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Bible story · Luke 17:11–19

The Ten Lepers

Jesus heals ten sick men, but only one comes back to say thank you. A 2-minute animated story, told simply for children and families, with each verse from the King James Version.

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1 of 9

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus came to a village. Ten men with leprosy, a terrible skin disease, stood far away. They were not allowed to come close to other people.

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

Luke 17:12 KJV

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They called out loudly, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

Luke 17:13 KJV

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Jesus saw them and said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” In those days, the priests checked whether someone had been healed.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 17:14 KJV

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And as they went on their way, they were healed! Their skin was clean and well again.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 17:14 KJV

5 of 9

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and praised God with a loud voice.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

Luke 17:15 KJV

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He fell down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan, from a people the Jews did not get along with.

And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:16 KJV

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Jesus asked, “Weren’t there ten men healed? Where are the other nine?”

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

Luke 17:17 KJV

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“Did no one come back to give glory to God, except this stranger?”

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Luke 17:18 KJV

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Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Luke 17:19 KJV

The end

Next story: Jesus Blesses the Children

What does this story teach?

  • Jesus has power to heal and he cares for people others push away.
  • It is important to say thank you to God for what he does.
  • God welcomes everyone who comes to him, whoever they are.
  • Being thankful is a way of showing faith.

Questions to talk about

Use these with your children after the story, at bedtime, at the table or in a class.

  1. Why did the ten men stand far away from Jesus?
  2. What happened to them as they walked to the priests?
  3. How many came back to say thank you?
  4. What is something you can thank God for today?

Read the story in the Bible

This retelling uses simple words for young readers. Read the full account in Luke 17:11–19, one verse per screen:

Luke 17

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Frequently asked questions

Where is the story of the ten lepers in the Bible?

It is in Luke 17:11–19. It happened as Jesus traveled toward Jerusalem, between Samaria and Galilee.

What is leprosy in the Bible?

In the Bible, leprosy describes serious skin diseases. People who had it had to live apart from others and call out “Unclean” so no one came near (Leviticus 13:45–46).

Why did Jesus tell the lepers to go to the priests?

The law of Moses said a priest had to examine anyone healed of leprosy and declare them clean before they could return to their families and community (Leviticus 14).

What is the lesson of the ten lepers?

All ten were healed, but only one returned to thank Jesus. The story teaches gratitude to God, and shows that the thankful man, a Samaritan outsider, was the one who understood what Jesus had done.

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