The Sayings Gospel Q: An NSRVue-Like Translation

Preface

Q is the hypothetical sayings source that many scholars think the authors of Matthew and Luke used alongside Mark. No manuscript of Q survives, so this text is a scholarly reconstruction.

The translation was produced by GPT-5.6 Astra from the reconstructed Greek supplied from the Critical Edition of Q, using language modeled on the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition (NRSVue). It is not an official NRSVue translation or a complete critical edition. The sayings are arranged according to John Kloppenborg’s influential stratification of Q: an early wisdom layer, a prophetic-apocalyptic layer, and a final redaction. This arrangement is a historical proposal rather than a settled fact and is intended to preserve the differences within the reconstructed tradition instead of presenting Q as a single, uniform voice.

Editorial supplements drawn from NRSVue Luke appear in square brackets, with any adjustments explained in the notes. The bracketed term [Gehenna] is the exception: it replaces the NRSVue’s “hell” and does not indicate missing Greek. Bold and standalone verse labels function as references. Rather than reproduce the Greek source’s critical brackets word for word, the notes identify sayings with uncertain reconstructions or other source problems.

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Q1 — The Earliest Layer (Wisdom/Sapiential)

Jesus’ Teaching

QS 8 — On Those Who Are Fortunate (Q 6:20-23)

[20] “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. [21] Blessed are you who are hungry, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be comforted. [22] Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on account of the Son of Man. [23] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Notes — v22: Or “son of humanity” (CEQ); Gk huios tou anthrōpou, lit. “son of the human being”

QS 9 — On Responding to Reproach (Q 6:27-35)

[27] “Love your enemies [28] and pray for those who persecute you. [29] If anyone strikes you on the cheek, turn the other also, and if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give your coat as well. [30] Give to the one who asks of you, and from the one who borrows do not ask back what is yours. [31] Do to others as you would have them do to you. [32] If you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [34] And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what reward do you have? Do not even the gentiles do the same? [35c] So that you may be children of your Father, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”

Notes — v35c: Gk “sons” · v29-30: The supplied source also brackets the second-mile saying (Matthew 5:41) between these verses; it is not included in this QS presentation.

QS 10 — On Making Judgments (Q 6:36-38)

[36] “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. [37] Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For the judgment you give will be the judgment you get, [38] and the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

Notes — v36: Or “compassionate”

QS 11 — On Teachers and Students (Q 6:39-40)

[39] “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? [40] A disciple is not above the teacher; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher.”

QS 12 — On Hypocrisy (Q 6:41-42)

[41] “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? [42] How can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”

Notes — v41: Or “beam”

QS 13 — On Integrity (Q 6:43-45)

[43] “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, [44] for the tree is known by its fruit. Are figs gathered from thorns or grapes from thistles? [45] The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.”

Notes — v44-45: The tree and treasure clauses follow Matthew 12:33, 35; Q does not have Luke’s ‘each’, ‘own’, or ‘of the heart’ modifying the treasure.

QS 14 — On Practical Obedience (Q 6:46-49)

[46] “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? [47] Everyone who hears my words and acts on them [48] is like a person who built a house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock. [49] And everyone who hears my words and does not act on them is like a person who built a house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and immediately it fell, and great was its fall!”

Instructions for the Jesus Movement

QS 19 — On Becoming a Follower of Jesus (Q 9:57-60)

[57] And someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” [58] And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” [59] But another said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” [60] But he said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Notes — v58: Or “of the sky” · “Son of Man”: or “son of humanity” (CEQ); Gk huios tou anthrōpou, lit. “son of the human being”

QS 20 — On Working for the Kingdom of God (Q 10:2-9)

[2] He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. [3] Go on your way! See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves. [4] Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, nor a staff; and greet no one on the road. [5] Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ [6] And if a person of peace is there, let your peace come upon that person, but if not, let your peace return to you. [7] Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. [8] Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; [9] cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

Notes — v2: Or “thrust out”; Gk ekbalē · v6: Gk “son of peace”; “person of peace” follows NRSVue Luke 10:6. The commands follow Matthew 10:13.

Confidence in the Father’s Care

QS 26 — How to Pray (Q 11:2b-4)

[2b] “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. [3] Give us today our daily bread. [4] And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

Notes — v4: Or “to the test”

QS 27 — Confidence in Asking (Q 11:9-13)

[9] “I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. [11] Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for bread, would give a stone? [12] Or if the child asked for a fish, would give a snake? [13] If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him!”

On Anxiety and Speaking Out

QS 35 — On Speaking Out (Q 12:2-3)

[2] “Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. [3] What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.”

