XV.  

Then there come to Jesus the 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: Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God, for the sake of your tradition? 4For God commanded, saying4: Honor thy father and mother; and he that curses father or mother, let him surely die. 5But ye say: Whoever says to his father or his mother, It is a gift, whatever thou mightest be profited with from me, 6shall not honor his father or his mother; and ye made the word of God of no effect, for the sake of your tradition.

7Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying:

8This people honor me with their lips,

But their heart is far from me.

9But in vain they worship me,

Teaching as doctrines commandments of men.

10And calling to him the multitude, he said to them: Hear, and understand: 11Not that which enters into the mouth defiles the man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.

12Then came to him his disciples, and said to him: Knowest thou that the Pharisees, when they heard the saying, were offended? 13And he answering said: Every plant, which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

15And Peter answering said to him: Explain to us this parable. 16And he said: Are ye also even yet without understanding? 17Do ye not yet understand, that whatever enters into the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the drain? 18But the things that proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false-witnessings, blasphemies. 20These are the things that defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defiles not the man.

21And Jesus, going forth from thence, withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a woman of Canaan, coming out from those borders, cried to him, saying: Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is grievously possessed with a demon. 23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Dismiss her; because she cries after us. 24But he answering said: I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25But she came and bowed down to him, saying: Lord, help me. 26But he answering said: It is not good to take the children's bread, and cast it to the dogs. 27And she said: Yea, Lord; for the dogs also eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. 28Then Jesus answering said to her: O woman, great is thy faith; be it done to thee as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29And departing from thence, Jesus came near to the sea of Galilee; and going up into the mountain, he sat down there. 30And great multitudes came to him, having with them lame, blind dumb, maimed, and many others, and laid them down at his feet, and he healed them; 31so that the multitudes wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

32And Jesus, having called to him his disciples, said: I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I will not dismiss them fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33And his disciples say to him: Whence should we have so many loaves in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? 34And Jesus says to them: How many loaves have ye? And they said: Seven, and a few little fishes. 35And he commanded the multitudes to lie down on the ground. 36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37And they all ate, and were filled. And they took up of the fragments that remained seven baskets full. 38And they who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39And dismissing the multitudes, he entered into the ship, and came into the borders of Magdala.

XVI.  

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, and tempting desired him to show them a sign from heaven. 2And he answering said to them: When it is evening, ye say: Fair weather! for the sky is red. 3And in the morning: A storm to-day! for the sky is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the sky, but can ye not the signs of the times?

4An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed.

5And coming to the other side, his disciples forgot to take bread. 6And Jesus said to them: Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 7And they reasoned among themselves, saying: Because we took no bread! 8And Jesus knowing it said: Ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye took no bread? 9Do ye not yet understand, nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11How is it that ye do not understand, that I spoke not to you of bread? But, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees! 12Then they understood, that he did not bid them beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13And having come into the region of Cæsarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, saying: Who do men say that the Son of man is? 14And they said: Some, John the Immerser; and others, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

15He says to them: But who do ye say that I am? 16And Simon Peter answering said: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answering said to him: Happy art thou, Simon Bar-jonah; for flesh and blood did not reveal it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I also say to thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of the underworld shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20Then he charged his disciples, that they should tell no one that he is the Christ.

21From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be put to death, and rise on the third day.

22And Peter taking him aside began to rebuke him, saying: Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be to thee. 23But he turned and said to Peter: Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offense to me; for thou thinkest not the things of God, but those of men.

24Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any one will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whoever will save his life shall lose it; and whoever may lose his life for my sake, shall find it. 26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? Or what shall a man give as an exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he will reward each one according to his works.

28Verily I say to you, there are some of those standing here, who shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

XVII.  

And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart. 2And he was transfigured before them; and his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter answering said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make here three tents; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 5While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6And the disciples, hearing it, fell on their face, and were exceedingly afraid. 7And Jesus coming to them touched them, and said: Arise, and be not afraid. 8And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one save Jesus only.

9And as they came down out of the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is risen from the dead.

10And his disciples asked him, saying: Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? 11And he answering said: Elijah indeed comes, and will restore all things. 12But I say to you, that Elijah is already come, and they knew him not, but did with him whatever they would. So also is the Son of man about to suffer by them.

13Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Immerser.

