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The Message Bible MSG
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
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About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar.
2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
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Jesus responded, "Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans?
3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
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Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die.
4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
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And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites?
5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
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Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die."
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.
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Then he told them a story: "A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren't any.
7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘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 use up the soil?’
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He said to his gardener, 'What's going on here? For three years now I've come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?'
8 “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.
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"The gardener said, 'Let's give it another year. I'll dig around it and fertilize,
9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”
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and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn't, then chop it down.'"
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,
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He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath.
11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
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There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”
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When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, you're free!"
13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
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He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
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The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, "Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath."
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?
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But Jesus shot back, "You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it.
16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
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So why isn't it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?"
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
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When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red-faced. The congregation was delighted and cheered him on.
18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?
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Then he said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use?
19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”
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It's like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it."
20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?
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He tried again. "How can I picture God's kingdom?
21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty poundsof flour until it worked all through the dough.”
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It's like yeast that a woman works into enough dough for three loaves of bread - and waits while the dough rises."
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.
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He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping on a steady course toward Jerusalem.
23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them,
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A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?"
24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
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"Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life - to God! - is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives.
25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
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Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're not on my guest list.'
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
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"You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!'
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
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only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.'
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
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"That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom.
29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
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You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in - and wondering what happened.
30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
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This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
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Just then some Pharisees came up and said, "Run for your life! Herod's on the hunt. He's out to kill you!"
32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’
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Jesus said, "Tell that fox that I've no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I'm busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I'm wrapping things up.
33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
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Besides, it's not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem.
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
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Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets, abuser of the messengers of God! How often I've longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen, Her brood safe under her wings - but you refused and turned away!
35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
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And now it's too late: You won't see me again until the day you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of God.'"
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.