Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Luke Part 8

019:012 So He said to them, "A man of n.o.ble family travelled to a distant country to obtain the rank of king, and to return.

019:013 And he called ten of his servants and gave each of them a pound, instructing them to trade with the money during his absence.

019:014 "Now his countrymen hated him, and sent a deputation after him to say, 'We are not willing that he should become our king.'

019:015 And upon his return, after he had obtained the sovereignty, he ordered those servants to whom he had given the money to be summoned before him, that he might learn their success in trading.

019:016 "So the first came and said, "'Sir, your pound has produced ten pounds more.'

019:017 "'Well done, good servant,' he replied; 'because you have been faithful in a very small matter, be in authority over ten towns.'

019:018 "The second came, and said, "'Your pound, Sir, has produced five pounds.'

019:019 "So he said to this one also, "'And you, be the governor of five towns.'

019:020 "The next came. "'Sir,' he said, 'here is your pound, which I have kept wrapt up in a cloth.

019:021 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'

019:022 "'By your own words,' he replied, 'I will judge you, you bad servant.

You knew me to be a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow: 019:023 why then did you not put my money into a bank, that when I came I might have received it back with interest?

019:024 "And he said to those who stood by, "'Take the pound from him and give it to him who has the ten pounds.'

019:025 ("They said to him, "'Sir, he already has ten pounds.') 019:026 "'I tell you that to every one who has anything, more shall be given; and from him who has not anything, even what he has shall be taken away.

019:027 But as for those enemies of mine who were unwilling that I should become their king, bring them here, and cut them to pieces in my presence.'"

019:028 After thus speaking, He journeyed onward, proceeding up to Jerusalem.

019:029 And when he was come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount called the Oliveyard, He sent two of the disciples on in front, 019:030 saying to them, "Go into the village facing you. On entering it you will find an a.s.s's foal tied up which no one has ever yet ridden: untie it, and bring it here.

019:031 And if any one asks you, 'Why are you untying the colt?'

simply say, 'The Master needs it.'"

019:032 So those who were sent went and found things as He had told them.

019:033 And while they were untying the colt the owners called out, "Why are you untying the colt?"

019:034 and they replied, "The Master needs it."

019:035 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their outer garments on the colt they placed Jesus on it.

019:036 So He rode on, while they carpeted the road with their garments.

019:037 And when He was now getting near Jerusalem, and descending the Mount of Olives, the whole mult.i.tude of the disciples began in their joy to praise G.o.d in loud voices for all the mighty deeds they had witnessed.

019:038 "Blessed is the King," they cried, "who comes in the name of the Lord: in Heaven peace, and glory in the highest realms."

019:039 Thereupon some of the Pharisees in the crowd appealed to Him, saying, "Rabbi, reprove your disciples."

019:040 "I tell you," He replied, "that if *they* became silent, the very stones would cry out."

019:041 When He came into full view of the city, He wept aloud over it, and exclaimed, 019:042 "O that at this time thou hadst known--yes even thou-- what makes peace possible! But now it is hid from thine eyes.

019:043 For the time is coming upon thee when thy foes will throw up around thee earthworks and a wall, investing thee and hemming thee in on every side.

019:044 And they will dash thee to the ground and thy children within thee, and will not leave one stone upon another within thee; because thou hast not recognized the time of thy visitation."

019:045 Then Jesus entered the Temple and proceeded to drive out the dealers.

019:046 "It is written," He said, "'And My house shall be the House of Prayer,' but you have made it a robbers' cave."

019:047 And day after day He taught in the Temple, while the High Priests and the Scribes were devising some means of destroying Him, as were also the leading men of the people.

019:048 But they could not find any way of doing it, for the people all hung upon His lips.

020:001 On one of those days while He was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the Good News, the High Priests came upon Him, and the Scribes, 020:002 together with the Elders, and they asked Him, "Tell us, By what authority are you doing these things? And who is it that gave you this authority?"

020:003 "I also will put a question to you, "He said; 020:004 "was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"

020:005 So they debated the matter with one another. "If we say 'Heavenly,'"

they argued, "he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

020:006 And if we say, 'human,' the people will all stone us; for they are thoroughly convinced that John was a Prophet."

020:007 And they answered that they did not know the origin of it.

020:008 "Nor will I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

020:009 Then He proceeded to speak a parable to the people.

"There was a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad for a considerable time.

020:010 At vintage-time he sent a servant to the vine-dressers, for them to give him a share of the crop; but the vine-dressers beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.

020:011 Then he sent a second servant; and him too they beat and ill treated and sent away empty-handed.

020:012 Then again he sent a third; and this one also they wounded and drove away.

020:013 Then the owner of the vineyard said, "'What am I to do?

I will send my son--my dearly-loved son: they will probably respect him.'

020:014 "But when the vine-dressers saw him, they discussed the matter with one another, and said, "'This is the heir: let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

020:015 "So they turned him out of the vineyard and murdered him.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

020:016 He will come and put these vine-dressers to death, and give the vineyard to others." "G.o.d forbid!" exclaimed the hearers.

