New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Luke 6
1
One Sabbath day Jesus was walking through the grainfields. His disciples began to break off some heads of grain. They rubbed them in their hands and ate them.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 23:25
2
Some of the Pharisees said, "It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. Why are you doing it?"
Reference
3
Jesus answered them, "Haven't you ever read about what David did? He and his men were hungry.
Reference
4
He entered the house of God and took the holy bread. He ate the bread that only priests were allowed to eat. David also gave some to his men."
5
Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day."
Reference
Parallel theme
Mark 2:27
6
On another Sabbath day, Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching. A man whose right hand was weak and twisted was there.
Reference
7
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were trying to find fault with Jesus. So they watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.
Reference
8
But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He spoke to the man who had the weak and twisted hand. "Get up and stand in front of everyone," he said. So the man got up and stood there.
Reference
9
Then Jesus said to them, "What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we destroy it?"
Reference
10
He looked around at all of them. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his hand was as good as new.
Reference
Parallel theme
Mark 3:5
11
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were very angry. They began to talk to each other about what they might do to Jesus.
Reference
12
On one of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray. He spent the night praying to God.
Reference
Prayer
Hebrews 5:7
Mark 6:46
Mark 1:35
Colossians 4:2
Matthew 6:6
Daniel 6:10
References God
Psalm 22:2
13
When morning came, he called for his disciples to come to him. He chose 12 of them and made them apostles.
Reference
14
Simon was one of them. Jesus gave him the name Peter. There were also Simon's brother Andrew, James, John, Philip and Bartholomew.
Reference
15
And there were Matthew, Thomas, and James, son of Alphaeus. There were also Simon who was called the Zealot
Reference
16
and Judas, son of James. Judas Iscariot was one of them too. He was the one who would later hand Jesus over to his enemies.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
John 14:22
17
Jesus went down the mountain with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there. A large number of other people were there too. They came from all over Judea, including Jerusalem. They also came from the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 11:21
18
They had all come to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses. People who were troubled by evil spirits were made well.
19
Everyone tried to touch Jesus. Power was coming from him and healing them all.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 14:36
Mark 3:10
Mark 6:56
Mark 5:30
Mark 8:22
1 Peter 2:9
Acts 19:12
Luke 5:17
2 Kings 13:21
20
Jesus looked at his disciples. He said to them, "Blessed are you who are needy. God's kingdom belongs to you.
Reference
Blessing
James 1:12
Kingdom
James 2:5
Matthew 25:34
Luke 12:32
2 Corinthians 6:10
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 8:9
Revelation 2:9
Isaiah 29:19
Zephaniah 3:12
21
Blessed are you who are hungry now. You will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are sad now. You will laugh.
Reference
Blessing
Matthew 5:6
James 1:12
Matthew 5:4
Parallel theme
John 6:35
Luke 1:53
Revelation 7:16
Luke 6:25
Isaiah 30:19
Psalm 17:15
Jeremiah 31:9
22
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they have nothing to do with you and say bad things about you, and when they treat your name as something evil. They do all this because you are followers of the Son of Man.
Reference
Evil
John 7:7
Parallel theme
Matthew 10:22
1 Peter 3:14
John 16:2
Isaiah 66:5
Isaiah 65:5
John 12:42
Acts 9:16
Acts 24:5
Matthew 10:39
23
"Their people treated the prophets the same way long ago. When these things happen to you, be glad and jump for joy. You will receive many blessings in heaven.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 21:7
Revelation 3:5
Revelation 3:12
Revelation 2:26
Acts 5:41
Prophecy
Matthew 5:12
24
"But how terrible it will be for you who are rich! You have already had your easy life.
Reference
25
How terrible for you who are well fed now! You will go hungry. How terrible for you who laugh now! You will cry and be sad.
Reference
26
How terrible for you when everyone says good things about you! Their people treated the false prophets the same way long ago.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 15:19
James 4:4
John 7:7
Romans 16:18
Prophecy
Matthew 7:15
Micah 2:11
Isaiah 30:10
Jeremiah 5:31
27
"But here is what I tell you who hear me. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.
