NOW when he descended from the mount, great multitudes followed him.2And lo! a leper came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.3And stretching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And instantly the leprosy was cleansed.4And Jesus said to him, See thou tell no man; but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them.
5Then as Jesus was entering into Capernaum, there met him a centurion, intreating him,6and saying, My servant is lying in the house paralytic, terribly tormented with pain.7And Jesus said unto him, I will come and heal him.8And the centurion said, I am not a fit person, that thou shouldest come under my roof: but only speak a word, and my servant be cured.9For I also am a man under authority, having under my command soldiers and I say to this soldier, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.10And Jesus hearing him, marvelled, and said to those who were following, Verily I say unto you, not even in Israel have I found so great faith.11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast into the outer darkness: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.13And Jesus said to the centurion, Go; and as thou hast believed, be it to thee. And his servant was cured at that very hour.
14And when Jesus was come into the house of Peter, he saw his mother-in-law laid on a bed, and in a fever.15And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and waited upon them.
16And when evening was come, they brought him many possessed by devils: and he cast out the spirits by a word, and all who had illnesses he cured:17that it might be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet, “Himself he took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.”
18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave orders to pass to the other side.19And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.20And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where he can lay his head.21And another of his disciples said unto him, Permit me first to go and bury my father.22And Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their own dead.
23And going on board a vessel, his disciples followed him.24And, behold, there was a great tempest in the sea, so that the vessel was hid by the waves; but he was asleep.25And his disciples coming, awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we are perishing!26And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then arising, he issued his mandate to the winds, and to the sea; and there was a great calm.27And the men marvelled, saying, What a wondrous man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!28And when he came to the other side, into the region of the Girgasenes, there met him two demoniacs, coming from the sepulchres; exceeding fierce, so that no person was able to pass by that road.29And lo! they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither before the time to torment us?30And at a considerable distance, there was a great herd of swine feeding.31Then the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, permit us to go into the herd of swine.32And he said to them, Go. Then they going forth outof him, entered into the herd of swine: and lo! the whole herd of the swine rushed down a precipice into the sea, and perished in the waters.33But they who fed them fled, and going away into the city, reported all things, and what had happened to the demoniacs.34And, behold, all the city came out to meet him: and when they saw him, they besought him to depart from their territories.
AND going on board the vessel, he passed over, and came to his own city.2And lo! they brought him a paralytic stretched on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, Be of good cheer, son; thy sins are forgiven thee.3And lo! some of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.4And Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said, wherefore do ye imagine evil things in your hearts?5For which is the easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority upon earth to forgive sins, (then he saith to the paralytic,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.7And he arose, and went to his house.8But when the multitude saw it, they were astonished, and glorified God, who had given such power unto men.
9And Jesus passing from thence, saw a man sitting at the custom house, called Matthew: and saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.10And it came to pass, as he sat in his house, many tax-gatherers and sinners came, and sat down at table with Jesus and his disciples.11And the Pharisees observing it, said to his disciples, How is this, that your Master eateth with publicans and sinners?12But Jesus hearing it, said unto them, They who are in the vigour of health have no need of the physician, but they who have illness.13Go then, and learn what is said, “I require mercy and not sacrifice:” for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
14Then came unto him disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees keep many fasts, but thy disciples fast not?15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber weep, whilst the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast.16But no man ingrafts a patch of undressed cloth into an old garment, for the piece supplied taketh from the garment, and the rent becomes worse.17Nor do they put new wine into old bottles: but if they do, the bottles burst, and the wine is spilt, and the bottles are destroyed: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
18As he was speaking these things to them, behold, there came a ruler, and prostrated himself before him, saying, My daughter hath just now died: but come and lay thine hand upon her, and she shall live.19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and his disciples also.20And, behold, a woman, who had an hæmorrage twelve years, came behind, and touched the fringe of his garment:21for she said within herself, If I only touch his garment, I shall be cured.22Then Jesus, turning about and beholding her, said, Be encouraged, daughter; thy faith hath saved thee. And the woman was cured from that hour.23And when Jesus was come into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute-players, and a multitude confusedly lamenting,24he saith to them, Retire; for the little girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they derided him.25So when the multitude was put out, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose.26And the fame of it went forth into all that country.
