Luke 6:1-26 : Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus Is Lord over the Sabbath Day
6 1One time on a Sabbath day,* Jesus was walking through some grain fields. His followers picked the grain, rubbed it in their hands, and ate it. 2Some Pharisees* said, "Why are you doing that? It is against the law [of Moses] to do that on the Sabbath day." 3Jesus answered, "You have read about what David* did when he and the people with him were hungry. 4David went into God's house. David took the bread that was offered to God and ate it. And David gave some of the bread to the people with him. This was against the law [of Moses]. The law says that only the priests can eat that bread." 5Then Jesus said to the Pharisees,*"The Son of Man* is Lord (Master) over the Sabbath day."
Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath Day
6On another Sabbath day* Jesus went into the synagogue.* Jesus taught the people. A man with a crippled right hand was there. 7The teachers of the law and the Pharisees* were waiting to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath day. They wanted to see Jesus do something wrong so that they could accuse him. 8But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Get up and stand before these people." The man got up and stood there. 9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which thing is right to do on the Sabbath day: to do good, or to do evil? Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?" 10Jesus looked around at all of them. Jesus said to the man, "Let me see your hand." The man put his hand out. His hand was healed. 11The Pharisees and the teachers of the law became very, very angry. They said to each other, "What can we do to Jesus?"
Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles
12At that time Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night praying to God. 13The next morning, Jesus called his followers. He chose twelve of them. He named these men "apostles."* They were: 14Simon (Jesus named him Peter) and Andrew, Peter's brother; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew; 15Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), and Simon (called the Zealot*), 16Judas (the son of James) and Judas Iscariot. This Judas was the one that gave Jesus to his enemies.
Jesus Teaches and Heals the People
17Jesus and the apostles* came down from the mountain. Jesus stood on a flat place. A large group of his followers were there. Also, there were many people from all around Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon.* 18They all came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed of their sicknesses. Jesus healed those people that were troubled by evil spirits [from the devil]. 19All the people were trying to touch Jesus, because power was coming out from him. Jesus healed them all! 20Jesus looked at his followers and said, "Poor people, you are blessed (happy), because God's kingdom belongs to you. 21You people that are hungry now, you are blessed, because you will be filled. You people that are crying now, you are blessed, because you will be [happy and] laughing. 22"People will hate you because you belong to the Son of Man.* They will make you leave their group. They will insult you. They will think it is wrong even to say your name. When these things happen, you are blessed. 23At that time you can be very happy, because you have a great reward in heaven. Their fathers* were mean to the prophets* in the same way that these people are mean to you. 24"But it will be bad for you, you rich people, because you had your easy life. 25It will be bad for you people that are full now, because you will be hungry. It will be bad for you people that are laughing now, because you will be sad and cry. 26"It is bad when all people say good things about you. Their fathers* always said good things about the false prophets.*
Sabbath day The seventh day of the Jewish week. It was a special religious day for the Jews. Pharisees The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group that claimed to follow carefully all Jewish laws and customs. David King of Israel about 1000 years before Christ. Son of Man A name Jesus used for himself. In Dan. 7:13-14, this is the name for the Messiah, the one God chose to save his people. synagogue(s) Synagogues were places where Jews gathered for prayer, study of the Scriptures, and other public meetings. apostles The men Jesus chose to be his special helpers. Zealot The Zealots were a Jewish political group. apostles The men Jesus chose to be his special helpers. Tyre and Sidon Towns in Lebanon where bad people lived. fathers Important ancestors of the Jews, especially the leaders of the twelve Jewish family groups. prophets People that spoke for God in Old Testament times. fathers Important ancestors of the Jews, especially the leaders of the twelve Jewish family groups. false prophets People who say they speak for God but do not really speak God's truth.