15 Now all the tax collectors 1 and sinners were coming 2 to hear him. 2 But 3 the Pharisees 4 and the experts in the law 5 were complaining, 6 “This man welcomes 7 sinners and eats with them.”
3 So 8 Jesus 9 told them 10 this parable: 11 4 “Which one 12 of you, if he has a hundred 13 sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture 14 and go look for 15 the one that is lost until he finds it? 16 5 Then 17 when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 Returning 18 home, he calls together 19 his 20 friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner 21 who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people 22 who have no need to repent. 23
8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins 24 and loses 25 one of them, 26 does not light a lamp, sweep 27 the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 Then 28 when she has found it, she calls together her 29 friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice 30 with me, for I have found the coin 31 that I had lost.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels 32 over one sinner who repents.”
11 Then 33 Jesus 34 said, “A man had two sons. 12 The 35 younger of them said to his 36 father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate 37 that will belong 38 to me.’ So 39 he divided his 40 assets between them. 41 13 After 42 a few days, 43 the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered 44 his wealth 45 with a wild lifestyle. 14 Then 46 after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and worked for 47 one of the citizens of that country, who 48 sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 49 16 He 50 was longing to eat 51 the carob pods 52 the pigs were eating, but 53 no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses 54 he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food 55 enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned 56 against heaven 57 and against 58 you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me 59 like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So 60 he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home 61 his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; 62 he ran and hugged 63 his son 64 and kissed him. 21 Then 65 his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven 66 and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 67 22 But the father said to his slaves, 68 ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, 69 and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger 70 and sandals 71 on his feet! 23 Bring 72 the fattened calf 73 and kill it! Let us eat 74 and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again – he was lost and is found!’ 75 So 76 they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. As 77 he came and approached the house, he heard music 78 and dancing. 26 So 79 he called one of the slaves 80 and asked what was happening. 27 The slave replied, 81 ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf 82 because he got his son 83 back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son 84 became angry 85 and refused 86 to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 29 but he answered 87 his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave 88 for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet 89 you never gave me even a goat 90 so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours 91 came back, who has devoured 92 your assets with prostitutes, 93 you killed the fattened calf 94 for him!’ 31 Then 95 the father 96 said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 32 It was appropriate 97 to celebrate and be glad, for your brother 98 was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’” 99
16 Jesus 1 also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations 2 that his manager 3 was wasting 4 his assets. 2 So 5 he called the manager 6 in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? 7 Turn in the account of your administration, 8 because you can no longer be my manager.’ 3 Then 9 the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position 10 away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, 11 and I’m too ashamed 12 to beg. 4 I know 13 what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ 14 5 So 15 he contacted 16 his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 The man 17 replied, ‘A hundred measures 18 of olive oil.’ The manager 19 said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ 20 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man 21 replied, ‘A hundred measures 22 of wheat.’ The manager 23 said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 24 8 The 25 master commended the dishonest 26 manager because he acted shrewdly. 27 For the people 28 of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries 29 than the people 30 of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, 31 so that when it runs out you will be welcomed 32 into the eternal homes. 33
10 “The one who is faithful in a very little 34 is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy 35 in handling worldly wealth, 36 who will entrust you with the true riches? 37 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy 38 with someone else’s property, 39 who will give you your own 40 ? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate 41 the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise 42 the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 43
14 The Pharisees 44 (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed 45 him. 15 But 46 Jesus 47 said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, 48 but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized 49 among men is utterly detestable 50 in God’s sight.
16 “The law and the prophets were in force 51 until John; 52 since then, 53 the good news of the kingdom of God 54 has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. 55 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter 56 in the law to become void. 57
18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries 58 someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple 59 and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously 60 every day. 20 But at his gate lay 61 a poor man named Lazarus 62 whose body was covered with sores, 63 21 who longed to eat 64 what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs 65 came and licked 66 his sores.
22 “Now 67 the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. 68 The 69 rich man also died and was buried. 70 23 And in hell, 71 as he was in torment, 72 he looked up 73 and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 74 24 So 75 he called out, 76 ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus 77 to dip the tip of his finger 78 in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish 79 in this fire.’ 80 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, 81 remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 82 26 Besides all this, 83 a great chasm 84 has been fixed between us, 85 so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 So 86 the rich man 87 said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus 88 to my father’s house 28 (for I have five brothers) to warn 89 them so that they don’t come 90 into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, 91 ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to 92 them.’ 30 Then 93 the rich man 94 said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead 95 goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He 96 replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to 97 Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” 98
17 Jesus 1 said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe 2 to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him to have a millstone 3 tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea 4 than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 5 3 Watch 6 yourselves! If 7 your brother 8 sins, rebuke him. If 9 he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive 10 him.”
5 The 11 apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 12 6 So 13 the Lord replied, 14 “If 15 you had faith the size of 16 a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry 17 tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ 18 and it would obey 19 you.
7 “Would any one of you say 20 to your slave 21 who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? 22 8 Won’t 23 the master 24 instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready 25 to serve me while 26 I eat and drink. Then 27 you may eat and drink’? 9 He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, 28 will he? 29 10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; 30 we have only done what was our duty.’” 31
11 Now on 32 the way to Jerusalem, 33 Jesus 34 was passing along 35 between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As 36 he was entering 37 a village, ten men with leprosy 38 met him. They 39 stood at a distance, 13 raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy 40 on us.” 14 When 41 he saw them he said, “Go 42 and show yourselves to the priests.” 43 And 44 as they went along, they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising 45 God with a loud voice. 16 He 46 fell with his face to the ground 47 at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. 48 (Now 49 he was a Samaritan.) 50 17 Then 51 Jesus said, 52 “Were 53 not ten cleansed? Where are the other 54 nine? 18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 55 19 Then 56 he said to the man, 57 “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.” 58
20 Now at one point 59 the Pharisees 60 asked Jesus 61 when the kingdom of God 62 was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs 63 to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is 64 in your midst.” 65
22 Then 66 he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days 67 of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 Then people 68 will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ 69 or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. 70 24 For just like the lightning flashes 71 and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 72 25 But first he must 73 suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just 74 as it was 75 in the days of Noah, 76 so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People 77 were eating, 78 they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage – right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then 79 the flood came and destroyed them all. 80 28 Likewise, just as it was 81 in the days of Lot, people 82 were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; 29 but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 83 30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof, 84 with his goods in the house, must not come down 85 to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 86 33 Whoever tries to keep 87 his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life 88 will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 89 35 There will be two women grinding grain together; 90 one will be taken and the other left.”
36 [[EMPTY]] 91 37 Then 92 the disciples 93 said 94 to him, “Where, 95 Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body 96 is, there the vultures 97 will gather.” 98