27And as Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, Have mercy on us, son of David!28So when he came into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus said to them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yes, Lord.29Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.30And their eyes were opened; and Jesus strictly charged them, saying, Take care that no person know it.31But they going forth, blazoned his fame through all that country.
32And when they were coming out, behold, they brought unto him a man, dumb, a demoniac.33And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, Never at any time was the like to this seen in Israel.34But the Pharisees said, By the prince of the devils doth he cast the devils out.
35And Jesus took a circuit through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease, and every malady among the people.36And beholding the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were fainting, and lying here and there, as sheep that had no shepherd.37Then said he to his disciples, The harvest indeed is abundant, but the labourers are few;38entreat therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth workmen for his harvest.
AND having called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease, and every malady.2Now these are the names of the twelve apostles; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee, and John his brother;3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname is Thaddeus;4Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5These twelve did Jesus send forth, commanding them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter not:6but go rather to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is approaching.8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.9Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,10nor a scrip for the journey, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor stick: for the workman is worthy of his food.11And into whatsoever city or village ye enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye depart.12And when ye come into a family, salute it:13and if the family shall be deserving, your peace shall come upon it: and if it be not deserving, your peace shall return to you.14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor attend to your discourses, go out of that house, or city, and shake off the dust of your feet.15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
16Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore prudent as serpents, and harmless as doves.17But be on your guard against men: for they will deliver you up to the sanhedrim, and scourge you in their synagogues.18And ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the heathen.19But when they shall deliver you up, be under no anxiety what ye shall say; for it shall be given you in that very hour what ye should speak:20for it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father which is speaking in you.21Then brother shall surrender brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, that man shall be saved.
23But when they shall persecute you in one city, flee unto another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not complete your circuit through the cities of Israel before the Son of man comes.24The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the servant above his master.25It is sufficient if the disciple be as his teacher, and the servant as his master. If they have called the master of the family Beelzebub, how much more his domestics?26However, fear them not: for there is nothing concealed, which shall not be discovered; nor hid, which shall not be known.27What I say unto you in the dark, publish in the light: and what ye hear whispered into the ear, proclaim upon the roofs.
28And be not afraid of those who kill the body, and cannot kill the soul: but fear him rather who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father.30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.31Fear not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32Every one therefore who shall make confession of me before men, of him will I also make confession before my Father who is in heaven.33But whosoever shall disown me before men, him will I also disown before my Father who is in heaven.
34Think not that I am come to bring peace to the earth: I came not to bring peace, but a sword.35For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.36And the enemies of a man shall be those of his own house.37He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.38And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39He that preserveth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall preserve it.40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.41He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive the reward of a righteous man.42And whosoever shall give to one of these little ones, if but a cup of cold water to drink, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
AND it came to pass, when Jesus had finished his injunctions to his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities.
2Then John, having heard in prison the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples,3and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or should we expect another?4And Jesus answering said unto them, Go, and tell John what things ye hear and see.5The blind receive sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.6And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended at me.
7And when they were gone, Jesus began to speak to the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?8But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in delicate garments? Lo! they who wear delicate garments are in the houses of kings.9Yet what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and abundantly more than a prophet.10For this is he of whom it is written, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.”11Verily I say unto you, There hath not arisen, from those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.12But from the days of John the Baptist unto the present, the kingdom of heaven is assaulted by violence, and the invaders forcibly seize upon it.13For all the prophets and the law until John, foretoldthis.14And if ye will receive it, this is Elias who was to come.15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16But to whom shall I resemble this generation? it is like little boys sitting in the places of concourse, and calling to their companions,17and saying, We have piped to you, and ye have not danced; we have sung mournful ditties to you, and ye have not beat your breasts.18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil:19the Son of man is come eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, what a man! a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners: though wisdom hath been justified by her children.
20Then began he to upbraid the cities in which the chief of his miracles had been wrought, because they repented not:21Wo unto thee, Chorazin! wo unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the miracles which had been wrought in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, long since would they have repented in sack-cloth and ashes.22Wherefore I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.23And thou, Capernaum, who hast been exalted unto heaven, shalt be cast down to hell: for if the miracles which have been wrought in thee had been done in Sodom, it had remained unto this day.24Wherefore I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.
