Here is the full text of the parable from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible:
“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 neighbor 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 neighbor?”
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 traveled, 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 neighbor 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.”
In the narrative, the priest and Levite—figures expected to embody religious piety—ignore the victim, possibly due to ritual purity concerns (touching a potentially dead body would defile them) or fear of further danger. The Samaritan, an outsider, responds with immediate, costly compassion: he uses his own supplies (oil for soothing, wine as antiseptic), risks his safety, and commits resources without hesitation.
At its core, the parable redefines "neighbor" not as someone like you, but as anyone you encounter who needs help—especially the marginalized or "enemy." Jesus flips expectations by making the hero a Samaritan, forcing the audience (and the lawyer) to confront biases. The story critiques empty religious knowledge: the priest and Levite know the Law but fail to live it, while the Samaritan embodies it through action. Mercy here is active and sacrificial, not passive or conditional. The primary focus is ethical: true love for God manifests in practical love for others, transcending prejudice.
