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 for scandals not to occur. 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 would be better for him if a millstone were placed around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than to lead astray 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.
Be attentive to yourselves. If your brother has sinned against you, correct him. And if he has repented, 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 has sinned against you seven times a day, and seven times a day has turned back to you, saying, ‘I am sorry,’ then 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!”
But the Lord said: “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you may say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be 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 plowing or feeding cattle, would say to him, as he was returning from the field, ‘Come in immediately; sit down to eat,’
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 would not say to him: ‘Prepare my dinner; gird yourself and minister to me, while I eat and drink; and after these things, you shall 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]
Would he be grateful to that servant, for doing what he commanded him to do?
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 too, when you have done all these things that have been taught to you, you should say: ‘We are useless servants. We have done what we should have done.’”
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 happened that, while he was traveling 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 was entering a certain town, ten leprous men met him, and they stood at a distance.
13 and called out, “Jesus, Master, pity us [and heal us]!”
And they lifted up their voice, saying, “Jesus, Teacher, take pity 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.
And when he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that, as they were going, they were cleansed.
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 cleansed, returned, magnifying God with a loud voice.
16 He [came to Jesus], prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him. This man was a Samaritan, [not a Jew].
And he fell face down before his feet, giving thanks. And this one 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 in response, Jesus said: “Were not ten made clean? And so 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!”
Was no one found who would return and give glory to God, except this foreigner?”
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: “Rise up, go forth. For your faith has saved you.”
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.
Then he was questioned by the Pharisees: “When does the kingdom of God arrive?” And in response, he said to them: “The kingdom of God arrives unobserved.
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).”
And so, they will not say, ‘Behold, it is here,’ or ‘Behold, it is there.’ For behold, 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 time will come when you will desire to see one day of the Son of man, and you will 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, ‘Behold, he is here,’ and ‘Behold, he is there.’ Do not choose to go out, and do not 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 just as lightning flashes from under heaven and shines to whatever is under heaven, so also will 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 just as it happened in the days of Noah, so also will it be 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 were eating and drinking; they were taking wives and being given in marriage, even until the day that Noah entered 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].
It shall be similar to what happened in the days of Lot. They were eating and drinking; they were buying and selling; they were planting and building.
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].
Then, on the day that Lot departed from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and it destroyed them all.
30 Similarly, when [I], the one who came from heaven, return to earth, [people will be unprepared] (OR, [enjoying normal life]).
According to these things, so shall it be in the day when the Son of man will 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, whoever will be on the rooftop, with his goods in the house, let him not descend to take them. And whoever will be in the field, similarly, let him not turn 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].
Whoever has sought to save his life, will lose it; and whoever has lost it, will bring it back to life.
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 will be two in one bed. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind.
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 will be at the grindstone together. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind. Two will be in the field. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind.”
Responding, they said 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].”
And he said to them, “Wherever the body will be, in that place also, the eagles shall be gathered together.”
