LUK 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25A certain lawyer stood up testing him and saying: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" [10:26] He said to him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" [10:27] He answered: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." [10:28] He said to him: "You have answered correctly — do this and you will live." [10:29] But wishing to vindicate himself, he said to Jesus: "And who is my neighbor?" [10:30] Jesus replied and said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among bandits, who stripped him and beat him and went off, leaving him half dead. [10:31] By coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and seeing him he passed by on the other side. [10:32] Likewise a Levite also, coming to the place and seeing him, passed by on the other side. [10:33] But a certain Samaritan, traveling, came upon him and, seeing him, was seized with visceral compassion. [10:34] He came to him and bound his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Setting him on his own pack animal, he brought him to an inn and took care of him. [10:35] On the next day, taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper and said: 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' [10:36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the bandits?" [10:37] He said: "The one who showed mercy to him." Jesus said to him: "Go and do likewise."

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Judea, the relationship between Jews and Samaritans was deeply antagonistic, rooted in centuries of ethnic, religious, and political division. Samaritans were viewed as heretics and outsiders, making the Samaritan’s actions in the parable shocking to Jesus’ Jewish audience. The lawyer’s question about inheriting eternal life reflects a common concern among Jewish elites, who sought to navigate the complexities of Torah observance. His use of (to justify) reveals his desire to validate his own righteousness within the framework of the law. The (bandits) on the Jericho road were not mere thieves but violent insurgents, a known threat in the region. The Samaritan’s (visceral compassion) and use of (pack animal) underscore his practical, costly care, contrasting with the priest and Levite’s ritual purity concerns. This parable subverts cultural norms, redefining neighborliness beyond ethnic and religious boundaries.

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How other translations render this

LUK 10:25

KJV: And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
BSB: One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Koinōnos: A certain lawyer stood up testing him and saying: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

LUK 10:26

KJV: He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
BSB: “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”
Koinōnos: He said to him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?

LUK 10:27

KJV: And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
BSB: He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Koinōnos: He answered: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

LUK 10:28

KJV: And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
BSB: “You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”
Koinōnos: He said to him: "You have answered correctly — do this and you will live.

LUK 10:29

KJV: But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
BSB: But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Koinōnos: But wishing to vindicate himself, he said to Jesus: "And who is my neighbor?

LUK 10:30

KJV: And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
BSB: Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.
Koinōnos: Jesus replied and said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among bandits, who stripped him and beat him and went off, leaving him half dead.

LUK 10:31

KJV: And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
BSB: Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Koinōnos: By coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and seeing him he passed by on the other side.

LUK 10:32

KJV: And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
BSB: So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Koinōnos: Likewise a Levite also, coming to the place and seeing him, passed by on the other side.

LUK 10:33

KJV: But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
BSB: But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
Koinōnos: But a certain Samaritan, traveling, came upon him and, seeing him, was seized with visceral compassion.

LUK 10:34

KJV: And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
BSB: He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Koinōnos: He came to him and bound his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Setting him on his own pack animal, he brought him to an inn and took care of him.

LUK 10:35

KJV: And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
BSB: The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’
Koinōnos: On the next day, taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper and said: 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.

LUK 10:36

KJV: Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
BSB: Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
Koinōnos: Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the bandits?

LUK 10:37

KJV: And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
BSB: “The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Koinōnos: He said: "The one who showed mercy to him." Jesus said to him: "Go and do likewise.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

LUK 10:29

to justify:The word translated 'to justify' here carries the sense of proving oneself to be in the right or vindicating one's actions, often in a legal or ethical context.

LUK 10:30

robbers:The term translated 'robbers' often referred to violent bandits or insurgents who might also engage in rebellion, not just petty thieves.

LUK 10:33

him:The word translated 'him' (from the verb 'had compassion') literally refers to a deep, visceral feeling from the gut or intestines, indicating profound pity or mercy.

LUK 10:34

beast:The word translated 'beast' typically referred to a pack animal or livestock, emphasizing its utility for transport or labor rather than a wild animal.