25At that time Jesus spake and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and the intelligent, and hast revealed them to babes:26yes, Father! since such is thy good pleasure.27All things are delivered up to me by my Father: and no person knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any person the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son is pleased to reveal him.
28Come to me, all who labour hard, and sustain heavy burdens, and I will give you relief.29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest to your souls.30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
AT that time Jesus walked through corn-fields on a sabbath-day; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Behold, thy disciples do a thing that it is not lawful to do on the sabbath.3And he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they who were with him?4how they went into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of shew-bread, of which it was not lawful for him or those who were with him to eat, but for the priests alone?5Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are not culpable?6Now I tell you, That one greater than the temple is here.7But if ye had known what that meant, I desire mercy and not sacrifice; ye would not have condemned the innocent.8For the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
9And going on from thence, he came into their synagogue;10and, behold a man was there who had a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on sabbath days? that they might accuse him.11Then he said to them; What man of you is there who hath one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath, doth he not lay hold on him, and lift him out?12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath days.13Then saith he to the man, Stretch out thy hand; and he stretched it out, and it was restored, sound as the other.
14Then the Pharisees went out, and held a consultation against him, how they might make away with him.15But Jesus knew it, and retired from thence, and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all,16and charged them that they should not make him known.17That what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,18“Behold, my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul delighteth: I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim judgment for the heathen.19He shall not contend, nor be clamorous; neither shall any man in the streets hear his voice.20A bruised reed shall he not break down, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he break forth in judgment for victory.21And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.”
22Then was brought to him a demoniac, blind and dumb; and he cured him, so as to enable the blind and dumb both to speak and see.23And all the multitudes were lost in amazement, and they said, Is not this the son of David?24But the Pharisees hearing them, said, This fellow casteth not out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.25But Jesus knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself will be desolated; and every city, or family, divided against itself cannot subsist:26so if Satan cast out Satan; he is divided against himself; how then can his kingdom subsist?27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.28But if I by the Spirit of God cast out the devils, then truly the kingdom of God is come unto you.29Else how can one enter into a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, except he first bind the strong man, and then will he plunder his goods?30He that is not with me, is against me; and he that associates not with me, scattereth abroad.31Therefore I say unto you, All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men.32And whosoever may speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.33Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by the fruit.34Ye broods of vipers, how can ye speak good things, yourselves being wicked? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.35A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things: and a wicked man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things.36But I tell you, That every idle word which men speak, for it shall they give an account in the day of judgment.37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
38Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees addressed him, saying, Master, we desire to see a sign from thee.39But he answered and said unto them, A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh a sign; and no sign shall be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet:40for as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights; so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.41The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment against this generation, and condemn it: for they repented on the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.42The queen of the South shall rise up in judgment against the men of this generation, and condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
43When the unclean spirit is indeed gone out of a man, he traverses through places destitute of water, in search of rest, but cannot find it.44Then he saith, I will return to my mansion, whence I came; and on his arrival, he findeth it unoccupied, swept, and furnished.45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.
46And while he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak to him.47And a person said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak to thee.48But he answered and said to him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?49And stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren.50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
THEN the same day Jesus going out from the house, sat down near the sea.2And vast multitudes were gathered together unto him, insomuch that he entered into a vessel to be seated; and all the multitude stood on the beach.3And he spake unto them many things in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow:4and as he was sowing, some seeds fell indeed by the road-side; and the birds came and ate them up:5and other seed fell on a rocky soil, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:6and when the sun arose, it was scorched up; and because it had no root, it withered away.7And other seeds fell among the thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them:8but others fell on good ground, and produced fruit, some an hundred, some sixty, and some thirty.9He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.10And when his disciples came, they said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables?11And he answered and said unto them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.12For whosoever hath, more shall be given to him, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, even that he hath shall be taken from him.13Therefore I speak to them in parables: that seeing, they may not see; and hearing, they may not hear nor understand.14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, With the hearing ye shall hear, and not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and in no wise perceive:15for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with the eves, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.16But blessed are your eyes; for ye see: and your ears; for ye hear.17For verily I tell you, That many prophets and righteous men have greatly desired to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things which ye hear, and have not heard them.18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19When any person heareth the word of the kingdom, and doth not understand it, the wicked one cometh, and snatcheth away what was sown on his heart: such is he who is the sown by the road-side.20But the sown on the rocky soil, is he who having heard the word, and instantly with joy receiving it,21hath not really root in himself, but is merely temporary: and when tribulation or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately he is stumbled.22But the sown among the thorns, is he who heareth the word, and the anxiety about this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choketh the word, and it becometh unfruitful.23But the sown upon the good ground, is he who heareth the word, and understandeth it; who truly beareth fruit, and produceth, one an hundred fold, and another sixty, and another thirty.
