with gladness by the Holy Spirit, and said, O Father, who art Lord of heaven and earth, I give thee praise that thou hast hidden all this from the wise and the prudent, and revealed it to little children. Be it so, Lord, since this finds favour in thy sight.

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My Father has entrusted everything into my hands; none knows what the Son is, except the Father, and none knows what the Father is, except the Son, and those to whom it is the Son’s good pleasure to reveal him.

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Then, turning to his own disciples, he said, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see;

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I tell you, there have been many prophets and kings who have longed to see what you see, and never saw it, to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

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It happened once that a lawyer rose up, trying to put him to the test; Master, he said, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

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Jesus asked him, What is it that is written in the law? What is thy reading of it?

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And he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with the love of thy whole heart, and thy whole soul, and thy whole strength, and thy whole mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.✻

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Thou hast answered right, he told him; do this, and thou shalt find life.

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But he, to prove himself blameless, asked, And who is my neighbour?

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Jesus gave him his answer; A man who was on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell in with robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and went off leaving him half dead.

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And a priest, who chanced to be going down by the same road, saw him there and passed by on the other side.

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And a Levite who came there saw him, and passed by on the other side.

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But a certain Samaritan, who was on his travels, saw him and took pity at the sight;

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he went up to him and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine into them, and so mounted him upon his own beast and brought him to an inn, where he took care of him.

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And next day he took out two silver pieces, which he gave to the inn-keeper, and said, Take care of him, and on my way home I will give thee whatever else is owing to thee for thy pains.

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Which of these, thinkest thou, proved himself a neighbour to the man who had fallen in with robbers?

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And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then Jesus said, Go thy way, and do thou likewise.

38

In one of the villages he entered during his journey, a woman called Martha entertained him in her house.

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She had a sister called Mary; and Mary took her place at the Lord’s feet, and listened to his words.

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Martha was distracted by waiting on many needs; so she came to his side, and asked, Lord, art thou content that my sister should leave me to do the serving alone? Come, bid her help me.

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Jesus answered her, Martha, Martha, how many cares and troubles thou hast!

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But only one thing is necessary; and Mary has chosen for herself the best part of all, that which shall never be taken away from her.