St. Luke was a native of Antioch, the capital of Syria. He was by profession a physician; and some ancient writers say, that he was very skillful in painting. He was converted by St. Paul and became his disciple and companion in his travels, and fellow-labourer in the ministry of the Gospel. He wrote in Greek, about twenty-four years after our Lord's Ascension.
Chapters:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
John's mission and preaching. Christ is baptized by him.
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea, and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina;
2 Under the high priests Annas and Caiphas; the word of the Lord was made unto John, the son of Zachary, in the desert.
3 And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins;
4 As it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaias the prophet: A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
5 Every valley shall be filled; and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight; and the rough ways plain;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 He said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized by him: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance; and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
9 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying: What then shall we do?
11 And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner.
12 And the publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Master, what shall we do?
13 But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Do violence to no man; neither calumniate any man; and be content with your pay.
15 And as the people were of opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts of John, that perhaps he might be the Christ;
16 John answered, saying unto all: I indeed baptize you with water; but there shall come one mightier that I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
18 And many other things exhorting, did he preach to the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch, when he was reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done;
20 He added this also above all, and shut up John in prison.
21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened;
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of thirty years; being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was of Heli, who was of Mathat,
24 Who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janne, who was of Joseph,
25 Who was of Mathathias, who was of Amos, who was of Nahum, who was of Hesli, who was of Nagge,
26 Who was of Mahath, who was of Mathathias, who was of Semei, who was of Joseph, who was of Juda,
27 Who was of Joanna, who was of Reza, who was of Zorobabel, who was of Salathiel, who was of Neri,
28 Who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosan, who was of Helmadan, who was of Her,
29 Who was of Jesus, who was of Eliezer, who was of Jorim, who was of Mathat, who was of Levi,
30 Who was of Simeon, who was of Judas, who was of Joseph, who was of Jona, who was of Eliakim,
31 Who was of Melea, who was of Menna, who was of Mathatha, who was of Nathan, who was of David,
32 Who was of Jesse, who was of Obed, who was of Booz, who was of Salmon, who was of Naasson,
33 Who was of Aminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Esron, who was of Phares, who was of Judas,
34 Who was of Jacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Thare, who was of Nachor,
35 Who was of Sarug, who was of Ragau, who was of Phaleg, who was of Heber, who was of Sale,
36 Who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Sem, who was of Noe, who was of Lamech,
37 Who was of Mathusale, who was of Henoch, who was of Jared, who was of Malaleel, who was of Cainan,
38 Who was of Henos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.
Christ's fasting and temptation. He is persecuted in Nazareth. His miracles in Capharnaum.
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the desert,
2 For the space of forty days; and was tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.
3 And the devil said to him: If thou be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him: It is written, that Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil led him into a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time;
6 And he said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them.
7 If thou therefore wilt adore before me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answering said to him: It is written: Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself from hence.
10 For it is written, that He hath given his angels charge over thee, that they keep thee.
11 And that in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And all the temptation being ended, the devil departed from him for a time.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the spirit, into Galilee, and the fame of him went out through the whole country.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, and was magnified by all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he was brought up: and he went into the synagogue, according to his custom, on the sabbath day; and he rose up to read.
17 And the book of Isaias the prophet was delivered unto him. And as he unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Wherefore he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the contrite of heart,
19 To preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of reward.
20 And when he had folded the book, he restored it to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 And he began to say to them: This day is fulfilled this scripture in your ears.
22 And all gave testimony to him: and they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from his mouth, and they said: Is not this the son of Joseph?
23 And he said to them: Doubtless you will say to me this similitude: Physician, heal thyself: as great things as we have heard done in Capharnaum, do also here in thy own country.
24 And he said: Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 In truth I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout all the earth.
26 And to none of them was Elias sent, but to Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow woman.
27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian.
28 And all they in the synagogue, hearing these things, were filled with anger.
29 And they rose up and thrust him out of the city; and they brought him to the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them, went his way.
31 And he went down into Capharnaum, a city of Galilee, and there he taught them on the sabbath days.
32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his speech was with power.
33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice,
34 Saying: Let us alone, what have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God.
35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying: Hold thy peace, and go out of him. And when the devil had thrown him into the midst, he went out of him, and hurt him not at all.