24Another parable proposed he to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who sowed good seed in his field:25and while the men were asleep, his enemy came and sowed zizane among the wheat, and departed.26But when the blade was shot up, and produced fruit, then appeared also the zizane.27The servants of the proprietor came, and said to him, Master, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it the zizane?28He saith unto them, Some man, an enemy, hath done this. Then the servants said to him, Wilt thou that we go and weed them out?29he replied, No; lest perhaps in weeding out the zizane, we root up the wheat with them.30Let them both grow together till the harvest: and at the harvest-time I will say to the reapers, Gather out first the zizane, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
31Another parable he proposed to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field:32which indeed is among the smallest of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is among the greatest of herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make their nests in the branches of it.
33Another parable spake he to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and covered up in three measures of flour, until the whole was leavened.34All these things spake Jesus in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable he spake not to them:35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will bring forth things hid from the foundation of the world.
36Then Jesus dismissing the multitudes, went into a house; and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the zizane of the field.37And he replying said to them, He that sowed the good seed, is the Son of man;38the field is the world: and the good seed are those who are the children of the kingdom; but the zizane are the children of the wicked one;39the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.40As therefore the zizane are gathered, and burned in the fire; just so shall it be at the end of this world.41The Son of man shall send out his angels, and shall gather together out of his kingdom all things offensive, and those who practise iniquity;42and will cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
44Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hid in a field: which when a man findeth, he hideth, and for joy thereof, goeth away and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchantman in search of beautiful pearls:46who, having discovered one of vast price, went away and sold all that he possessed, and bought it.
47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and collecting fish of every kind:48which, when it was full, they drew to the beach, and sitting down, selected the good into baskets, but cast those of a bad kind away.49Just so shall it be at the end of this world: the angels shall go forth, and shall separate the wicked from amidst the just,50and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things?52They say unto him, Yes, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man, the master of a family, who bringeth out of his storehouse things new and old.
53And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished there parables, he departed thence.54And coming into his own country, taught them in their synagogues, so that they were exceedingly struck, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these miracles?55Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?56and his sisters, are they not all among us? whence then hath he all these things?57And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not disrespected, except in his own country, and in his own family.58And he did not there many miracles because of their unbelief.
AT that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report of Jesus,2and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore miracles are wrought by him.3For Herod having seized John, had bound him, and put him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother.4For John said unto him, It is unlawful for thee to have her.5And though he wished to kill him, he was afraid of the multitude, for they held him as a prophet.6But when Herod’s birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced in the circle, and pleased Herod:7so that with an oath he promised to give her whatever she should ask.8And she, being previously urged on by her mother, said, Give me here, in a spacious dish, the head of John the Baptist.9And the king was grieved: but for his oath’s sake, and on account of those who were with him, he commanded it to be given her.10And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.11And his head was brought on a large dish, and was given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother.12And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it, and they came and told Jesus.13And when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a vessel into a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
14And when Jesus was come forth, he saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, and healed their sick.15But when evening was come, his disciples came unto him, saying, The place is desert, and the day is far advanced; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves provisions.16But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart: give ye them to eat.17And they said unto him, We have nothing here except five loaves and two fishes.18Then he said, Bring them hither to me.19And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.20And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up the superabundance of the fragments, twelve baskets full.21And they who had eaten, were about five thousand men, besides women and children.22And immediately Jesus compelled his disciples to go on board the vessel, and pass before him to the other side, while he dismissed the people.