Reference
Good
1 Thessalonians 5:15
Galatians 6:10
Acts 10:38
Luke 8:15
Love
Luke 6:35
Parallel theme
Proverbs 24:17
Mark 4:24
Acts 7:60
Luke 8:18
Luke 23:34
28
Bless those who call down curses on you. And pray for those who treat you badly.
Reference
Blessing
1 Peter 3:9
1 Corinthians 4:12
Romans 12:14
James 3:10
Parallel theme
Luke 23:34
Luke 6:27
Acts 7:60
Luke 6:35
Acts 14:5
Prayer
Matthew 5:44
29
"Suppose someone hits you on one cheek. Turn your other cheek to him also. Suppose someone takes your coat. Don't stop him from taking your shirt.
Reference
30
"Give to everyone who asks you. And if anyone takes what belongs to you, don't ask to get it back.
Reference
Good
Luke 6:38
Parallel theme
Matthew 6:12
2 Corinthians 8:9
Acts 20:35
Psalm 41:1
Proverbs 21:26
Proverbs 19:17
Luke 18:22
32
"Suppose you love those who love you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.
33
And suppose you do good to those who are good to you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even 'sinners' do that.
34
And suppose you lend money to those who can pay you back. Should anyone praise you for that? Even a 'sinner' lends to 'sinners,' expecting them to pay everything back.
Reference
35
"But love your enemies. Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return. And you will be sons of the Most High God. He is kind to people who are evil and are not thankful.
Reference
Good
Psalm 145:9
Psalm 112:5
Acts 14:17
Love
John 13:35
Parallel theme
Proverbs 19:17
Proverbs 22:9
2 Corinthians 8:9
Psalm 37:26
John 15:8
Luke 1:32
37
"If you do not judge others, then you will not be judged. If you do not find others guilty, then you will not be found guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Reference
Judgment
James 5:9
Parallel theme
Ephesians 4:32
Mark 11:25
Colossians 3:13
Matthew 5:7
Isaiah 65:5
Matthew 18:30
38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good amount will be poured into your lap. It will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The same amount you give will be measured out to you."
Reference
39
Jesus also gave them another example. He asked, "Can a blind person lead another blind person? Won't they both fall into a pit?
Reference
40
Students are not better than their teachers. But everyone who is completely trained will be like his teacher.
Reference
41
"You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend's eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye.
Reference
42
How can you say to your friend, 'Let me take the bit of sawdust out of your eye'? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye? You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend's eye.
44
You can tell each tree by the kind of fruit it bears. People do not pick figs from thorns. And they don't pick grapes from bushes.
Reference
45
"A good man says good things. These come from the good that is put away in his heart. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is put away in his heart. Their mouths say everything that is in their hearts.
Reference
47
Some people come to me and listen to me and do what I say. I will show you what they are like.
Reference
48
They are like someone who builds a house. He digs down deep and sets it on solid rock. When a flood comes, the river rushes against the house. But the water can't shake it. The house is well built.
Reference
49
"But here is what happens when people listen to my words and do not obey them. They are like someone who builds a house on soft ground instead of solid rock. The moment the river rushes against that house, it falls down. It is completely destroyed."
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 33:31
Proverbs 28:18
Matthew 23:3
1 John 2:19
Mark 4:17
John 15:2
Luke 12:47
Luke 6:46
Summary of Luke 6
Luke 6 begins with two confrontations over Sabbath observance, establishing an important theme concerning Jesus' authority to interpret God's law according to its true purpose rather than allowing religious rules to become detached from compassion and human need.
In the first incident, Jesus' disciples pick and eat grain on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees accuse them of violating the law.
Jesus responds by referring to David, whose life traditionally belongs to the 10th century BC, when David and his companions ate consecrated bread during a time of need.
Jesus then makes the significant declaration that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, presenting Himself as possessing authority to determine how the Sabbath should properly function.
