Chapter 13

(38)And it came to pass, as they were travelling, that he entered into a certain village; and a woman, named Martha, received him into her house. (39)And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting down also at the feet of Jesus, hearkened to his discourse. (40)But Martha was hurrying about to provide a large entertainment, and coming up to him, she said, Lord, is it no concern to thee, that my sister hath left me to make the whole provision by myself? bid her therefore to assist me. (41)But Jesus answering said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and disturbing thyself about many things. (42)But of one thing there is need: and Mary hath made her election of that good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.

CHAP. XI.

AND it came to pass, as he was in a certain place praying, when he had done, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples. (2)And he said unto them, When ye pray say, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done as in heaven so upon earth. (3)Give us our necessary food, day by day: (4)and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one who is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation; but deliver us from the wicked one.

(5)And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and he shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves; (6)for a friend of mine is come to me off a journey, and I have nothing to set before him. (7)And he from within answering, shall say, Give me no farther trouble: my door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed; I am unable to rise and give thee. (8)I tell you, though even he would not rise and give him because he is his friend; yet because of his importunity, roused up, he will give him as many as he needeth. (9)And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (10)For every one who asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (11)For what father of you, if his son ask a loaf, will he give him a stone? or if a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? (12)or if he ask also an egg, will he give him a scorpion? (13)If ye then, evil as ye are, know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more shall your Father, who is in heaven, give his Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

(14)And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb person spake, and the people marvelled. (15)But some of them said, He casteth out devils by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. (16)But others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. (17)But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house against a house, falleth. (18)And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom be established? because ye say, that I cast out devils by Beelzebub. (19)But if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. (20)But if with the finger of God I cast out devils, then, verily the kingdom of God is come unto you. (21)When a strong man, in complete armour, guards his palace, his goods are in peace. (22)But when a stronger person than he coming, vanquisheth him, he takes away his suit of armour in which he confided, and distributes the spoils. (23)He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad.

(24)When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he passes through places destitute of water, seeking repose; and not finding it, saith, I will go back to my habitation from whence I came out: (25)and coming, he findeth it swept and furnished. (26)Then goeth he, and taketh seven other spirits, more wicked than himself; and they entering in, take up their abode there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

(27)And it came to pass as he was speaking these words, a certain woman from among the multitude lift up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked. (28)But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and observe it.

(29)Then the multitudes thronging around him, he began to say, This is a wicked generation: it seeketh a sign, and no sign shall be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet. (30)For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall the Son of man also be to this generation. (31)The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment against the men of this generation, and shall condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. (32)The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment against this generation, and shall condemn it, for they repented on the preaching of Jonah, and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

(33)But no man lighting a lamp putteth it in a concealed place, or under a bushel, but on a stand, that they who are coming in, may see the light. (34)The lamp of the body is the eye: when therefore thine eye is clear, thy whole body will be luminous, but if it be vitiated, thy whole body will be darkened. (35)Let it be thy aim then, that the light which is in thee do not become darkness. (36)If then thy whole body be illuminated, not having any dark part, it will be wholly luminous, as a lamp by its brightness diffuseth light.

(37)Now as he was speaking, a certain Pharisee invited him to dine with him; and going in with him, he sat down. (38)But the Pharisee seeing it, marvelled, that he had not washed before dinner. (39)Then said the Lord unto him, Now ye Pharisees make the outside of the cup and of the dish clean, but your inward parts are full of extortion and wickedness. (40)Ye senseless men! did not he who made that which is without, make also that which is within? (41)But give what is within them for alms; and, lo! all will be pure unto you. (42)But wo to you, Pharisees, because ye tithe mint, and rue, and every herb, and pass by judgment and the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and not to have omitted the other. (43)Wo unto you, Pharisees, for ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the places of public concourse. (44)Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves concealed, which men, while walking over them, see not.

(45)Then one of the doctors of the law addressing him, said, Master, thus speaking, thou reproachest us also. (46)And he said, Wo also to you, teachers of the law! for ye load men with burdens hardly bearable, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. (47)Wo unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. (48)Ye do indeed bear witness to, and with pleasure concur in your fathers' deeds; for they truly killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. (49)Therefore also the wisdom of God hath said, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall kill, and shall persecute: (50)that the blood of all the prophets, which hath been shed since the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation: (51)from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who was slain between the altar and the temple: verily I tell you, It shall be required of this generation. (52)Wo unto you, teachers of the law! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye yourselves enter not in, and those who were entering ye have hindered.

(53)And as he was saying these things unto them, the scribes and Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to extort answers from him respecting many things; (54)laying snares for him, and seeking to catch hold of something from his mouth, that they might accuse him.

CHAP. XII.

