Study Desk

Now Jesus was ^(C1)teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

And ^(F1)there was a woman who for eighteen years had had ^(C1)a ^(F2)sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over double, and could not straighten up at all.

When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness."

And He ^(C1)laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood up straight again, and began ^(C2)glorifying God.

But ^(C1)the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus ^(C2)had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "^(C3)There are six days during which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

But ^(C1)the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, ^(C2)does each of you on the Sabbath not untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it?

"And this woman, ^(C1)a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom ^(C2)Satan has bound for ^(F1)eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this restraint on the Sabbath day?"

And as He said this, all His opponents were being ^(F1)humiliated; and ^(C1)the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

So ^(C1)He was saying, "^(C2)What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?

"It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and ^(C1)the birds of the sky nested in its branches."

And again He said, "^(C1)To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

"^(C1)It is like ^(F1)leaven, which a woman took and hid in ^(C2)three ^(F2)sata of flour until it was all leavened."