A certain man, He said, was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. The road was steep and rocky, and passed through a wild, lonely region. Here the man was seized by robbers, and stripped of all that he had. He was beaten and bruised, and left for dead. As he lay thus, a priest and then a Levite from the temple at Jerusalem came that way. But instead of helping the poor man, they passed by on the other side. 65 These men had been chosen to minister in God's temple, and they ought to have been like Him, full of mercy and kindness. But their hearts were cold and unfeeling.

En mand gik ned fra Jerusalem til Jeriko, fortalte han. Denne vej var stejl og stenet og førte gennem en vild og øde egn. Her faldt manden i hænderne på røvere og blev plyndret for alt, hvad han ejede. De slog ham fordærvet og lod ham ligge halvdød. Som han nu lå der, kom en præst og derefter en levit fra helligdommen i Jerusalem og gik samme vej. Men i stedet for at hjælpe den stakkels mand, gik de forbi på den anden side af vejen. Disse mænd var udvalgt til at gøre tjeneste i Herrens tempel, og de burde ligesom han have været rige på miskundhed og godhed. Men deres hjerter var kolde og ufølsomme.