23And when he had sent away the multitude, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when evening came, he was there alone.24But the vessel was already in the midst of the sea, tossed with the waves: for the wind was contrary.25Then at the fourth watch of the night came Jesus unto them, walking on the sea.26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were greatly agitated, saying, It is his apparition. And they cried out with terror.27And immediately Jesus spake to them, saying, Be of good courage: it is I; be not terrified.28Then Peter answering, said, Lord, if it be thou, command me to come unto thee upon the waters.29And he said, Come. And descending from the vessel, Peter walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.30But seeing the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink in the deep, he cried out, saying, Lord save me.31Then immediately Jesus stretching out his hand, laid hold on him, and said to him, O thou of little faith, wherefore dost thou doubt?32And when they came aboard the vessel, the wind ceased.33And they who were in the vessel, came and worshipped him, saying, Truly thou art the Son of God.
34And passing over, they came to the land of Gennesareth.35And when the men of that place knew him, they sent into all that neighbourhood, and brought to him all that had illnesses:36and they besought him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment: and as many as touched it were cured.
THEN came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, saying,2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread?3And he answering said to them, And why do you transgress the command of God, by your tradition?4For God commanded, saying “Honour thy father and thy mother:” and, He that curseth father or mother, let him surely die.5But ye say, If any man declare to his father or mother, This is adevotedgift, which else might have been employed by me for thy advantage;6then he shall not with it honour his father and mother: so have ye vacated the command of God by your tradition.7Ye hypocrites, well hath Isaiah prophesied concerning you, saying,8This people draweth nigh to me with their mouths, and honoureth me with the lips, but their heart is far distant from me.9But in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men.10And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:11not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but what cometh out of the mouth, that defileth the man.
12Then his disciples approaching, said to him, Knowest thou how offended the Pharisees were at hearing that speech?13Then he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.14Leave them to themselves: they are blind leaders of the blind. But if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall into the pit.15Then Peter answering said unto him, Explain to us this parable.16And Jesus said, Are ye also to this time destitute of intelligence?17Do ye not observe, that every thing which entereth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is ejected into the vault?18But the things which go forth out of the mouth, come out of the heart, and they are the things which defile a man:19for out of the heart proceed wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies:20these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands doth not defile a man.
21And going forth thence, Jesus retired into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.22And lo! a woman of Canaan coming out of these coasts, cried aloud, saying to him, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David: my daughter is a grievous demoniac.23But he replied not a word to her. Then his disciples came and intreated him, saying, Send her away; for she is crying aloud after us.24But he said in reply, I am not sent, save only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.25Then she came, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me!26But he answering said, It is not proper to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.27And she said, True, Lord: yet even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.28Then Jesus answering said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith! be it unto thee even as thou desirest. And her daughter was cured from that hour.
29And departing thence, Jesus went to the sea-side of Galilee; and ascending a mountain, he sat down there.30And great multitudes came to him, bringing with them the lame, blind, dumb, cripples, and many others, and cast them down at the feet of Jesus; and he cured them all:31insomuch that the multitude marvelled when they saw the dumb speaking, the cripples sound, the lame walking, and the blind restored to sight: and they glorified the God of Israel.
32Then Jesus calling his disciples, said, I have compassion on the multitude, for they have now continued with me three days, and have not any thing to eat: and send them away fasting I will not, lest they faint on the road.33And his disciples said unto him, Whence can we in the wilderness have loaves enough to satisfy the cravings of so great a multitude?34And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.36And taking the seven loaves and the fishes, he gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.37And they did all eat, and were filled: and took up a superabundance of fragments seven baskets full.38And they that had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.39And dismissing the multitudes he went on board a vessel, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
AND the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to him, and, to make trial of him, desired him to shew them a sign from heaven.2And he answering, said unto them, When evening comes, ye say, Fair weather, for the sky is red.3And in the morning, It will be tempestuous to-day, for the sky is gloomy and fiery red. Ye hypocrites, do ye know how to discern the appearance of the sky, and are ye unable to discern the signs of the times?4A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh a sign; and no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them, and departed.
5And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.6Then Jesus said to them, Beware and abstain from the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.7So they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have not taken bread.8But when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, Why are ye reasoning among yourselves, O ye of little faith, because ye have not taken bread?9Do you not consider, nor remember the five loaves among the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?10Nor the seven loaves among the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?11How is it that ye do not understand, that I spake not to you of bread, to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?12Then understood they, that he spake about abstaining not from the leaven in the bread, but from the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
13Then Jesus coming into the parts of Cæsarea Philippi, questioned his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I am? The Son of Man?14But they replied, Some, that thou art John the Baptist; but others, Elias; and others again, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.15He saith unto them, But who do ye say that I am?16Then Simon Peter answering said, Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God.17And Jesus replying, said to him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father, who is in heaven.18And I tell thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.19And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.20Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Messiah.