In another synagogue encounter, Jesus meets a man with a disabled hand while religious leaders watch closely to see whether He will heal him on the Sabbath.
Jesus asks whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good or evil and to save life or destroy it, then commands the man to stretch out his hand and restores it.
The miracle demonstrates that God's command concerning Sabbath rest cannot reasonably be used as an excuse to refuse compassion, yet the religious leaders respond with anger and begin discussing what they might do against Jesus.
Before selecting His twelve apostles, Jesus spends the entire night praying, emphasizing that the formation of this group is not a casual organizational decision but an important step in His mission.
At daybreak He chooses the Twelve, including Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot.
These twelve men become the closest representative group around Jesus and later play a foundational role in the early Christian movement.
Jesus then comes down to a level place where a large crowd from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon gathers to hear Him and receive healing.
His teaching begins with a series of blessings and warnings that dramatically reverse ordinary expectations about success and security.
Jesus declares the poor, hungry, grieving, and rejected to be blessed because God's kingdom will ultimately bring their circumstances into a different order, while He warns the wealthy, satisfied, comfortable, and widely praised that present prosperity cannot be treated as proof of God's approval.
This teaching emphasizes one of Luke's recurring themes: God's kingdom reverses human expectations, lifting those who are dependent upon Him while challenging those who place their confidence in wealth, comfort, or social approval.
Jesus then gives one of the most demanding ethical teachings in the chapter by commanding His followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them.
Rather than limiting kindness to people who are already friendly, Jesus calls His followers to demonstrate the character of God by extending mercy even toward people who act against them.
He also teaches radical generosity, telling His disciples to give without demanding repayment and to treat others as they would want to be treated.
Jesus' teaching challenges the normal human pattern of reciprocity, in which people give because they expect something in return, because kingdom generosity is supposed to reflect God's goodness toward both grateful and ungrateful people.
The instruction to love enemies does not merely concern feelings, because Jesus connects love with concrete actions such as blessing, praying, doing good, lending, giving, and refusing retaliation.
Jesus then teaches His disciples not to judge or condemn others hypocritically but instead to forgive and examine themselves, using the striking picture of someone trying to remove a tiny object from another person's eye while having a large obstruction in their own.
The principle is that people who want to help others must first confront their own weaknesses, because self-righteous correction can easily become hypocrisy.
Jesus then uses trees and fruit to explain that outward behavior reveals inward character, because good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit.
In the same way, a person's words and actions reveal what is stored within the heart, meaning that genuine spiritual transformation must reach beyond external religious behavior and affect a person's inner character.
The chapter concludes with Jesus challenging people who call Him "Lord" but do not obey His teaching, establishing a clear distinction between professing faith and practicing faith.
He compares the obedient disciple to a builder who digs deeply and places the foundation of a house on solid rock, so that when floodwaters arrive the structure remains standing.
The person who hears Jesus' teaching but refuses to practice it is compared with someone who builds without a proper foundation, leaving the house vulnerable to complete destruction when the flood comes.
Historically, Luke 6 belongs approximately to AD 27–30, during the early period of Jesus' Galilean ministry under Roman rule and the administration of Herod Antipas.
The chapter reflects many features of first-century Jewish society, including Sabbath observance, synagogue life, agricultural work, fishing communities, religious teachers, economic inequality, lending practices, social exclusion, and the importance of teacher-disciple relationships.
It also reaches back into Israel's earlier history through the example of David around the 10th century BC, demonstrating how Jesus interprets earlier Scripture in light of the deeper purpose of God's law.
Luke 6 ultimately presents Jesus as the authoritative interpreter of God's law and the teacher of a radically different kingdom ethic, calling His followers to prioritize mercy over legalistic judgment, love enemies instead of retaliating, give without expecting repayment, examine their own hearts before correcting others, and demonstrate genuine allegiance to Him by building their lives upon obedient practice rather than words alone.
In the first incident, Jesus' disciples pick and eat grain on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees accuse them of violating the law.
Jesus responds by referring to David, whose life traditionally belongs to the 10th century BC, when David and his companions ate consecrated bread during a time of need.
