Sin, Faith, Duty

17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble(A) are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.(B) It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones(C) to stumble.(D) So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them;(E) and if they repent, forgive them.(F) Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”(G)

The apostles(H) said to the Lord,(I) “Increase our faith!”

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,(J) you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.(K)

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me(L) while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”(M)

Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem,(N) Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.(O) 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[b](P) met him. They stood at a distance(Q) 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master,(R) have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”(S) And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God(T) in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.(U)

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”(V)

The Coming of the Kingdom of God(W)

20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,(X) Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’(Y) because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”[c]

22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man,(Z) but you will not see it.(AA) 23 People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them.(AB) 24 For the Son of Man in his day[d] will be like the lightning,(AC) which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things(AD) and be rejected(AE) by this generation.(AF)

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah,(AG) so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot.(AH) People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.(AI) 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.(AJ) 32 Remember Lot’s wife!(AK) 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.(AL) 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”(AM) [36] [e]

37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”(AN)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 17:3 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman.
  2. Luke 17:12 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  3. Luke 17:21 Or is within you
  4. Luke 17:24 Some manuscripts do not have in his day.
  5. Luke 17:36 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 24:40.

17 And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come: but woe to him through whom they come.

It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.

Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him.

And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.

And the apostles said to the Lord: Increase our faith.

And the Lord said: If you had faith like to a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou transplanted into the sea: and it would obey you.

But which of you having a servant ploughing, or feeding cattle, will say to him, when he is come from the field: Immediately go, sit down to meat:

And will not rather say to him: Make ready my supper, and gird thyself, and serve me, whilst I eat and drink, and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink?

Doth he thank that servant, for doing the things which he commanded him?

10 I think not. So you also, when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do.

11 And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off;

13 And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, master, have mercy on us.

14 Whom when he saw, he said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God.

16 And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering, said, Were not ten made clean? and where are the nine?

18 There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.

19 And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.

20 And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come? he answered them, and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21 Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

22 And he said to his disciples: The days will come, when you shall desire to see one day of the Son of man; and you shall not see it.

23 And they will say to you: See here, and see there. Go ye not after, nor follow them:

24 For as the lightning that lighteneth from under heaven, shineth unto the parts that are under heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his day.

25 But first he must suffer many things, and be rejected by this generation.

26 And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

27 They did eat and drink, they married wives, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 Likewise as it came to pass, in the days of Lot: they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.

29 And in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.

31 In that hour, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back.

32 Remember Lot's wife.

33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it.

34 I say to you: in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35 Two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left: two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

36 They answering, say to him: Where, Lord?

37 Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.

Sin and Forgiveness(A)

17 Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “·Things that cause people to sin [Stumbling blocks; Causes of sin; Temptations] ·will happen [are inevitable; L it is impossible for them not to come], but ·how terrible for [L woe to] the person who causes them to happen! It would be better for ·you [L him; that person] to be thrown into the sea with a ·large [L mill] stone around ·your [L his] neck than to cause one of these little ones to ·sin [stumble]. So ·be careful [watch yourselves]!

“If ·another follower [fellow believer; L your brother (or sister)] sins, ·warn [rebuke] him, and if he ·is sorry and stops sinning [repents], forgive him. If he sins against you seven times ·in one day [or each day] and ·says that he is sorry each time [repents seven times], forgive him.”

How Big Is Your Faith?(B)

The apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith!”

The Lord said, “If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘·Dig yourself up [Be uprooted] and plant yourself in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Be Good Servants

“Suppose one of you has a ·servant [slave] who has been plowing the ground or caring for the sheep. When the servant comes in from working in the field, would you say, ‘Come in and ·sit down to eat [L recline; C the posture for a banquet or formal meal]’? No, ·you [L he] would say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Then ·get yourself ready [or put on your apron; L gird yourself] and ·serve [wait on] me. After I finish eating and drinking, you can eat and drink.’ ·The servant does not get any special thanks [L Does he thank the servant…?] for doing what his master commanded. 10 It is the same with you. When you have done everything you are told to do, you should say, ‘We are ·unworthy [undeserving; worthless] servants; we have only done ·the work we should do [our duty; our obligation].’”

