The Holy Bible

[6:37] “Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you.

[6:38] Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands—all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”

[6:39] And Jesus told them this parable: “One blind man cannot lead another one; if he does, both will fall into a ditch.

[6:40] No pupils are greater than their teacher; but all pupils, when they have completed their training, will be like their teacher.

[6:41] “Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but pay no attention to the log in your own eye?

[6:42] How can you say to your brother, ‘Please, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye,’ yet cannot even see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

[6:43] “A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit.

[6:44] Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes.

[6:45] A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

[6:46] “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and yet don't do what I tell you?

[6:47] Anyone who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys them—I will show you what he is like.

[6:48] He is like a man who, in building his house, dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. The river flooded over and hit that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

[6:49] But anyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a man who built his house without laying a foundation; when the flood hit that house it fell at once—and what a terrible crash that was!”

[7:1] When Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum.

[7:2] A Roman officer there had a servant who was very dear to him; the man was sick and about to die.

[7:3] When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his servant.

[7:4] They came to Jesus and begged him earnestly, “This man really deserves your help.

[7:5] He loves our people and he himself built a synagogue for us.”

[7:6] So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the officer sent friends to tell him, “Sir, don't trouble yourself. I do not deserve to have you come into my house,

[7:7] neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you in person. Just give the order, and my servant will get well.

[7:8] I, too, am a man placed under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; I order that one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

[7:9] Jesus was surprised when he heard this; he turned around and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, I have never found faith like this, not even in Israel!”

[7:10] The messengers went back to the officer's house and found his servant well.

[7:11] Soon afterward Jesus went to a town named Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd.

[7:12] Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her.

[7:13] When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, “Don't cry.”

[7:14] Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man! Get up, I tell you!”

[7:15] The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

[7:16] They all were filled with fear and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said; “God has come to save his people!”

[7:17] This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory.

[7:18] When John's disciples told him about all these things, he called two of them

[7:19] and sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

[7:20] When they came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask if you are the one he said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

[7:21] At that very time Jesus healed many people from their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many blind people.

[7:22] He answered John's messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

[7:23] How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

[7:24] After John's messengers had left, Jesus began to speak about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind?

[7:25] What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that and live in luxury are found in palaces!

[7:26] Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet.

[7:27] For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’

[7:28] I tell you,” Jesus added, “John is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John.”

[7:29] All the people heard him; they and especially the tax collectors were the ones who had obeyed God's righteous demands and had been baptized by John.

[7:30] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law rejected God's purpose for themselves and refused to be baptized by John.

[7:31] Jesus continued, “Now to what can I compare the people of this day? What are they like?

[7:32] They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group shouts to the other, ‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn't dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn't cry!’

[7:33] John the Baptist came, and he fasted and drank no wine, and you said, ‘He has a demon in him!’

[7:34] The Son of Man came, and he ate and drank, and you said, ‘Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’

[7:35] God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who accept it.”

[7:36] A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat.

[7:37] In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee's house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume

[7:38] and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them.

[7:39] When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!”

[7:40] Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Yes, Teacher,” he said, “tell me.”

[7:41] “There were two men who owed money to a moneylender,” Jesus began. “One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty.

[7:42] Neither of them could pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Which one, then, will love him more?”

[7:43] “I suppose,” answered Simon, “that it would be the one who was forgiven more.” “You are right,” said Jesus.

[7:44] Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

[7:45] You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came.

[7:46] You provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume.

[7:47] I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.”

[7:48] Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

[7:49] The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

[7:50] But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

[8:1] Some time later Jesus traveled through towns and villages, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God. The twelve disciples went with him,

[8:2] and so did some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had been driven out;

[8:3] Joanna, whose husband Chuza was an officer in Herod's court; and Susanna, and many other women who used their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples.

[8:4] People kept coming to Jesus from one town after another; and when a great crowd gathered, Jesus told this parable:

[8:5] “Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it up.

[8:6] Some of it fell on rocky ground, and when the plants sprouted, they dried up because the soil had no moisture.

[8:7] Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up with the plants and choked them.

[8:8] And some seeds fell in good soil; the plants grew and bore grain, one hundred grains each.” And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”

[8:9] His disciples asked Jesus what this parable meant,

[8:10] and he answered, “The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of God has been given to you, but to the rest it comes by means of parables, so that they may look but not see, and listen but not understand.