QS 36 — On Fear (Q 12:4-7)

[4] “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. [5] Rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in [Gehenna]. [6] Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. [7] But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

On Personal Goods

QS 38 — Foolish Possessions (Q 12:13-21)

[13] Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” [14] But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” [15] And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” [16] Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. [17] And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ [18] Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ [20] But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ [21] So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

[NRSVue Luke supplement: no Greek for Luke 12:13-21 appears in the supplied ceq_reference.md. Retained from the existing QS segment list; this is not a translation of supplied Q Greek.]

QS 39 — On Food and Clothing (Q 12:22-31)

[22b] “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. [23] Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [24] Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet God feeds them. Are you not of more value than the birds? [25] And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? [26] And why do you worry about clothing? [27] Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. [28] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith! [29] So do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ [30] For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and your Father knows that you need them all. [31] But seek his kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Notes — v25: Or “add a cubit to your stature”; the Greek permits the stature/lifespan question. The main text follows NRSVue Matthew 6:27 and Luke 12:25.

QS 40 — On Heavenly Treasure (Q 12:33-34)

[33] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. [34] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Parables of the Kingdom

QS 46 — The Mustard and the Yeast (Q 13:18-21)

[18] “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what should I compare it? [19] It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” [20] And again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? [21] It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

The True Followers of Jesus

QS 50 — On Humility (Q 14:11)

[11] “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

[This entire saying is bracketed in the supplied Greek; its reconstruction is uncertain.]

QS 51 — The Great Supper (Q 14:16-23)

[16] “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. [17] At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’ [18] [But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought] a piece of land[, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’] [21] And the slave [reported] these things to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, [23] ‘Go out into the roads, and whoever you find, invite, so that my house may be filled.’”

Notes — v18: Only agron is supplied in Greek; ‘a piece of land’ follows NRSVue Luke 14:18. The bracketed dialogue is supplied from that verse. · v21: [reported] supplies the missing verb from NRSVue Luke 14:21.

QS 52 — On the Cost of Being a Disciple (Q 14:26-27; 17:33)

[26] “Whoever does not hate father and mother cannot be my disciple; and whoever does not hate son and daughter cannot be my disciple. [27] Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. [33] Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

QS 53 — Savorless Salt (Q 14:34-35)

[34] “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? [35] It is useful neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away.”

Notes — v34: Or “becomes insipid”; Gk mōranthē (“becomes foolish”)

Q2 — The Prophetic-Apocalyptic Layer

John’s Preaching

QS 3 — The Appearance of John (Q 3:2b-3a)

[2b] <…> John [3a] <…> all the region of the Jordan <…>.

[Highly fragmentary — only isolated words survive in the CEQ reconstruction]

QS 4 — John’s Address to the People (Q 3:7-9)

[7] He said to the crowds coming to be baptized, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? [8] Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. [9] Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

QS 5 — John’s Prediction of Someone to Come (Q 3:16b-17)

[16b] “I baptize you with water, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [17] His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Jesus’ Teaching

QS 7 — Introduction (Q 6:20)

[20] And he looked up at his disciples and said:

What John and Jesus Thought About Each Other

QS 15 — The Occasion (Q 7:1, 3, 6b-9)

[1] And when he had ended these sayings, he entered Capernaum. [3] A centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “My servant is ill.” And he said to him, “Am I to come and cure him?” [6b] The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, [7] but only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. [8] For I also am a person under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” [9] When Jesus heard this he was amazed, and said to those who followed, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

Notes — v3,7: Or “boy”; Gk pais

QS 16 — John’s Inquiry (Q 7:18-19, 22-23)

[18] And John, on hearing about all these things, sent word through his disciples [19] and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” [22] And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. [23] And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

QS 17 — What Jesus Said about John (Q 7:24-28)

[24] When they had gone, he began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? [25] What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. [26] What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [27] This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ [28] I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

QS 18 — What Jesus Said about This Generation (Q 7:31-35)

[31] “To what shall I compare this generation, and what is it like? [32] It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to others, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.’ [33] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ [34] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ [35] Yet wisdom is vindicated by her children.”

Notes — v34: Or “son of humanity” (CEQ); Gk huios tou anthrōpou, lit. “son of the human being”

Pronouncements Against Towns That Reject the Movement

QS 21 — The Unreceptive Town (Q 10:10-12)

[10] “But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, as you leave that town, [11] shake off the dust from your feet. [12] I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.”

QS 22 — The Galilean Towns (Q 10:13-15)

[13] “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [14] Indeed, at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. [15] And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.”

