Luke 17
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Luke chapter 17 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.
8 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 2 Fathers — Saint Augustine and Saint Cyril of Alexandria.
Luke 17
Leadership Is a Stewardship
1Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible for offenses not to come, but woe to the one through whom they do come!Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς, Ἀνένδεκτόν ἐστι τοῦ μὴ ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα· οὐαὶ δὲ δι᾽ οὗ ἔρχεται.
2It would be better for him if a millstone were around his neck, and he be cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.Λυσιτελεῖ αὐτῷ εἰ μύλος ὀνικὸς περίκειται περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔρριπται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἢ ἵνα σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων.
3Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς. Ἐὰν δὲ ἁμάρτῃ εἰς σὲ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, ἐπιτίμησον αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐὰν μετανοήσῃ, ἄφες αὐτῷ.
4And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day he returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”Καὶ ἐὰν ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἁμάρτῃ εἰς σέ, καὶ ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπιστρέψῃ, λέγων, Μετανοῶ, ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ.
5And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”Καὶ εἶπον οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῷ Κυρίῳ, Πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν.
6So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.Εἶπε δὲ ὁ Κύριος, Εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐλέγετε ἂν τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ, Ἐκριζώθητι, καὶ φυτεύθητι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ· καὶ ὑπήκουσεν ἂν ὑμῖν.
7And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come and recline to eat’?Τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν δοῦλον ἔχων ἀροτριῶντα ἢ ποιμαίνοντα, ὃς εἰσελθόντι ἐκ τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἐρεῖ εὐθέως, Παρελθὼν ἀνάπεσε·
8But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and gird yourself and serve me until I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, Ἑτοίμασον τί δειπνήσω, καὶ περιζωσάμενος διακόνει μοι, ἕως φάγω καὶ πίω· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα φάγεσαι καὶ πίεσαι σύ;
9Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.Μὴ χάριν ἔχει τῷ δούλῳ ἐκείνῳ ὅτι ἐποίησε τὰ διαταχθέντα; Οὐ δοκῶ.
10So likewise you, whenever you do all the things having been commanded to you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what we ought to do.’ ”Οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅταν ποιήσητε πάντα τὰ διαταχθέντα ὑμῖν, λέγετε ὅτι Δοῦλοι ἀχρεῖοί ἐσμεν· ὅτι ὃ ὠφείλομεν ποιῆσαι πεποιήκαμεν.
The Ten Cleansed Lepers
11And it happened while He was traveling to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ αὐτὸς διήρχετο διὰ μέσου Σαμαρείας καὶ Γαλιλαίας.
12Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood at a distance.Καὶ εἰσερχομένου αὐτοῦ εἴς τινα κώμην, ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ δέκα λεπροὶ ἄνδρες, οἳ ἔστησαν πόρρωθεν·
13And they lifted their voice and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦραν φωνήν, λέγοντες, Ἰησοῦ, ἐπιστάτα, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
14And seeing them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went away, they were cleansed.Καὶ ἰδὼν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Πορευθέντες ἐπιδείξατε ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτούς, ἐκαθαρίσθησαν.
15And one of them, seeing that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,Εἷς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἰδὼν ὅτι ἰάθη, ὑπέστρεψε, μετὰ φωνῆς μεγάλης δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν·
16and fell down on his face at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan.καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, εὐχαριστῶν αὐτῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Σαμαρείτης.
17So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Οὐχὶ οἱ δέκα ἐκαθαρίσθησαν; Οἱ δὲ ἐννέα ποῦ;
18Were not any found returning to give glory to God except this foreigner?”Οὐχ εὑρέθησαν ὑποστρέψαντες δοῦναι δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀλλογενὴς οὗτος;
19And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἀναστὰς πορεύου· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε.
The Coming of the Kingdom
20Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;Ἐπερωτηθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Φαρισαίων, πότε ἔρχεται ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς καὶ εἶπεν, Οὐκ ἔρχεται ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ παρατηρήσεως·
21neither will they say, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look, there it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”οὐδὲ ἐροῦσιν, Ἰδοὺ ὧδε, ἤ, Ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ. Ἰδοὺ γάρ, ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν.
22Then He said to the disciples, “Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it.Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς, Ἐλεύσονται ἡμέραι ὅτε ἐπιθυμήσετε μίαν τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἰδεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ὄψεσθε.
23And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go forth, nor follow them.Καὶ ἐροῦσιν ὑμῖν, Ἰδοὺ ὧδε, ἤ, Ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ· μὴ ἀπέλθητε, μηδὲ διώξητε.
