7:1 When Jesus finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum [4:23].
7:2 There was ·an army officer [L a centurion] who had a servant who was ·very important [of great value; precious] to him. The servant was so sick he was ·nearly dead [about to die].
7:3 When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant.
7:4 The men went to Jesus and ·begged [urged] him [L earnestly; strongly], saying, “This officer ·is worthy of [deserves] your help.
7:5 [L …for/because] He loves our ·people [nation], and he built us a synagogue.”
7:6 So Jesus went with the men. He was getting near the officer’s house when the ·officer [centurion] sent friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, because I ·am not worthy [do not deserve] to have you come into my house.
7:7 That is why I did not [L consider myself worthy/deserving to] come to you myself. But you only need to ·command it [L say a word], and my servant will be healed.
7:8 [L For; Because] I, too, am a man under the authority of others, and I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my ·servant [slave], ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, ·this is the greatest faith I have found anywhere [L I haven’t found such faith], ·even in Israel [or in all Israel].”
7:10 Those who had been sent to Jesus went back to the house where they found the servant in good health.
7:11 Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain [C a small village a few miles south of Nazareth], and his ·followers [disciples] and a large crowd traveled with him.
7:12 When he came near the town gate, ·he saw a funeral [L look/T behold, a dead man was being carried out]. A mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. A large crowd from the town was with the mother while her son was being carried out.
7:13 When the Lord saw her, he felt ·very sorry [compassion] for her and said, “Don’t cry.”
7:14 He went up and touched the ·coffin [or bier; C the body was probably wrapped in cloths and lying on a wooden plank], and the people who were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!”
7:15 And the ·son [L dead man] sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
7:16 All the people were ·amazed [seized with fear; filled with awe] and began ·praising [glorifying] God, saying, “A great prophet has ·come to [L appeared/arisen among] us! God has ·come to help [looked favorably on; visited; 1:68] his people.”
7:17 This ·news [account; word] about Jesus spread through all Judea and into all the ·places around there [surrounding region].
7:18 John’s ·followers [disciples] told him about all these things. He called for two of his ·followers [disciples]
7:19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the ·One who is to come [the Expected One; C the Messiah], or should we ·wait for [look for; expect] someone else?”
7:20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the ·One who is to come [Expected One], or should we ·wait for [look for; expect] someone else?”
7:21 At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and ·evil [defiling; L unclean; 4:33] spirits, and he gave sight to many blind people.
7:22 Then Jesus answered John’s ·followers [disciples], “Go tell John what you saw and heard here. The blind can see, the ·crippled [lame] can walk, and ·people with skin diseases [T lepers; see 5:12] are ·healed [L cleansed]. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the ·Good News [Gospel] is ·preached [announced; proclaimed] to the poor [C signs of God’s restoration of creation, predicted by the prophet Isaiah; Is. 29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1–2].
7:23 Those who ·do not stumble in their faith [are not offended] because of me are blessed.”
7:24 When John’s ·followers [L messengers] left, Jesus began talking to the ·people [crowds] about John: “What did you go out into the ·desert [wilderness] to see? A reed ·blown by [shaken by; swaying in] the wind [C something fragile and easily swept away]?
7:25 [L But] What did you go out to see? A man dressed in ·fine [expensive; L soft] clothes? No, people who have ·fine [glorious; splendid] clothes and much ·wealth [luxury] ·live [are] in ·kings’ palaces [royal courts].
7:26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, ·John is [L one who is] more than a prophet.
7:27 This was written about him: ‘[L Look; T Behold] I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare ·the [your] way ·for [before; in front of] you [Mal. 3:1].’
7:28 I tell you, John is greater than any other person ·ever born [L born to women], but even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John [C because John was part of the old age of preparation, those in the new kingdom age have greater blessings and status].”
7:29 (When the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they all agreed that God’s ·teaching was good [way was right/just], because they had been baptized by John.
7:30 But the Pharisees and experts on the law ·refused to accept [rejected] God’s ·plan [purpose] for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)
7:31 Then Jesus said, “·What shall I say about [L To what, therefore, shall I compare] the people of this ·time [L generation]? What are they like?
7:32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling to one another and saying, ‘We played ·music [L the pipe/flute] for you, but you did not dance; we sang a ·sad song [funeral song; dirge], but you did not ·cry [weep].’ [C The religious leaders wanted John to “dance” (lighten up his severe message) and wanted Jesus to “mourn” (follow their restrictive lifestyle).]
7:33 [L For] John the Baptist came and did not eat bread or drink wine, and you say, ‘He ·has [is possessed by] a demon in him.’
7:34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! ·He eats too much and drinks too much wine [L A glutton and a drunkard], and he is a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
7:35 But wisdom is ·proved to be right [vindicated] by ·what it does [or the behavior of her followers; L all her/its children; C Wisdom is personified as a woman (Prov. 8), her “children” being those who respond favorably to the message of John and Jesus].”
7:36 One of the Pharisees ·asked [invited] Jesus to eat with him, so Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and ·sat at the table [L reclined; C at a formal meal guests would recline at a low table with their feet stretched out behind them].
7:37 [L And look/T behold] A ·sinful [immoral] woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she brought an alabaster ·jar [vial; flask] of perfume
7:38 and stood behind Jesus at his feet, ·crying [weeping]. She began to ·wash [wet; drench] his feet with her tears, and she ·dried [wiped] them with her hair, kissing them many times and ·rubbing [anointing] them with the perfume.
7:39 When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If ·Jesus [L this person] were a prophet, he would know ·that the woman touching him is a sinner [L who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner]!”
7:40 Jesus said to ·the Pharisee [L him], “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Simon said, “Teacher, tell me.”
7:41 Jesus said, “Two people owed money to ·the same banker [L a certain moneylender/creditor]. One owed five hundred ·coins [L denarii; C a denarius was equal to a day’s wage for a laborer] and the other owed fifty.
7:42 They had no money to pay what they owed, but ·the banker [L he] ·told both of them they did not have to pay him [L forgave both (debts)]. Which person [L therefore] will love ·the banker [L him] more?”
7:43 Simon answered, “I ·think [suppose] it would be the one ·who owed him the most money [L for whom he forgave the larger].” Jesus said to Simon, “You are right.”
7:44 Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she ·washed [wet; drenched] my feet with her tears and ·dried [wiped] them with her hair.
7:45 You gave me no kiss of greeting, but she has ·been [not stopped] kissing my feet since I came in.
7:46 You did not ·put oil on [anoint] my head, but she ·poured perfume on my feet [has anointed my feet with perfume].
7:47 [L Therefore] I tell you that her many sins are forgiven, ·so [that is why] she showed great love. But the person who is forgiven only a little will love only a little.”
7:48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
7:49 The people ·sitting at the table [L reclining together; 7:36] began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “·Because you believed, you are saved from your sins [L Your faith has saved you]. Go in peace.”
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