Be Thankful

11 [L Now it happened that] While Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he was going through the ·area between [middle of; borderlands of] Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he came into a ·small town [village], ten men ·who had a skin disease [T with leprosy; C the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; see Lev. 14] met him there. They ·did not come close to Jesus [L stood at a distance] 13 but ·called [shouted; raised their voices] to him, “Jesus! Master! Have ·mercy [pity] on us!”

14 When Jesus saw the men, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests [C only a priest could declare a person cleansed of such skin disorders; Lev. 14].”

As the ten men were going, they were ·healed [L cleansed; C skin disorders like this rendered the person afflicted ceremonially unclean]. 15 When one of them saw that he was healed, he went back to Jesus, praising God in a loud voice. 16 Then he ·bowed down [L fell on his face] at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. (And this man was a Samaritan [C a shocking revelation, since Samaritans were despised by Jews].) 17 Jesus said, “Weren’t ten men ·healed [L cleansed; v. 14]? Where are the other nine? 18 Is this ·Samaritan [L foreigner] the only one who came back to ·thank [L give glory to] God?” 19 Then Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go on your way. ·You were healed because you believed [L Your faith has saved/healed you].”

God’s Kingdom Is Within You

20 Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom of God come?”

Jesus answered, “God’s kingdom ·is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes [L is not coming with observable/visible signs; C perhaps the heavenly signs described in Jewish apocalyptic literature]. 21 People will not say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ because God’s kingdom is ·within you [or among you; in your midst].”

When Jesus, the Son of Man, Comes Again(C)

22 Then Jesus said to ·his followers [the disciples], “The time will come when you will ·want very much [long] to see one of the days of the Son of Man [C the full revelation of the kingdom at Jesus’ return]. But you will not see it. 23 People will say to you, ‘Look, ·there he is [or over there]!’ or, ‘Look, ·here he is [or over here]!’ ·Stay where you are [L Don’t leave/go out]; don’t go away and ·search [pursue; chase after].

24 “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so ·it will be when the Son of Man comes again [L will be the Son of Man in his day].[a] 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by ·the people of this time [L this generation]. 26 Just as it was ·when Noah lived [L in the days of Noah; Gen. 6—9], so it will be ·when the Son of Man comes again [L in the days of the Son of Man]. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying, and ·giving their children to be married [or being given in marriage] until the day Noah entered the boat. Then the flood came and ·killed [destroyed] them all. 28 It will be the same as ·during the time [L in the days] of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and ·sulfur [T brimstone] rained down from ·the sky [heaven] and ·killed [destroyed] them all [Gen. 19]. 30 This is how it will be ·when [L the day] the Son of Man ·comes again [L is revealed].

31 “On that day, a person who is on the roof [C roofs were typically flat and used as extra rooms] and whose belongings are in the house should not ·go inside [L come down] to get them. A person who is in the field should not ·go back home [L turn back]. 32 Remember Lot’s wife [C who was judged for longingly looking back at Sodom; Gen. 19:15–17, 26]. 33 Those who try to ·keep [preserve; keep secure] their lives will lose them. But those who ·give up [lose; let go of] their lives will save them. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be sleeping in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 There will be two women grinding grain together; one will be taken, and the other will be left. |36 Two people will be in the field. One will be taken, and the other will be left.|”[b]

37 ·The followers [L They] asked Jesus, “·Where will this be [L Where], Lord?”

Jesus answered, “Where there is a ·dead body [corpse], there the vultures will gather [C the carnage will make the place of judgment obvious to all].”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 17:24 day Some Greek copies do not have “in his day.”
  2. Luke 17:36 Two … left. Some Greek copies do not contain the bracketed text.