24For just as the lightning which flashes out of the one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἀστραπὴ ἡ ἀστράπτουσα ἐκ τῆς ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν εἰς τὴν ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν λάμπει, οὕτως ἔσται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ αὐτοῦ.
25But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.Πρῶτον δὲ δεῖ αὐτὸν πολλὰ παθεῖν καὶ ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης.
26And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.Καὶ καθὼς ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Νῶε, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
27They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.Ἤσθιον, ἔπινον, ἐγάμουν, ἐξεγαμίζοντο, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθε Νῶε εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν, καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ κατακλυσμός, καὶ ἀπώλεσεν ἅπαντας.
28Likewise also as it happened in the days of Lot; they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building;Ὁμοίως καὶ ὡς ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Λώτ· ἤσθιον, ἔπινον, ἠγόραζον, ἐπώλουν, ἐφύτευον, ᾠκοδόμουν·
29but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.ᾗ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ἐξῆλθε Λὼτ ἀπὸ Σοδόμων, ἔβρεξε πῦρ καὶ θεῖον ἀπ᾽ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἀπώλεσεν ἅπαντας·
30In the same way it shall be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.κατὰ ταῦτα ἔσται ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκαλύπτεται.
31“In that day, he who shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise he who is in the field, let him not turn back for the things left behind.Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὃς ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος, καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ, μὴ καταβάτω ἆραι αὐτά· καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ ὁμοίως μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω.
32Remember Lot's wife.Μνημονεύετε τῆς γυναικὸς Λώτ.
33Whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it.Ὃς ἐὰν ζητήσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· καὶ ὃς ἐὰν ἀπολέσῃ αὐτὴν ζῳογονήσει αὐτήν.
34I say to you, in that night two shall be on one bed: one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.Λέγω ὑμῖν, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ ἔσονται δύο ἐπὶ κλίνης μιᾶς· εἷς παραληφθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ἕτερος ἀφεθήσεται.
35Two shall be grinding together: one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.”Δύο ἔσονται ἀλήθουσαι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· μία παραληφθήσεται, καὶ ἡ ἑτέρα ἀφεθήσεται.
37And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”Καὶ ἀποκριθέντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ποῦ, Κύριε; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Ὅπου τὸ σῶμα, ἐκεῖ συναχθήσονται οἱ ἀετοί.
The Fathers on Luke 17
Saint Augustine and Saint Cyril of Alexandria comment 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 17:3Saint AugustineDelivered at the Table of St. Cyprian, in the presence of Count Boniface. 1. The Holy Gospel which we heard just now as it was being read, has admonished touching the remission of sins. And on this subject must ye be...
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On Luke 17:4Saint Cyril of Alexandria17:4. If seven times in the day he sin against you. For if, He says, he who sins against you repent and acknowledge his fault, you shall forgive him: and that not once only, but very many times. For we must not show ourselves deficient in mutual love, and neglect forbearance, because any one is weak, and again and...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 112 →
On Luke 17:5Saint Cyril of Alexandria17:5. The Apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith. That which necessarily gives joy to the soul of the saints is not the possession of transitory and earthly goods; for they are corruptible, and easily lost; but of such rather as render those that receive them reverend and blessed, even the spiritual graces...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 112 →
On Luke 17:7Saint Cyril of Alexandria17:7. But which of you having a servant ploughing or feeding cattle. In the verses which precede a long and important discourse has been addressed to us by the Lord, to show unto us the paths which lead unto honour, and to manifest the glories of the blameless life, that making progress therein, and advancing...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 112 →
On Luke 17:12Saint Cyril of Alexandria17:12. Ten lepers met him. Again the Saviour manifests unto us His glory, and by working godlike miracles, endeavours to win senseless Israel unto faith, obdurate though he was, and unbelieving. What argument then will avail him at the day of judgment for refusing to accept salvation through Christ? Especially when...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 112 →
On Luke 17:14Saint Cyril of Alexandria17:14. He said unto them, Go and show yourselves unto the priests. And why did He not rather say, "I will, be you cleansed;" as he did in the case of another leper: but commanded them rather to show themselves unto the priests? It was because the law gave directions to this effect to those who were delivered from...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 112 →
On Luke 17:20–30Saint Cyril of Alexandria17:20-30. And having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God comes, He answered and said unto them, The kingdom of God comes not by watchings; neither shall they say, Lo! here, or Lo! there: for behold! the kingdom of God is within you. And He said unto the disciples, The days will come, when you shall...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 117 →
On Luke 17:31–37Open Luke 17 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 Cyril of Alexandria17:31-37. In that day, he who is upon the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to carry them away: and he who is in the field, let him in like manner not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall save it alive. 1 tell...
Read Commentary on Luke, Sermon 118 →