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¹ AT that time, there came some men and told him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.² And Jesus answered and said to them, Do you think that those Galileans were greater sinners than all the Galileans, because this happened to them?³ No; but I say to you, that all of you also, if you do not repent, you will perish in the same way.⁴ Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and it killed them; do you think that they were greater sinners than all the men who live in Jerusalem?⁵ No, but I say to you, that unless you repent, all of you will perish like them.

⁶ And he spoke this parable; A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit on it, and he did not find any.⁷ So he said to the laborer, Behold, for three years, I have been coming and seeking fruit on this fig tree, and found none; cut it down; why should it waste the ground?⁸ The laborer said to him, My lord, let it remain this year also, until I work it and fertilize it.⁹ It might bear fruit; and if not, then you can cut it down.

¹⁰ While Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath,¹¹ There was there a woman who was afflicted with rheumatism for eighteen years; and was bent down and could never straighten herself at all.¹² Jesus saw her, and called her, and said to her, Woman, you are loosened from your sickness.¹³ And he laid his hand on her, and immediately she straightened up, and praised God.¹⁴ But the leader of the synagogue answered with anger, because Jesus healed on the sabbath; and he said to the people, There are six days in which men should work; in those days you ought to come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.¹⁵ Jesus answered and said to him, O hypocrites, does not each one of you loosen his ox or his ass, from the manger, and go with it to give it drink?¹⁶ This one is a daughter of Abraham, and behold, the adversary has bound her for eighteen years; was it not necessary for her to be loosened from this bond on the sabbath day?¹⁷ And when he said these things, all who opposed him were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced over all the wonders which were done by his hand.

¹⁸ Jesus said, To what is the kingdom of God like? and to what shall I liken it?¹⁹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and became a large tree, and the fowls of the sky settled on its branches.²⁰ Again Jesus said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?²¹ It is like the leaven which a woman took and buried in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.²² And he journeyed through the villages and cities, teaching, and going to Jerusalem.

²³ A man asked him, Are there only a few who are to be saved? Jesus said to them,²⁴ Strive to enter in through the narrow door; for I say to you, that many will seek to enter in, and will not be able.²⁵ From the hour when the master of the house rises up and locks the door, you will be standing outside and knocking at the door, and you will begin to say, Our Lord, our Lord, open for us; and he will answer and say, I say to you, I do not know you where you come from.²⁶ And you will begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you taught in our streets.²⁷ And he will say to you, I do not know you where you come from; depart from me, O you workers of iniquity.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 thrown outside.²⁹ And they will come from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north, and sit down in the kingdom of God.³⁰ And behold, there are some who are last, who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.

³¹ In that very day, some of the men of the Pharisees drew near and said to him, Get out and go away from here; because Herod wants to kill you.³² Jesus said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons, and I heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will be through.³³ But I must do my work today and tomorrow, and I will leave the next day; because it is impossible that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.³⁴ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murderess of prophets, and stoner of those who are sent to her! how many times I longed to gather your children together, as a hen which gathers her chickens under her wings, but you were not willing!³⁵ Behold, your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, that you will not see me until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.