Then he began to teach<n id="1" /> them and said, &#8220;Is it not written: &#8216;<b><i>My house will be called a house of prayer for all nationsi>b>&#8217;?<n id="2" /> But you have turned it into <b><i>a deni>b><n id="3" /> <b><i>of robbersi>b>!&#8221;<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">Zechariah<n id="1" /> said to the angel, &#8220;How can I be sure of this?<n id="2" /> For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.&#8221;<n id="3" />

And now,<n id="1" /> because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time,<n id="2" /> you will be silent, unable to speak,<n id="3" /> until the day these things take place.&#8221;p>

and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.<n id="1" /> And a voice came from heaven, &#8220;You are my one dear Son;<n id="2" /> in you I take great delight.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me.<n id="1" /> I say to this one, &#8216;Go,&#8217; and he goes,<n id="2" /> and to another, &#8216;Come,&#8217; and he comes, and to my slave, &#8216;Do this,&#8217; and he does it.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Then<n id="1" /> Jesus asked,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Who was it who touched me?&#8221; When they all denied it, Peter<n id="3" /> said, &#8220;Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing<n id="4" /> against you!&#8221;

But Martha was distracted<n id="1" /> with all the preparations she had to make,<n id="2" /> so<n id="3" /> she came up to him and said, &#8220;Lord, don&#8217;t you care<n id="4" /> that my sister has left me to do all the work<n id="5" /> alone? Tell<n id="6" /> her to help me.&#8221;

Then<n id="1" /> he will reply<n id="2" /> from inside, &#8216;Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed.<n id="3" /> I cannot get up and give you anything.&#8217;<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;When an unclean spirit<n id="1" /> goes out of a person,<n id="2" /> it passes through waterless places<n id="3" /> looking for rest but<n id="4" /> not finding any. Then<n id="5" /> it says, &#8216;I will return to the home I left.&#8217;<n id="6" />

But if<n id="1" /> that<n id="2" /> slave should say to himself,<n id="3" /> &#8216;My master is delayed<n id="4" /> in returning,&#8217; and he begins to beat<n id="5" /> the other<n id="6" /> slaves, both men and women,<n id="7" /> and to eat, drink, and get drunk,

Returning<n id="1" /> home, he calls together<n id="2" /> his<n id="3" /> friends and neighbors, telling them, &#8216;Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.&#8217;

but he answered<n id="1" /> his father, &#8216;Look! These many years I have worked like a slave<n id="2" /> for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet<n id="3" /> you never gave me even a goat<n id="4" /> so that I could celebrate with my friends!

Then<n id="1" /> the manager said to himself, &#8216;What should I do, since my master is taking my position<n id="2" /> away from me? I&#8217;m not strong enough to dig,<n id="3" /> and I&#8217;m too ashamed<n id="4" /> to beg.

So<n id="1" /> he called out,<n id="2" /> &#8216;Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus<n id="3" /> to dip the tip of his finger<n id="4" /> in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish<n id="5" /> in this fire.&#8217;<n id="6" />

But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, &#8220;Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give<n id="1" /> to the poor, and if<n id="2" /> I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!&#8221;

He<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;Watch out<n id="2" /> that you are not misled. For many will come in my name, saying, &#8216;I am he,&#8217;<n id="3" /> and, &#8216;The time is near.&#8217; Do not follow them!

But before all this,<n id="1" /> they will seize<n id="2" /> you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues<n id="3" /> and prisons. You<n id="4" /> will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.

and tell the owner of the house,<n id="1" /> &#8216;The Teacher says to you, &#8220;Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?&#8221;&#8217;

Then<n id="1" /> he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, &#8220;This is my body<n id="2" /> which is given for you.<n id="3" /> Do this in remembrance of me.&#8221;

Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts,<n id="1" /> you did not arrest me.<n id="2" /> But this is your hour,<n id="3" /> and that of the power<n id="4" /> of darkness!&#8221;p>