36 And there came fear upon all, and they talked among themselves, saying: What word is this, for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they go out?
37 And the fame of him was published into every place of the country.
38 And Jesus rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her.
39 And standing over her, he commanded the fever, and it left her. And immediately rising, she ministered to them.
40 And when the sun was down, all they that had any sick with divers diseases, brought them to him. But he laying his hands on every one of them, healed them.
41 And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them he suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ.
42 And when it was day, going out he went into a desert place, and the multitudes sought him, and came unto him: and they stayed him that he should not depart from them.
43 To whom he said: To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for therefore am I sent.
44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
The miraculous draught of fishes. The cure of the leper and of the paralytic. The call of Matthew.
1 And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.
4 Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.
7 And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.
8 Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9 For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.
10 And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11 And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.
12 And it came to pass, when he was ina certain city, behold a man full of leprosy, who seeing Jesus, and falling on his face, besought him, saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13 And stretching forth his hand, he touched him, saying: I will. Be thou cleansed. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14 And he charged him that he should tell no man, but, Go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing according as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
15 But the fame of him went abroad the more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
16 And he retired into the desert, and prayed.
17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he sat teaching, that there were also Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, that were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was to heal them.
18 And behold, men brought in a bed a man, who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went up upon the roof, and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst before Jesus.
20 Whose faith when he saw, he said: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
21 And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22 And when Jesus knew their thoughts, answering, he said to them: What is it you think in your hearts?
23 Which is easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?
24 But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say to thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.
25 And immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay; and he went away to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And all were astonished; and they glorified God. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful things to day.
27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said to him: Follow me.
28 And leaving all things, he rose up and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that were at table with them.
30 But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering, said to them: They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.
33 And they said to him: Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees in like manner; but thine eat and drink?
34 To whom he said: Can you make the children of the bridegroom fast, whilst the bridegroom is with them?
35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast in those days.
36 And he spoke also a similitude to them: That no man putteth a piece from a new garment upon an old garment; otherwise he both rendeth the new, and the piece taken from the new agreeth not with the old.
37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottle: otherwise the new wine will break the bottles, and it will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost.
38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
39 And no man drinking old, hath presently a mind to new: for he saith, The old
is better.
Christ excuses his disciples. He cures upon the sabbath day, chooses the twelve and makes a sermon to them.
1 And it came to pass on the second first sabbath, that as he went through the corn fields, his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 And some of the Pharisees said to them: Why do you that which is not lawful on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them, said: Have you not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was hungry, and they that were with him:
4 How he went into the house of God, and took and ate the bread of proposition, and gave to them that were with him, which is not lawful to eat but only for the priests?
5 And he said to them: The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And there was a man, whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched if he would heal on the sabbath; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts; and said to the man who had the withered hand: Arise, and stand forth in the midst. And rising he stood forth.
9 Then Jesus said to them: I ask you, if it be lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy?
10 And looking round about on them all, he said to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored.
11 And they were filled with madness; and they talked one with another, what they might do to Jesus.
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer of God.
13 And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles):
14 Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes,
16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.
17 And coming down with them, he stood in a plain place, and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast both of Tyre and Sidon,
18 Who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were cured.
19 And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.
20 And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh.
22 Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23 Be glad in that day and rejoice; for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For according to these things did their fathers to the prophets.
24 But woe to you that are rich: for you have your consolation.
25 Woe to you that are filled: for you shall hunger. Woe to you that now laugh: for you shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when men shall bless you: for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that calumniate you.
29 And to him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away from thee thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every one that asketh thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again.
31 And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner.
32 And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also do this.
34 And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thanks are to you? for sinners also lend to sinners, for to receive as much.
35 But love ye your enemies: do good, and lend, hoping for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest; for he is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.
38 Give, and it shall be given to you: good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spoke also to them a similitude: Can the blind lead the blind? do they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master.
41 And why seest thou the mote in thy brother's eye: but the beam that is in thy own eye thou considerest not?
42 Or how canst thou say to thy brother: Brother, let me pull the mote out of thy eye, when thou thyself seest not the beam in thy own eye? Hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thy own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote from thy brother's eye.
43 For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns; nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
46 And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?
47 Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.
48 He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon
the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately
it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.
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