21From that time Jesus began to shew his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and of the chief-priests, and of the scribes, and be put to death, and the third day rise again.22And Peter taking him aside, began to chide him, saying, Mercy on thee, Lord! this shall never be thy case.23Then turning from him, he said unto Peter, Get thee behind me Satan! thou art an offence to me: for thou dost not relish the things of God, but those of men.
24Then said Jesus to his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.25For whosoever is desirous to preserve his life, shall lose it; but whosoever would lose his life for my sake, shall find it.26For what would a man be advantaged, though he could gain the whole world, if he should suffer the loss of his soul? or what will a man give as the ransom for his soul?27For the Son of man shall hereafter come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then shall he recompense every man according to his practice.28Verily I say unto you, There are some of those standing here, who shall in no wise taste of death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
THEN six days after, Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them into an exceeding high mountain apart.2And he was transformed before them; and his face shone as the sun, and his garments were white as the light.3And behold, there appeared to them, Moses and Elias talking with him.4Then Peter addressing him, said to Jesus, Lord, It is well that we are here; if it please thee, we will make here three tents; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.5And while he was yet speaking, behold, a luminous cloud overshadowed them; and lo! a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom is my delight; hear him!6And the disciples hearing it, fell on their face, and were exceedingly affrighted.7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, be not affrighted.8Then lifting up their eyes, they saw no person, but Jesus only.9And when they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell no man the vision, until the Son of man is risen from the dead.10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then do the scribes affirm, that Elias must come first?11Then Jesus answering said unto them, Elias indeed cometh first, and will reform all things.12But I say unto you, That Elias is already come, and they knew him not, but have done by him whatsoever they chose: even so also must the Son of man suffer by them.13Then understood the disciples that he spake to them of John the Baptist.
14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him, and saying,15Lord, have compassion on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffers grievously; for oftentimes he falleth into the fire, and often into the water.16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they have not been able to cure him.17Then Jesus answering, said, O generation, faithless, and perverse! how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me.18And Jesus rebuked him, and the devil came out of him; and the child was cured from that hour.19Then the disciples of Jesus coming privately, said, Why could not we cast it out?20Then said Jesus unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence, thither, and it will remove; and nothing will be impossible for you.21But this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
22And as they were returning into Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of men:23and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again. And they were grieved exceedingly.
24And when they came to Capernaum, they who receive the tax of two drachmas came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?25He saith, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth receive customs and tax? from their own children, or from aliens?26Peter saith to him, From aliens. Jesus saith unto him, In that case then the children are free.27But that we give them no offence, go unto the sea, and cast in a hook, and take the first fish which cometh up; and on opening his mouth, thou wilt find a stater, that take and give them for me and thee.
AT that time came the disciples to Jesus, saying, Who is indeed the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?2And Jesus calling a little boy, set him in the midst of them,3and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be changed and be as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself, as this little child, he shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.6And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones, who believe in me, to stumble, it were better for him that a millstone was hung at his neck, and that he was sunk in the depth of the sea.
7Wo to the world because of offences! for there is a necessity that offences come: nevertheless, wo to that man by whom the offence cometh!8If then thy hand, or thy foot, lead thee to offend, cut them off, and cast them from thee: for it were better for thee to enter into life, halting or maimed, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the fire, which is eternal.9And if thine eye lead thee to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee, for it were better for thee to enter into life with one eye only, than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire.
10See that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you, That their angels in heaven continually behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12What think you? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them stray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and go and seek that which had strayed?13And if he happen to find it, verily I say unto you, that he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which never went astray.14Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones perish.
15Now if thy brother sin against thee, go and reprove him between thyself and him alone; if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.16But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed.17But if he disregard them, inform the church: and if he disregard the church, let him be to thee as a heathen, or a publican.18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever things ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever things ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.19Again I say unto you, That if two of you are concurring upon earth, respecting any matter, which ye shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21Then Peter coming to him, said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?22Jesus saith to him, I tell thee not until seven times, but unto seventy times seven.
