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The Message Bible MSG
1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.
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When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum.
2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.
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A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn't want to lose him.
3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.
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When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant.
4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this,
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They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, "He deserves this.
5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
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He loves our people. He even built our meeting place."
6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.
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Jesus went with them. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, "Master, you don't have to go to all this trouble. I'm not that good a person, you know. I'd be embarrassed for you to come to my house,
7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
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even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well.
8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
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I'm a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; another, 'Come,' and he comes; my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
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Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works."
10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
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When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.
11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.
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Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd.
12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.
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As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession - a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow.
13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
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When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, "Don't cry."
14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”
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Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, "Young man, I tell you: Get up."
15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
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The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.
16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”
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They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful - and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, "God is back, looking to the needs of his people!"
17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
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The news of Jesus spread all through the country.
18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them,
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John's disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place.
19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
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He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?"
20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ”
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The men showed up before Jesus and said, "John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, 'Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?'"
21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.
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In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight.
22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosyare cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
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Then he gave his answer: "Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard: The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth have God's salvation hospitality extended to them.
23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
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"Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!"
24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
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After John's messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper?
25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.
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Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot.
26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
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What then? A messenger from God? That's right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you'll ever hear.
27 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
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He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote, I'm sending my messenger on ahead To make the road smooth for you.
28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
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"Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.
29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.
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The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence;
30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
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the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn't think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.
31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?
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"How can I account for the people of this generation?
32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’
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They're like spoiled children complaining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.'
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
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John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy.
34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
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The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush.
35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
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Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Anointing His Feet
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
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One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table.
37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
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Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume
38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
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and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
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When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
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Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Oh? Tell me."
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,and the other fifty.
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"Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty.
42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
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Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?"
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
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Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most."
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
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Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
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You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet.
46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
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You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
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Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
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Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins."
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
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That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!"
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
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He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
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.