31 HE TOOK THE TWELVE ASIDE and said, 'We are now going up to Jerusalem; and all that was written by the prophets will come true for the Son of Man. 32 He will be handed over to the foreign power. He will be mocked, maltreated, and spat upon. 33 They will flog him and kill him. And on the third day he will rise again.' 34 But they understood nothing of all this; they did not grasp what he was talking about; its meaning was concealed from them.
35 As he approached Jericho a blind man sat at the roadside begging. 36 Hearing a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.' 38 Then he shouted out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.' 39 The people in front told him sharply to hold his tongue; but he called out all the more, 'Son of David, have pity on me.' 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. 41 When he came up he asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Sir, I want my sight back', he answered. 42 Jesus said to him, 'Have back your sight; your faith has cured you.' 43 He recovered his sight instantly; and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all the people gave praise to God for what they had seen.
1 Entering Jericho he made his way through the city. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus; he was superintendent of taxes and very rich. 3 He was eager to see what Jesus looked like; but, being a little man, he could not see him for the crowd. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore-tree in order to see him, for he was to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said, 'Zacchaeus, be quick and come down; I must come and stay with you today.' 6 He climbed down as fast as he could and welcomed him gladly. 7 At this there was a general murmur of disapproval. 'He has gone in', they said, 'to be the guest of a sinner.' 8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, 'Here and now, sir, I give half my possessions to charity; and if I have cheated anyone, I am ready to repay him four times over.' 9 Jesus said to him, 'Salvation has come to this house today! - for this man too is a son of Abraham, 10 and the Son of Man has come to seek and save what is lost.'
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was now close to Jerusalem and they thought the reign of God might dawn at any moment. 12 He said, 'A man of noble birth went on a long journey abroad, to be appointed king and then return. 13 But first he called ten of his servants and gave them a pound each, saying, "Trade with this while I am away." 14 His fellow-citizens hated him, and they sent a delegation on his heels to say, "We do not want this man as our king." 15 However, back he came as king, and sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, to see what profit each had made. 16 The first came and said, "Your pound, sir, has made ten more." 17 "Well done," he replied; "you are a good servant. You have shown yourself trustworthy in a very small matter, and you shall have charge of ten cities." 18 The second came and said, "Your pound, sir, has made five more"; 19 and he also was told, "You too, take charge of five cities." 20 The third came and said, "Here is your pound, sir; I kept it put away in a handkerchief. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man: you draw out what you never put in and reap what you did not sow." 22 "You rascal!" he replied; "I will judge you by your own words. You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, that I draw out what I never put in, and reap what I did not sow? 23 Then why did you not put my money on deposit, and I could have claimed it with interest when I came back?" 24 Turning to his attendants he said, "Take the pound from him and give it to the man with ten." 25 "But, sir," they replied, "he has ten already." 26 "I tell you," he went on, "the man who has will always be given more; but the man who has not will forfeit even what he has. 27 But as for those enemies of mine who did not want me for their king, bring them here and slaughter them in my presence." '
28 WITH THAT JESUS WENT FORWARD and began the ascent to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples with these instructions: 30 'Go to the village opposite; as you enter it you will find tethered there a colt which no one has yet ridden. 31 Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks why you are untying it, say, "Our Master needs it."' 32 The two went on their errand and found it as he had told them; 33 and while they were untying the colt, its owners asked, 'Why are you untying that colt?' 34 They answered, 'The Master needs it.' 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus.
Then they threw their cloaks on the colt, for Jesus to mount, 36 and they carpeted the road with them as he went on his way. 37 And now, as he approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole company of his disciples in their joy began to sing aloud the praises of God for all the things they had seen:
41 When he came in sight of the city, he wept over it 42 and said, 'If only you had known, on this great day, the way that leads to peace! But no; it is hidden from your sight. 43 For a time will come upon you, when your enemies will set up siege-works against you; they will encircle you and hem you in at every point; 44 they will bring you to the ground, you and your children within your walls, and not leave you one stone standing on another, because you did not recognize God's moment when it came.'
45 Then he went into the temple and began driving out the traders, with these words: 46 'Scripture says, "My house shall be a house of prayer", but you have made it a robbers' cave.'
47 Day by day he taught in the temple. And the chief priests and lawyers were bent on making an end of him, with the support of the leading citizens, 48 but found they were helpless, because the people all hung upon his words.
1 ONE DAY, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling them the good news, the priests and lawyers, and the elders with them, came upon him and accosted him. 2 'Tell us', they said, 'by what authority you are acting like this; who gave you this authority?' 3 He answered them, 'I have a question to ask you too: tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from God or from men?' 5 This set them arguing among themselves: 'If we say, "from God", he will say, "Why did you not believe him?" 6 And if we say, "from men", the people will all stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.' 7 So they replied that they could not tell. 8 And Jesus said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I act.'
9 He went on to tell the people this parable: 'A man planted a vineyard, let it out to vine-growers, and went abroad for a long time. 10 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce; but the tenants thrashed him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He tried again and sent a second servant; but he also was thrashed, outrageously treated, and sent away empty-handed. 12 He tried once more with a third; this one too they wounded and flung out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, "What am I to do? I will send my own dear son; perhaps they will respect him." 14 But when the tenants saw him they talked it over together. "This is the heir," they said; "let us kill him so that the property may come to us." 15 So they flung him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and put these tenants to death and let the vineyard to others.'
17 When they heard this, they said, 'God forbid!' But he looked straight at them and said, 'Then what does this text of Scripture mean: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the main corner-stone"? 18 Any man who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; and if it falls on a man he will be crushed by it.'
