Luke 13

¹ At that very time, some who were present told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

² He answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things?

³ No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.

⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them — do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?

⁵ No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way."

⁶ Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

⁷ So he said to the gardener, 'Look, for three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it even use up the soil?'

⁸ But he answered, 'Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put on manure.

⁹ If it bears fruit next year, good. But if not, you can cut it down.'"

¹⁰ He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

¹¹ And there was a woman who had had a spirit of disability for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.

¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your disability."

¹³ Then he laid his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began glorifying God.

¹⁴ But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done. Come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day."

¹⁵ But the Lord answered him, "Hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the manger and lead it away to give it water?

¹⁶ And this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years — shouldn't she be released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

¹⁷ When he said these things, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.

¹⁸ Then he said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it?

¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed that a man took and threw into his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches."

²⁰ And again he said, "To what should I compare the kingdom of God?

²¹ It is like yeast that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until the whole batch was leavened."

²² He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

²³ Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few being saved?" He said to them,

²⁴ "Strive to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

²⁵ Once the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us!' — he will answer you, 'I don't know where you are from.'

²⁶ Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'

²⁷ But he will say, 'I tell you, I don't know where you are from. Depart from me, all you workers of injustice!'

²⁸ 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 you yourselves thrown out.

²⁹ And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.

³⁰ And look — some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last."

³¹ At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Leave and get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you."

³² He said to them, "Go tell that fox: 'Look, I am driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I reach my goal.'

³³ Nevertheless, I must keep going today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is unthinkable for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.

³⁴ "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

³⁵ Look, your house is left to you. I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"