THE HOLY JOYFUL NEWS ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

Chapter One

A book of the lineage of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.

Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judas and his brethren, and Judas fathered Phares and Zara of Thamar, and Phares fathered Esrom, and Esrom fathered Aram, and Aram fathered Aminadab, and Aminadab fathered Naasson, and Naason fathered Salmon, and Salmon fathered Booz of Rachab, and Booz fathered Obed of Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David the king.

And David the king fathered Solomon of her of Urias, and Solomon fathered Roboam, and Roboam fathered Abia, and Abia fathered Asa, and Asa fathered Josaphat, and Josaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Ozias, and Ozias fathered Joatham, and Joatham fathered Achaz, and Achaz fathered Ezekias, and Ezekias fathered Manasses, and Manasses fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josias, and Josias fathered Jechonias and his brethren on the carrying away to Babylon.

And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jechonias fathered Salathiel, and Salathiel fathered Zorobabel, and Zorobabel fathered Abiud, and Abiud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor, and Azor fathered Sadok, and Sadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud, and Eliud fathered Eleazar, and Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom Jesus, called Christ, was born.

So all the generations from Abraham to David: fourteen generations, and from David until the carrying away to Babylon: fourteen generations, and from the emigration to Babylon until Christ: fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was thus: for his mother Mary, having been betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together, was discovered to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And Joseph, her man, being just and not wanting to make a public example of her, decided to put her away secretly. And as he was thinking these things over, look, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,

“Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary, your wife, for that which is engendered in her is from the Holy Spirit. And she’ll bear a son and you will call his name Jesus, because he’ll save his people from their sins.”

Now all this came about to fulfil that which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying,

“Look, the virgin will be with child, and will bear a Son, and they’ll call his name ‘Emmanuel’ which, being translated, is ‘God with us.’”

And Joseph, having been roused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had instructed him, and took his wife, and did not make love to her until she bore her son, the eldest child; and he called his name Jesus.

Chapter Two

Now Jesus, having been born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in Herod the king’s days, look, wise men from the East arrived at Jerusalem, saying,

“Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we’ve seen his star in the East and have come to worship him.”

And Herod the king, having heard, was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And having assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ should be born. And they said to him,

“In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it was written by the prophet, ‘and you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler, who will guide my people Israel.’” Then Herod, having secretly called the wise men, asked exactly from them the time of the star’s appearing, and having sent them to Bethlehem said,

“Having gone, look for the little child carefully, and when you’ve found him bring word back to me, so that I too may come and worship him.”

And they, having listened to the king, went away and, look, the star which they had seen in the East went ahead of them, till it came and stood above where the little child was. And having seen the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And having come into the house, they found the little child with Mary his mother and, having fallen down, they worshipped him; and, having opened their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And, having been divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country by another way. And when they had departed, look, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream saying,

“Get up and take the little child and his mother and escape into Egypt and be there until I tell you, because Herod is about to look for the little child to destroy him.”

And having got up he took with him the little child and his mother at night, and went away into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying, “Out of Egypt I have called my Son.”

Then Herod, having seen that he was mocked by the wise men was extremely angry, and sent out and put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had asked exactly from the wise men. Then what had been spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, “A voice was heard in Rama: wailing and weeping and great mourning - Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”

And Herod having died, look, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream in Egypt, saying,

“Get up, take the little child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they have died who looked for the death of the little child.”

And, having got up, he took the little child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But having heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there; and, having been divinely warned in a dream, he went away into the parts of Galilee, and having come he lived in a town called Nazareth, so that which was spoken by the prophets would be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Chapter Three

Now in those days John the Baptist comes preaching in the desert of Judaea, and saying,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near! For this is he whom Isaiah the prophet spoke about saying, ‘A sound of one crying in the desert Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!’”

And John himself had his garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and all the country around Jordan went out to him, and were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And having seen many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism he said to them,

“Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming anger? Produce therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and don’t think of saying to yourselves ‘We have a father: Abraham!’ for I’m telling you that God has the power to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And already also the axe is applied to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed am baptising you with water to repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than me, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather his wheat into the store room, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptised by him. But John remonstrated with him saying,

“I have need to be baptised by you, and are you coming to me?”

