Bible verse by verse

[_LittleNipper]

Luke 13:1-35

Just then, some people came to inform Jesus about the men from the Galilee whom Pilate had slaughtered even while they were slaughtering animals for sacrifice.

His reply to them was, “Do you think that just because they died so horribly, that these folks from the Galilee were worse sinners than all the others from the Galilee?

No! Rather, unless you turn to God from your sins, you will all die as they did!

Or what about those 19 individuals who died when the tower at Shiloach fell upon them? Do you think they were worse offenders than any of the other people living in Jerusalem?

No! Rather, unless you turn from your sins, your death will be similar.”

Jesus provided this illustration: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit but didn’t find any.

So he said to the man who tended the vineyard, ‘Here, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for 3 years now without finding any. Cut it down — why let it go on wasting the soil?’

But the gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more year. I’ll dig around it and put manure on it.

If it bears fruit next year, great; if not, you will have it cut down then.’”

Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

A woman came up who had a spirit which had crippled her for 18 years; she was bent double and unable to stand erect at all.

On seeing her, Jesus called her and said to her, “Lady, you have been set free from your weakness!”

He touched her, and at once she stood upright and began to glorify God.

But the head of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had healed on Sabbath, spoke up and told the congregation, “There are 6 days in the week for working; so come during those days to be healed, not the Sabbath!”

However, the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Each one of you on Sabbath unloose your ox or your donkey from the stall and lead him off to drink?

This woman is a descendant if Abraham, and the Adversary kept bound for 18 years! Shouldn’t she be freed from this bondage on Sabbath?”

By these words, Jesus shamed the people who opposed him; but the rest of the crowd were exhilarated about all the wonderful things that were taking place through him.

So Jesus continued to say, “What is the Kingdom of God like? With what will we compare it?

It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his own garden, and it grew and became a tree, and birds nested in its branches.”

Again He said, “With what will I compare the Kingdom of God?

It is like yeast that a woman mixed with 3 measures of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose.”

Jesus continued traveling through one town to the next, teaching and heading towards Jerusalem.

Someone asked Jesus, “Are only a few people being saved?”

He answered, “Struggle to get in through the narrow door, because I’m telling you that many will desire to get in and won’t be able to,

once the owner of the house has gotten up and shut the door. You will stand outside, knocking at the door and pleading, ‘Lord! Open up for us!’ But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from!’

Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with You! You taught in our streets!’

and He will say, ‘I don’t know where you’re from. Leave Me, all you workers of wickedness!’

You will anguish and grind your teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets inside the Kingdom of God, but yourselves tossed outside.

Additionally, people will come from the East, West, North and South to sit at table in the Kingdom of God.

And observe that some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”

Just at that moment, some among the Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, “Leave and go away, because Herod wants to kill you!”

He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Listen: today and tomorrow I am driving out demons and healing people, and on the third day I reach my goal.’

Nevertheless, I must keep travelling today, tomorrow and the next day; because it is unthinkable that a prophet should die anywhere but in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you refused!

See! God is leaving your house abandoned! I say, you will not observe Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of Lors!’”

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1And there were present certain at that time, telling him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate did mingle with their sacrifices;

2 and Jesus answering said to them, `Think ye that these Galileans became sinners beyond all the Galileans, because they have suffered such things?

3 No -- I say to you, but, if ye may not reform, all ye even so shall perish.

4 `Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them; think ye that these became debtors beyond all men who are dwelling in Jerusalem?

5 No -- I say to you, but, if ye may not reform, all ye in like manner shall perish.'

6 And he spake this simile: `A certain one had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit in it, and he did not find;

7 and he said unto the vine-dresser, Lo, three years I come seeking fruit in this fig-tree, and do not find, cut it off, why also the ground doth it render useless?

8 `And he answering saith to him, Sir, suffer it also this year, till that I may dig about it, and cast in dung;

9 and if indeed it may bear fruit --; and if not so, thereafter thou shalt cut it off.'

10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath,

11 and lo, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bowed together, and not able to bend back at all,

12 and Jesus having seen her, did call [her] near, and said to her, `Woman, thou hast been loosed from thy infirmity;'

13 and he laid on her [his] hands, and presently she was set upright, and was glorifying God.

14 And the chief of the synagogue answering -- much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed -- said to the multitude, `Six days there are in which it behoveth [us] to be working; in these, then,
coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.'

15 Then the Lord answered him and said, `Hypocrite, doth not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox or ass from the stall, and having led away, doth water [it]?

