Luke 17
1 [One day Jesus] said to his disciples, “Things that will tempt [people] to sin are certain to happen, but it will be terrible for anyone who causes them to happen!
And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come: but woe to him through whom they come.
2 Suppose you caused one of these people who [do not believe in me very strongly] to sin. If a huge stone was fastened {someone fastened a huge stone} around your neck and you were thrown {and threw you} into the sea, [you would consider that a severe punishment, but God will punish] you even more severely [if you cause someone to sin!]
It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.
3 Be careful [how you act]. If you [know about] a fellow believer who sins, you [(sg)] should rebuke him. If he [says that he] is sorry for having sinned [and asks you to forgive him], forgive him.
Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him.
4 Even if he sins against you [(sg)] seven times in one day, if he comes to you each time and says, ‘I am sorry for what I did’, you must continue forgiving him.”
And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.
5 [One day] the apostles said to the Lord, “Help us to trust [in you] (OR, [in God]) more strongly!”
And the apostles said to the Lord: Increase our faith.
6 The Lord replied, “Mustard [seeds are very small, but in this area they grow and produce large] [MET] [plants]. [Similarly], if your faith grows until you truly believe that God [will do what you ask him to, you will be able to do anything]. You could [even] say to this mulberry tree, ‘Pull yourself out [with your roots] and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it would obey you!”
And the Lord said: If you had faith like to a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou transplanted into the sea: and it would obey you.
7 [Jesus also said], “Suppose that one of you had a servant who was plowing [your fields] or taking care of your sheep. After he comes into the house from the field, you [(sg)] would not say [RHQ], ‘Sit down and eat immediately!’
But which of you having a servant ploughing, or feeding cattle, will say to him, when he is come from the field: Immediately go, sit down to meat:
8 Instead, you would say to him, ‘Put on your apron and prepare a meal for me! Then serve it to me so that I can eat and drink! Afterwards you [(sg)] can eat and drink.’
And will not rather say to him: Make ready my supper, and gird thyself, and serve me, whilst I eat and drink, and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink?
9 (You will not thank your servant for doing the work that he had been told {you had told him} to do!/Would you thank your servant because he did the work that he had been told {you had told him} to do?) [RHQ]
Doth he thank that servant, for doing the things which he commanded him?
10 Similarly, when you [(pl)] have done everything that [God] has told you to do, you should say, ‘We [(inc)] are not worthy [of God thanking us] {[being thanked]}. We are only God’s servants. We have only done the things that he told us to do.’”
I think not. So you also, when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do.
11 As [Jesus and his disciples] were walking along the road to Jerusalem, they were going through [the region] between Samaria and Galilee [districts].
And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 As they entered one village, ten lepers came near the road. [Because lepers were not permitted to come near other people], they stood at some distance
And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off;
13 and called out, “Jesus, Master, pity us [and heal us]!”
And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, master, have mercy on us.
14 When he saw them, he said [to them], “Each of you should go and show yourself to a priest [in Jerusalem so that he can see if you are healed].” As they were going [there], they were healed.
Whom when he saw, he said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean.
15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God loudly.
And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God.
16 He [came to Jesus], prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him. This man was a Samaritan, [not a Jew].
And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus said, “[I] healed ten [lepers] (I am disappointed that the other nine did not come back!/Where are the other nine?) [RHQ]
And Jesus answering, said, Were not ten made clean? and where are the nine?
18 I am disappointed [RHQ] that this non-Jewish man was the only one who returned to thank God; none of the others came back to me!”
There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.
19 Then he said to the man, “Get up and continue on your journey. [God] [PRS] [has saved you and] healed you [(sg)] because you trusted [in me].”
And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.
20 [One day] Jesus was asked by [some] Pharisees [SYN] {[some] Pharisees [SYN] asked [Jesus]}, “When is God [going] to rule as king?” He replied, “God’s ruling [MET] is not something people will be able to see with their eyes.
And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come? he answered them, and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 And people will not be able to say, ‘Look! He is [ruling] here!’ Or ‘He is [ruling] over there!’ because, [contrary to what you think], God’s ruling is people’s inner beings (OR, is already happening among you).”
Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.
22 [Jesus] said to his disciples, “There will be a time when you will want to see [me] [MTY], the one who came from heaven, [ruling powerfully]. But you will not see that.
And he said to his disciples: The days will come, when you shall desire to see one day of the Son of man; and you shall not see it.
23 [Some] people will say to you, ‘Look, [the Messiah] is over there!’ or [they will say] ‘Look, he is here!’ When they say that, do not believe them. Do not follow them [to go see the Messiah].
And they will say to you: See here, and see there. Go ye not after, nor follow them:
24 Because when the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, [everyone can see it. Similarly] [SIM], at the time [MTY] when [I], the one who came from heaven, come back again, [everyone will see me].
For as the lightening that lighteneth from under heaven, shineth unto the parts that are under heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his day.
25 But before that happens, I must suffer in many ways (OR, very much). And I will be rejected by people {people will reject me}, [even though] they [have observed me doing good for people].
But first he must suffer many things, and be rejected by this generation.
26 But when [I], the one who came from heaven, [come again, people] will be doing things just like people were doing at the time when [MTY] Noah [lived].
And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 [At that time] people ate and drank [as usual], and they got married [as usual], up until the day when Noah [and his family] entered the big boat. But then the flood came and destroyed all those [who were not in the boat].
They did eat and drink, they married wives, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 Similarly, when Lot lived [in Sodom city], people [there] ate and drank [as usual]. They bought things and they sold things. They planted [crops] and they built [houses as usual].
Likewise as it came to pass, in the days of Lot: they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.
29 But on the day that Lot [and his family] left Sodom, fire and [burning] sulfur came down from the sky and destroyed all those [who stayed in the city].
And in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Similarly, when [I], the one who came from heaven, return to earth, [people will be unprepared] (OR, [enjoying normal life]).
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.
31 On that day, those who are outside their houses, with all the things that they own inside [the houses], must not go [in] to take them away, [because there will not be enough time to do that]. Similarly, those who are working in a field must not go back home [to get anything]; [they must flee immediately].
In that hour, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back.
32 Remember Lot’s wife! [Because she turned back and wanted to get some of her things from Sodom, she died immediately and became a pillar of salt].
Remember Lot’s wife.
33 Anyone who wants to hold onto his life [and his possessions] will not [receive eternal] life. But anyone who is [willing to] die [for my sake] will live [eternally].
Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it.
34 I tell you this: On the night [when I return], there will be two people [sleeping] in one bed. The one [who believes in me] will be taken {[God] will take the one [who believes in me]} [to heaven], and the other one will be left [behind and punished] {and [he] will leave the other one [behind and punish him]}.
I say to you: in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left {[God] will take one and leave the other} [behind].”
Two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left: two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be keft.
They answering, say to him: Where, Lord?
37 [His disciples] said to him, “Lord, where [will this happen]?” He replied to them, “Wherever there is an animal carcass, the vultures will gather [to eat it] [MET]. [Similarly, wherever there are people who are spiritually dead, God will punish them].”
Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.