But Jesus, answering, said to him,

“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting to us to fulfil all righteousness.”

Then he let him. And having been baptised, Jesus went up immediately from the water and look, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove, and coming onto him, and look, a voice out of heaven saying,

“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!”

Chapter Four

Then Jesus was led up into the desert by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil. And having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. And having come to him, the tempter said,

“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

But he, answering, said,

“It has been written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word going out of the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil takes him to the holy city and sets him on the parapet of the temple, and says to him,

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down: for it has been written, ‘He will give charge concerning you, to his angels, and in their hands they shall bear you in case you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him,

“Again it has been written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Again the devil takes him up into an extremely high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and says to him,

“I will give you all these things if, falling down, you will worship me.”

Then Jesus says to him,

“Get away, Satan, for it has been written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and you shall serve only him.’”

Then the devil leaves him and look, angels came and ministered to him.

But Jesus, having heard that John was handed over, withdrew into Galilee; and having left Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is at the seaside on the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim, so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled saying, ‘Land of Zabulon, and land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who were sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and the ones who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, to them light has sprung up.’

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near!”

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a large net into the sea, for they were fishermen, and he says to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

And immediately, having left the nets, they followed him.

And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee mending their nets, and he called them. And they, having immediately left the boat and their father, followed him.

And Jesus went all around Galilee teaching in their synagogues and preaching the joyful news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and all infirmity among the people. And his fame went out into all Syria; and they brought to him all who were sick, oppressed with various diseases and torments, and demon possessed, and lunatics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and beyond the Jordan.

Chapter Five

And seeing the crowds, he went up into the mountain and when he had sat down his disciples came to him. And having opened his mouth he taught them saying,

“Blessed the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven is theirs; blessed they who mourn for they will be comforted; blessed the meek for they will inherit the earth; blessed they who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they will be filled; blessed the merciful for they will receive mercy; blessed the clean in heart for they will see God; blessed the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God; blessed they who have been persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; blessed are you when they will reproach you, and will persecute and, lying, will say every wicked word against you on account of me. Rejoice and be very glad; for your reward is great in heaven, for thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be salted? It is good for nothing any longer, except to be thrown out and trampled on by men. You are the light of the world. A city situated on a mountain can’t be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under the corn measure, but on the lampstand and it gives light to all the ones in the house. So let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

“Don’t think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets: I haven’t come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I’m telling you until the heaven and the earth pass away not one jot or one tittle at all will pass from the law, until all comes to pass. Whoever then will break one of the least of these commandments and teach men thus, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever will practise and teach them, this one will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I’m telling you that unless your righteousness abounds more than the scribes’ and the Pharisees’ you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You’ve heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘you shall not commit murder’ and ‘whoever commits murder will be liable to judgement’. I, however, am telling you that everyone who is angry with his brother without purpose, will be liable to judgement; and whoever says to his brother ‘Raka!’ will be liable to the Sanhedrin: but whoever says ‘Moron!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. If, therefore, you offer your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go away. First be reconciled to your brother and then, having come, offer your gift. Agree with your opponent at law quickly while you are on the road with him, in case the opponent at law hands you over to the judge, and the judge hands you over to the legal officer, and you are sent to prison. Truly I’m telling you, you will definitely not come out from there until you pay the last fraction of a penny.

“You have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not commit adultery’ but I’m telling you that everyone that looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to offend, pluck it out and throw it away from you, for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish rather than your whole body be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to offend, cut it off and throw it away from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish rather than your whole body be cast into hell.

“It was also said that whoever sends away his wife let him give her a divorce, but I’m telling you that whoever sends away his wife, except because of fornication, causes her to commit adultery and whoever marries her who has been sent away commits adultery.

“Again, you’ve heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not perjure yourself but shall discharge your oaths to the Lord’, but I’m telling you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you are unable to make one hair white or black. But let your word be yes, yes, no, no, and what is more than these is from evil.

“You’ve heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ but I’m telling you don’t resist evil, but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other; and to him who would take you to court and take away your coat, let him have your overcoat too. And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. To him who asks of you, give. And you shall not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

“You’ve heard that it was said ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I’m telling you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who falsely accuse you and persecute you; so that you may be sons of your Father, who is in heaven, for he makes the sun rise on evil and good, and sends rain on just and unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t the tax-collectors also do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t the tax-collectors do this too? Be perfect therefore, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect.

