The New Testament Part 15

PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP, THE LOST MONEY, AND THE PRODIGAL SON.

1 [15:1]AND all the publicans and sinners came near him to hear him.

[15:2]And both the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. [15:3]And he spoke to them this parable; saying, [15:4]What man of you having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the lost sheep till he finds it. [15:5]And finding it, he puts it on his shoulders rejoicing; [15:6]and coming to the house, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying, Congratulate me; for I have found my sheep that was lost. [15:7]So, I tell you, there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that changes his mind, more than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need a change of mind.

2 [15:8]Or what woman having ten drachmas [140 cents], if she loses one drachma [14 cents], does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek carefully till she finds it? [15:9]And when she finds it, she calls her female friends and neighbors together, saying, Congratulate me, for I have found the drachma which I lost. [15:10]So, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of G.o.d over one sinner that changes his mind.

3 [15:11]And he said, A certain man had two sons. [15:12]And the youngest of them said to the father, Father, give me the portion of the estate that falls to me; and he divided to them his living. [15:13]And not many days after, the youngest son, collecting all his property, went abroad to a distant country; and there wasted his property, living intemperately. [15:14]And when he had spent all, there was a severe famine in that country; and he began to be in want. [15:15]And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his field to feed swine. [15:16]And he desired to fill his stomach with the carob pods which the swine eat; and no man gave him.

4 [15:17]And coming to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father abound in bread, but I perish here with hunger! [15:18]I will arise and go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned to Heaven, and before you; [15:19]I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants. [15:20]And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet far off, his father saw him, and had compa.s.sion on him, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him. [15:21]And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned to Heaven, and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. [15:22]

But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe and put on him; and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet; [15:23]and bring the fatted calf and kill it; let us eat, and rejoice; [15:24]for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

And they began to rejoice.

5 [15:25]But his older son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house he heard music and the dancers. [15:26]And calling one of the servants he inquired what these things meant. [15:27]And he said to him, Your brother has come; and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him back in health. [15:28]And he was angry, and would not go in; but his father came out and entreated him. [15:29]And he answered and said to his father, Behold, I have served you so many years, and have never disobeyed your command; and you have never given me a kid, that I might rejoice with my friends; [15:30]but when this your son came who has consumed his living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf. [15:31]But he said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all mine is yours. [15:32]We ought also to rejoice and be glad; for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE UNFAITHFUL STEWARD, AND THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

1 [16:1]AND he also said to the disciples, There was a certain rich man that had a steward; and he was accused to him of wasting his property.

[16:2]And calling him, he said to him, What is this which I hear of you? Render an account of your stewards.h.i.+p; for you can be no longer a steward. [16:3]And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, because my lord takes the stewards.h.i.+p away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. [16:4]I know what I will do, that when I am put out of the stewards.h.i.+p, they may receive me into their houses. [16:5]And calling each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much do you owe my lord? [16:6]And he said, A hundred baths [1,350 gallons] of oil. And he said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. [16:7]Then he said to another, And how much do you owe? And he said, A hundred cors [1,445 bushels] of wheat. And he said to him, Take your bill, and write eighty. [16:8]And the lord praised the unjust steward, because he did wisely; for the children of this life are wiser, for their generation, than the children of light.

2 [16:9]And I tell you, Make yourselves friends of the riches procured by injustice, that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. [16:10]He that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

[16:11]If, therefore, you have not been faithful in the riches procured by injustice, who will commit to you the true? [16:12]And if you have not been faithful in another's, who will give you yours? [16:13]No domestic can serve two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the other, or he will adhere to the first and despise the other.

You cannot serve G.o.d and riches.

3 [16:14]And the Pharisees, who are avaricious, heard all these things, and derided him. [16:15]And he said to them, You are they that justify yourselves before men; but G.o.d knows your hearts; for that which is high among men is an abomination before G.o.d. [16:16]The law and the prophets were till John; since that time the kingdom of G.o.d is preached, and every one presses violently into it. [16:17]And it is easier for heaven and earth to pa.s.s away, than for one point of the law to fail. [16:18]Every one that puts away his wife and marries another, commits adultery; and he that marries a woman put away from a husband, commits adultery.

4 [16:19]There was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day. [16:20]And a certain poor man by the name of Lazarus was laid at his gate, afflicted with ulcers, [16:21]and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; but the dogs also came and licked his ulcers.

[16:22]And the poor man died, and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died, and was buried; [16:23]and in hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham from afar, and Lazarus in his bosom. [16:24]And he called and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in pain in this flame.

5 [16:25]But Abraham said, Son, remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in pain. [16:26]And besides all this, there is a great chasm fixed between us and you, so that those wis.h.i.+ng to pa.s.s from hence to you cannot, neither can they pa.s.s from thence to us. [16:27]And he said, I beseech you then, father, send him to my father's house, [16:28]for I have five brothers, to testify fully to them, that they may not also come to this place of torment [16:29]But Abraham said, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

[16:30]But he said, No, father Abraham, but if one went to them from the dead they would change their minds. [16:31]But he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, they would not be persuaded if one arose from the dead.

