Luke 13
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Luke chapter 13 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
2 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine.
Luke 13
1And some people were present at that very time, reporting to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.Παρῆσαν δέ τινες ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ ἀπαγγέλλοντες αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν Γαλιλαίων, ὧν τὸ αἷμα Πιλᾶτος ἔμιξε μετὰ τῶν θυσιῶν αὐτῶν.
2And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Δοκεῖτε ὅτι οἱ Γαλιλαῖοι οὗτοι ἁμαρτωλοὶ παρὰ πάντας τοὺς Γαλιλαίους ἐγένοντο, ὅτι τοιαῦτα πεπόνθασιν;
3Not at all, I tell you; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.Οὐχί, λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῆτε, πάντες ὡσαύτως ἀπολεῖσθε.
4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that these were offenders more than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?Ἢ ἐκεῖνοι οἱ δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ, ἐφ᾽ οὓς ἔπεσεν ὁ πύργος ἐν τῷ Σιλωὰμ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτούς, δοκεῖτε ὅτι οὗτοι ὀφειλέται ἐγένοντο παρὰ πάντας ἀνθρώπους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ;
5Not at all, I tell you; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”Οὐχί, λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῆτε, πάντες ὁμοίως ἀπολεῖσθε.
6He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.Ἔλεγε δὲ ταύτην τὴν παραβολήν· Συκῆν εἶχέ τις ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι αὐτοῦ πεφυτευμένην· καὶ ἦλθε ζητῶν καρπὸν ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν.
7Then he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I haven't found any. Cut it down; why does it even waste the ground?’Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀμπελουργόν, Ἰδού, τρία ἔτη ἔρχομαι ζητῶν καρπὸν ἐν τῇ συκῇ ταύτῃ, καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκω· ἔκκοψον αὐτήν· ἵνα τί καὶ τὴν γῆν καταργεῖ;
8But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει αὐτῷ, Κύριε, ἄφες αὐτὴν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔτος, ἕως ὅτου σκάψω περὶ αὐτήν, καὶ βάλω κόπρια·
9And if it produces fruit, fine. But if not, in the coming year, you can cut it down.’ ”κἂν μὲν ποιήσῃ καρπόν· εἰ δὲ μή γε, εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐκκόψεις αὐτήν.
10Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.Ἦν δὲ διδάσκων ἐν μιᾷ τῶν συναγωγῶν ἐν τοῖς σάββασι·
11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over and was not able to straighten herself up.καὶ ἰδού, γυνὴ ἦν πνεῦμα ἔχουσα ἀσθενείας ἔτη δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ, καὶ ἦν συγκύπτουσα, καὶ μὴ δυναμένη ἀνακύψαι εἰς τὸ παντελές.
12And seeing her, Jesus called her to Him and said, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”Ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὴν ὁ Ἰησοῦς προσεφώνησε, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, Γύναι, ἀπολέλυσαι τῆς ἀσθενείας σου.
13And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and was glorifying God.Καὶ ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῇ τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀνωρθώθη, καὶ ἐδόξαζε τὸν Θεόν.
14But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, and he said to the crowd, “There are six days in which one should work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἀρχισυνάγωγος, ἀγανακτῶν ὅτι τῷ σαββάτῳ ἐθεράπευσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἔλεγε τῷ ὄχλῳ, Ἓξ ἡμέραι εἰσὶν ἐν αἷς δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι· ἐν ταύταις οὖν ἐρχόμενοι θεραπεύεσθε, καὶ μὴ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου.
15The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?Ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος, καὶ εἶπεν, Ὑποκριταί, ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ ἢ τὸν ὄνον ἀπὸ τῆς φάτνης, καὶ ἀπαγαγὼν ποτίζει;
16So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound these eighteen years, should she not be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”Ταύτην δέ, θυγατέρα Ἁβραὰμ οὖσαν, ἣν ἔδησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς, ἰδού, δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη, οὐκ ἔδει λυθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμοῦ τούτου τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου;
17And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things which were done by Him.Καὶ ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ, κατῃσχύνοντο πάντες οἱ ἀντικείμενοι αὐτῷ· καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἔχαιρεν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐνδόξοις τοῖς γινομένοις ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
18Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?Ἔλεγε δέ, Τίνι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ; Καὶ τίνι ὁμοιώσω αὐτήν;
19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”Ὁμοία ἐστὶ κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃν λαβὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔβαλεν εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ· καὶ ηὔξησε, καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς δένδρον μέγα, καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατεσκήνωσεν ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ.