Chapter Six

“Be careful not to do your alms in front of men, so as to be seen by them, otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you do alms, don’t blow a trumpet in front of you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men: truly I’m telling you, they have their reward. But you, doing alms, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret, himself will reward you openly. And when you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets so that they may be obvious to men. Truly I’m telling you that they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your secret place, and having shut your door, pray to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. But when you pray don’t babble emptily like the pagans, for they think that because of their much speaking they will be heard. So don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him. So pray thus: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, may your name be sanctified, may your kingdom come, may your will be done as in heaven also on earth. Give us today the bread necessary for us, and forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors. And don’t lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever, in truth.’

“For if you forgive people their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if you don’t forgive people their offences, neither will your Father forgive your offences.

“And when you fast don’t be like the hypocrites - with a sad face - for they mar their faces so that they make their fasting obvious to men. Truly I’m telling you that they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not appear to men to fast, but to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust do damage, and where thieves break through and steal: but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust cause damage and where thieves don’t break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be too. The body’s lamp is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound your whole body will be bright. But if your eye is evil your whole body will be dark. If therefore the light in you is darkness, how great the darkness!

“No one can serve two masters, for either he’ll hate the one and love the other, or he’ll hold to one and despise the other. You can’t serve God and mammon! Because of this I’m telling you, don’t be anxious as to yourself, what you’re going to eat and what you’re going to drink, nor as to your body, what you’re going to put on. Isn’t the soul more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the sky that they don’t sow, nor do they reap, nor do they gather into storehouses, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you much better than them? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his height. And why are you worried about clothes? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: they don’t toil, nor do they spin, but I’m telling you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these. So if God thus clothes the plants of the field which are today, and tomorrow are thrown into a furnace, won’t he much more rather you, oh you of little faith? Therefore don’t be anxious, saying ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the pagans seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But look first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So don’t be anxious about the morrow, for the morrow will be anxious about the things of itself. Enough for the day is its evil.

Chapter Seven

“Don’t judge, so that you aren’t judged, for with what judgement you judge, you’ll be judged, and with what scale you measure, it’ll be measured again to you. And why do you see the twig that is in your brother’s eye but you do not see the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother ‘Let me pull out the twig from your eye’ - and look at the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take out the twig from the eye of your brother.

“Don’t give holy things to the dogs, nor throw your pearls in front of the pigs, in case they trample on them with their feet and, having turned, tear you apart.

“Ask, and it’ll be given you, seek and you’ll find, knock and it’ll be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it’ll be opened. Or what man is there of you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? And if he asks for a fish will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask him?

“All things therefore, whatever you wish that people should do to you, so also do you to them, for this is the law and the prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate, for wide the gate and broad the way that leads to destruction and they who enter through it are many, for narrow and straitened the way that leads to life and they who find it are few. But beware of the false prophets that come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are rapacious wolves. From their fruits you’ll know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? So every good tree produces good fruit, but the rotten tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, nor a rotten tree produce good fruit. Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire. Then surely from their fruits you’ll know them.

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and in your name do many powerful works?’ And then I’ll confess to them, ‘I never knew you: depart from me you who do evil!’

“So everyone who hears these words of mine and does them, I’ll liken him to a sensible man, who built his house on the rock, and the rain came down, and the torrents came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it didn’t fall because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them, will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain came down, and the torrents came, and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell, and its fall was great.”

And it happened that when Jesus had finished these words the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as having authority and not like the scribes.

Chapter Eight

And when he had come down from the mountain, big crowds followed him. And look, a leper having come worshipped him saying,

“Lord if you want to you can make me clean!”

And having stretched out his hand Jesus touched him saying,

“I want to, be clean!”

And at once his leprosy was made clean.

And Jesus says to him,

“See you tell no one, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift Moses instructed for a witness to them.”

And Jesus, having entered into Capernaum, a centurion came to him begging him and saying,

“Lord, my servant is laid at home, paralytic, grievously tormented.”

And Jesus says to him,

“Having come, I’ll heal him!”

And the centurion said, answering,

“Lord, I’m not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak a word and my servant will be healed! For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under myself, and I say to this one ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my servant ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

And having heard, Jesus was amazed and said to those following,

“Truly I’m telling you, I haven’t found so great faith, not even in Israel. But I’m telling you that many will come from East and West and will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. Weeping and gnashing of teeth will be there.”

And Jesus said to the centurion,

“Go, and as you’ve believed may it be to you!”

And his servant was healed in that hour.

And Jesus, having come to Peter’s house saw his mother-in-law laid low and in a fever, and he touched her hand and the fever left her and she got up and looked after them.

And evening being come they brought to him many possessed with demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word, and he healed all the sick, so that that which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled saying, ‘He took our infirmities himself, and bore our diseases.’

And Jesus, seeing great crowds around him, gave orders to depart to the other side. And a certain scribe, having come, said to him,

“Teacher I’ll follow you wherever you go!”

And Jesus says to him,

“The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”

And another of his disciples said to him,

‘Lord let me first go and bury my father!”

But Jesus said to him,

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead!”

And he having got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And look, a great storm arose in the sea so that the boat was covered by the waves, but he was sleeping. And having come up his disciples woke him up saying,

“Lord save us, we’re lost!”

And he says to them,

“Why are you cowardly and of little faith?”

Then having got up he rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men wondered saying,

“What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

And when he had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, two possessed by demons, coming out of the tombs, met him, very violent, so that no one was able to pass by that way. And look, they cried out saying,

“What to us and to you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here ahead of time to torment us?”

Now there was, far away from them, a herd of many pigs feeding. And the demons begged him saying,

“If you cast us out, let us go away into the herd of pigs!”

And he said to them,

“Go!”

And they, having gone out, went away into the herd of pigs, and look, all the herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the waters. But those feeding them fled and having gone away into the town told everything, including the business about those possessed with the demons. And look, all the town went out to meet Jesus, and seeing him they begged that he would depart from their borders.

Chapter Nine

And having got into the boat he passed over and came to his own town. And look, they brought him a paralytic lying on a bed, and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic,

“Take courage child, your sins have been forgiven you!”

And look, some of the scribes said in themselves,

‘This one is blaspheming.’

And Jesus perceiving their thoughts said,

“Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? For what is easier to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven’ or to say ‘Get up and walk!’ But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins....”

Then he says to the paralytic,

“Having got up, take up your bed and go to your house!”

And having got up he went away to his house. And having seen, the crowds were amazed and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

And Jesus passing down from there saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he says to him,

“Follow me!”

And having got up, he followed him.

And it happened, as he was reclining in the house many tax collectors and sinners were reclining together with Jesus and his disciples. And, having seen, the Pharisees said to his disciples,

“Why is your teacher eating with tax collectors and sinners?”

But Jesus, having heard, said to them,

“They who are strong don’t have need of a doctor, but they who are poorly. But having gone learn what it is, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I haven’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance!”

Then John’s disciples came up to him saying,

“Why do we and the Pharisees fast a lot, but your disciples don’t fast?”

And Jesus said to them,

“Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But there’ll come days when the bridegroom will have been taken away from them and then they’ll fast. And no one puts a piece of unfulled cloth onto an old garment for it takes its fullness away from the garment and a worse tear occurs. Nor do they put new wine into old skins or else the skins are burst and the wine runs out and the skins are ruined, but they put new wine into new skins and they’re both preserved together.”

And as he is speaking these things to them, look, a ruler having come, worshipped him saying,

“Just now my daughter died but, having come, lay your hand on her and she’ll live!”

And having got up, Jesus and his disciples followed him.

And look, a woman having had a discharge of blood twelve years, having come up behind, touched the fringe of his garment. For she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his garment I’ll be cured!’

But Jesus having turned, and having seen her said,

“Take courage daughter: your faith has cured you!”

And the woman was cured from that hour.

And Jesus, having come into the ruler’s house and having seen the flute players and the crowd making an uproar, says to them,

“Be off with you! For the girl isn’t dead but she’s sleeping!”

And they laughed at him.

But when the crowd had been put out, having gone inside he took her by the hand and the girl got up. And the fame of this went out into all that land.

And Jesus passing on from there, there followed him two blind people crying and saying,

“Have mercy on us Son of David!”

And having come into the house the blind ones came to him and Jesus says to them,

“Do you believe that I can do this?”

They say to him,

“Yes, Lord!”

Then he touched their eyes saying,

“May it happen to you according to your faith!”

And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly instructed them saying,

“See you let no one know!”

But they, having gone out, made him known in all that land.

And as they were going out, look, they brought him a dumb man, demon possessed. And the demon having been cast out, the dumb man spoke. And the crowds were amazed saying,

“It was never seen thus in Israel!”

But the Pharisees said,

“He’s casting out the demons by the prince of the demons!”

And Jesus went around all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the joyful news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every physical weakness among the people. And having looked on the crowds he was moved with pity about them because they were tired and cast away like sheep not having a shepherd. Then he says to his disciples,

“The harvest indeed is great but the workmen few, beg therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out workmen into his harvest.”

Chapter Ten

And having summoned his twelve disciples he gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every physical weakness.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these, first Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother; James of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax-collector; James of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus surnamed Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot who also handed him over.

Jesus sent out these twelve having charged them saying,

“Don’t go off into the way of the Gentiles, and don’t go into a Samaritans’ town, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And going, preach saying that the kingdom of heaven has drawn near. Heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You’ve received freely: give freely. Don’t provide gold or silver or brass in your belts, nor a provision bag for the way, nor two tunics, nor shoes, nor a staff, for the workman is worthy of his food. And into whatever town or village you enter, ask who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go out. And entering into the house, salute it: and if indeed the house is worthy let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy let your peace return to you. And whoever won’t receive you nor hear your words, going out of that house or town shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I’m telling you it’ll be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgement than for that town!

“Look! I’m sending you out as sheep amid wolves, be prudent therefore like the serpents, and harmless as the doves. But beware of men, for they’ll hand you over to sanhedrins and they’ll scourge you in their synagogues, and you’ll be brought before governors and even kings on account of me, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

“But when they hand you over, don’t mind about how or what you’ll speak, for you aren’t the ones speaking but your Father’s Spirit which is speaking in you. And brother will hand over brother to death, and father child, and children will rise up against parents, and will put them to death. And you’ll be hated by all because of my name, but the one enduring to the end, this one will be saved.

“But when they persecute you in this city, flee into another, for truly I’m telling you, you will definitely not have completed the cities of Israel until the Son of man has come. A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they’ve called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household? So you shouldn’t be afraid of them, for nothing is covered which won’t be uncovered, and hidden which won’t be known. What I tell you in the darkness speak in the light, and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And you shouldn’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul, but rather you should fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a quarter of a penny? And one of them won’t fall to the ground without your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. So you shouldn’t be frightened: you’re better than many sparrows.

“So absolutely anyone who will confess me before men, him I too will confess before my Father in heaven. But whoever will deny me before men, I too will deny him before my Father in heaven. Don’t think I’ve come to put peace on the earth: I didn’t come to put peace but a sword. I came in order to set at odds a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies - of his own household. The one loving father or mother above me isn’t worthy of me, and the one loving son or daughter above me isn’t worthy of me. And he who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me.

“The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on my account will find it. The one receiving you is receiving me, and the one receiving me is receiving him who sent me. The one receiving a prophet in a prophet’s name will receive a prophet’s reward; and the one receiving a righteous man in a righteous man’s name will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever will give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in a disciple’s name, truly I’m telling you, will definitely not lose his reward.”

Chapter Eleven

And it happened that when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and to preach in their towns.

Now John, having heard in the prison the works of Christ, having sent two of his disciples, said to him,

“Are you the one coming or are we to look for another?”

And answering Jesus said to them,

“Having gone, relate to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the joyful news proclaimed to them. And he is blessed whoever will not be offended at me.”

And as they were going Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John,

“What did you go out into the desert to look at? A cane shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Look, the ones wearing soft garments are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I’m telling you, and one more excellent than a prophet. For this it is about whom it has been written, ‘Look I’m sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you!’ Truly I’m telling you there hasn’t arisen among those born of women a greater one than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. But from the days of John the Baptist till now the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and the violent seize it. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and, if you want to accept it, this is Elias, the one who was going to come. The one having ears to hear let him listen.

“But to what shall I liken this generation? It’s like little children sitting in the markets and calling out to their companions and saying: ‘We’ve piped to you and you haven’t danced, we’ve mourned to you and you haven’t lamented.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He’s got a demon!’ The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say, ‘Look, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and of sinners.’ And wisdom was justified by her children.”

Then he began to reprove the towns in which most of his powerful works had happened, because they did not repent.

“Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if in Tyre and Sidon the powerful works had happened which have happened in you, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago. Indeed I’m telling you it’ll be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement than for you! And you, Capernaum, who have been lifted up to heaven, you’ll be brought down to hell. For if in Sodom the powerful works had happened, which have happened in you, it would have remained until today. But I’m telling you it’ll be more tolerable for Sodom’s land in the day of judgement, than for you!”

At that time, answering, Jesus said,

“I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for thus it was well pleasing before you. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and whoever the Son may wish to reveal him to. Come to me all you labouring and burdened ones, and I’ll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you’ll find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Chapter Twelve

At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the cornfields, and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat. But the Pharisees, having seen, said to him,

“Look! Your disciples are doing what is illegal to do on the Sabbath!”

But he said to them,

“Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry and those with him: how he entered into the house of God and ate the loaves of presentation which it wasn’t lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only? Or haven’t you read in the law, that on the Sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? But I’m telling you that one greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what it is: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”

And having departed from there he went into their synagogue. And look, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him saying,

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths?” So that they might accuse him.

But he said to them,

“What man will there be among you who’ll have one sheep, and if this one falls on the Sabbath day into a pit, he won’t take hold of it and raise it up? How much better then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it’s lawful on the Sabbath to do well!”

Then he says to the man,

“Stretch out your hand!”

And he stretched out, and it was restored, healthy, like the other.

But the Pharisees, having gone out, held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus, having known, departed from there. And great crowds followed him and he healed them all, and strictly instructed them that they should not make him known. So that which had been spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled saying,

“Look, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul has found delight: I will place my Spirit on him and he’ll declare judgement to the Gentiles. He won’t strive or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a cracked cane and he won’t quench a smoking wick until he brings forth the judgement in victory. And Gentiles will hope in his name.”

Then there was brought to him a demon-possessed person, blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb one both spoke and saw. And all the crowds were amazed and said,

“This isn’t the Son of David is it?”

But the Pharisees having heard said,

“This one doesn’t cast out devils except by Beelzebub, prince of the demons!”

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them,

“Every kingdom divided against itself is desolated, and every city or house divided against itself won’t stand. And if Satan casts out Satan he’s divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Because of this they’ll be your judges. But if I cast out the demons by God’s Spirit then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

“Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his belongings, unless he first binds the strong one? And then he’ll plunder his house. He who isn’t with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me is scattering. Because of this I’m telling you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to men but men won’t be forgiven blasphemy about the Spirit. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it’ll be forgiven him, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the one coming.

“Either you’ve got the tree good and its fruit good, or you’ve got the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt, for by the fruit the tree is known. Vipers’ offspring! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart. The good man gives out good things from the good treasure of the heart, and the evil man gives out evil things from the evil store. But I’m telling you that whatever idle word men may speak, they’ll give an account of it in the day of judgement. For by your words you’ll be justified, and by your words you’ll be condemned.”

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered saying,

“Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!”

But he answering said to them,

“A wicked and adulterous generation is looking for a sign, and a sign won’t be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For even as Jonah was in the stomach of the great fish three days and three nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The men of Nineveh will stand up in judgement with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and look one greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgement with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look one greater than Solomon is here. But when the unclean spirit has gone out from the man, he goes through waterless places seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I’ll go back to my house from where I came out!’ And having come back he finds it unoccupied and swept and decorated. Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked that himself and entering

in they live there, and the last state of the man becomes worse than the first. Thus too it will be for this wicked generation.”

While he was still speaking to the crowds, look, his mother and brothers and sisters were standing outside seeking to speak to him. Then one said to him,

“Look your mother and your brothers and sisters are standing outside seeking to speak to you!”

