As ¹  Jesus ²  stepped ashore, ³  a certain man from the town ⁴  met him who was possessed by demons. ⁵  For a long time this man ⁶  had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among ⁷  the tombs.

and said to them, “Whoever welcomes ¹  this child ²  in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.” ³ 

After this ¹  the Lord appointed seventy-two ²  others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town ³  and place where he himself was about to go.

The ¹  next day he took out two silver coins ²  and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’ ³ 

As ¹  the crowds were increasing, Jesus ²  began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, ³  but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ⁴ 

The people ¹  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ²  – and now, ³  something greater than Jonah is here!

from the blood of Abel ¹  to the blood of Zechariah, ²  who was killed ³  between the altar and the sanctuary. ⁴  Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against ⁵  this generation.

And if ¹  this is how God clothes the wild grass, ²  which is here ³  today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, ⁴  how much more ⁵  will he clothe you, you people of little faith!

So ¹  the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, ²  you will begin to move to the least important ³  place.

So ¹  he called the manager ²  in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? ³  Turn in the account of your administration, ⁴  because you can no longer be my manager.’

The ¹  master commended the dishonest ²  manager because he acted shrewdly. ³  For the people ⁴  of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries ⁵  than the people ⁶  of light.

So ¹  he called out, ²  ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus ³  to dip the tip of his finger ⁴  in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish ⁵  in this fire.’ ⁶ 

Besides all this, ¹  a great chasm ²  has been fixed between us, ³  so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’

So ¹  the Lord replied, ²  “If ³  you had faith the size of ⁴  a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry ⁵  tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ ⁶  and it would obey ⁷  you.

I tell you that this man went down to his home justified ¹  rather than the Pharisee. ²  For everyone who exalts ³  himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have ¹  and give the money ²  to the poor, ³  and you will have treasure ⁴  in heaven. Then ⁵  come, follow me.”

Then ¹  the experts in the law ²  and the chief priests wanted to arrest ³  him that very hour, because they realized he had told this parable against them. But ⁴  they were afraid of the people.

But before all this, ¹  they will seize ²  you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues ³  and prisons. You ⁴  will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.

Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! For there will be great distress ¹  on the earth and wrath against this people.

“But be on your guard ¹  so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap. ²