20Again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?Πάλιν εἶπε, Τίνι ὁμοιώσω τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ;
21It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it was all leavened.”Ὁμοία ἐστὶ ζύμῃ, ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία, ἕως οὗ ἐζυμώθη ὅλον.
22And He was traveling through various cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.Καὶ διεπορεύετο κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κώμας διδάσκων, καὶ πορείαν ποιούμενος εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ.
23Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,Εἶπε δέ τις αὐτῷ, Κύριε, εἰ ὀλίγοι οἱ σῳζόμενοι; Ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς,
24“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.Ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης· ὅτι πολλοί, λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητήσουσιν εἰσελθεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἰσχύσουσιν.
25When once the Master of the house has risen up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and answering He will say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from.’Ἀφ᾽ οὗ ἂν ἐγερθῇ ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης καὶ ἀποκλείσῃ τὴν θύραν, καὶ ἄρξησθε ἔξω ἑστάναι καὶ κρούειν τὴν θύραν, λέγοντες, Κύριε, Κύριε, ἄνοιξον ἡμῖν· καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ἐρεῖ ὑμῖν, Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, πόθεν ἐστέ·
26Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’τότε ἄρξεσθε λέγειν, Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ ἐπίομεν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ἡμῶν ἐδίδαξας.
27But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’Καὶ ἐρεῖ, Λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς πόθεν ἐστέ· ἀπόστητε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ πάντες οἱ ἐργάται τῆς ἀδικίας.
28There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out.Ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων, ὅταν ὄψησθε Ἁβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ πάντας τοὺς προφήτας ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὑμᾶς δὲ ἐκβαλλομένους ἔξω.
29And they will come from the east and the west, and the north and the south, and will recline to eat in the kingdom of God.Καὶ ἥξουσιν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν, καὶ βορρᾶ καὶ νότου, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
30And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.”Καὶ ἰδού, εἰσὶν ἔσχατοι οἳ ἔσονται πρῶτοι, καὶ εἰσὶ πρῶτοι οἳ ἔσονται ἔσχατοι.
31On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and go from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”Ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθόν τινες Φαρισαῖοι, λέγοντες αὐτῷ, Ἔξελθε καὶ πορεύου ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι Ἡρῴδης θέλει σε ἀποκτεῖναι.
32And He said to them, “Go and say to that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Πορευθέντες εἴπατε τῇ ἀλώπεκι ταύτῃ, Ἰδού, ἐκβάλλω δαιμόνια καὶ ἰάσεις ἐπιτελῶ σήμερον καὶ αὔριον, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ τελειοῦμαι.
33Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the next day; for it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.Πλὴν δεῖ με σήμερον καὶ αὔριον καὶ τῇ ἐχομένῃ πορεύεσθαι· ὅτι οὐκ ἐνδέχεται προφήτην ἀπολέσθαι ἔξω Ἱερουσαλήμ.
34“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!Ἱερουσαλήμ, Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἡ ἀποκτένουσα τοὺς προφήτας καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτήν, ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυνάξαι τὰ τέκνα σου, ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις τὴν ἑαυτῆς νοσσιὰν ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε.
35See! Your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you shall by no means see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”Ἰδού, ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος. Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐ μή με ἴδητε ἕως ἂν ἥξῃ, ὅτε εἴπητε, Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου.
The Fathers on Luke 13
Saint Augustine comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Luke 13:6Saint AugustineTouching “the fig-tree” which had its three years’ trial, and bare no fruit, and “the woman which was in an infirmity eighteen years,” hearken to what the Lord may grant me to say.
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On Luke 13:21, 23Open Luke 13 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine“The three measures of meal” of which the Lord spake, is the human race.
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →