Chapter 3

009:028 After the return of Jesus to the house His disciples asked Him privately, "How is it that we could not expel the spirit?"

009:029 "An evil spirit of this kind," He answered, "can only be driven out by prayer."

009:030 Departing thence they passed through Galilee, and He was unwilling that any one should know it;

009:031 for He was teaching His disciples, and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will put Him to death; and after being put to death, in three days He will rise to life again."

009:032 They, however, did not understand what He meant, and were afraid to question Him.

009:033 So they came to Capernaum; and when in the house He asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"

009:034 But they remained silent; for on the way they had debated with one another who was the chief of them.

009:035 Then sitting down He called the Twelve, and said to them, "If any one wishes to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."

009:036 And taking a young child He made him stand in their midst, then threw His arms round him and said,

009:037 "Whoever for my sake receives one such young child as this, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not so much me as Him who sent me."

009:038 "Rabbi," said John to Him, "we saw a man making use of your name to expel demons, and we tried to hinder him, on the ground that he did not follow us."

009:039 "You should not have tried to hinder him," replied Jesus, "for there is no one who will use my name to perform a miracle and be able the next minute to speak evil of me.

009:040 He who is not against us is for us;

009:041 and whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, I solemnly tell you that he will certainly not lose his reward.

009:042 "And whoever shall occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe, he would be better off if, with a millstone round his neck, he were lying at the bottom of the sea.

009:043 If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out.

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009:045 Or if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life crippled, than remain in possession of both your feet and be thrown into Gehenna.

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009:047 Or if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God half-blind than remain in possession of two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna,

009:048 where their worm does not die and the fire does not go out.

009:049 Every one, however, will be salted with fire.

009:050 Salt is a good thing, but if the salt should become tasteless, what will you use to give it saltness? Have salt within you and live at peace with one another."

010:001 Soon on His feet once more, He enters the district of Judaea and crosses the Jordan: again the people flock to Him, and ere long, as was usual with Him, He was teaching them once more.

010:002 Presently a party of Pharisees come to Him with the question-- seeking to entrap Him, "May a man divorce his wife?"

010:003 "What rule did Moses lay down for you?" He answered.

010:004 "Moses," they said, "permitted a man to draw up a written notice of divorce, and to send his wife away."

010:005 "It was in consideration of your stubborn hearts," said Jesus, "that Moses enacted this law for you;

010:006 but from the beginning of the creation the rule was, 'Male and female did God make them.

010:007 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cling to his wife,

010:008 and the two shall be one'; so that they are two no longer, but 'one.'

010:009 What, therefore, God has joined together let not man separate."

010:010 Indoors the disciples began questioning Jesus again on the same subject.

010:011 He replied, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman, commits adultery against the first wife;

010:012 and if a woman puts away her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

010:013 One day people were bringing young children to Jesus for Him to touch them, but the disciples interfered.

010:014 Jesus, however, on seeing this, was moved to indignation, and said to them, "Let the little children come to me: do not hinder them; for to those who are childlike the Kingdom of God belongs.

010:015 In solemn truth I tell you that no one who does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will by any possibility enter it."

010:016 Then He took them in His arms and blessed them lovingly, one by one, laying His hands upon them.

010:017 As He went out to resume His journey, there came a man running up to Him, who knelt at His feet and asked, "Good Rabbi, what am I to do in order to inherit the Life of the Ages?"

010:018 "Why do you call me good?" asked Jesus in reply; "there is no one truly good except One--that is, God.

010:019 You know the Commandments--'Do not murder;' 'Do not commit adultery;' 'Do not steal;' 'Do not lie in giving evidence;' 'Do not defraud;' 'Honour thy father and thy mother.'"

010:020 "Rabbi," he replied, "all these Commandments I have carefully obeyed from my youth."

010:021 Then Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said, "One thing is lacking in you: go, sell all you possess and give the proceeds to the poor, and you shall have riches in Heaven; and come and be a follower of mine."

010:022 At these words his brow darkened, and he went away sad; for he was possessed of great wealth.

010:023 Then looking round on His disciples Jesus said, "With how hard a struggle will the possessors of riches enter the Kingdom of God!"

010:024 The disciples were amazed at His words. Jesus, however, said again, "Children, how hard a struggle is it for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God!

010:025 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

010:026 They were astonished beyond measure, and said to one another, "Who then *can* be saved?"

010:027 Jesus looking on them said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God."

010:028 "Remember," said Peter to Him, "that we forsook everything and have become your followers."

010:029 "In solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has forsaken house or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,

010:030 but will receive a hundred times as much now in this present life-- houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands-- and persecution with them--and in the coming age the Life of the Ages.

010:031 But many who are now first will be last, and the last, first."

010:032 They were still on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were full of wonder, and some, though they followed, did so with fear. Then, once more calling to Him the Twelve, He began to tell them what was about to happen to Him.

010:033 "See," He said, "we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the High Priests and the Scribes. They will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles;

010:034 they will insult Him in cruel sport, spit on Him, scourge Him, and put Him to death; but on the third day He will rise to life again."

