September 13th, 2025

The season of Pentecost continues, and this Sunday is the “Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost”. And it should be noted that, as previous weeks have jumped over a few verses in the text from the previous Sunday, this Sunday’s Gospel Reading continues immediately after last Sunday’s reading, although it is numbered as the next chapter. The text for this Sunday is Luke 15:1-10.

It may be noted that another chapter number may not indicate a significant change from the previous verses and chapters. And although many of the sections start with the word in English “now”, that may not indicate a chronological connection to the event which follows. The Gospel according to Luke may be described as “orderly” (see the first few verses of the work for more detail), this part of the account deals with various topics, and the current one has to do with sin and repentance. And such a topic is usually not very popular. But it is an important one.

It may also be said that some people may not be fond of the EXTREMELY literal translation of the biblical texts within these writings. One of the reasons for such a translation is to encourage the reader to have another bible translation or a study bible nearby, so that a difficult text could be explained more clearly. To depend only upon on the translations of these writings for understanding may be very difficult.

It should also be said that this that such a translation is helpful to make a transition to the original language of the New Testament, that of ancient Greek. The words given below are in the same order as the words in the Greek text (expect for the postpositive words—those that normally appear as the second word in the sentence, but they are given first in the translation). And the hyphens below are given if there is more than one word in English to explain a single Greek word.

It should also be said that some of the English words chosen have been deliberately chosen to show how close they are to the Greek language, although the meaning could have changed over the centuries. I have also warned the readers in some of the previous writings that the writer of this gospel account was a doctor that had a huge vocabulary. Some people who know Greek may not know all the words of the text, and there is an attempt to show the rarity of some of these words within the translation.
The following should be stated clearly at the start: What follows is a LONG text. It contains the entire topic of the temple, and the temple is a big topic. And Jerusalem, because of the temple, is an important city.

The first part of the text is the widow’s gift into the treasury, and Jesus has some important things to say about that. Then there is the topic of the destruction of the temple, and that topic goes on for a while, and also connected to that topic is the idea of The End. You may wish to break up your reading into more than one session. So what follows, as was mentioned above, is an EXTREMELY literal translation of what is known as the twenty-first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke:

Now  having-looked-up,  he-saw  the-ones  throwing  into  the  guarded-treasury,  the  gifts  of-them,  rich-ones.  Now  he-saw  a-certain  widow,  poor,  throwing  there  lepta,  two,  and  he-said,  “Truly,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  the  widow,  this,  the  poor,  more  than-all  she-threw,  for  all  these,  out-of  the  thing-abounding  to-them,  they-threw  into  the  gifts,  now  this-one,  out-of  the  deficiency  of-her,  all  the  livelihood  which  she-had,  she-threw.”

And  some  speaking  about  the  temple,  that  with-stones,  good  and  offerings  it-has-been-adorned,  he-said,  “These-things  which  you-behold,  they-will-come,  days,  in  which  not  there-will-be-left,  stone  upon  stone,  which  not  will-be-destroyed-completely.”

Now  they-questioned  him  saying,  “Teacher,  therefore  when  these-things  will-it-be?  And  what  the  sign  when  they-are-about,  these-things,  to-happen?”

Now  the-one  said,  “Look,  that-not  you-are-led-astray;  for  many  will-come  upon  the  name  of-me  saying,  ‘I,  I-am,’  and  ‘The  time  has-drawn-near.’  Do-not  journey  after  them.  Now  when  you-hear  of-wars  and   riots,  do-not  be-terrified,  for  it-is-necessary,  these-things  to-happen  first,  but-on-the-contrary  not  immediately  the  end.” 