23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven like unto a certain king who purposed to settle his account with his servants.24And when he began to make up the account, there was brought to him one debtor, ten thousand talents in arrear:25but not having wherewithal to pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, and his wife and his children, and all things whatsoever he possessed, and payment to be made.26Then that servant falling prostrate, paid him the most profound homage, saying, Lord, have forbearance with me, and I will pay thee all.27Then his lord, moved with compassion towards that servant, discharged him, and forgave him the debt.28But that servant going out, found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing, throttled him, saying, Pay me what thou owest.29Then his fellow-servant fell at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have forbearance with me, and I will pay thee all.30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay what he owed.31Then his fellow-servants, when they saw what was done, were exceedingly sorry, and came to their lord, and gave him an explicit account of all things that had passed.32Then his lord, calling him before him, said to him, Thou vile slave! all that debt I forgave thee, because thou besoughtest me:33and oughtest thou not to have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?34And his lord, incensed, delivered him up to the torturers, till he should pay all that he owed him.35Even so also will my heavenly Father do to you, except ye forgive every one of you his brother, from your hearts, their trespasses.
AND it came to pass when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan.2And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.3And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?4But he replying, said unto them, Have ye not read, that he who created them from the beginning, created them male and female?5And he said, for this reason shall a man forsake father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.6Wherefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath yoked together, let no man separate.7They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give her a bill of divorce, and to put her away?8He saith unto them, It was on account of the hardness of your hearts that Moses gave you permission to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not thus.9And I tell you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for whoredom, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth the divorced woman, committeth adultery.10His disciples said unto him, If the case of a man with his wife be thus, it is not expedient to marry.11Then he said to them, All men are not capable of receiving this saying, but they to whom it is given.12For there are eunuchs, who were so from their mothers’ womb; and there are eunuchs, who have been made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that is capable of receiving, let him receive it.
13Then were brought to him little children, that he should lay his hands upon them, and prayfor them: but the disciples rebuked them.14Then said Jesus, Permit little children, and hinder them not from coming to me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.15And when he had laid his hands upon them, he departed thence.
16And lo! a person coming to him, said, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, in order to attain eternal life?17Then he said to him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, even God: but if thou art desirous of entering into life, keep the commandments.18He saith unto him, Which? Then said Jesus, these, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,19Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.20The young man saith to him, All these things have I observed from my youth: in what am I still deficient?21Jesus said to him, If thou art desirous to be perfect, go, sell all thy substance, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.22Now when the young man heard this speech, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That very difficultly shall a rich man enter into the kingdom of heaven.24And again I repeat it to you, It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.25But when his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?26And Jesus looking upon them, said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27Then Peter addressing him, said unto him, Lo! we have left all and followed thee; what, I pray thee, shall we receive?28Then said Jesus unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.29And every one who hath left family, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit life eternal.30But many, now first, will be the last; and last, who will be the first.
FOR the kingdom of heaven is like a man, the master of a family, who went out at break of day, to hire labourers into his vineyard.2And when he had agreed with the labourers at a denarius a day, he sent them into the vineyard.3And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market place unemployed.4And he said to them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatever is equitable, I will give it you. So they went.5Again going out, about the sixth and ninth hour, he did after the same manner.6But about the eleventh hour, going out, he found others standing unemployed, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatever is equitable, ye shall receive.8Now when the evening came, the master of the vineyard said to his overseer, Call the labourers, and give them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.9And when they came, who began about the eleventh hour, they received each a denarius.10But when the first came, they expected that they should receive more; and they also received every man a denarius.11But when they received it, they murmured against the master of the family:12saying, These last have wrought only a single hour, and thou hast put them on an equality with us, who have borne the burden and heat of the day.13But he answering, said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no injustice; did I not agree with thee for a denarius?14Take then thine own, and begone: I chuse to give to this last even as to thee.15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?16Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called, but the elect are few.
17And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took his twelve disciples aside on the road, and said to them;18Lo! we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,19and shall deliver him to the Gentiles, to insult, and to scourge, and to crucify: and the third day he shall rise again.
20Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children, with her sons, paying him obeisance, and petitioning a favour of him.21Then he said to her, What is thy wish? She saith unto him, Tell me that these my two sons shall sit, the one at thy right hand, and the other at thy left, in thy kingdom.22Then Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink of the cup that I am going to drink, and be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised? They say unto him, We are able.23And he saith unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and with the baptism with which I am baptised, shall ye be baptised; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, it is not in my power to bestow, but on those, for whom it was prepared by my Father.
24And the twelve, on hearing this, were filled with indignation against the two brethren.25But Jesus, calling them to him, said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority among them.26But thus shall it not be with you. But whosoever will be a great man among you, let him be your servant;27and whosoever will be first, let him be your slave.28Even as the Son of man came not to be waited upon, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
29And as they were going out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him.30And, behold, two blind men sat by the road side, who hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, son of David!31And the multitude checked them, that they should be silent; but they cried out the more, Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David.32And Jesus standing called them, and said, What desire ye, that I should do for you?33They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.34Then Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes recovered sight, and they followed him.
AND when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage to the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,2saying to them, Go into the village, which is opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a foal with her; loose and bring them to me.3And if any man say aught to you, ye shall tell them, That the Lord hath need of them, and immediately he will send them.4Now this was entirely done, that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,5“Tell the daughter of Sion, Lo! thy King cometh to thee, meek, and sitting on an ass, even on a foal the ass’s colt.”6Then the disciples going, and doing as Jesus had commanded them,7brought the ass and her foal, and they spread over them their garments, and seated him upon them.8And a vast multitude spread their garments on the road, and others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them on the road:9and the multitudes who went before, and who followed after, cried, saying, Hosanna, to the son of David; blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
10And when he was entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was in commotion, saying, Who is this?11Then the multitudes said, This is Jesus, the prophet, who is from Nazareth of Galilee.
12And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold doves13and said unto them, It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but ye have made it a den of robbers.
14Then the blind and the lame came unto him, into the temple, and he cured them.15But when the chief priests and scribes saw the marvellous acts which he did, and the children crying out in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were filled with indignation;16and said to him, Hearest thou what these say? Jesus replied to them, Yes; but have ye never read, “That out of the mouths of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”17And turning his back upon them, he went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.
18Now in the morning, when returning into the city, he was hungry:19and seeing a fig-tree at the road side, he went up to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only: and saith unto it, Let no fruit spring from thee henceforth for ever: and immediately the fig-tree withered entirely away.20And when his disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How suddenly is the fig-tree withered away!21But Jesus addressing them, said, Verily I tell you, if ye have faith, and entertain no doubt, not only shall ye do what is done to the fig-tree, but if ye should even say to this mountain, Be lifted up, and be cast into the sea, it be done.22And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him, as he was teaching, demanding, By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?24Then Jesus answering, said to them, I also will ask you one question, which if ye answer me, then will I tell you by what authority I do these things.25The baptism of John whence was it? from heaven, or from men? Hereupon they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him?26But if we say, From men, we are afraid of the populace, for they all hold John as a prophet.27So they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. Then said he also to them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28But what think ye? A man had two sons; and coming to the first he said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.29But he answering said, I will not: yet repenting afterwards, he went.30And coming to the other, he spake after the same manner, and he replying, said, I go, sir; yet went not.31Which of the two did the will of his father? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Verily I say unto you, That tax-gatherers and harlots shall go before you into the kingdom of God.32For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the tax-gatherers and harlots believed on him. But ye, when ye saw it, repented not afterwards, that ye should believe on him.
33Hear another parable: There was a certain man, the master of a family, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and hired it out to husbandmen, and went into a distant country.34But when the season for fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits.35And the husbandmen took his servants, one they beat, and another they killed, and a third they stoned.36Again he sent other servants more than the first, and they treated them in the same manner.37Then at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.38But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come let us kill him, and let us seize on the inheritance.39And they took him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.40When therefore the master of the vineyard cometh, what will he do with these husbandmen?41They say unto him, He will dreadfully destroy those wicked wretches, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.42Jesus saith unto them, Have ye not read in the Scriptures, “The stone, which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner; this is done by the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.”43Therefore I tell you, That the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation, producing the fruits thereof.44And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken in pieces, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.45And when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking concerning them.46And they sought to apprehend him; but were afraid of the people, for they held him as a prophet.