010:035 Then James and John, the sons of Zabdi, came up to Him and said, "Rabbi, we wish you would grant us whatever request we make of you."

010:036 "What would you have me do for you?" He asked.

010:037 "Allow us," they replied, "to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left hand, in your glory."

010:038 "You know not," said He, "what you are asking. Are you able to drink out of the cup from which I am to drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?"

010:039 "We are able," they replied. "Out of the cup," said Jesus, "from which I am to drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I am to be baptized you shall be baptized;

010:040 but as to sitting at my right hand or at my left, that is not mine to give: it will be for those for whom it is reserved."

010:041 The other ten, hearing of it, were at first highly indignant with James and John.

010:042 Jesus, however, called them to Him and said to them, "You are aware how those who are deemed rulers among the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men make them feel their authority;

010:043 but it is not to be so among you. No, whoever desires to be great among you must be your servant;

010:044 and whoever desires to be first among you must be the bondservant of all.

010:045 For the Son of Man also did not come to be waited upon, but to wait on others, and to give His life as the redemption-price for a multitude of people."

010:046 They came to Jericho; and as He was leaving that town-- Himself and His disciples and a great crowd--Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the way-side.

010:047 Hearing that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me."

010:048 Many angrily told him to leave off shouting; but he only cried out all the louder, "Son of David, have pity on me."

010:049 Then Jesus stood still. "Call him," He said. So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said; "rise, he is calling you."

010:050 The man flung away his outer garment, sprang to his feet, and came to Jesus.

010:051 "What shall I do for you?" said Jesus. "Rabboni," replied the blind man, "let me recover my sight."

010:052 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has cured you." Instantly he regained his sight, and followed Him along the road.

011:001 When they were getting near Jerusalem and had arrived at Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples on in front, with these instructions.

011:002 "Go," He said, "to the village facing you, and immediately on entering it you will find an ass's foal tied up which no one has ever yet ridden: untie him and bring him here.

011:003 And if any one asks you, 'Why are you doing that?' say, 'The Master needs it, and will send it back here without delay.'"

011:004 So they went and found a young ass tied up at the front door of a house. They were untying it,

011:005 when some of the bystanders called out, "What are you doing, untying the foal?"

011:006 But on their giving the answer that Jesus had bidden them give, they let them take it.

011:007 So they brought the foal to Jesus, and threw their outer garments over him; and Jesus mounted.

011:008 Then many spread their outer garments to carpet the road, and others leafy branches which they had cut down in the fields;

011:009 while those who led the way and those who followed kept shouting "God save Him!" Blessed be He who comes in the Lord's name.

011:010 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our forefather David! God in the highest Heavens save Him!"

011:011 So He came into Jerusalem and into the Temple; and after looking round upon everything there, the hour being now late He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

011:012 The next day, after they had left Bethany, He was hungry.

011:013 But in the distance He saw a fig-tree in full leaf, and went to see whether perhaps He could find some figs on it. When however He came to it, He found nothing but leaves (for it was not fig time);

011:014 and He said to the tree, "Let no one ever again eat fruit from thee!" And His disciples heard this.

011:015 They reached Jerusalem, and entering the Temple He began to drive out the buyers and sellers, and upset the money-changers' tables and the stools of the pigeon-dealers,

011:016 and would not allow any one to carry anything through the Temple.

011:017 And He remonstrated with them. "Is it not written," He said, "'My House shall be called The House of Prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it what it now is--a robbers' cave."

011:018 This the High Priests and Scribes heard, and they began to devise means to destroy Him. For they were afraid of Him, because of the deep impression produced on all the people by His teaching.

011:019 When evening came on, Jesus and His disciples used to leave the city.

011:020 In the early morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree withered to the roots;

011:021 and Peter, recollecting, said to Him, "Look, Rabbi, the fig-tree which you cursed is withered up."

011:022 Jesus said to them, "Have faith in God.

011:023 In solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall say to this mountain, 'Remove, and hurl thyself into the sea,' and has no doubt about it in his heart, but stedfastly believes that what he says will happen, it shall be granted him.

011:024 That is why I tell you, as to whatever you pray and make request for, if you believe that you have received it it shall be yours.

011:025 But whenever you stand praying, if you have a grievance against any one, forgive it, so that your Father in Heaven may also forgive you your offences."

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011:027 They came again to Jerusalem; and as He was walking in the Temple, the High Priests, Scribes and Elders came to Him

011:028 and asked, "By what authority are you doing these things? and who gave you authority to do them?"

011:029 "And I will put a question to you," replied Jesus; "answer me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

011:030 John's Baptism--was it of Heavenly or of human origin? Answer me."

011:031 So they debated the matter with one another. "Suppose we say, 'Heavenly,'" they argued, "he will ask, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

011:032 Or should we say, 'human?'" They were afraid of the people; for all agreed in holding John to have been really a Prophet.

011:033 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." "Nor do I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

012:001 Then He began to speak to them in figurative language. "There was once a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, fenced it round, dug a pit for the wine-tank, and built a strong lodge. Then he let the place to vine-dressers and went abroad.