16 and this one, being a daughter of Abraham, whom the Adversary bound, lo, eighteen years, did it not behove to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?'

17 And he saying these things, all who were opposed to him were being ashamed, and all the multitude were rejoicing over all the glorious things that are being done by him.

18 And he said, `To what is the reign of God like? and to what shall I liken it?

19 It is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did cast into his garden, and it increased, and came to a great tree, and the fowls of the heavens did rest in its branches.'

20 And again he said, `To what shall I liken the reign of God?

21 It is like leaven, which a woman, having taken, did hide in three measures of meal, till that all was leavened.'

22 And he was going through cities and villages, teaching, and making progress toward Jerusalem;

23 and a certain one said to him, `Sir, are those saved few?' and he said unto them,

24 `Be striving to go in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in, and shall not be able;

25 from the time the master of the house may have risen up, and may have shut the door, and ye may begin without to stand, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, lord, open to us, and he answering
shall say to you, I have not known you whence ye are,

26 then ye may begin to say, We did eat before thee, and did drink, and in our broad places thou didst teach;

27 and he shall say, I say to you, I have not known you whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of the unrighteousness.

28 `There shall be there the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth, when ye may see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the reign of God, and yourselves being cast out without;

29 and they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall recline in the reign of God,

30 and lo, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.'

31 On that day there came near certain Pharisees, saying to him, `Go forth, and be going on hence, for Herod doth wish to kill thee;'

32 and he said to them, `Having gone, say to this fox, Lo, I cast forth demons, and perfect cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third [day] I am being perfected;

33 but it behoveth me to-day, and to-morrow, and the [day] following, to go on, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish out of Jerusalem.

34 `Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that is killing the prophets, and stoning those sent unto her, how often did I will to gather together thy children, as a hen her brood under the wings, and ye did not will.

35 `Lo, your house is being left to you desolate, and verily I say to you -- ye may not see me, till it may come, when ye may say, Blessed [is] he who is coming in the name of the Lord.'

[_Maksutov]

[_LittleNipper]

Look at it this way. Christian ethics and Christians formed the United States. Atheists formed the USSR and the People's Republic of China. Your hate of Christians and their beliefs are so unfounded and unfortunate.

[_LittleNipper]

Luke 14:1-35

One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and they scrutinized Jesus closely.

Before Jesus was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.

Jesus spoke up and asked the Lawyers and Pharisees, “Does the Law allow healing on Sabbath or not?”

However, they remained silent. So, taking hold of him, Jesus healed him and sent him along.

To them Jesus said, “Which of you, if a son or an ox falls into a well, will hesitate to pull him out on the Sabbath?”

And to these things they could give no answer.

When Jesus noticed how the guests were choosing for themselves the best seats at the table, He told them this parable:

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, don’t sit down in the best seat; because if there is someone more important than you who has been invited,

the person who invited both of you might come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then you will be humiliated as you go to take the least important place.

Rather, when you are invited, go and sit in the least important place; so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Here is a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone sitting with you.

Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives or rich neighbors; for they may well invite you in return, and that will be your repayment.

Instead, when you have a party, invite poor people, the disfigured, the crippled, and the blind!

How blessed you will be that they have nothing with which to repay you! For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

On hearing this, one of the people at the table with Jesus said to him, “How blessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God!”

But Jesus replied, “Once a man gave a banquet and invited many people.

When the time came for the party, he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready!’

But they responded with all sorts of excuses. The first said to him, ‘I’ve just bought a field, and I have to go out and see it. Please accept my apologies.’

Another said, ‘I’ve just bought 5 yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to test them out. Please accept my apologies.’

Still another said, ‘I have just gotten married, so I can’t come.’

The servant came and reported these things to his master.

“Then the owner of the house, in a rage, told his servant, ‘Quick, go out into the streets and alleys of the city; and bring in the poor, the disfigured, the blind and the crippled!’

The servant said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there are still places.’

The master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the country roads and boundary walls, and insistently persuade people to come in, so that my house will be packed.

You know what? Not one of those who had been invited first will enjoy my feast!’”

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning, Jesus said to them,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sisters, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be My disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Don’t you sit down and estimate the cost, to see if you have enough capital to complete it?

If you don’t, then when you have laid the foundation but can’t finish, all the onlookers will make fun of you,

say, ‘This is the man who began to build, but couldn’t finish!’

