27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at

his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything

and followed him.

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of

tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the

teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why

do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’

31 Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who

are ill. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’

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25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he

asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

26 ‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’

27 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

neighbour as yourself.”’

28 ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my

neighbour?’

30 In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when

he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and

went away, leaving him half-dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the

same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too,

a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw

him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring

on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn

and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to

the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse

you for any extra expense you may have.”

36 ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into

the hands of robbers?’

37 The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’

Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

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