The New Testament Part 4

CHRIST'S DOCTRINE OF MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, ETC.

1 [19:1]AND when Jesus had finished these words he departed from Galilee, and came into the bounds of Judea beyond the Jordan; [19:2]and great mult.i.tudes followed him, and he cured them there. [19:3]And the Pharisees came to him to try him, and said, Is it lawful [for a man] to put away his wife for every cause? [19:4]And he answered and said, Have you not read that the Creator at the beginning made them male and female? [19:5]and he said, On this account shall a man leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.

[19:6]So that they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore G.o.d has yoked together, let not man separate.

2 [19:7]They said to him, Why then did Moses command us to give a bill of divorcement, and put her away? [19:8]He said to them, Moses, on account of your hardness of heart, allowed you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. [19:9]And I tell you, that whoever puts away his wife, except for adultery, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her that is put away, commits adultery.

3 [19:10]The disciples said to him, If the case of a man is thus with his wife, it is not expedient to marry. [19:11]And he said to them, All do not receive this word, but those to whom it is given. [19:12]For there are eunuchs from birth, who were born so from their mother; and there are eunuchs who are made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

He that is able to receive [this doctrine] let him receive it.

4 [19:13]Then little children were brought to him that he should put his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. [19:14]But Jesus said, Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. [19:15]And he put his hands on them and departed thence.

5 [19:16]And behold one came and said to him, Teacher, what good [work]

shall I do that I may have eternal life? [19:17]And he said to him, Why do you ask me of the good? one is the good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. [19:18]He said to him, What? And Jesus said, this; You shall not kill; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not testify falsely; [19:19]Honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

[19:20]The young man said to him, All these have I kept; what do I lack yet? [19:21]Jesus said to him, If you will be perfect, go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you shall have a treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. [19:22]And when the young man heard [this] he went away sad, for he had great possessions.

6 [19:23]And Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you truly, that a rich man will enter into the kingdom of heaven with difficulty. [19:24]And again I tell 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 G.o.d.

[19:25]And the disciples hearing this, were greatly astonished, and said, Who then can be saved? [19:26]But Jesus looking on them, said, With men this is impossible; but with G.o.d all things are possible.

7 [19:27]Then Peter answered and said, Behold we have left all and followed you; what shall we have therefore? [19:28]And Jesus said to them, I tell you truly, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, shall yourselves also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel; [19:29]and whoever has left brothers or sisters, or a father or mother, or children, or lands or houses, for my name's sake, shall receive many times as much, and inherit eternal life. [19:30]But many first shall be last; and last, first.

8 [20:1]For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers in his vineyard. [20:2]And agreeing with the laborers for a denarius [14 cents] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. [20:3] And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the market; [20:4]and he said to them, go also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went. [20:5]Again going out about the sixth and ninth hours, he did likewise. [20:6]And going out about the eleventh hour he found others standing, and said to them, Why stand you all the day idle? [20:7]They said to him, Because no man has hired us. He said to them, Go also into the vineyard. [20:8]And when it was evening the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them the wages [stipulated], beginning from the last even to the first. [20:9]And those who came about the eleventh hour, received a denarius [14 cents]

each. [20:10]And those who came first supposed that they should receive more. And they also received a denarius [14 cents] each; [20:11]and when they had received it, they complained of the householder, [20:12]saying, These last have worked but one hour, and you have made them equal with us, who have borne the burden and heat of the day.

[20:13]But he answered and said to one of them, Neighbor, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius [14 cents]? [20:14]Take what belongs to you, and go, for I will give to the last even as to you. [20:15]Is it not right for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil because I am good? [20:16]So the last shall be first, and the first last.

9 [20:17]And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took his twelve disciples aside privately, and said to them on the way, [20:18]Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, [20:19]and deliver him to the gentiles, to mock, and scourge, and crucify him; and on the third day he shall be raised.