CHAPTER XXII.

CHRIST'S DOCTRINE RESPECTING OFFENSES, CURING TEN LEPERS, AND PREDICTING THE COMING OF HIS KINGDOM.

1 [17:1]AND he said to his disciples, It is inevitable that offenses should come; but woe to him by whom they come; [17:2]it would be profitable for him if a millstone was placed around his neck, and he was cast into the sea, rather than that he should offend one of these little ones. [17:3]Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, reprove him; and if he changes his mind, forgive him; [17:4]and if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turn seven times, saying, I change my mind, you shall forgive him.

2 [17:5]And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.

[17:6]And the Lord said, If you had a faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this sycamore tree, Be taken up by the roots and planted in the sea, and it would obey you. [17:7]But which of you having a servant plowing, or keeping sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, Come immediately and sit down? [17:8]but will he not say to him, Prepare something that I may take supper, and gird yourself and wait on me till I eat and drink, and after that do you eat and drink? [17:9]Does he thank the servant because he did the things commanded him? [17:10]So also you, when you have done all things commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; what we owed the doing of; we have done.

3 [17:11]And he was going to Jerusalem, and he pa.s.sed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. [17:12]And coming to a certain village, ten lepers met him, who stood afar off. [17:13]And they lifted up their voice saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. [17:14]And seeing them, he said, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they were going they were cleansed. [17:15] And one of them seeing that he was cured, returned, glorifying G.o.d with a loud voice, [17:16]and fell on his face at his feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. [17:17]And Jesus answered and said to him, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? [17:18]There are not found returning to give glory to G.o.d any but this stranger. [17:19]And he said to him, Arise and go; your faith has cured you.

4 [17:20]And being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of G.o.d comes, he answered them and said, The kingdom of G.o.d comes not with observation; [17:21] neither shall they say, Behold here! or, there!

for behold, the kingdom of G.o.d is within you. [17:22]And he said to the disciples, The days will come when you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and shall not see it. [17:23]And they shall say to you, Behold there! behold here! go not away, nor follow them.

[17:24]For as the lightning flas.h.i.+ng from one part under heaven s.h.i.+nes to another part under heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his day.

[17:25]But first he must suffer many things, and be rejected by this generation. [17:26]And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. [17:27]They eat, they drank, they married, they were married, till the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all. [17:28]In like manner also as it was in the days of Lot; they eat, drank, bought, sold, planted, built; [17:29]but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and sulphur from heaven, and destroyed all; [17:30]so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

5 [17:31]In that day let not him that shall be on the house, and his furniture in the house, come down to take it away; and in like manner let not him in the field turn back for things which are behind; [17:32]remember Lot's wife. [17:33]Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whoever shall lose shall save it. [17:34]I tell you, on that night two shall be on one bed; one shall be taken and the other left; [17:35]two shall be grinding together; one shall be taken and the other left. [17:37]And they answered and said to him, Where, Lord? And he said to them, Where the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE PARABLE OF THE UNJUST JUDGE, INFANTS, AND THE WAY OF SALVATION.

1 [18:1]AND he spoke also a parable to them, that men ought to pray at all times, and not to faint; [18:2]saying, There was a certain judge in a certain city, who feared not G.o.d and regarded not man. [18:3]And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Give me judgment against my adversary. [18:4]And he would not for a time; but afterwards he said within himself, Though I fear not G.o.d and regard not man, [18:5]yet because this widow makes me trouble I will give her judgment, that she may not vex me by her continual coming. [18:6]And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. [18:7]And will not G.o.d execute the judgment of his elect, who cry day and night to him, even though he waits long on them? [18:8]I tell you, he will execute their judgment speedily. But when the Son of man comes will he find faith on the earth?

2 [18:9]And he also spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: [18:10]Two men went up to the temple to pray; one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [18:11]The Pharisee, standing by himself, offered this prayer; G.o.d, I thank thee that I am not as other men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican; [18:12]I fast twice a week; I t.i.the all I acquire. [18:13]And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote on his breast, saying, G.o.d, be propitious to me a sinner. [18:14]I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than that; for every one that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

3 [18:15]And they brought him also infants, that he should touch them; and the disciples seeing it reproved them. [18:16]But Jesus calling them, said, Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of G.o.d. [18:17]I tell you truly, that whoever receives not the kingdom of G.o.d as a little child, shall by no means enter into it.

4 [18:18]And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [18:19]And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, G.o.d. [18:20]You know the commandments; You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not testify falsely, Honor your father and your mother. [18:21]And he said, All these have I kept from my youth. [18:22]And Jesus hearing it, said to him, One thing you yet want; sell all that you have, and distribute to the poor, and you shall have a treasure in heaven, and come, follow me. [18:23]And when he heard these things he was sad; for he was very rich. [18:24]And Jesus seeing him, said, With what difficulty do those who have riches enter into the kingdom of G.o.d! [18:25]It is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of G.o.d. [18:26]And those hearing him, said, And who can be saved? [18:27]And he said, Things impossible with man are possible with G.o.d.