But he answering said to him who told him,

“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers and sisters?”

And stretching out his hand to his disciples he said,

“Look! My mother and my brothers and sisters! For whoever will do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother!”

Chapter Thirteen

And in that day Jesus, having gone out of the house, sat down by the sea. And great crowds were gathered together to him so that he, having got into the boat, sat down and all the crowd stood on the shore. And he spoke to them many things in parables saying,

“Look, the sower went out to sow. And as he sowed some fell by the road side and the birds came and ate them up. And some fell on the stony places where they hadn’t got much earth and they sprang up at once through not having depth of earth, and the sun having risen they were scorched, and through not having a root they were dried up. And some fell on the thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them. And some fell on the good earth and gave fruit, one a hundred, another sixty, another thirty. The one having ears to hear, let him listen!”

And the disciples having approached said to him,

“Why do you speak to them in parables?”

And he answering said to them,

“Because it’s been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but it hasn’t been given to them. For whoever has, it will be given to him and he’ll have a surplus, but whoever doesn’t have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Because of this I speak to them in parables so that seeing they don’t see and hearing they don’t hear, nor do they understand. And in them is fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy which says, ‘Hearing, you’ll hear and not understand at all, and seeing you’ll see and not perceive at all, for the heart of this people has grown fat, and they’ve heard heavily with their ears, and they’ve closed their eyes, in case they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I’m telling you that many prophets and righteous ones have desired to see what you are seeing, and they didn’t see, and to hear what you’re hearing, but they didn’t hear.

“You therefore listen to the parable of the sower. To everyone hearing the word of the kingdom and not understanding, the wicked one comes and snatches away that which was sown in his heart. This is the one sown by the road side. And the one that was sown on the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and at once receiving it with joy, but he has no root in himself but is temporary, and trouble having arisen, or persecution by reason of the word, he is immediately offended. And the one sown in the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, and the care of this life and the deceit of riches choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. But the one sown on the good ground, this is the one hearing and understanding, who indeed bears fruit and produces, one a hundred, another sixty and another thirty.”

He showed them another parable saying,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man sowing good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds in amongst the wheat and went away. And when the seed sprouted and produced fruit, then the weeds appeared too. And the servants of the master of the house having come, said to him, ‘Sir! Didn’t you sow good seed in your field? From where then has it got the weeds?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ And the servants said to him, ‘Do you want us to go out and gather them up then?’ But he said, ‘No, in case gathering up the weeds you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I’ll say to the harvesters, - Gather the weeds first and tie them into bundles to burn them, but bring the wheat together into my barn. - ‘”

He showed them another parable saying,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard which, having taken, a man sowed in his field, which indeed is smaller than all the seeds but when it is grown it’s bigger than the herbs, and it becomes a tree so that the birds of heaven come and roost in its branches.”

He told them another parable,

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which, having taken, a woman hid in three seahs of flour, until it was all leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds and he did not speak to them without a parable, so that what was spoken by the prophet would be fulfilled - that is to say, ‘I will open my mouth in parables, I will tell about things hidden since the world’s foundation.’

Then having sent the crowds away Jesus went into the house, and his disciples came to him saying,

“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field!”

And he answering said to them,

“The one sowing the good seed is the Son of man, and the field is the world. And the good seed: these are the sons of the kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And the harvest is the completion of the age and the harvesters are angels. So just as the weeds are gathered and consumed in the fire, so it will be at the completion of this age. The Son of man will send out his angels and they’ll gather out of his kingdom all the offending things and the ones practising sin, and they’ll throw them into the furnace of fire, there there’ll be weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine out like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. The one having ears to hear, let him listen!

“Again the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in the field which, having found, a man hid and for the joy of it goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

“Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man looking for beautiful pearls, who having found one very precious pearl, having gone away sold everything he had and bought it.

“Again the kingdom of heaven is like a drag net cast into the sea and gathering together of every kind, which when it was filled, they, having hauled it up on the shore and having sat down, collected the good into containers and threw out the rotten. Thus it’ll be in the completion of the age, the angels will go out and separate the wicked from amid the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire, there there’ll be wailing and the gnashing of teeth!”

Jesus says to them,

“Have you understood all these things?”

