Luke 6:1-26

1 Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples began to pick the heads of wheat, rub them in their hands, and eat the grain. ¹

2 Some Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what our Law says you cannot do on the Sabbath?"

3 Jesus answered them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his men were hungry?

4 He went into the house of God, took the bread offered to God, ate it, and gave it also to his men. Yet it is against our Law for anyone except the priests to eat that bread." ²

5 And Jesus concluded, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

6 On another Sabbath Jesus went into a synagogue and taught. A man was there whose right hand was paralyzed.

7 Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees wanted a reason to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.

8 But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man, "Stand up and come here to the front." The man got up and stood there.

9 Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you: What does our Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To help or to harm? To save someone's life or destroy it?"

10 He looked around at them all; then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand became well again.

11 They were filled with rage and began to discuss among themselves what they could do to Jesus.

12 At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God.

13 When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles:

14 Simon (whom he named Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

15 Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon (who was called the Patriot),

16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became the traitor.

17 When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon;

18 they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed.

19 All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.

20 Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "Happy are you poor; the Kingdom of God is yours!

21 "Happy are you who are hungry now; you will be filled! "Happy are you who weep now; you will laugh!

22 "Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! ³

23 Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets. ⁴

24 "But how terrible for you who are rich now; you have had your easy life!

25 "How terrible for you who are full now; you will go hungry! "How terrible for you who laugh now; you will mourn and weep!

26 "How terrible when all people speak well of you; their ancestors said the very same things about the false prophets.