Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Luke 10
The Seventy-Two Are Sent
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. Go. Look—I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no moneybag, traveling bag, or sandals, and greet no one along the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they provide, because the worker deserves wages. Do not move from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they welcome you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick there and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet know this: God’s kingdom has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the works of power done among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum—will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
The Seventy-Two Return
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look—I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus Rejoices in the Holy Spirit
In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, because this was pleasing before you. Everything has been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Turning privately to the disciples, he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
A Samaritan Becomes the Neighbor
Look—an expert in the Law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your life, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, the man asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. By chance a priest was going down that road. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite came to the place, saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveling along came to him. When he saw the man, he was moved with compassion. He went to him, bandaged his wounds, and poured on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I return.’ Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”
Mary and Martha
As they continued on their way, Jesus entered a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his word. But Martha was distracted by much serving. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.” The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”