14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him, and saying: 15Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic, and is sorely afflicted; for ofttimes he falls into the fire, and oft into the water. 16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17And Jesus answering said: O faithless and perverse generation, 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 demon went out from him, and the child was cured from that hour.

19Then the disciples, coming to Jesus apart, said: Why could not we cast him out? 20And he said to them: Because of your want of faith. For verily I say to you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you. 21But this kind goes not forth, except by prayer and fasting.

22And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of man is about to be delivered into the hands of men 23and they will put him to death, and he will rise on the third day. And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

24And they having come to Capernaum, those who received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said: Does not your teacher pay the half-shekel? 25He says, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying: What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take customs, or tribute? Of their sons, or of strangers? 26He says to him: Of strangers. Jesus said to him: Then are the sons free. 27But that we may not offend them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the fish that first comes up; and opening its mouth thou wilt find a shekel; that take, and give to them for me and thee.

XVIII.  

At that time came the disciples to Jesus, saying: Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2And Jesus, calling a little child to him, placed it in the midst of them, 3and said: Verily I say to you, if ye do not turn and become as the little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever shall receive one such little child, in my name, receives me. 6But whoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to offend, it were better for him that an upper millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were plunged in the depth of the sea.

7Woe to the world, for causes of offense! For it must needs be that causes of offense come; but woe to that man, through whom the cause of offense comes! 8But if thy hand or thy foot causes thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life lame or maimed, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9And if thine eye causes thee to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire.

10Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.

12What think ye? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them is gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine upon the mountains, and go and seek that which is gone astray? 13And if it be that he find it, verily I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety and nine that went not astray. 14So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones perish.

15But if thy brother shall sin against thee, go show him his fault between thee and him alone, If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16But if he hear not, take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he neglect to hear the church also, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. 18Verily I say to you: Whatever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, concerning any thing that they 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 came to him, and said: Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? 22Jesus says to him: I say not to thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.

23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king, who desired to make a reckoning with his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, there was brought to him one, who owed ten thousand talents. 25But as he was not able to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore, falling, prostrated himself before him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27And the lord of that servant, moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred denáries; and laying hold of him he took him by the throat, saying: Pay me that thou owest. 29Therefore his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. 30And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31And his fellow-servants, seeing what was done, were very sorry, and came and disclosed to their lord all that was done. 32Then having called him, his lord says to him: Thou wicked servant; I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me. 33Shouldest not thou also have had pity on thy fellow-servant, as I too had pity on thee? 34And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him. 35So also will my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother.

XIX.  

And it came to pass, when Jesus finished these sayings, that he departed from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judæa beyond the 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?

4And he answering said to them: Have ye not read, that he who made them4 from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said: For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. 6So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God joined together, let not man put asunder.

7They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8He says to them: Moses, for your hardness of heart, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. 9And I say to you, that whoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her when put away, commits adultery.

10His disciples say to him: If the case of the man with the woman is so, it is not good to marry. 11But he said to them: Not all can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs, who were so born from the mother's womb; and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs, who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

13Then were brought to him little children, that he might put his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14But Jesus said: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. 15And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

16And, behold, one came to him and said: Teacher, what good shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17And, he said to him: Why dost thou ask me concerning good? One is the Good. But if thou desirest to enter into life, keep the commandments. 18He says to him, Which? Jesus said: Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness; 19Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 20The young man says to him: All these I kept; what do I yet lack? 21Jesus said to him: If thou desirest to be perfect, go, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. 22But when the young man heard this saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

23And Jesus said to his disciples: Verily I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25And the disciples, hearing it, were exceedingly amazed, saying: Who then can be saved? 26But Jesus, looking on them, said to them: With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 27Then Peter answering said to him: Behold, we forsook all, and followed thee; what then shall we have? 28And Jesus said to them: Verily I say to you, that ye who followed me, in the renovation, when the Son of man shall sit on his throne of glory, shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And every one who forsook houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive manifold more, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30But many first will be last, and last first.

XX.  

For the kingdom of heaven is like to a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2And having agreed with the laborers for a denáry a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place. 4And to them he said: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

6And about the eleventh he went out, and found others standing, and says to them: Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say to him: Because no one hired us. He says to them: Go ye also into the vineyard.