012:002 At vintage-time he sent one of his servants to receive from the vine-dressers a share of the grapes.

012:003 But they seized him, beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.

012:004 Again he sent to them another servant: and as for him, they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully.

012:005 Yet a third he sent, and him they killed. And he sent many besides, and them also they ill-treated, beating some and killing others.

012:006 He had still one left whom he could send, a dearly-loved son: him last of all he sent, saying, "'They will treat my son with respect.'

012:007 "But those men--the vine-dressers--said to one another, "'Here is the heir: come, let us kill him, and then the property will one day be ours.'

012:008 "So they took him and killed him, and flung his body outside the vineyard.

012:009 What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do?" "He will come and put the vine-dressers to death," they said; "and will give the vineyard to others."

012:010 "Have you not read even this passage," He added, "'The stone which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone:

012:011 this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful in our esteem?'"

012:012 And they kept looking out for an opportunity to seize Him, but were afraid of the people; for they saw that in this parable He had referred to *them*. So they left Him and went away.

012:013 Their next step was to send to Him some of the Pharisees and of Herod's partisans to entrap Him in conversation.

012:014 So they came to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you are a truthful man and you do not fear any one; for you do not recognize human distinctions, but teach God's way truly. Is it allowable to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

012:015 Shall we pay, or shall we refuse to pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, replied, "Why try to ensnare me? Bring me a shilling for me to look at."

012:016 They brought one; and He asked them, "Whose is this likeness and this inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied.

012:017 "What is Caesar's," replied Jesus, "pay to Caesar--and what is God's, pay to God." And they wondered exceedingly at Him.

012:018 Then came to Him a party of Sadducees, a sect which denies that there is any Resurrection; and they proceeded to question Him.

012:019 "Rabbi," they said, "Moses made it a law for us: 'If a man's brother should die and leave a wife, but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.'

012:020 There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife, but at his death left no family.

012:021 The second married her, and died, leaving no family; and the third did the same.

012:022 And so did the rest of the seven, all dying childless. Finally the woman also died.

012:023 At the Resurrection whose wife will she be? For they all seven married her."

012:024 "Is not this the cause of your error," replied Jesus--"your ignorance alike of the Scriptures and of the power of God?

012:025 For when they have risen from among the dead, men do not marry and women are not given in marriage, but they are as angels are in Heaven.

012:026 But as to the dead, that they rise to life, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?'

012:027 He is not the God of dead, but of living men. You are in grave error."

012:028 Then one of the Scribes, who had heard them disputing and well knew that Jesus had given them an answer to the point, and a forcible one, came forward and asked Him, "Which is the chief of all the Commandments?"

012:029 "The chief Commandment," replied Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;

012:030 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole strength.'

012:031 "The second is this: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as thou lovest thyself.' "Other Commandment greater than these there is none."

012:032 So the Scribe said to Him, "Rightly, in very truth, Rabbi, have you said that He stands alone, and there is none but He;

012:033 and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices."

012:034 Perceiving that the Scribe had answered wisely Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." No one from that time forward ventured to put any question to Him.

012:035 But, while teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it the Scribes say that the Christ is a son of David?

012:036 David himself said, taught by the Holy Spirit, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I have made thy foes a footstool under thy feet.'

012:037 "David himself calls Him 'Lord:' how then can He be his son?" And the mass of people found pleasure in listening to Jesus.

012:038 Moreover in the course of His teaching He said, "Be on your guard against the Scribes who like to walk about in long robes and to be bowed to in places of public resort,

012:039 and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues and at dinner parties,

012:040 and who swallow up the property of widows and then mask their wickedness by making long prayers: these men will receive far heavier punishment."

012:041 Having taken a seat opposite the Treasury, He observed how the people were dropping money into the Treasury, and that many of the wealthy threw in large sums.

012:042 But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny.

012:043 So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more than all the other contributors to the Treasury;

012:044 for they have all contributed out of what they could well spare, but she out of her need has thrown in all she possessed-- all she had to live on."

013:001 As He was leaving the Temple, one of His disciples exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi, what wonderful stones! what wonderful buildings!"

013:002 "You see all these great buildings?" Jesus replied; "not one stone will be left here upon another--not thrown down."

013:003 He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,

013:004 "Tell us, When will these things be? and what will be the sign when all these predictions are on the point of being fulfilled?"

013:005 So Jesus began to say to them: "Take care that no one misleads you.

013:006 Many will come assuming my name and saying, 'I am He;' and they will mislead many.

013:007 But when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed: come they must, but the End is not yet.

013:008 For nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These miseries are but like the early pains of childbirth.

013:009 "You yourselves must be on your guard. They will deliver you up to Sanhedrins; you will be brought into synagogues and cruelly beaten; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to be witnesses to them for me.

013:010 But the proclamation of the Good News must be carried to all the Gentiles before the End comes.

013:011 When however they are marching you along under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but speak what is given you when the time comes; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

013:012 "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.