Luke 13:1–22

Turn from Your Sins or Die

13At that time some people were there who told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices to God. ²Jesus answered them, “Because those Galileans were killed in that way, do you think it proves that they were worse sinners than all the other Galileans? ³No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did. ⁴What about those eighteen people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them? Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem? ⁵No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.”

The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig-Tree

⁶Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none. ⁷So he said to his gardener, ‘Look, for three years I have been coming here looking for figs on this fig tree, and I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it go on using up the soil?’ ⁸But the gardener answered, ‘Leave it alone, sir, just one more year; I will dig round it and put in some manure. ⁹Then if the tree bears figs next year, so much the better; if not, then you can have it cut down.’ ”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. ¹¹A woman there had an evil spirit that had made her ill for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, “Woman, you are free from your illness!” ¹³He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God.

^14*The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, “There are six days in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath!”

¹⁵The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. ¹⁶Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound up for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?” ¹⁷His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over all the wonderful things that he did.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

¹⁸Jesus asked, “What is the Kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with? ¹⁹It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed and sows it in his field. The plant grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make their nests in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast

²⁰Again Jesus asked, “What shall I compare the Kingdom of God with? ²¹It is like this. A woman takes some yeast and mixes it with forty litres of flour until the whole batch of dough rises.”

The Narrow Door

²²Jesus went through towns and villages, teaching the people and making his way towards Jerusalem.