8And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward: Call the laborers, and pay them the hire, beginning from the last, unto the first. 9And they of the eleventh hour came, and received every man a denáry. 10But when the first came, they supposed that they should receive more; and they also received each one a denáry. 11And on receiving it, they murmured against the householder, 12saying: These last labored one hour, and thou madest them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day, and the burning heat.

13But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not agree with me for a denáry? 14Take what is thine, and go. But I will 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?

16So will the last be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few are chosen.

17And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart; and in the way he said to them: 18Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19and will deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify; and on the third day he will rise again.

20Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing down and asking a certain thing of him. 21And he said to her: What wilt thou? She says to him: Command that these my two sons shall sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left, in thy kingdom. 22But Jesus answering said: Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? They say to him: We are able. 23And he says to them: Ye shall drink indeed of my cup; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but is for them for whom it has been prepared by my Father. 24And the ten, hearing it, were much displeased with the two brothers. 25But Jesus, having called them to him, said: Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that are great exercise authority over them. 26Not so shall it be among you; 27but whoever would become great among you, let him be your minister; and whoever would be first among you, let him be your servant; 28even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

29And as they were going forth from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30And behold, two blind men sitting by the way-side, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried, saying: Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David. 31And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace. But they cried the more, saying: Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David. 32And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said: What will ye that I shall do to you? 33They say to him: Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34And Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight; and they followed him.

XXI.  

And when they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the mount of the Olives, Jesus sent forth two disciples, 2saying to them: Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose and bring them to me. 3And if any one say aught to you, ye shall say: The Lord has need of them; and straightway he will send them.

4Now all this has been done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying:

5Say to the daughter of Zion,

Behold, thy King comes to thee,

Meek, and mounted upon an ass,

And upon a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.

6And the disciples, having gone and done as Jesus commanded them, 7brought the ass and the colt, and put on them their garments, and he sat thereon. 8And most of the multitude spread their own garments in the way; and others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed in the way. 9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10And as he entered into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying: Who is this? 11And the multitudes said: This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee.

12And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all that sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold doves. 13And he says to them: It is written,

My house shall be called a house of prayer;

But ye make it a den of robbers.

14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15But the chief priests and the scribes, seeing the wonders that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, were much displeased, 16and said to him: Dost thou hear what these say? And Jesus says to them: Yea; did ye never read: From the mouth of babes and sucklings thou preparedst praise?

17And leaving them, he went forth out of the city into Bethany, and lodged there.

18And in the morning, as he was returning into the city, he hungered. 19And seeing a fig-tree by the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only. And he says to it: Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward, forever. And immediately the fig-tree withered away. 20And the disciples seeing it wondered, saying: How did the fig-tree immediately wither away? 21And Jesus answering said to them: Verily I say to you, if ye have faith, and do not doubt, not only shall ye do what is done to the fig-tree, but even if ye say to this mountain, be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it shall be done. 22And all things whatever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

23And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said: By what authority doest thou these things; and who gave thee this authority? 24And Jesus answering said to them: I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I too will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25John's immersion, whence was it? From heaven, or from men? And they reasoned among themselves, saying: If we say, From heaven, he will say to us: Why then did ye not believe him? 26But if we say, From men, we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet. 27And they answered Jesus, saying: We do not know. And he said to them: Neither do I say to you, by what authority I do these things.

28But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said: Son, go work to-day in the vineyard. 29And he answering said: I will not; but afterward he repented, and went. 30And he came to the other, and said likewise. And he answering said: I will, sir; and went not. 31Which of the two did the father's will? They say to him: The first. Jesus says to them: Verily I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him; but the publicans and the harlots believed him; and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33Hear another parable. There was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and put a hedge around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husband-men, and went abroad. 34And when the season of fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits. 35And the husbandmen taking his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did to them likewise. 37And afterward he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son. 38But the husbandmen, seeing the son, said among themselves: This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and have his inheritance. 39And taking him, they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen? 41They say to him: He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out the vineyard to other husbandmen, who will deliver over to him the fruits in their seasons. 42Jesus says to them: Did ye never read in the Scriptures:

The stone which the builders disallowed,

The same is become the head of the corner;

This is from the Lord,

And is wonderful in our eyes.

43Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And he that falls upon this stone will be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

45And the chief priests and Pharisees, hearing his parables, knew that he spoke of them. 46And they sought to lay hold of him, but feared the multitudes, since they held him as a prophet.