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Luke 6

1On a Sabbath he was passing through grainfields, and his disciples plucked heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2Some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 3Jesus answered them, “Have you not even read what David did when he and those with him were hungry: 4how he entered God's house, took and ate the bread of the Presence, and gave it to those with him, though only the priests are permitted to eat it?” 5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

6On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. A man was there whose right hand was withered. 7The scribes and Pharisees watched to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find grounds to accuse him. 8But he knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand in the middle.” He got up and stood there. 9Jesus said to them, “I ask you: is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or destroy it?” 10Looking around at them all, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. 11But they were filled with senseless fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

12In those days he went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13When day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve from them, whom he also named apostles: 14Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

17He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by unclean spirits were also cured. 19The whole crowd tried to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all.

20He lifted his eyes toward his disciples and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, because yours is the kingdom of God. 21Blessed are you who hunger now, because you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh. 22Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, insult you, and cast out your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for look: your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same things to the prophets. 24But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your consolation. 25Woe to you who are full now, because you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep. 26Woe when all people speak well of you, for their fathers did the same things to the false prophets.

27“But I say to you who listen: love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; 28bless those who curse you; pray for those who abuse you. 29To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other too. From the one who takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and do not demand your things back from the one who takes them. 31As you want people to do to you, do the same to them. 32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to receive the same amount back. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and evil. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Release, and you will be released. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, overflowing, will be given into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

39He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone fully trained will be like his teacher. 41Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

43“For no good tree produces rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree produce good fruit. 44Each tree is known by its own fruit. People do not gather figs from thorns or harvest grapes from a bramble. 45The good person brings forth good from the good treasure of his heart, and the evil person brings forth evil from the evil treasure, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

46“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say? 47Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them—I will show you what he is like. 48He is like a person building a house who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the river struck that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49But the one who heard and did not do is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river struck it, and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Translation notes 8

6:1 — The Sabbath. Some witnesses add the unusual word “second-first” to describe this Sabbath. Its meaning is disputed; the shorter text follows the Greek base.

6:11 — Senseless fury. The word can describe senselessness or folly; here it conveys their irrational rage. The narrative does not diagnose a mental illness.

6:13–16 — Apostles and names. “Apostles” identifies the twelve as commissioned representatives. “Son of” is supplied in “James son of Alphaeus” and “Judas son of James”; the latter is also traditionally rendered “brother of James,” but the patronymic reading is more natural in this list. “Zealot” is Simon's designation, without establishing membership in a later organized party.

6:20–26 — Blessings and woes. Luke says “poor” and “hunger now,” without Matthew's qualifications “in spirit” or “for righteousness.” His contrast with those rich and full is retained. “Cast out your name” means treating their name or reputation as something evil. “Fathers” refers to ancestors.

6:29–35 — Giving and lending. The cloak is the outer garment and the tunic the garment beneath it. “Expecting nothing back” is a debated expression; “without giving up hope” is another proposed sense. The surrounding contrast concerns lending without making repayment the condition. “Sons of the Most High” describes resemblance to God in conduct and includes women among the disciples addressed.

6:37–38 — Release and the measure. “Release” here means forgiving or letting others off, in contrast with condemnation. The measure overflowing into the lap pictures abundant giving, with the garment's fold receiving what is measured. The agent of the promised return is not explicitly named.

6:41–45 — Brother, tree, and treasure. “Brother” preserves family language for a fellow member of the community. The beam and speck are deliberately disproportionate images. The heart's “treasure” and “overflow” remain in the text. The evil treasure in verse 45 is understood from the parallel clause.

6:48 — The foundation. The base ends “because it had been well built.” Another reading says “for it had been founded on the rock,” echoing the wording found in Matthew.