Read the Bible

A Centurion's Slave Healed

¹ After he had finished all his statements in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum. ² Now a certain centurion's slave, who was esteemed by him, was sick^[a] and^[b] was about to die. ³ So when he^[c] heard about Jesus, he sent Jewish elders to him, asking him that he would come and^[d] cure his slave. ⁴ And when they^[e] came to Jesus, they began imploring^[f] him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy that you grant this for him, ⁵ because he loves our nation and he himself built the synagogue for us." ⁶ So Jesus went with them. Now by this time he was not far away from the house, and^[g] the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof. ⁷ For this reason neither did I consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word and my slave must be healed. ⁸ For I also am a man placed under authority, who has soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go!' and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!' and he does it."^[h]

⁹ And when^[i] Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning around to the crowd that was following him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith!" ¹⁰ And when they^[j] returned to the house, those who had been sent found the slave healthy.

A Widow's Son Raised

¹¹ And it happened that on the next day he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. ¹² And as he approached the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, his mother's only son, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ And when^[k] the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep!" ¹⁴ And he came up and^[l] touched the bier, and those who were carrying it^[m] stopped. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" ¹⁵ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother. ¹⁶ And fear seized them all, and they began to glorify^[n] God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and "God has visited to help his people!" ¹⁷ And this report about him went out in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

A Question from John the Baptist

¹⁸ And his disciples reported to John about all these things. And summoning a certain two of his disciples, John ¹⁹ sent them^[o] to the Lord,^[p] saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" ²⁰ And when^[q] the men came to him, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?'" ²¹ In that hour he healed many people of diseases and suffering and evil spirits, and he granted sight to many blind people. ²² And he answered and^[r] said to them, "Go and^[s] tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear;^[t] the dead are raised, the poor have good news announced to them.^{[u] 23} And whoever is not offended by me is blessed."

²⁴ And when^[v] the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are in splendid clothing and luxury are in the royal palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! ²⁷ It is this man about whom it is written:

²⁸ I tell you, there is no one greater among those born of women than John, but the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. ²⁹ (And all the people, when they^[x] heard this^[y]—even the tax collectors—affirmed the righteousness of God, because they^[z] had been baptized with the baptism of John, ³⁰ but the Pharisees and the legal experts rejected the purpose of God for themselves, because they^[aa] had not been baptized by him.)

³¹ "To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, who say,

³³ For John the Baptist has come not eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!' ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' ³⁵ And wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus' Feet

³⁶ Now one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he entered into the house of the Pharisee and^[ab] reclined at the table. ³⁷ And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, when she^[ac] learned that he was dining in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of perfumed oil, ³⁸ and standing behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and was wiping them^[ad] with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing them^[ae] with the perfumed oil. ³⁹ Now when^[af] the Pharisee who invited him saw this,^[ag] he spoke to himself, saying, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." ⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and^[ah] said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, say it."^{[ai] 41} "There were two debtors who owed a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. ⁴² When^[aj] they were not able to repay him,^[ak] he forgave the debts^[al] of both. Now which of them will love him more?" ⁴³ Simon answered and^[am] said, "I suppose that it is the one to whom he forgave more." And he said to him, "You have judged correctly." ⁴⁴ And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered into your house. You did not give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them^[an] with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with olive oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. ⁴⁷ For this reason^[ao] I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little." ⁴⁸ And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." ⁴⁹ And those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."