Call to Repent

1Now on that very occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had [a]mixed with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus responded and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans just because they have suffered this fate? 3No, I tell you, but unless you [b]repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse [c]offenders than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

6And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Look! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree [d]without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”

Healing on the Sabbath

10Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And [e]there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a [f]sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over double, and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood up straight again, and began glorifying God. 14But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days during which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does each of you on the Sabbath not untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? 16And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for [g]eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this restraint on the Sabbath day?” 17And as He said this, all His opponents were being [h]humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

Parables of Mustard Seed and Leaven

18So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”

20And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like [i]leaven, which a woman took and hid in three [j]sata of flour until it was all leavened.”

Teaching in the Villages

22And He was passing through one city and village after another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin standing outside and knocking on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ and He then will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26Then you will begin saying, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!’ 27And yet He will [k]say, ‘I do not know where you are from; LEAVE ME, ALL YOU [l]EVILDOERS.’ 28In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. 29And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

31At that very time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away and leave this place, because Herod wants to kill You.” 32And He said to them, “Go and tell that [m]fox, ‘Behold, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I [n]reach My goal.’ 33Nevertheless I must go on My journey today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside Jerusalem. 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her [o]young under her wings, and you were unwilling! 35Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”

[a] 1 I.e., shed along with
[b] 3 Or are repentant
[c] 4 Lit debtors
[d] 7 Lit and I do not find
[e] 11 Lit behold, a woman
[f] 11 Lit spirit of sickness
[g] 16 Lit behold, eighteen years
[h] 17 Or put to shame
[i] 21 I.e., fermented dough
[j] 21 A Gr term for a Heb measure, totaling about 48 lb. or 22 kg of flour
[k] 27 Lit say, telling you
[l] 27 Or workers of injustice
[m] 32 I.e., crafty, devious person
[n] 32 Or am perfected
[o] 34 Lit brood