Congratulations to Those Who Accept the Movement

QS 23 — On the One Who Receives the Worker (Q 10:16)

[16] “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

QS 24 — On the One Who Receives Revelation (Q 10:21-22)

[21] At that time he said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. [22] All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

QS 25 — On the One Who Hears and Sees (Q 10:23-24)

[23] “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Controversy with This Generation

QS 28 — On Kingdoms in Conflict (Q 11:14-22)

[14] And he cast out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. [15] But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” [17] But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every household divided against itself will not stand. [18] And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? [19] And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. [20] But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. [21] A strong man, fully armed, guards his castle; his property is safe. [22] But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted.”

Notes — v17: Or “left barren” · v21-22: The CEQ text of these verses is uncertain

QS 29 — Those For and Those Against (Q 11:23)

[23] “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

QS 30 — On the Return of an Evil Spirit (Q 11:24-26)

[24] “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, and not finding any it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ [25] When it returns, it finds the house swept and put in order. [26] Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

QS 31 — Hearing and Keeping the Teaching of God (Q 11:27-28)

[27] While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” [28] But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

[NRSVue Luke supplement: no Greek for Luke 11:27-28 appears in the supplied ceq_reference.md. Retained from the existing QS segment list; this is not a translation of supplied Q Greek.]

Judgment on This Generation

QS 32 — The Sign of Jonah (Q 11:16, 29-32)

[16] But some were demanding from him a sign. [29] But he said, “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. [30] For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. [31] The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed, something greater than Solomon is here! [32] The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and indeed, something greater than Jonah is here!”

Notes — v30: Or “son of humanity” (CEQ); Gk huios tou anthrōpou, lit. “son of the human being”

True Enlightenment

QS 33 — The Lamp and the Eye (Q 11:33-35)

[33] “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. [34] The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is full of darkness. [35] If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Notes — v34: Or “generous” … “envious”; Gk haplous … ponēros

Pronouncement Against the Pharisees

QS 34 — O You Pharisees (Q 11:39-52)

[39] Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. [40] You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? [41] So give as alms those things that are within and then everything will be clean for you. [42] But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. [43] Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. [44] Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves on which people unknowingly walk. [46b] Woe also to you experts in the law! For you tie up burdens [hard to bear] and lay them on the shoulders of others, but you yourselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. [52] Woe to you experts in the law! For you shut the kingdom of God against people; you did not enter yourselves, nor did you allow those who were entering to go in. [47] Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. [48] So you testify against yourselves that you are children of your ancestors. [49] For this reason also the Wisdom [of God] said, ‘I will send them prophets and sages, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ [50] so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, [51] from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation.”

Notes — v46b: The binding and shoulder clauses follow Matthew 23:4; [hard to bear] fills the gap from NRSVue Luke 11:46. · v49: [of God] fills the gap after Wisdom from NRSVue Luke 11:49.

[Verses 39-44 are NRSVue Luke supplements: no Greek for them appears in the supplied ceq_reference.md. This is a limit of the supplied file, not a claim that the published CEQ excludes these sayings.]

On Anxiety and Speaking Out

QS 37 — On Public Confessions (Q 12:8-12)

[8] “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels [of God]; [9] but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels [of God]. [10] And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. [11] When they bring you before synagogues, do not worry about how or what you are to say, [12] for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”

Notes — v8,10: Or “son of humanity” (CEQ); Gk huios tou anthrōpou, lit. “son of the human being” · v8-9: [of God] fills the gaps after angels from NRSVue Luke 12:8-9.

The Coming Judgment

QS 41 — The Hour (Q 12:39-40)

[39] “But know this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. [40] You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Notes — v40: Or “son of humanity” (CEQ); Gk huios tou anthrōpou, lit. “son of the human being”

QS 42 — On Faithfulness (Q 12:42-46)

[42] “Who, then, is the faithful and wise slave whom the master put in charge of his household, to give them their food at the proper time? [43] Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. [44] Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. [45] But if that slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, [46] the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.”

QS 43 — Fire and Division (Q 12:49, 51, 53)

[49] “I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze! [51] Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? I have not come to bring peace but a sword. [53] For I have come to set a son against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Notes — v49,51: Or “hurl”; Gk balein · v49: This entire verse is bracketed in the supplied Greek; its reconstruction is uncertain.

QS 44 — Signs of the Times (Q 12:54-56)

[54] “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ [55] And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ [56] You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but can you not interpret the time?”

[This passage is bracketed in the supplied Greek. Verses 54-55 follow NRSVue Matthew 16:2-3; verse 56 follows Q’s singular “time” and question form, without Matthew’s “signs”.]