MEANTIME myriads of people collecting, so that they trod on one another, he began to speak to his disciples, Take heed principally of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (2)For there is nothing concealed, that shall not be laid open; nor hid, which shall not be known. (3)Wherefore whatsoever things ye have spoken in darkness, they shall be reported in the light; and what ye have whispered into the ear in the closets, shall be proclaimed on the house-tops. (4)But I say to you my friends, Be not afraid of those who may kill the body, but after that, have nothing farther which they can do. (5)But I will point out to you, whom ye should fear: Fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him! (6)Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, yet not one of them is forgotten before God? (7)But even the hairs of your head are all numbered: fear not then, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (8)But I tell you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him will the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: (9)but he that disowns me before men, shall be disowned before the angels of God. (10)And every one who shall utter a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but for him who hath blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, there shall be no forgiveness.

(11)And when they shall bring you before the synagogues, and magistrates, and the ruling powers, be under no anxiety how or what defence ye shall make, or what ye shall say: (12)for the Holy Ghost will teach you at that very hour what ye ought to say.

(13)Then spake one of the multitude to him, Master, order my brother to divide the inheritance with me. (14)But he said to him, Man, who made me a judge and a divider among you? (15)Then said he to them, Beware, and be on your guard against covetousness; for a man's life doth not depend on the abundance of his possessions. (16)And he spake a parable unto them, saying,

The estate of a certain rich man bore plentifully: (17)and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? for I have not room where I may house my crops. (18)And he said, I will do this; I will take down my barns, and build them larger, and collect there all my crops, and my good things! (19)And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast a multitude of good things in store for many years, be at ease, eat, drink, and be merry! (20)But God said to him, Thou fool! this night shall they demand thy life from thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? (21)Just such is every one who heapeth up treasure for self, and is not rich towards God.

(22)Then said he to his disciples, For this reason I tell you, Be under no anxiety about your life, what ye shall eat, nor for your body, how ye shall be clothed. (23)The life is more than food, and the body than raiment. (24)Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn; yet God feedeth them: how much are ye more excellent than the birds? (25)Which of you, with all his anxiety, can add one moment to his life? (26)If therefore ye are unable to do the least thing, why are ye anxious about the others? (27)Observe the lillies how they grow up, they toil not, nor spin; but I tell you, that Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. (28)If God then so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is thrown into the furnace; how much more you, O ye of little faith? (29)So then be not ye inquisitive what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor be agitated with restless anxiety. (30)For after all these things are the nations of the world seeking; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. (31)But seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be given you over.

(32)Fear not, little flock! for your Father takes delight in giving you the kingdom. (33)Sell all your possessions, and give in charity; make yourselves purses that wax not old, a treasure never failing in the heavens, where no thief approaches, nor doth the moth destroy. (34)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(35)Let your loins be firmly girded round, and your lamps burning: (36)and ye like men, expecting their master, when he shall return from the marriage; that when he comes and knocks, they may instantly open the door for him. (37)Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, when he cometh, shall find watchful: verily I say unto you, that he will gird up himself, and make them sit down at table, and come and wait upon them. (38)And if he come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find them so watchful, blessed are those servants. (39)Now this be assured of, that if the master of the family had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. (40)Therefore be ye also ready, for at an hour that ye think not of, the Son of man cometh.

(41)Then said Peter unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable to us, or also for all? (42)And the Lord said, Who indeed is a faithful steward, and prudent, whom the lord will place over his household, to give them their proportion of provision at the proper season? (43)Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so employed. (44)Verily I say unto you, that he will place him over all his property. (45)But if that servant say in his heart, My master will be a long while ere he comes; and shall begin to beat the men and maid-servants, and to eat and to drink, and to get drunk; (46)the master of that servant will come in a day when he doth not expect him, and at an hour which he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and give him his portion with the unfaithful. (47)And that servant, who knew his master's will, and made no preparation for him, nor did according to his pleasure, shall be beaten with many stripes. (48)But he that knew it not, yet did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For of every one to whom much is given, much shall be required from him: and to whom men commit much, they will of him demand abundantly more.

(49)I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what is my wish? that it may be now kindled. (50)But I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how am I distressed in spirit till it is finished! (51)Think ye that I came to bring peace upon earth? No, I tell you; but rather division: (52)for henceforth five shall be in one house, divided, three against two, and two against three. (53)The father shall take part against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the step-mother against her daughter-in-law, and the son's wife against her mother-in-law.

(54)Then said he to the multitudes, When ye see a cloud rising from the west, ye say immediately, There cometh a shower; and it is so. (55)And when the south wind gently blows, ye say, It will be sultry hot; and so it is. (56)Ye hypocrites! ye know how to discern by experience from the appearance of the earth and of the sky; but how is it that ye do not discern this particular time? (57)And why even of yourselves do ye not decide what is just? (58)For as thou art going with thy prosecutor to the magistrate, on the way endeavour to make up the matter with him; lest he drag thee before the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. (59)I tell thee, thou mayest in no wise come out from thence, until thou hast paid the very last mite.