10 [20:20]Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, wors.h.i.+pping, and asking a certain thing of him. [20:21]And he said to her, What do you wish? She said to him, Say that these my two sons shall sit, one on your right hand, and the other on your left, in your kingdom. [20:22]But Jesus answered and said, You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the cup of which I am about to drink? They said to him, We can. [20:23]He said to them; you shall drink indeed of my cup; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared by my Father. [20:24]And the ten hearing this were displeased with the two brothers. [20:25]But Jesus called them to him, and said, You know that the rulers of the gentiles exercise lords.h.i.+p over them, and the great exercise authority over them; but it shall not be so among you. [20:26]But whoever wishes to be great among you, let him be your minister; [20:27]and whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be your servant, [20:28]as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CHRIST CURING TWO BLIND MEN.--ENTERING JERUSALEM IN TRIUMPH, AND CURSING THE FIG TREE.

1 [20:29]AND as they proceeded from Jericho a great mult.i.tude followed him. [20:30]And behold two blind men who sat by the way, hearing that Jesus was pa.s.sing by cried, saying, Have mercy on us Lord, Son of David! [20:31]And the mult.i.tude charged them to be still; but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us Lord, Son of David! [20:32]And Jesus stopped, and called them and said, What do you wish me to do for you? [20:33]They said to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

[20:34]And Jesus having compa.s.sion on them, touched their eyes; and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

2 [21:1]And when they approached Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, [21:2]and said to them, Go into the village opposite to you, and you will immediately find an a.s.s tied, and a colt with her; untie them, and lead them to me: [21:3]and if any one asks you why, say that the Lord has need of them, and he will immediately send them. [21:4] But all this was done that the words spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, who says; [21:5]Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king comes to you, meek, seated on an a.s.s, and a colt the foal of an a.s.s.

3 [21:6]And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, [21:7]and brought the a.s.s and the colt, and put garments on them, and he sat on them. [21:8]And a vast mult.i.tude spread their garments in the way, and others cut branches from the trees and scattered them in the way; [21:9]and the mult.i.tudes that went before, and those that followed, cried saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest [heavens]!

4 [21:10]And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was moved, saying, Who is this? [21:11]And the mult.i.tude said, This is Jesus, the prophet who is from Nazareth of Galilee. [21:12]And Jesus entered into the temple of G.o.d, and cast out all that sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the brokers, and the seats of those that sold doves, [21:13]and said to them, It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer; but you make it a den of robbers.

5 [21:14]And the blind and crippled came to him in the temple, and he cured them. [21:15]And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful works which he performed, and the children crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! they were displeased, [21:16]and said to him, Do you hear what these say? And Jesus said to them, Yes. Have you never read, that out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants, you have perfected praise? [21:17]And he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.

6 [21:18]And returning into the city in the morning he was hungry; [21:19]and seeing a fig tree by the way he went to it, and found nothing on it, except leaves only, and he said to it, Let there be no fruit on you forever. And the fig tree immediately withered, [21:20]and the disciples seeing it, wondered and said, How soon is this fig tree withered! [21:21]Jesus answered and said to them, I tell you truly, that if you have faith and doubt not, you shall not only do this of the fig tree, but if you should say to this mountain, Be taken up and be cast into the sea, it would be done; [21:22]and all things whatever which you ask in prayer believing, you shall receive.

CHAPTER XIX.

CHRIST QUESTIONED BY THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ELDERS. THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD.

1 [21:23]AND Jesus having gone into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority?

[21:24]Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one question, which, if you tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. [21:25]Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned within themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say to us, Why did you not believe him? [21:26]But if we say from men, we fear the mult.i.tude, for all regard John as a prophet. [21:27] And they answered Jesus, and said, We do not know. And he said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

2 [21:28]But what do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first, and said, Son, go and work to-day in the vineyard. [21:29]But he answered and said, I will not; but afterwards he repented, and went.

[21:30]And he came to the other, and said the same. And he answered and said, I will go sir, but went not. [21:31]Which of the two did the will of the father? They said to him, The first. Jesus said to them, I tell you truly, that the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of G.o.d before you. [21:32]For John came to you in a way of righteousness, and you believed him not; but the publicans and harlots believed him; and when you saw this, you did not afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

3 [21:33]Hear another parable: There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge around it, and dug a wine vat in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went abroad.