“Or again, suppose one king is going out to wage war with another king. Doesn’t he first sit down and consider whether he, with his 10,000 troops, has enough strength to meet the other one, who is coming against him with 20,000?

If he hasn’t, then while the other is distant, he sends a delegation to inquire about terms for peace.

So every one of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Salt is excellent. But if even salt becomes tasteless, what can be used to season it?

It is fit for neither soil nor manure — people throw it away. Those who have ears that can hear, let them Listen!”

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And it came to pass, on his going into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him,

2 and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him;

3 and Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, `Is it lawful on the sabbath-day to heal?'

4 and they were silent, and having taken hold of [him], he healed him, and let [him] go;

5 and answering them he said, `Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a pit, and he will not immediately draw it up on the sabbath-day?'

6 and they were not able to answer him again unto these things.

7 And he spake a simile unto those called, marking how they were choosing out the first couches, saying unto them,

8 `When thou mayest be called by any one to marriage-feasts, thou mayest not recline on the first couch, lest a more honourable than thou may have been called by him,

9 and he who did call thee and him having come shall say to thee, Give to this one place, and then thou mayest begin with shame to occupy the last place.

10 `But, when thou mayest be called, having gone on, recline in the last place, that when he who called thee may come, he may say to thee, Friend, come up higher; then thou shalt have glory before
those reclining with thee;

11 because every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'

12 And he said also to him who did call him, `When thou mayest make a dinner or a supper, be not calling thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kindred, nor rich neighbours, lest they may also call thee
again, and a recompense may come to thee;

13 but when thou mayest make a feast, be calling poor, maimed, lame, blind,

14 and happy thou shalt be, because they have not to recompense thee, for it shall be recompensed to thee in the rising again of the righteous.'

15 And one of those reclining with him, having heard these things, said to him, `Happy [is] he who shall eat bread in the reign of God;'

16 and he said to him, `A certain man made a great supper, and called many,

17 and he sent his servant at the hour of the supper to say to those having been called, Be coming, because now are all things ready.

18 `And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of thee, have me excused.

19 `And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of thee, have me excused:

20 and another said, A wife I married, and because of this I am not able to come.

21 `And that servant having come, told to his lord these things, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to his servant, Go forth quickly to the broad places and lanes of the city, and the
poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in hither.

22 `And the servant said, Sir, it hath been done as thou didst command, and still there is room.

23 `And the lord said unto the servant, Go forth to the ways and hedges, and constrain to come in, that my house may be filled;

24 for I say to you, that none of those men who have been called shall taste of my supper.'

25 And there were going on with him great multitudes, and having turned, he said unto them,

26 `If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple;

27 and whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

28 `For who of you, willing to build a tower, doth not first, having sat down, count the expense, whether he have the things for completing?

29 lest that he having laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all who are beholding may begin to mock him,

30 saying -- This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

31 `Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?

32 and if not so -- he being yet a long way off -- having sent an embassy, he doth ask the things for peace.

33 `So, then, every one of you who doth not take leave of all that he himself hath, is not able to be my disciple.

34 `The salt [is] good, but if the salt doth become tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 neither for land nor for manure is it fit -- they cast it without. He who is having ears to hear -- let him hear.'

[_Choyo Chagas]

Look at it this way. Christian ethics and Christians formed the United States. Atheists formed the USSR and the People's Republic of China. Your hate of Christians and their beliefs are so unfounded and unfortunate.

false parallels

ussr is simply the bad copy of russia - which was led by father tsar
today's tsar is putin, who is the best friend of orthodox church

the same case is china (prc) which has outgrown from imperial - religious - china
true, they weren't christian ever...


in another thread 'the ccc' wrote:
"But we'd never become a country in the first place without the help of the French."
at that time the french was far more atheist than your then wannabe country

[_LittleNipper]

Luke 15:1-32

The tax-collectors and sinners continued to hang around to listen to Jesus.

And the Pharisees and teachers of the Law kept grumbling. “This fellow,” they said, “welcomes sinners. He even eats with them!”

So Jesus told them this parable:

“If any of you possesses 100 sheep and loses 1 of them, don't you leave the other 99 in the wilderness and search after the lost one until it is discovered?

When it is found, the owner joyfully hoists it onto his shoulders,

and upon returning home, calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Come, celebrate with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’

I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents to God of his sins than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

“Yet another example: what woman, if she has 10 drachmas and loses one of these valuable coins, won’t light a lamp, sweep the entire house and searches all until she finds it?