CHAP. XIII.

NOW there were some present at that time who informed him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (2)And Jesus in reply said to them, Think ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? (3)I tell you, No: for except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (4)Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them, think ye that they were debtors to divine justice above all the men who dwell at Jerusalem? (5)I tell you, No: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

(6)Then he spake this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came, expecting fruit on it, and found none. (7)Then said he to the vine-dresser, Lo! for three years have I come, expecting fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it render the ground thus useless? (8)He answering said to him, Sir, let it e'en remain this year, until that I dig around it, and spread some manure: (9)perhaps it may then produce fruit: but if it does not, afterwards thou shalt cut it down.

(10)And he was teaching in one of the synagogues, on the sabbath. (11)And, behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and unable to raise herself at all up. (12)But when Jesus saw her, he called out aloud, and said to her, Woman, thou art delivered from thine infirmity. (13)And he laid his hands upon her: and instantly she became erect, and glorified God. (14)Then the ruler of the synagogue, indignant, that on the sabbath Jesus had performed the cure, addressing himself to the multitude, said, There are six days in which work is to be done: on these therefore come and be cured, and not on the sabbath-day. (15)Then the Lord answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not every one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead him to water? (16)And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day? (17)And when he had made this speech, all his opposers were covered with shame: and all the multitude rejoiced in all the glorious things which were done by him. (18)Then said he, To what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I compare it? (19)It is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and put into his garden; and it grew, and became a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged on its branches.

(20)And again he said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? (21)It is like leaven, which a woman taking, covered up in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

(22)And he passed through the cities and villages, teaching, and making his way towards Jerusalem. (23)And a person said to him, Lord, are the saved few? And he said unto them, (24)Exert all your powers to enter through the strait gate: for many, I tell you, will seek to enter, but will not be able. (25)When the master of the family shall have arisen, and shut the door, and ye shall begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Master, master, open it for us! and he answering will tell you, I know you not whence ye are: (26)then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. (27)And he will say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. (28)There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom, and yourselves cast out. (29)And they shall come from the east, and west, and from north, and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. (30)And, behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.

(31)The same day came certain Pharisees, saying to him, Depart, and begone from hence: for Herod will kill thee. (32)And he said to them, Go tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and perform cures today and to-morrow, and on the third day I shall be perfected. (33)But I must go on to-day and to-morrow, and the day following: for it is impossible that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

(34)O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest those who are sent unto thee; how often would I have collected thy children unto me, just as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not! (35)Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: verily I say unto you, That ye shall see me no more, till the day come when ye shall say, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.

CHAP. XIV.

AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the principal Pharisees, to eat bread on the sabbath, that they were watchfully observant of him. (2)And, behold, there was a certain man who had a dropsy, before him. (3)And Jesus addressing himself to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, spake, saying, Is it lawful to perform cures on the sabbath? (4)And they said nothing. And he took him, and healed him, and sent him away; (5)and addressing them, said, Whose ass or ox is fallen into a pit, and doth he not immediately pull him out on the sabbath-day? (6)And they were unable to answer him in opposition to these things.

(7)Then he spake to those who were invited, a parable, when he observed how they chose the principal seats; saying unto them, (8)When thou art invited of any person to a marriage entertainment, recline not on the principal couch; lest a more honourable personage than thyself be invited by him; (9)and he that invited thee and him, coming say to thee, Yield this person the place; and so thou shalt begin with shame to go down to the lowest place. (10)But when thou art invited, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he who invited thee comes, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have respect in the presence of those who are seated with thee. (11)For every one who exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

(12)Then said he also to the person who had invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, invite not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy relations, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also invite thee again, and a recompence be made to thee. (13)But when thou makest an entertainment, invite the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind: (14)and thou shalt be blessed; because they cannot recompense thee: for a recompence shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just.

(15)Then one of those who sat at table hearing these things, said to him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. (16)And he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many: (17)and sent his servants at supper-time to say to the invited, Come; for all things are now ready. (18)And they all began with one voice to frame excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must of necessity go and survey it: I pray thee hold me excused. (19)And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and am going to make a trial of them: I pray thee accept my excuse. (20)And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. (21)And that servant returning, informed his master of these things. Then the master of the family, being highly incensed, said to his servant, Go out instantly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. (22)And the servant said, Sir, it is done as thou orderedst, and yet there is room. (23)And the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and urge them to come in, that my house may be filled. (24)For I say unto you, That not one man of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.