[21:34]And when the time of the fruits approached he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits. [21:35]And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

[21:36]Again he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them in the same manner. [21:37]And afterwards he sent them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. [21:38]But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and take his inheritance. [21:39]And they took him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. [21:40]When, therefore, the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen?

[21:41]They said to him, He will inflict on those men a miserable death, and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.

4 [21:42]Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of a corner? this is from the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes? [21:43]I tell you, therefore, that the kingdom of G.o.d shall be taken from you, and given to a nation yielding its fruits.

5 [21:45]And the chief priests and Pharisees hearing his parables, knew that he spoke of them; [21:46]and they sought to take him, but feared the people, because they regarded him as a prophet.

CHAPTER XX.

THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING, AND QUESTIONS OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES.

1 [22:1]AND Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables saying, [22:2] The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king, who made a wedding for his son. [22:3]And he sent his servants to call the invited to the wedding, and they would not come. [22:4]Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell the invited, Behold, I have prepared my supper, my oxen and fatted creatures are killed, and all things are ready; come to the wedding. [22:5]But they neglected it, and went away, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise; [22:6]and the rest took his servants and treated them injuriously, and killed them. [22:7]And the king was angry, and sent his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city.

2 [22:8]Then he said to his servants, The wedding indeed is ready, but the invited were not worthy. [22:9]Go, therefore, to the crossings of the ways, and invite all you find to the wedding. [22:10]And those servants went out into the highways, and collected all whom they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.

3 [22:11]And the king coming in to see the guests observed there a man who had not on a wedding garment, [22:12]and said to him, Friend, how came you in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

[22:13]Then the king said to the servants, Bind his feet and hands, and cast him into the darkness outside. There shall be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth. [22:14]For many are called, but few chosen.

4 [22:15]Then the Pharisees went and took counsel to ensnare him in his words. [22:16]And they sent to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of G.o.d in truth, and care not for any man; for you regard not the face of men.

[22:17]Tell us, therefore, what you think; is it right to pay tribute to Caesar or not? [22:18]Jesus knowing their wickedness, said, Why do you hypocrites try me? [22:19]Show me the tribute money. And they brought him a denarius [14 cents]. [22:20]And he said to them, Whose is this image and this inscription? [22:21]They said to him, Caesar's.

Then he said to them, Give therefore Caesar's dues to Caesar, and G.o.d's to G.o.d. [22:22]And hearing, they wondered, and went away and left him.

5 [22:23]On that day the Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection, and asked him, [22:24]saying, Teacher, Moses said, If any one dies having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother. [22:25]Now there were with us seven brothers; and the first married, and died; and having no children he left his wife to his brother; [22:26]in like manner also the second, and third, till the seventh; [22:27] last of all the woman died also.

[22:28]In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? for they all had her. [22:29]And Jesus answered and said to them, You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of G.o.d.

[22:30]For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are married, but are as angels in heaven. [22:31]But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by G.o.d, saying, [22:32]I am the G.o.d of Abraham, and the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob? G.o.d is not a G.o.d of the dead, but of the living. [22:33]And the mult.i.tudes who heard were astonished at his teaching.

6 [22:34]And the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, were a.s.sembled together, [22:35]and one of them, a lawyer, asked him, to try him, [22:36]Teacher, what is the great commandment in the law?

[22:37]And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your G.o.d with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. [22:38]This is the great and first commandment. [22:39]And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [22:40]On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

7 [22:41]And the Pharisees being a.s.sembled together, Jesus asked them, [22:42] saying, What do you think of the Christ? whose son is he? They said to him, David's. [22:43]He said to them, How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, [22:44]The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool? [22:45]If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son? [22:46]And no one was able to answer him a word, neither dared any one after that day to question him farther.

CHAPTER XXI.

CHRIST DENOUNCING THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.