Lucas 13

¹ Now there were some present at that very season who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifies.

² "Do you suppose," he answered them, "that those Galileans were worse sinners than the rest of the Galileans because they have suffered thus?

³ "I tell you no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

⁴ "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you suppose that they were worse offenders than the rest of those who lived in Jerusalem?

⁵ "I tell you no; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did."

⁶ Then he gave them this parable. "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came to look for fruit on it, but found none.

⁷ So he said to the gardener. "See, for years I have come looking for fruit on this tree, and found none. Cut it down. Why should it actually cumber the ground?

⁸ "But the gardener answered him. Lord, let it alone this year also, till I have dug around it, and fertilized it.

⁹ "If after that it bears fruit, well and good; but if not you shall cut it down."

¹⁰ Once he was teaching in one of the synagogues, on the Sabbath,

¹¹ a woman was present who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. she was bent double, and could not lift herself up at all.

¹² Jesus noticed her and called to him and said, "Woman, you are free from your weakness."

¹³ Then he placed his hand on her, and she instantly stood upright and began to give glory to God.

¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant at Jesus for healing her on the Sabbath, and said to the crowd. "There are six days of the week on which men ought to work. Therefore come during those, and get cured, but not on the Sabbath Day."

¹⁵ But the Lord answered him. "Hypocrites!" he said, "does not each one of you loose his ox or his ass from the stall on the Sabbath Day, and lead it to water,

¹⁶ "and this woman, who is the daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound these eighteen years, ought she not have been loosened from bondage, though the day be the Sabbath?"

¹⁷ As he said this, all adversaries were put to shame; and all the crowd rejoiced for the glorious things that he continually did.

¹⁸ This led him to say. "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

¹⁹ "It is like a grain of mustardseed, which a man took and cast into his own garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches."

²⁰ And again he said. "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?

²¹ "It is like leaven which a took and hid in three measures of flour until the whole was leavened."

²² So he went on his way through cities and villages,

²³ teaching as he journeyed toward Jerusalem. And a man came behind him and said, "Lord are there but few that are saved?"

²⁴ "Struggle to enter in by the narrow door," he answered, "for I tell you that many will try to enter and not be able,

²⁵ "when once the master of the house is risen up and has shut the door. You will begin to stand outside, and to knock at the door, crying, "Lord, open to us. "I do not know were you came from, he will reply.

²⁶ "Then you will begin saying, But we have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets.

²⁷ "But he will answer. "I tell you I do not know were you came from;

²⁸ "depart from me, all of you, you evil-doers. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves cast out.

²⁹ "And people shall come from the Orient and from the Occident, from the north and from the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.

³⁰ "And lo, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last."

³¹ That very day there came some Pharisees to him, saying, "Get out of here and go away, for Herod wishes to kill you."

³² "Go, tell that fox," he answered, "Lo, today and tomorrow I am continuing to cast out demons and perform cures, and on the third day I finish my course.

³³ "Yet I must continue my journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it would never do for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem!

³⁴ "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!

³⁵ "Behold! Your house is left to you, desolate! I tell you that you shall never see me again until you say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord,"