The Work of the Seventy-Two Followers
1 Later the Lord chose 72 other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. 2 He said to them:
A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. 3 Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. 4 Don't take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don't waste time greeting people on the road. 5 As soon as you enter a home, say, “God bless this home with peace.” 6 If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. 7 Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house.
8 If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. 9 Heal their sick and say, “God's kingdom will soon be here!”
10 But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, 11 “We are shaking the dust from our feet as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God's kingdom will soon be here!” 12 I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than the people of that town!
The Unbelieving Towns
(Matthew 11.20-24)13 You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are also in for trouble! If the miracles that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. 14 On the day of judgment the people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will. 15 People of Capernaum, do you think you will be honored in heaven? Well, you will go down to hell!
16 My followers, whoever listens to you is listening to me. Anyone who says “No” to you is saying “No” to me. And anyone who says “No” to me is really saying “No” to the one who sent me.
The Return of the Seventy-Two
17 When the 72 followers returned, they were excited and said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!”
18 Jesus told them:
I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. 20 But don't be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!
Jesus Thanks His Father
(Matthew 11.25-27Matthew 13.16Matthew 17)21 At that same time, Jesus felt the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, and he said:
My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
22 My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who really knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so they can know him too.
23 Jesus then turned to his disciples and said to them in private, “You are really blessed to see what you see! 24 Many prophets and kings were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you they did not see or hear.”
The Good Samaritan
25 An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to have eternal life?”
26 Jesus answered, “What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?”
27 The man replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.’ They also say, ‘Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.’ ”
28 Jesus said, “You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life.”
29 But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, “Who are my neighbors?”
30 Jesus replied:
As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. 32 Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.
33 A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him 34 and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, “Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return.”
36 Then Jesus asked, “Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?”
37 The expert in the Law of Moses answered, “The one who showed pity.”
Jesus said, “Go and do the same!”
Martha and Mary
38 The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. 40 Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn't it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”
41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42 but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”
1 Pēc tam tas Kungs nozīmēja vēl septiņdesmit citus un izsūtīja tos pa divi un divi savā priekšā uz ikkatru pilsētu un vietu, kurp viņš gribēja iet.
2 Un viņš tiem sacīja: „Pļaujamā daudz un strādnieku maz: tad nu lūdziet pļaujas kungu, lai viņš strādniekus sūta savā pļaujā.
3 Ejiet! lūk, es jūs sūtu kā jērus vilku starpā.
4 Neņemiet līdz nedz naudas maku, nedz ceļa somu, nedz kurpes, un ceļā nesveiciniet neviena.
5 Un ja jūs ieejat kādā namā, tad sakait vispirms: Miers šim namam!
6 Un, ja tur būs kāds miera bērns, tad uz viņa dusēs jūsu miers; bet ja ne, tad tas atgriezīsies pie jums atpakaļ.
7 Tanī pašā namā palieciet, un ēdiet un dzeriet to, kas tiem pie rokas, jo strādnieks ir savas algas cienīgs; bet neejiet no vienas mājas uz otru.
8 Un kufā pilsētā jūs ieiesit un jūs tur uzņem, tur ēdiet, ko jums ceļ priekšā.
9 Un dziediniet slimniekus, kas tur ir, un sakait viņiem: Tuvu pie jums ir nākusi Dieva valstība.
10 Bet ja jūs ieiesit pilsētā un jūs tur neuzņem, tad izejiet uz viņas ielām un sakait:
11 Pat jūsu pilsētas putekļus, kas pielipuši pie mūsu kājām, mēs še nokratām, bet to zinait, ka Dieva valstība ir tuvu klāt!
12 Es jums saku, ka Sodomas ļaudīm viņā dienā būs vieglāki nekā šādai pilsētai.
13 Vai tev Choracina, vai tev Betsaida! Ja Tirā un Sidonā šādi brīrumi būtu notikuši, kādi pie jums notikuši, tie sen jau būtu maisos un pelnos no grēkiem atgriezušies.
14 Patiesi Tirai un Sidonai tiesas dienā būs vieglāki nekā jums.
15 Un tu, Kapemauma, kas līdz debesīm esi paaugstināta, tu tiksi līdz ellei nogāzta!
16 Kas jūs klausa, tas klausa mani, un, kas jūs nicina, tas nicina mani. Bet, kas mani nicina, tas nicina to, kas mani sūtījis.“
17 Un tie septiņdesmit pārnāca un ar lielu prieku stāstīja: „Kungs, pat ļaunie gari mums padodas tavā vārdā!“
18 Bet viņš sacīja: „Es redzēju sātānu kā zibeni no debesīm krītam!
19 Redziet, es jums esmu devis spēku, ka varat staigāt pāri čūskām un skarpijiem un katram ienaidnieka spēkam, un viss tas jums nekā nekaitēs.
