THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

: New Testament Stories

As Jesus was talking to His disciples, a certain lawyer stood up and

asked, "Who is my neighbour?" And Jesus answered by telling them this

story:--



A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among

thieves, who robbed him, stripped him of his clothes, and, wounding

him, left him on the road half dead. By chance there came a priest

that way, and, as a teacher of religion to men, he should h ve stopped

to help the poor man. Instead of this, he pretended not to see, and

passed by on the other side of the road. Then there came by a Levite,

who also, as an official of the church, should have given help. But he

merely came and looked on the injured man, and passed on the other

side as the priest had done.



Afterwards there came by a Samaritan, and, when he caught sight of the

wounded Jew, he went over to him and was very sorry for him. Now the

Jews hated the Samaritans, and were their enemies, so that it would

not have been surprising if he, also, had done as the priest and the

Levite did. But, no! Though it was his enemy, he could not pass him by

and leave him on the road, perhaps to die. He examined his wounds and

bound them up; doing all that he could to soothe them. Then he lifted

him carefully on his own beast, and brought him to the nearest inn,

and took care of him through the night. The next day, when the

Samaritan departed, he paid the man who kept the inn, and said to him,

"Take care of this poor man until he is well, and whatever it may cost

for his lodging and food, that I will pay thee when I come again."



"Which of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell

among thieves?" The lawyer answered, "He that showed mercy unto him."

Then said Jesus, "Go, and do thou likewise."