020:017 He looked at them and said, "What then does that mean which is written, "'The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the cornerstone'?

020:018 Every one who falls on that stone will be severely hurt, but on whomsoever it falls, he will be utterly crushed."

020:019 At this the Scribes and the High Priests wanted to lay hands on Him, then and there; only they were afraid of the people.

For they saw that in this parable He had referred to them.

020:020 So, after impatiently watching their opportunity, they sent spies who were to act the part of good and honest men, that they might fasten on some expression of His, so as to hand Him over to the ruling power and the Governor's authority.

020:021 So they put a question to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you say and teach what is right and that you make no distinctions between one man and another, but teach G.o.d's way truly.

020:022 Is it allowable to pay a tax to Caesar, or not?"

020:023 But He saw through their knavery and replied, 020:024 "Show me a shilling; whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they said.

020:025 "Pay therefore," He replied, "what is Caesar's to Caesar-- and what is G.o.d's to G.o.d."

020:026 There was nothing here that they could lay hold of before the people, and marvelling at His answer they said no more.

020:027 Next some of the Sadducees came forward (who deny that there is a Resurrection), and they asked Him, 020:028 "Rabbi, Moses made it a law for us that if a man's brother should die, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.

020:029 Now there were seven brothers. The first of them took a wife and died childless.

020:030 The second and the third also took her; 020:031 and all seven, having done the same, left no children when they died.

020:032 Finally the woman also died.

020:033 The woman, then--at the Resurrection--whose wife shall she be? for they all seven married her."

020:034 "The men of this age," replied Jesus, "marry, and the women are given in marriage.

020:035 But as for those who shall have been deemed worthy to find a place in that other age and in the Resurrection from among the dead, the men do not marry and the women are not given in marriage.

020:036 For indeed they cannot die again; they are like angels, and are sons of G.o.d through being sons of the Resurrection.

020:037 But that the dead rise to life even Moses clearly implies in the pa.s.sage about the Bush, where he calls the Lord 'The G.o.d of Abraham, the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob.'

020:038 He is not a G.o.d of dead, but of living men, for to Him are all living."

020:039 Then some of the Scribes replied, "Rabbi, you have spoken well."

020:040 From that time, however, no one ventured to challenge Him with a single question.

020:041 But He asked them, "How is it they say that the Christ is a son of David?

020:042 Why, David himself says in the Book of Psalms, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand 020:043 Until I have made thy foes a footstool under they feet.'

020:044 "David himself therefore calls Him Lord, and how can He be his son?"

020:045 Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to the disciples, 020:046 "Beware of the Scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and love to be bowed to in places of public resort and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues or at a dinner party; 020:047 who swallow up the property of widows and mask their wickedness by making long prayers. They will be punished far more severely than others."

021:001 Looking up He saw the people throwing their gifts into the Treasury-- the rich people.

021:002 He also saw a poor widow dropping in two farthings, 021:003 and He said, "In truth I tell you that this widow, so poor, has thrown in more than any of them.

021:004 For from what they could well spare they have all of them contributed to the offerings, but she in her need has thrown in all she had to live on."

021:005 When some were remarking about the Temple, how it was embellished with beautiful stones and dedicated gifts, He said, 021:006 "As to these things which you now admire, the time is coming when there will not be one stone left here upon another which will not be pulled down."

021:007 "Rabbi, when will this be?" they asked Him, "and what will be the token given when these things are about to take place?"

021:008 "See to it," He replied, "that you are not misled; for many will come a.s.suming my name and professing, 'I am He,' or saying, 'The time is close at hand.'

Do not go and follow them.

021:009 But when you hear of wars and turmoils, be not afraid; for these things must happen first, but the end does not come immediately."

021:010 Then He said to them, "Nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

021:011 And there will be great earthquakes, and in places famines and pestilence; and there will be terrible sights and wonderful tokens from Heaven.

021:012 "But before all these things happen they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you up to synagogues and to prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my sake.

021:013 In the end all this will be evidence of your fidelity.

021:014 "Make up your minds, however, not to prepare a defence beforehand, 021:015 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to withstand or reply to.

021:016 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, friends; and some of you they will put to death.

021:017 You will be the objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; 021:018 and yet not a hair of your heads shall perish.

021:019 By your patient endurance you will purchase your lives.

021:020 "But when you see Jerusalem with armies encamping round her on every side, then be certain that her overthrow is close at hand.

021:021 Then let those who shall be in Judaea escape to the hills; let those who are in the city leave it, and those who are in the country not enter in.

021:022 For those are the days of vengeance and of fulfilling all that is written.

021:023 "Alas for the women who at that time are with child or who have infants; for there will be great distress in the land, and anger towards this People.

021:024 They will fall by the sword, or be carried off into slavery among all the Gentiles. And Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles, till the appointed times of the Gentiles have expired.