Jesus then makes the significant declaration that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, presenting Himself as possessing authority to determine how the Sabbath should properly function.
In another synagogue encounter, Jesus meets a man with a disabled hand while religious leaders watch closely to see whether He will heal him on the Sabbath.
Jesus asks whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good or evil and to save life or destroy it, then commands the man to stretch out his hand and restores it.
The miracle demonstrates that God's command concerning Sabbath rest cannot reasonably be used as an excuse to refuse compassion, yet the religious leaders respond with anger and begin discussing what they might do against Jesus.
Before selecting His twelve apostles, Jesus spends the entire night praying, emphasizing that the formation of this group is not a casual organizational decision but an important step in His mission.
At daybreak He chooses the Twelve, including Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot.
These twelve men become the closest representative group around Jesus and later play a foundational role in the early Christian movement.
Jesus then comes down to a level place where a large crowd from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon gathers to hear Him and receive healing.
His teaching begins with a series of blessings and warnings that dramatically reverse ordinary expectations about success and security.
Jesus declares the poor, hungry, grieving, and rejected to be blessed because God's kingdom will ultimately bring their circumstances into a different order, while He warns the wealthy, satisfied, comfortable, and widely praised that present prosperity cannot be treated as proof of God's approval.
This teaching emphasizes one of Luke's recurring themes: God's kingdom reverses human expectations, lifting those who are dependent upon Him while challenging those who place their confidence in wealth, comfort, or social approval.
Jesus then gives one of the most demanding ethical teachings in the chapter by commanding His followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them.
Rather than limiting kindness to people who are already friendly, Jesus calls His followers to demonstrate the character of God by extending mercy even toward people who act against them.
He also teaches radical generosity, telling His disciples to give without demanding repayment and to treat others as they would want to be treated.
Jesus' teaching challenges the normal human pattern of reciprocity, in which people give because they expect something in return, because kingdom generosity is supposed to reflect God's goodness toward both grateful and ungrateful people.
The instruction to love enemies does not merely concern feelings, because Jesus connects love with concrete actions such as blessing, praying, doing good, lending, giving, and refusing retaliation.
Jesus then teaches His disciples not to judge or condemn others hypocritically but instead to forgive and examine themselves, using the striking picture of someone trying to remove a tiny object from another person's eye while having a large obstruction in their own.
The principle is that people who want to help others must first confront their own weaknesses, because self-righteous correction can easily become hypocrisy.
Jesus then uses trees and fruit to explain that outward behavior reveals inward character, because good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit.
In the same way, a person's words and actions reveal what is stored within the heart, meaning that genuine spiritual transformation must reach beyond external religious behavior and affect a person's inner character.
The chapter concludes with Jesus challenging people who call Him "Lord" but do not obey His teaching, establishing a clear distinction between professing faith and practicing faith.
He compares the obedient disciple to a builder who digs deeply and places the foundation of a house on solid rock, so that when floodwaters arrive the structure remains standing.
The person who hears Jesus' teaching but refuses to practice it is compared with someone who builds without a proper foundation, leaving the house vulnerable to complete destruction when the flood comes.
Historically, Luke 6 belongs approximately to AD 27–30, during the early period of Jesus' Galilean ministry under Roman rule and the administration of Herod Antipas.
The chapter reflects many features of first-century Jewish society, including Sabbath observance, synagogue life, agricultural work, fishing communities, religious teachers, economic inequality, lending practices, social exclusion, and the importance of teacher-disciple relationships.
It also reaches back into Israel's earlier history through the example of David around the 10th century BC, demonstrating how Jesus interprets earlier Scripture in light of the deeper purpose of God's law.
Luke 6 ultimately presents Jesus as the authoritative interpreter of God's law and the teacher of a radically different kingdom ethic, calling His followers to prioritize mercy over legalistic judgment, love enemies instead of retaliating, give without expecting repayment, examine their own hearts before correcting others, and demonstrate genuine allegiance to Him by building their lives upon obedient practice rather than words alone.