QS 45 — Settling Accounts (Q 12:58-59)

[58] “While you are on the way with your accuser, make an effort to reach a settlement, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and the guard throw you in prison. [59] I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

Notes — v58: Or “opponent”; Gk antidikos

The Two Ways

QS 47 — The Narrow Gate and the Closed Door (Q 13:24-27)

[24] “Enter through the narrow door, for many will seek to enter and few are those who enter through it. [25] Once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know you.’ [26] Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ [27] And he will say to you, ‘I do not know you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’”

QS 48 — Exclusion from the Kingdom (Q 13:28-30)

[28] “And many will come from east and west and will take their places at the banquet [29] with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [30] The last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Notes — v30: This entire verse is bracketed in the supplied Greek; its reconstruction is uncertain.

QS 49 — Lament over Jerusalem (Q 13:34-35)

[34] “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! [35] See, your house is left to you. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Community Rules

QS 54 — When to Rejoice (Q 15:4-10)

[4] “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that is lost? [5a] And if he finds it, [7] I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. [8] Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search until she finds it? [9] And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ [10] Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.”

Notes — v4: Or “hills”; Gk orē · v8-10: The CEQ text of these verses is uncertain

QS 55 — Either/Or (Q 16:13)

[13] “No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

QS 56 — The Kingdom and the Law (Q 16:16-18)

[16] “The Law and the Prophets were until John came; from then on the kingdom of God has suffered violence, and violent people take it by force. [17] But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one letter or one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped. [18] Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Notes — v16: Or “is forcefully advancing”; Gk biazetai · v17: Gk “one iota”; “one letter” follows NRSVue Matthew 5:18.

QS 57 — On Scandals (Q 17:1-2)

[1] “Occasions for sin are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! [2] It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to sin.”

Notes — v1,2: Or “enticements to sin”; Gk skandala

QS 58 — On Forgiveness (Q 17:3-4)

[3] “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. [4] And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, you shall forgive seven times.”

Notes — v3: Gk “brother”

QS 59 — On Faith (Q 17:6)

[6] “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

The Final Judgment

QS 60 — The Day of Separation (Q 17:20-37)

[20] Once he was asked when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, [21] nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you. [23] If they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not follow. [24] For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the Son of Man be in his day. [26] For as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the day of the Son of Man. [27] For as in those days they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and swept them all away, [30] so will it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. [33] Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. [34] I tell you, there will be two in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. [35] Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. [37] Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.”

Notes — v20-21: The CEQ text of these verses is uncertain · v24,26,30: Or “son of humanity” (CEQ); Gk huios tou anthrōpou, lit. “son of the human being” · v37: Or “vultures”; Gk aetoi · v21: Or “within you”; Gk entos hymōn. “Among you” follows NRSVue Luke 17:21. · v24: ‘In his day’ is bracketed in the supplied Greek.

QS 61 — Squaring Accounts (Q 19:12-26)

[12] “A certain person, on taking a journey, [13] called ten of his slaves and gave them ten pounds and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ [15] After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. [16] The first came and said, ‘Master, your pound has made ten more pounds.’ [17] And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! You have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.’ [18] And the second came and said, ‘Master, your pound has made five pounds.’ [19] He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! You have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.’ [20] And the other came and said, ‘Master, [21] I knew that you were a harsh person, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your pound in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ [22] He said to him, ‘You wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? [23] Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.’ [24] So take the pound from him and give it to the one who has the ten pounds. [26] For to all those who have, more will be given, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

Notes — v21,22: Or “winnow”; Gk diaskorpizō · v13,16,18,21,24: Gk mina/minas; “pound/pounds” follows NRSVue Luke 19. These are ancient monetary units, not modern British currency.

QS 62 — Judging Israel (Q 22:28, 30)

[28] “You who have followed me [30] will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Notes — v28: ‘You who have followed me’ follows the supplied Greek and NRSVue Matthew 19:28. The supplied CEQ English instead gives Luke’s ‘stood by me in my trials’, which does not match this Greek.

Q3 — The Final Redaction

The Temptation of Jesus

QS 6 — Jesus Tempted by the Accuser (Q 4:1-4, 9-12, 5-8, 13)

[1] And Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness [2] to be tested by the devil. And [he ate nothing at all during those] forty days, [and when they were over] he was famished. [3] And the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” [9] The devil took him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, [10] for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ [11] and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” [12] And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” [5] And the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, [6] and said to him, “All these I will give you, [7] if you will worship me.” [8] And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” [13] And the devil left him.

Notes — v2: Bracketed wording fills the gaps from NRSVue Luke 4:2, with word order adjusted around the preserved ‘forty days’. It is an editorial supplement, not preserved Q Greek.

Unassigned Segments

Introduction

QS 1 — Title (Q 3:[0])

[Not reconstructable — the CEQ preserves only the name “Jesus” from the incipit]

QS 2 — The Setting for the Instructions

[Not reconstructable — no surviving text]