Luke 13

¹ It was just about this time that some people arrived and told him about the Galileans whose bloodPilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them,

² 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than any others, that this should havehappened to them?

³ They were not, I tel you. No; but unless you repent you wil al perish as they did.

⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fel , kil ing them al ? Do you suppose that they weremore guilty than al the other people living in Jerusalem?

⁵ They were not, I tel you. No; but unless you repent you wil al perish as they did.'

⁶ He told this parable, 'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on itbut found none.

⁷ He said to his vinedresser, "For three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree andfinding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?"

⁸ "Sir," the man replied, "leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it:

⁹ it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down." '

¹⁰ One Sabbath day he was teaching in one of the synagogues,

¹¹ and there before him was a woman who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit thatcrippled her; she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright.

¹² When Jesus saw her he cal ed her over and said, 'Woman, you are freed from your disability,'

¹³ and he laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.

¹⁴ But the president of the synagogue was indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, and headdressed all those present saying, 'There are six days when work is to be done. Come and be healed on one ofthose days and not on the Sabbath.'

¹⁵ But the Lord answered him and said, 'Hypocrites! Is there one of you who does not untie his ox or hisdonkey from the manger on the Sabbath and take it out for watering?

¹⁶ And this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years -- was itnot right to untie this bond on the Sabbath day?'

¹⁷ When he said this, all his adversaries were covered with confusion, and al the people were overjoyedat al the wonders he worked.

¹⁸ He went on to say, 'What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with?

¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, andthe birds of the air sheltered in its branches.'

²⁰ Again he said, 'What shall I compare the kingdom of God with?

²¹ It is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour til it was leavened althrough.'

²² Through towns and vil ages he went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem.

²³ Someone said to him, 'Sir, wil there be only a few saved?' He said to them,

²⁴ 'Try your hardest to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many wil try to enter and wil notsucceed.

²⁵ 'Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself standingoutside knocking on the door, saying, "Lord, open to us," but he will answer, "I do not know where you comefrom."

²⁶ Then you wil start saying, "We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets,"

²⁷ but he wil reply, "I do not know where you come from; away from me, al evil doers!"

²⁸ 'Then there wil be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob andal the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrown out.

²⁹ And people from east and west, from north and south, wil come and sit down at the feast in thekingdom of God.

³⁰ 'Look, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who wil be last.'

³¹ Just at this time some Pharisees came up. 'Go away,' they said. 'Leave this place, because Herodmeans to kill you.'

³² He replied, 'You may go and give that fox this message: Look! Today and tomorrow I drive out devilsand heal, and on the third day I attain my end.

³³ But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet todie outside Jerusalem.

³⁴ 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kil the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How oftenhave I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused!

³⁵ Look! Your house wil be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shal not see me till the time comeswhen you are saying: Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord!'