Knox Bible

1

At this very time there were some present that told him the story of those Gali-leans, whose blood Pilate had shed in the midst of their sacrifices.

2

And Jesus said in answer, Do you suppose, because this befell them, that these men were worse sinners than all else in Galilee?

3

I tell you it is not so; you will all perish as they did, if you do not repent.

4

What of those eighteen men on whom the tower fell in Siloe, and killed them; do you suppose that there was a heavier account against them, than against any others who then dwelt at Jerusalem?

5

I tell you it was not so; you will all perish as they did, if you do not repent.

6

And this was a parable he told them; There was a man that had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, but when he came and looked for fruit on it, he could find none;

7

whereupon he said to his vine-dresser, See now, I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig-tree for three years, and cannot find any. Cut it down; why should it be a useless charge upon the land?

8

But he answered thus, Sir, let it stand this year too, so that I may have time to dig and put dung round it;

9

perhaps it will bear fruit; if not, it will be time to cut it down then.

10

There was a sabbath day on which he was preaching in one of their synagogues.

11

Here there was a woman who for eighteen years had suffered under some influence that disabled her; she was bent down, and could not lift her head straight.

12

Jesus saw her and called her to him; Woman, he said, thou art rid of thy infirmity.

13

Then he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was raised upright, and gave praise to God.

14

But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus should heal them on the sabbath day, turned and said to the multitude, You have six days on which work is allowed; you should come and be healed on those days, not on the sabbath.

15

And the Lord gave him this answer, What, you hypocrites, is there any one of you that will not untie his ox or his ass from the stall and take them down to water, when it is the sabbath?

16

And here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had kept bound these eighteen years past; was it wrong that she should be delivered on the sabbath day from bonds like these?

17

All his adversaries were put to shame by this saying of his, and the whole multitude rejoiced over the marvellous works he did.

18

He said, What is there that bears a likeness to the kingdom of heaven; what comparison shall I find for it?

19

It is like a grain of mustard seed, that a man has taken and planted in his garden, where it has thriven and grown into a great tree, and all the birds have come and settled in its branches.

20

And again, he said, What comparison shall I find for the kingdom of heaven?

21

It is like leaven, that a woman has taken and buried away in three measures of meal, enough to leaven the whole batch.✻

22

And so he went through the cities and villages teaching, and making his journey towards Jerusalem.

23

There was a man that said to him, Lord, is it only a few that are to be saved? Whereupon he said to them:

24

Fight your way in at the narrow door; I tell you, there are many who will try and will not be able to enter.

25

When the master of the house has gone in and has shut the door, you will fall to beating on the door as you stand without, and saying, Lord, open to us. But this will be his answer, I know nothing of you, nor whence you come.

26

Thereupon you will fall to protesting, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence; thou hast taught in our streets.

27

But he will say, I tell you, I know nothing of you, nor whence you come; depart from me, you that traffic in iniquity.

28

Weeping shall be there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets within God’s kingdom, while you yourselves are cast out.

29

Others will come from the east and the west, the north and the south, to take their ease in the kingdom of God.

30

And indeed, there are some who are last, and shall then be first, some who are first, and shall then be last.

31

It was on that day that some of the Pharisees came to him and said, Go elsewhere, and leave this place; Herod has a mind to kill thee.

32

And he said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, to-day and to-morrow I am to continue casting out devils, and doing works of healing; it is on the third day that I am to reach my consummation.

33

But to-day and to-morrow and the next day I must go on my journeys; there is no room for a prophet to meet his death, except at Jerusalem.

34

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, still murdering the prophets, and stoning the messengers that are sent to thee, how often have I been ready to gather thy children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and thou didst refuse it!

35

Behold, your house is left to you, a house uninhabited. I tell you, you shall see nothing of me until the time comes, when you will be saying, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.