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Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Luke 15:1

By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered this story.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Pharisees;   Repentance;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Humility of Christ, the;   Pharisees, the;   Publicans;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prostitution;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hospitality;   Sin;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Frugality;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Publican;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Brothers;   Conversion;   Gospel;   Joy;   Luke, Gospel of;   Mammon;   Prodigal Son;   Sheep;   Sinner;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Children of God;   Claims (of Christ);   Cosmopolitanism;   Demon, Demoniacal Possession, Demoniacs;   Discourse;   Endurance;   Father, Fatherhood;   Following;   Gospel (2);   Hearing;   Ideas (Leading);   Mission;   Perfection (of Jesus);   Personality;   Presentation ;   Publican ;   Reality;   Reconciliation;   Sinners;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Publican;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Pharisees;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Matthew;   Parable;   Tax;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 14;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him.
King James Version (1611)
Then drew neere vnto him all the Publicanes and sinners, for to heare him.
King James Version
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
English Standard Version
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
New American Standard Bible
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to Him.
New Century Version
The tax collectors and sinners all came to listen to Jesus.
Amplified Bible
Now all the tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] were coming near Jesus to listen to Him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.
Berean Standard Bible
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.
Contemporary English Version
Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus.
Complete Jewish Bible
The tax-collectors and sinners kept gathering around to hear Yeshua,
Darby Translation
And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near to him to hear him;
Easy-to-Read Version
Many tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then resorted vnto him all the Publicanes and sinners, to heare him.
George Lamsa Translation
THEN the publicans and sinners drew near to him to hear him.
Good News Translation
One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus,
Lexham English Bible
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him.
Literal Translation
And all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to Him, to hear Him.
American Standard Version
Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near unto him to hear him.
Bible in Basic English
Now all the tax-farmers and sinners came near to give ear to him.
Hebrew Names Version
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.
International Standard Version
Now all the tax collectors and sinners kept coming to listen to Jesus.him">[fn]Matthew 9:10;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Then drew near to him the publicans and sinners to hear him.
Murdock Translation
And publicans and sinners came to him, to hear him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then resorted vnto hym all the publicanes and sinners, for to heare hym.
English Revised Version
Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near unto him for to hear him.
World English Bible
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then drew near to him all the publicans and sinners, to hear him.
Weymouth's New Testament
Now the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners were everywhere in the habit of coming close to Him to listen to Him;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And pupplicans and synful men weren neiyynge to him, to here hym.
Update Bible Version
Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near to him to hear him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then drew near to him all the publicans and sinners to hear him.
New English Translation
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him.
New King James Version
Matthew 18:10-14">[xr] Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.
New Living Translation
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.
New Life Bible
All the tax-gatherers and sinners were coming to hear Jesus.
New Revised Standard
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But all the tax-collectors and the sinners were, unto him, drawing near, to be hearkening unto him;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the publicans and sinners drew near unto him to hear him.
Revised Standard Version
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then resorted vnto him all ye publicas and synners for to heare him.
Young's Literal Translation
And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming nigh to him, to hear him,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
There resorted vnto him all the publicans and synners, that they might heare him.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Then many of the Publicans, and people of a bad reputation gather'd about Jesus to hear him;
Simplified Cowboy Version
One day Jesus was talkin' to a bunch of tax collectors and outcasts.

Contextual Overview

1By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered this story. 4"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it—there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue. 8"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Luke 5:29-32, Luke 7:29, Luke 13:30, Ezekiel 18:27, Matthew 9:10-13, Matthew 21:28-31, Romans 5:20, 1 Timothy 1:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 33:21 - place by Matthew 5:46 - publicans Matthew 9:9 - named Matthew 9:11 - Why Matthew 11:19 - a friend Matthew 18:17 - a publican Matthew 21:31 - the publicans Mark 2:15 - General Luke 3:12 - General Luke 5:30 - General Acts 2:38 - Repent James 1:19 - let 1 Peter 4:18 - the sinner

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!"
Genesis 15:2
Abram said, " God , Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?" Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all."
Genesis 15:4
Then God 's Message came: "Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir."
Genesis 15:5
Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!"
Genesis 15:6
And he believed! Believed God ! God declared him "Set-Right-with-God."
Genesis 15:10
He brought all these animals to him, split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn't split the birds. Vultures swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them off. As the sun went down a deep sleep overcame Abram and then a sense of dread, dark and heavy.
Genesis 15:17
When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. That's when God made a covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria—the country of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."
Genesis 21:17
Meanwhile, God heard the boy crying. The angel of God called from Heaven to Hagar, "What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy and knows the fix he's in. Up now; go get the boy. Hold him tight. I'm going to make of him a great nation."
Exodus 14:13
Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again.
Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God , your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then drew near to him,.... To "Jesus", as the Persic and Ethiopic versions express it: this was on the sabbath day, and either when he was in the Pharisee's house, where he was invited to dinner, Luke 14:1 or rather when he came out of it, when the multitude, who could not come near him whilst there, took the opportunity of gathering about him;

even all the publicans and sinners; whom the Pharisee would not admit into his house, it being contrary to their traditions to eat, and drink, and converse with persons of such an infamous character;

Luke 14:1- : Luke 14:1- : The word "all" is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; but the Arabic version has it, and the Greek copies; and signifies that there were a very large number of them, even all that were in that place, and in the adjacent cities and towns, that got together

for to hear him, or "from him", as the Arabic version; or "doctrine" from him, as the Persic version adds: these having heard much of him; and it may be, might be under some remorse of conscience on account of their vicious lives, came to hear him preach.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Publicans and sinners - See the notes at Matthew 9:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XV.

Publicans and sinners draw near to hear our Lord, at which the

Pharisees are offended, 1, 2.

Christ vindicates his conduct in receiving them by the parable

of the lost sheep, 3-7.

The parable of the lost piece of money, 8-10;

and the affecting parable of the prodigal son, 11-32.

NOTES ON CHAP. XV.

Verse Luke 15:1. Publicans and sinners — τελωναι και αμαρτωλοι, tax-gatherers and heathens; persons who neither believed in Christ nor in Moses. Luke 7:36. Concerning the tax-gatherers, Matthew 5:46.


 
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