And when she does find it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Come, celebrate with me, because I have found the drachma I lost.’

In the same way, I tell you, there is joy among God’s angels when one sinner repents.”

Yet another said Jesus, “A man had two sons.

The younger of them said to his father, ‘Dad, give me the share of the estate that will become mine.’ So the father divided the property between them.

As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and traveled to a foreign country, where he squandered his money in reckless living.

But once he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch.

“So he went and contracted out himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with even the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any.

At last he came to his senses and said, ‘Any one of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death!

I’m going to leave and return to my Dad and say to him, “Father, I sinned against both Heaven and you;

I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” ’

So he got up and started back to his father.

But while he was still a distance away, his father observed him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly.

His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son... ’

However, his father said to his slaves, ‘Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet;

and get the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration!

For this son of mine was dead to me, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!’ And they began celebrating.

Now his older son was out in the field. As he returned to the house, he heard music and dancing.

So he called one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s this?’

The servant told him, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has slaughtered the plump calf, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.’

But the older son grew angry and refused to go inside.

So his father came out and pleaded with him.

‘Look,’ the son answered, ‘I have labored for you all this time, and I have never disobeyed your rules. But you have never even given me a young goat, so that I could celebrate with my friends.

Yet this person comes, who squandered your property on prostitutes, and for him you slaughter the fattened calf!’

‘Son, you are always here,’ said the father, ‘and everything I possess belongs to you.

We must celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has returned life — he was lost but has been found.’”

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming nigh to him, to hear him,

2 and the Pharisees and the scribes were murmuring, saying -- This one doth receive sinners, and doth eat with them.'

3 And he spake unto them this simile, saying,

4 `What man of you having a hundred sheep, and having lost one out of them, doth not leave behind the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go on after the lost one, till he may find it?

5 and having found, he doth lay [it] on his shoulders rejoicing,

6 and having come to the house, he doth call together the friends and the neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I found my sheep -- the lost one.

7 `I say to you, that so joy shall be in the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of reformation.

8 `Or what woman having ten drachms, if she may lose one drachm, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek carefully till that she may find?

9 and having found, she doth call together the female friends and the neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I found the drachm that I lost.

10 `So I say to you, joy doth come before the messengers of God over one sinner reforming.'

11 And he said, `A certain man had two sons,

12 and the younger of them said to the father, Father, give me the portion of the substance falling to [me], and he divided to them the living.

13 `And not many days after, having gathered all together, the younger son went abroad to a far country, and there he scattered his substance, living riotously;

14 and he having spent all, there came a mighty famine on that country, and himself began to be in want;

15 and having gone on, he joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him to the fields to feed swine,

16 and he was desirous to fill his belly from the husks that the swine were eating, and no one was giving to him.

17 `And having come to himself, he said, How many hirelings of my father have a superabundance of bread, and I here with hunger am perishing!

18 having risen, I will go on unto my father, and will say to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before thee,

19 and no more am I worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hirelings.

20 `And having risen, he went unto his own father, and he being yet far distant, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and having ran he fell upon his neck and kissed him;

21 and the son said to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before thee, and no more am I worthy to be called thy son.

22 `And the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the first robe, and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and sandals for the feet;

23 and having brought the fatted calf, kill [it], and having eaten, we may be merry,

24 because this my son was dead, and did live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they began to be merry.

25 `And his elder son was in a field, and as, coming, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing,

26 and having called near one of the young men, he was inquiring what these things might be,

27 and he said to him -- Thy brother is arrived, and thy father did kill the fatted calf, because in health he did receive him back.

28 `And he was angry, and would not go in, therefore his father, having come forth, was entreating him;

29 and he answering said to the father, Lo, so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry;

30 but when thy son -- this one who did devour thy living with harlots -- came, thou didst kill to him the fatted calf.

31 `And he said to him, Child, thou art always with me, and all my things are thine;

32 but to be merry, and to be glad, it was needful, because this thy brother was dead, and did live again, he was lost, and was found.'

[_Choyo Chagas]

can't you discontinue to waste bandwidth?

[_LittleNipper]

can't you discontinue to waste bandwidth?

No one is asking you for any input... That should save some...

[_Maksutov]

can't you discontinue to waste bandwidth?

No one is asking you for any input... That should save some...

A Christian response. Nipper is the kind of Christian who always talks and never listens. Doesn't read, either.

[_Maksutov]