Then  he-was-saying  to-them,  “It-will-raise-up,  a-nation  upon  a-nation  and  a-kingdom  upon  a-kingdom;  both  earthquakes,  great  and  according-to  place;  famines  and  pestilences  there-will-be,  both  terrors  and  from  heaven  signs,  great-ones,  there-will-be.  Now  before  these-things,  all,  they-will-throw-upon,  upon  you,  the  hands  of-them,  and  they-will-persecute,  giving-you-over  into  the  synagogues  and  prisons,  being-led-away  upon  kings  and  governors  for-the-sake-of  the  name  of-me;  it-will-turn-out  to-you  into  a-witness.  Therefore,  put  in  the  hearts  of-you  not  to-practice-beforehand  to-make-an-apology.  For  I,  I-will-give  to-you  a-mouth  and  wisdom,  which  not  they-will-be-able  to-withstand  or  to-contradict,  all  the-ones  opposing  you.  Now  you-will-be-given-over  also  by  parents  and  brothers  and  relatives  and  friends,  and  they-will-kill  from  you,  and  you-will-be,  being-hated  by  all,  on-account-of  the  name  of-me.  And  a-hair  out-of  the  head  of-you,  certainly  not  it-will-perish;  in  the  remaining-under  of-you,  you-will-gain  the  souls  of-you.” 
“Now  when  you-see  being-surrounded  by  army-camps,  Jerusalem,  then  know  that  it-has-come-near,  the  desolation  of-it.  Then  the-ones  in  the  Judea,  let-them-flee  into  the  mountains,  and  the-ones  in  midst  of-it,  let-them-depart-out,  and  the-ones  in  the  country,  not  let-them-come-into,  into  it,  because  days  of-vengeance  these  are,  of-the  to-be-fulfilled,  all  the-things  having-been-written.  Woe  to-the-ones  in  gastric  having,  and  to-the-ones  nursing  in  those  the  days,  for  there-will-be  distress,  great,  upon  the  earth,  and  wrath  to-the  people,  this.  And  they-will-fall  by-mouth  of-sword,  and  they-will-be-taken-captive  into  the  nations,  all;  and  Jerusalem  will-be,  being-trampled  by  nations,  until  which  they-are-fulfilled  appointed-times  of-nations.” 
“And  there-will-be  signs  in  sun  and  moon  and  stars,  and  upon  the  earth,  distress  of-nations  in-perplexity  of-roaring  of-sea  and  surf,  fainting  people,  from  fear  and  expectation  of-the  things-coming-upon  the  inhabited-earth,  for  the  powers  of-the  heavens,  they-will-be-shaken.  And  then  they-will-see  the  Son  of-the  Man  coming  in  a-cloud  with  power  and  glory,  much.  Now  beginning,  these-things  to-happen,  stand-up-straight  and  lift-up  the  heads  of-you,  because  it-is-coming-near,  the  redemption  of-you.”

And  he-told  a-parable  to-them,  “See  the  fig-tree  and  all  the  trees.  When  they-throw-before  already,  seeing  from  yourselves  you-know,  that  already,  near  the  summer  is;  Thus  also  you,  when  you-see  these-things  happening,  you-know  that  near  is  the  kingdom  of-the  God.  Amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  certainly  not  it-will-pass-away,  the  generation,  this,  until  which  all-things  happen.  The  heaven  and  the  earth,  they-will-pass-away,  now  the  words  of-me  certainly  not  they-will-pass-away.  Now  pay-attention  to-yourselves  in-order-that-not  they-become-burdened  of-you,  the hearts,  with  drinking  and  drunkenness  and  anxieties  of-life,  and  it-come-upon,  upon  you  suddenly,  the  day,  that,  as  a-trap;  for  it-will-come-upon,  upon  all  the-ones  sitting  upon  face  of-all  the  earth.  Now  be-watchful  in  every  time,  begging  that  you-may-be-strong  to-escape  these-things,  all,  the-ones  being-about  to-happen,  and  to-stand  before  the  Son  of-the  Man.”

Now  he-was  the  days  in  the  temple  teaching,  now  the  nights  coming-out,  he-was-lodging  into  the  mountain,  the-one  being-called  “Of-olives”.  And  all  the  people  came-in-the-morning  toward  him  in  the  temple  to-hear  him.​

Congratulations; you made it to the end!

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