Luke 13
13
Jesus Tells People to Turn to God and Change the Way They Think and Act
1At that time some people reported to Jesus about some Galileans whom Pilate had executed while they were sacrificing animals. 2Jesus replied to them, “Do you think that this happened to them because they were more sinful than other people from Galilee? 3No! I can guarantee that they weren’t. But if you don’t turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die. 4What about those 18 people who died when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more sinful than other people living in Jerusalem? 5No! I can guarantee that they weren’t. But if you don’t turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die.”
A Story about a Fruitless Tree
6Then Jesus used this illustration: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on the tree but didn’t find any. 7He said to the gardener, ‘For the last three years I’ve come to look for figs on this fig tree but haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up ⌞good⌟ soil?’
8“The gardener replied, ‘Sir, let it stand for one more year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9Maybe next year it’ll have figs. But if not, then cut it down.’ ”
Jesus Heals a Disabled Woman
10Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the day of rest—a holy day. 11A woman who was possessed by a spirit was there. The spirit had disabled her for 18 years. She was hunched over and couldn’t stand up straight. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her to come to him and said, “Woman, you are free from your disability.” 13He placed his hands on her, and she immediately stood up straight and praised God.
14The synagogue leader was irritated with Jesus for healing on the day of rest. The leader told the crowd, “There are six days when work can be done. So come on one of those days to be healed. Don’t come on the day of rest—a holy day.”
15The Lord said, “You hypocrites! Don’t each of you free your ox or donkey on the day of rest—a holy day? Don’t you then take it out of its stall to give it some water to drink? 16Now, here is a descendant of Abraham. Satan has kept her in this condition for 18 years. Isn’t it right to free her on the day of rest—a holy day?”
17As he said this, everyone who opposed him felt ashamed. But the entire crowd was happy about the miraculous things he was doing.
Stories about a Mustard Seed and Yeast
(Matthew 13:31–33; Mark 4:30–32)
18Jesus asked, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it to? 19It’s like a mustard seed that someone planted in a garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds nested in its branches.”
20He asked again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom to? 21It’s like yeast that a woman mixed into a large amount of flour until the yeast worked its way through all the dough.”
The Narrow Door
22Then Jesus traveled and taught in one city and village after another on his way to Jerusalem.
23Someone asked him, “Sir, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He answered, 24“Try hard to enter through the narrow door. I can guarantee that many will try to enter, but they won’t succeed. 25After the homeowner gets up and closes the door, ⌞it’s too late⌟. You can stand outside, knock at the door, and say, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know who you are.’ 26Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will tell you, ‘I don’t know who you are. Get away from me, all you evil people.’ 28Then you will cry and be in extreme pain. That’s what you’ll do when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets. They’ll be in God’s kingdom, but you’ll be thrown out. 29People will come from all over the world and will eat in God’s kingdom. 30Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”
Jesus Warns Jerusalem
31At that time some Pharisees told Jesus, “Get out of here, and go somewhere else! Herod wants to kill you.”
32Jesus said to them, “Tell that fox that I will force demons out of people and heal people today and tomorrow. I will finish my work on the third day. 33But I must be on my way today, tomorrow, and the next day. It’s not possible for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing! 35Your house will be abandoned. I can guarantee that you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Luke 13
13
1Now at the same time there were present some who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with that of their sacrifices. 2And he answering said to them, Think ye that these Galileans were sinners beyond all the Galileans because they suffered such things? 3No, I say to you, but if ye repent not, ye shall all perish in the same manner. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, think ye that they were debtors beyond all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? 5No, I say to you, but if ye repent not, ye shall all perish in like manner.
6And he spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit upon it and did not find any. 7And he said to the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree and find none: cut it down; why does it also render the ground useless? 8But he answering says to him, Sir, let it alone for this year also, until I shall dig about it and put dung, 9and if it shall bear fruit — but if not, after that thou shalt cut it down.
10And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11And lo, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent together and wholly unable to lift her head up. 12And Jesus, seeing her, called to her, and said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13And he laid his hands upon her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus healed on the sabbath, answering said to the crowd, There are six days in which people ought to work; in these therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15The Lord therefore answered him and said, Hypocrites! does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the manger and leading it away, water it? 16And this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, ought she not to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17And as he said these things, all who were opposed to him were ashamed; and all the crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things which were being done by him.
18And he said, To what is the kingdom of God like? and to what shall I liken it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of heaven lodged in its branches. 20And again he said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened. 22And he went through one city and village after another, teaching, and journeying to Jerusalem.
23And one said to him, Sir, are such as are to be saved few in number? But he said unto them, 24Strive with earnestness to enter in through the narrow door, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. 25From the time that the master of the house shall have risen up and shall have shut the door, and ye shall begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he answering shall say to you, I know you not whence ye are: 26then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten in thy presence and drunk, and thou hast taught in our streets; 27and he shall say, I tell you, I do not know you whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves cast out. 29And they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall lie down at table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.
31The same hour certain Pharisees came up, saying to him, Get out, and go hence, for Herod is desirous to kill thee. 32And he said to them, Go, tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and accomplish cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am perfected; 33but I must needs walk to-day and to-morrow and the day following, for it must not be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen her brood under her wings, and ye would not. 35Behold, your house is left unto you; and I say unto you, that ye shall not see me until it come that ye say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.