20 Tomēr nepriecājieties par to, ka gari jums paklausa, bet priecājieties par to, ka jūsu vārdi ir ierakstīti debesīs.“
21 Un tanī pašā stundā Jēzus kļuva priecīgs Svētajā Garā un sacīja: „Es tev pateicos, Tēvs, debess un zemes kungs, ka Tu šis lietas esi apslēpis gudrajiem un prātīgajiem un atklājis tās bērniem. Tiešām, Tēvs, tā tas ir bijis tavs labais prāts.
22 Visas lietas man ir mana tēva nodotas. Un neviens nezina, kas dēls ir, kā vienīgi tēvs, un kas tēvs ir, kā vienīgi dēls un, kam šis dēls to grib atkāt.“
23 Un pie mācekļiem sevišķi griezdamies, viņš sacīja: „Svētīgas tās acis, kas to redz, ko jūs redzat.
24 Jo es jums saku: daudz pravieši un ķēniņi ir gribējuši redzēt, ko jūs redzat, un nav redzējuši un dzirdēt, ko jūs dzirdat, un nav dzirdējuši.“
25 Un redzi, kāds rakstu mācītājs piecēlās un, viņu kārdinādams, sacīja: „Mācītāj, ko man būs darīt, lai iemantoju mūžīgo dzīvi?“
26 Bet viņš uz to sacīja: „Kā stāv bauslībā rakstīts, kā tu tur lasi?“
27 Un tas atbildēja un sacīja: „Tev būs Dievu, savu Kungu, mīlēt no visas savas sirds, ar visu savu dvēseli, ar visu savu spēku un ar visu savu prātu, un savu tuvāko kā sevi pašu.“
28 Viņš tam sacīja: „Tu pareizi esi atbildējis; dari to un tu dzīvosi.“
29 Bet viņš, gribēdams attaisnoties, sacīja uz Jēzu: „Kurš tad ir mans tuvākais?“
30 Tad Jēzus atbildēja un sacīja: „Kāds cilvēks gāja no Jeruzalemes uz Jēriku un krita laupītāju rokās. Tie tam noplēsa drēbes, sasita un, atstādami viņu pusmirušu guļam, aizgāja.
31 Bet nejauši kāds priesteris gāja pa to pašu ceļu un, to ieraudzījis, viņš aizgāja gajrām.
32 Tāpat arī kāds Ievīts nāca gar to vietu, to ieraudzīja, bet aizgāja gājām.
33 Bet kāds samarietis, savu ceļu iedams, tuvojās viņam un, viņu redzot, sirds tam iežēlojās.
34 Un piegājis, viņš sasēja viņa vātis, ieliedams tajās eļļu un vīnu; pēc tam viņš to cēla uz savu lopu un to aizveda mājvietā un to apkopa.
35 Bet otrā dienā izņēmis divus denārijus, iedeva tos saimniekam, sacīdams: Kopi viņu, un ja tu vēl ko izdosi, atpakaļ nākdams, es tev to atdošu.
36 Kurš no šiem trim cilvēkiem, tev šķiet, tas tuvākais bijis tam, kas bija kritis laupītāju rokās?“
37 Tas atbildēja: „Tas, kas viņam žēlsirdību parādīja.“ Tad Jēzus uz to sacīja: „Nu, tad ej un dari tu arī tāpat.“
38 Atgadījās, ka viņi, tālāk ejot, nonāca kādā ciemā. Tur kāda sieviete, Marta vārdā, uzņēma viņu savā namā.
39 Un viņai bija māsa vārdā Marija, tā apsēdusies pie tā Kunga kājām, klausījās viņa vārdos.
40 Bet Marta, aizņemta ar daudzām rūpēm par to, kā viņu apkalpot, pienāca un sacīja: „Kungs, vai tu neko nesaki par to, ka mana māsa mani atstājusi, lai es viena kalpotu? Saki jele viņai, lai viņa man palīdz.“
41 Bet tas Kungs viņai atbildēja, sacīdams: „Marta, Marta, tu rūpējies un zūdies par daudzām lietām.
42 Bet tikai vienas lietas vajaga, Marija sev izraudzījusies labo daļu, tā viņai netaps atņemta.“
