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Luke 13
International Children’s Bible
Luke 13
International Children’s Bible
Change Your Hearts
13 At that time some people were there with Jesus. They told him about what had happened to some people from Galilee. Pilate[a] killed those people while they were worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing to God. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think this happened to them because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee? 3 No, they were not! But if all of you don’t change your hearts and lives, then you will be destroyed as they were! 4 What about those 18 people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more sinful than all the others who live in Jerusalem? 5 They were not! But I tell you, if you don’t change your hearts and lives, then you will all be destroyed too!”
The Useless Tree
6 Jesus told this story: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none. 7 So the man said to his servant who took care of his vineyard, ‘I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the ground?’ 8 But the servant answered, ‘Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some fertilizer. 9 Maybe the tree will produce fruit next year. If the tree still doesn’t produce fruit, then you can cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11 In the synagogue there was a woman who had an evil spirit in her. This spirit had made the woman a cripple for 18 years. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, your sickness has left you!” 13 Jesus put his hands on her. Immediately she was able to stand up straight and began praising God.
14 The synagogue leader was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come to be healed on one of those days. Don’t come for healing on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord answered, “You people are hypocrites! All of you untie your work animals and lead them to drink water every day—even on the Sabbath day! 16 This woman that I healed is our Jewish sister. But Satan has held her for 18 years. Surely it is not wrong for her to be freed from her sickness on a Sabbath day!” 17 When Jesus said this, all the men who were criticizing him were ashamed. And all the people were happy for the wonderful things Jesus was doing.
Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast
18 Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it with? 19 God’s kingdom is like the seed of the mustard plant.[b] A man plants this seed in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree. The wild birds build nests on its branches.”
20 Jesus said again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom with? 21 It is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”
The Narrow Door
22 Jesus was teaching in every town and village. He continued to travel toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to Jesus, “Lord, how many people will be saved? Only a few?”
Jesus said, 24 “Try hard to enter through the narrow door that opens the way to heaven! Many people will try to enter there, but they will not be able. 25 A man gets up and closes the door of his house. You can stand outside and knock on the door. You can say, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you! Where did you come from?’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you. You taught in the streets of our town.’ 27 But he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you! Where did you come from? Go away from me! All of you do evil!’ 28 You will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom. But you will be thrown outside. Then you will cry and grind your teeth with pain. 29 People will come from the east, west, north, and south. They will sit down at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 Those who are last now will be first in the future. And those who are first now will be last in the future.”
Jesus Will Die in Jerusalem
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away from here! Herod wants to kill you!”
32 Jesus said to them, “Go tell that fox Herod, ‘Today and tomorrow I am forcing demons out of people and finishing my work of healing. Then, on the third day, I will reach my goal.’ 33 Yet I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. Surely it cannot be right for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem.
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. You kill with stones those men that God has sent you. Many times I wanted to help your people. I wanted to gather them together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you did not let me. 35 Now your home will be left completely empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord.’”[c]
Footnotes
- 13:1 Pilate Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from a.d. 26 to a.d. 36.
- 13:19 mustard plant The seed is very small, but the plant grows taller than a man.
- 13:35 ‘God . . . Lord.’ Quotation from Psalm 118:26.
Luke 13
New International Version
Luke 13
New International Version
Repent or Perish
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate(A) had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?(B) 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam(C) fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent,(D) you too will all perish.”
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.(E) 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!(F) Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,(G) 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.(H) She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her,(I) and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,(J) the synagogue leader(K) said to the people, “There are six days for work.(L) So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?(M) 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,(N) whom Satan(O) has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,(P) but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(Q)(R)
18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God(S) like?(T) What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,(U) and the birds perched in its branches.”(V)
20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”(W)
The Narrow Door
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.(X) 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,(Y) because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’(Z)
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’(AA)
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth,(AB) when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west(AC) and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”(AD)
Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem(AE)(AF)
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod(AG) wants to kill you.”
32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’(AH) 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet(AI) can die outside Jerusalem!
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,(AJ) and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate.(AK) I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[b]”(AL)
Footnotes
- Luke 13:21 Or about 27 kilograms
- Luke 13:35 Psalm 118:26
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.