Luke 17
1 He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
[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!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
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!]
3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.
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.
4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
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.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
[One day] the apostles said to the Lord, “Help us to trust [in you] (OR, [in God]) more strongly!”
6 The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
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!”
7 But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table’?
[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!’
8 Wouldn’t he rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’?
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.’
9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.
(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]
10 Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’”
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.’”
11 As he was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee.
As [Jesus and his disciples] were walking along the road to Jerusalem, they were going through [the region] between Samaria and Galilee [districts].
12 As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance.
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
13 They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
and called out, “Jesus, Master, pity us [and heal us]!”
14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed.
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.
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God loudly.
16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.
He [came to Jesus], prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him. This man was a Samaritan, [not a Jew].
17 Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
Then Jesus said, “[I] healed ten [lepers] (I am disappointed that the other nine did not come back!/Where are the other nine?) [RHQ]
18 Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”
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!”
19 Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”
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].”
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation;
[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.
21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”
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).”
22 He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
[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.
23 They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away or follow after them,
[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].
24 for as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part under the sky, shines to another part under the sky, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
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].
25 But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
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].
26 As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man.
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].
27 They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
[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].
28 Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
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].
29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all.
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].
30 It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
Similarly, when [I], the one who came from heaven, return to earth, [people will be unprepared] (OR, [enjoying normal life]).
31 In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back.
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].
32 Remember Lot’s wife!
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].
33 Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it.
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].
34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left.
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]}.
35 There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left.”
Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left {[God] will take one and leave the other} [behind].”
37 They, answering, asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the vultures will also be gathered together.”
[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].”