19 The lawyers and chief priests wanted to lay hands on him there and then, for they saw that this parable was aimed at them; but they were afraid of the people. 20 So they watched their opportunity and sent secret agents in the guise of honest men, to seize upon some word of his as a pretext for handing him over to the authority and jurisdiction of the Governor. 21 They put a question to him: 'Master,' they said, 'we know that what you speak and teach is sound; you pay deference to no one, but teach in all honesty the way of life that God requires. 22 Are we or are we not permitted to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor?' 23 He saw through their trick and said, 'Show me a silver piece. 24 Whose head does it bear, and whose inscription?' 'Caesar's', they replied. 25 'Very well then,' he said, 'pay Caesar what is due to Caesar, and pay God what is due to God.' 26 Thus their attempt to catch him out in public failed, and, astonished by his reply, they fell silent.
27 Then some Sadducees came forward. They are the people who deny that there is a resurrection. Their question was this: 28 'Master, Moses laid it down for us that if there are brothers, and one dies leaving a wife but no child, then the next should marry the widow and carry on his brother's family. 29 Now, there were seven brothers: the first took a wife and died childless; 30 then the second married her, 31 then the third. In this way the seven of them died leaving no children. 32 Afterwards the woman also died. 33 At the resurrection whose wife is she to be, since all seven had married her?' 34 Jesus said to them, 'The men and women of this world marry; 35 but those who have been judged worthy of a place in the other world and of the resurrection from the dead, do not marry, 36 for they are not subject to death any longer. They are like angels; they are sons of God, because they share in the resurrection. 37 That the dead are raised to life again is shown by Moses himself in the story of the burning bush, when he calls the Lord, "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob". 38 God is not God of the dead but of the living; for him all are alive.'
39 At this some of the lawyers said, 'Well spoken, Master.' 40 For there was no further question that they ventured to put to him.
41 He said to them, 'How can they say that the Messiah is son of David? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand 43 until I make your enemies your footstool.' " 44 Thus David calls him "Lord"; how then can he be David's son?'
45 In the hearing of all the people Jesus said to his disciples: 46 'Beware of the lawyers who love to walk up and down in long robes, and have a great liking for respectful greetings in the street, the chief seats in our synagogues, and places of honour at feasts. 47 These are the men who eat up the property of widows, while they say long prayers for appearance' sake; and they will receive the severest sentence.'
1 He looked up and saw the rich people dropping their gifts into the chest of the temple treasury; 2 and he noticed a poor widow putting in two tiny coins. 3 'I tell you this,' he said: 'this poor widow has given more than any of them; 4 for those others who have given had more than enough, but she, with less than enough, has given all she had to live on.'
5 SOME PEOPLE WERE TALKING about the temple and the fine stones and votive offerings with which it was adorned. 6 He said, 'These things which you are gazing at-the time will come when not one stone of them will be left upon another: all will be thrown down.' 7 'Master,' they asked, 'when will it all come about? What will be the sign when it is due to happen?'
8 He said, 'Take care that you are not misled. For many will come claiming my name and saying, "I am he", and, "The Day is upon us." Do not follow them. 9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not fall into a panic. These things are bound to happen first; but the end does not follow immediately. 10 Nation will make war upon nation, kingdom upon kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in many places; in the sky terrors and great portents.
12 'But before all this happens they will set upon you and persecute you. You will be brought before synagogues and put in prison; you will be haled before kings and governors for your allegiance to me. 13 This will be your opportunity to testify; 14 so make up your minds not to prepare your defence beforehand, 15 because I myself will give you power of utterance and a wisdom which no opponent will be able to resist or refute. 16 Even your parents and brothers, your relations and friends, will betray you. Some of you will be put to death; 17 and you will be hated by all for your allegiance to me. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By standing firm you will win true life for yourselves.
20 'But when you see Jerusalem encircled by armies, then you may be sure that her destruction is near. 21 Then those who are in Judaea must take to the hills; those who are in the city itself must leave it, and those who are out in the country must not enter; 22 because this is the time of retribution, when all that stands written is to be fulfilled. 23 Alas for women who are with child in those days, or have children at the breast! For there will be great distress in the land and a terrible judgement upon this people. 24 They will fall at the sword's point; they will be carried captive into all countries; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by foreigners until their day has run its course.
25 'Portents will appear in sun, moon, and stars. On earth nations will stand helpless, not knowing which way to turn from the roar and surge of the sea; 26 men will faint with terror at the thought of all that is coming upon the world; for the celestial powers will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and glory. 28 When all this begins to happen, stand upright and hold your heads high, because your liberation is near.'
29 He told them this parable: 'Look at the fig-tree, or any other tree. 30 As soon as it buds, you can see for yourselves that summer is near. 31 In the same way when you see all this happening, you may be sure that the kingdom of God is near.
32 'I tell you this: the present generation will live to see it all. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away; my words will never pass away.
34 'Keep a watch on yourselves; do not let your minds be dulled by dissipation and drunkenness and worldly cares so that the great Day closes upon you suddenly like a trap; 35 for that day will come on all men, wherever they are, the whole world over. 36 Be on the alert, praying at all times for strength to pass safely through all these imminent troubles and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.'
37 His days were given to teaching in the temple; and then he would leave the city and spend the night on the hill called Olivet. 38 And in the early morning the people flocked to listen to him in the temple.
(Some manuscripts here insert the passage relating the woman taken in adultery: John 7.53-8.11.)