Luke 13

Call to Repent

1Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood 1Pilate had 2mixed with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus said to them, “3Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3I tell you, no, but unless you 4repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in 5Siloam fell and killed them were worse 67culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

6And He began telling this parable: “A man had 8a 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, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree 9without finding any. 10Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, 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

10And He was 11teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had 12a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent 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 13laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began 14glorifying God. 14But 15the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus 16had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “17There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15But 18the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, 19does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? 16And this woman, 20a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom 21Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and 22the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

Parables of Mustard Seed and Leaven

18So 23He was saying, “24What 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 25the birds of the 26air nested in its branches.”

20And again He said, “27To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 2128It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in 29three 30pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

Teaching in the Villages

22And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and 31proceeding 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“32Strive 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 33shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘34Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘35I do not know where you are from.’ 26Then you will 36begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; 27and He will say, ‘I tell you, 37I do not know where you are from; 38depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ 2839In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. 29And they 40will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, 41some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”

31Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, for 42Herod wants to kill You.” 32And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I 4344reach My goal.’ 33Nevertheless 45I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a 46prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. 3447O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, 48just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! 35Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘49Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”