5 [18:28]And Peter said, Behold, we have left our [property] and followed you. [18:29]And he said to them, I tell you truly, that there is no one who has left a house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, on account of the kingdom of G.o.d, [18:30]who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the life to come eternal life.

CHAPTER XXIV.

CHRIST PREDICTING HIS DEATH, GIVING SIGHT TO A BLIND MAN, STOPPING WITH ZACCHEUS, AND THE PARABLE OF THE n.o.bLEMAN RECEIVING A KINGDOM.

1 [18:31]AND Jesus took the twelve aside, and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and all things written by the prophets concerning the Son of man will be finished. [18:32]For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and be mocked, and injuriously treated, and spit upon, [18:33]and they will scourge and kill him, and on the third day he will rise again. [18:34]And they understood nothing of these things; and this word was concealed from them, and they did not perceive what was said.

2 [18:35]And when they came nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way, begging. [18:36]And hearing the mult.i.tude pa.s.sing by he inquired what it meant. [18:37]And they told him, Jesus the Nazoraean is pa.s.sing by. [18:38]And he cried, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. [18:39]And those going before charged him to be still; but he cried much more, Son of David, have mercy on me. [18:40]And Jesus stopping, commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near he asked him, [18:41]saying, What do you wish me to do for you? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. [18:42]And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight; your faith has cured you. [18:43]And he immediately received his sight, and followed him, glorifying G.o.d; and all the people seeing it gave praise to G.o.d.

3 [19:1]And entering into Jericho he pa.s.sed through it. [19:2]And behold, there was a man called Zaccheus, and he was chief publican, and was rich. [19:3] And he sought to see Jesus, who he was; and could not on account of the mult.i.tude, because he was of small stature. [19:4]And running before, he went up on a sycamore that he might see him; for he was to pa.s.s by it. [19:5]And when he came to the place, Jesus looking up saw him, and said to him, Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must stop at your house; [19:6]and he made haste and came down, and received him rejoicing. [19:7]And seeing it, they all complained, saying, He has gone in to stop with a sinner.

4 [19:8]And Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, Behold, half of my property, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of any thing, I restore fourfold. [19:9]And Jesus said to him, To-day has salvation come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; [19:10]for the Son of man has come to seek and save the lost.

5 [19:11]And when they were hearing these things, he added and spoke a parable, because he was nigh Jerusalem; and they thought that the kingdom of G.o.d was immediately to appear. [19:12]He said, therefore, A certain n.o.bleman went into a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and to return. [19:13]And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten minas [$163.30], and said to them, Use them in business till I come. [19:14]And his citizens hated him, and sent an emba.s.sy after him, saying, We wish not this man to reign over us. [19:15]And he returned, having received the kingdom, and ordered those servants to be called to him to whom he had given the money, that he might know what each one had done.

6 [19:16]And the first came, saying, Lord, your mina [$16.33] has gained ten minas. [19:17]And he said to him, Well, good servant; because you have been faithful in the least, have authority over ten cities. [19:18]And the second came, saying, Lord, your mina has made five minas. [19:19]And he said to him, Be you over five cities.

[19:20]And the other came, saying, Lord, behold your mina, which I had laid up in a napkin; [19:21]for I feared you, because you are an austere man; you take up what you laid not down, and reap what you did not sow. [19:22]He said to him, Out of your mouth will I judge you, evil servant. You knew that I am an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping what I did not sow? [19:23]then why did you not put my silver on the [broker's] table, and when I came I should have had the same, with interest? [19:24]And he said to those standing by, Take from him the mina, and give it to him that has ten minas,-- [19:25]and they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas,-- [19:26]for I tell you, that to every one that has shall be given; but from him that has not, even what he has shall be taken away; [19:27]but those my enemies that wished me not to reign over them, bring hither and kill them before me.

CHAPTER XXV.

CHRIST ENTERING JERUSALEM, AND PURIFYING THE TEMPLE.

1 [19:28]AND having said these things he went forward going up to Jerusalem. [19:29]And when he came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, [19:30]saying, Go into the village opposite to you, and having entered into it you will find a colt tied, on which no man ever sat; untie and bring him; [19:31]and if any one asks you, Why do you untie him? Say thus to him; The Lord has need of him. [19:32]And those sent, going, found as he said to them. [19:33]And untying the colt, his owners said to them, Why do you untie the colt? [19:34]And they said, The Lord has need of him. [19:35]And they brought him to Jesus; and spreading their clothes on the colt they put Jesus on him. [19:36]And as he proceeded they spread their clothes in the way. [19:37]And when he was now approaching, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, all the mult.i.tude of the disciples began to rejoice, and praise G.o.d with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they saw, [19:38]saying, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord; peace be in heaven, and glory in the highest [heavens]. [19:39]And some of the Pharisees, from the mult.i.tude, said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. [19:40]And he answered and said to them, I tell you that if these should be silent the stones would cry out.