They say to him,

“Yes Lord!”

And he said to them,

“Because of this, every scholar taught about the kingdom of heaven is like a man, head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

And it happened when Jesus had finished these parables he left there and, having come into his native country, he taught them in their synagogue so that they were amazed and said,

“From where is this wisdom and the works of power to this man? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joses and Simon and Judas, and aren’t his sisters all with us? From where then to this man all these things?”

And they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them,

“A prophet isn’t without honour except in his native country and in his house!”

And he did no works of power there because of their unbelief.

Chapter Fourteen

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, and said to his servants,

“This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and because of this works of power act in him.”

Because Herod, having seized John, had bound him and imprisoned him because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Because John had said to him, ‘It isn’t lawful for you to have her!’ And wishing to kill him he was afraid of the crowds because they held him as a prophet.

But Herod’s birthday being celebrated the daughter of Herodias danced amid them and pleased Herod, at which with an oath he promised to give her whatever she asked.

But she, being urged on by her mother, says,

“Give me here on a dish John the Baptist’s head!”

And the king was sorry, nevertheless because of the oaths and those reclining with him he commanded it to be given. And having sent he beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought on a dish and it was given to the girl and she brought it to her mother.

And having arrived his disciples took the body and buried it and having come they told Jesus. And having heard, Jesus departed from there by boat to a desert place apart.

And having heard, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. And having gone out Jesus saw a great crowd and he had pity on them and healed their sick. And evening having come his disciples came to him saying,

“The place is a desert and time has already passed by, send the crowds away so that, having gone into the villages, they may buy themselves food.”

But Jesus said to them,

“They’ve no need to go away - you give them to eat!”

But they say to him,

“We’ve nothing here except five loaves and two fish!”

And he said,

“Bring them to me here.”

And having instructed the crowds to recline on the grass, and having taken the five loaves and the two fish, having looked up to heaven he blessed, and having broken he gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied, and they took up of the left over pieces twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men besides women and children.

And at once Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side until he had dismissed the crowds. And having dismissed the crowds he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. And evening being come he was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed about by the waves for the wind was adverse. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And seeing him walking on the sea the disciples were upset saying that it is a ghost and they cried out from fear. But Jesus immediately spoke to them saying,

“Take courage! It’s me, don’t be afraid!”

And answering him Peter said,

“Lord, if it’s you command me to come to you upon the waters!”

And he said,

“Come!”

And having got down from the boat Peter walked on the waters to go to Jesus. But seeing the wind strong he was frightened and beginning to sink he cried out saying,

“Lord, save me!”

And immediately Jesus, having stretched out his hand, got hold of him and says to him,

“Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

And they having got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat, having come, worshipped him saying,

“Truly you are God’s Son!”

And having crossed over they came into the land of Gennesaret. And having recognized him, the men of that place sent into all that country round about and brought to him all those who were sick, and they begged him that they might only touch the border of his garment, and as many as touched were healed.

Chapter Fifteen

Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees saying,

“Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread!”

But he answering said to them,

“And why do you disobey the commandment of God through your tradition? For God commanded saying, ‘Honour your father and mother’ and ‘The one speaking evil about father or mother, let him be put to death’. But you say, one may say to father or mother ‘whatever you might be profited by me is a gift’ - and honour his father or his mother not at all. And you annul the commandment of God through your tradition! Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying, ‘This people draws near to me with their mouth and it honours me with the lips, but their heart is far away from me, moreover they worship me in vain teaching as doctrines the commandments of men!’”

And having called the crowd together he said to them,

“Hear and understand! That which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man, but that which goes out from the mouth, this defiles the man!”

Then, having come up, his disciples said to him,

“Do you know that the Pharisees, having heard the saying were offended?”

But he answering said,

“Every plant which my heavenly Father hasn’t planted will be rooted up. Leave them: they are blind guides of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind they’ll both fall into a hole.”

And answering, Peter said to him,

“Explain this parable to us!”

But Jesus said,

“Are you also still without understanding? Don’t you yet see that everything entering into the mouth goes into the stomach and is passed out into the toilet? But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and these defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies. These are the things which defile the man, but eating with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”

And going out from there Jesus departed into the parts of Tyre and Sidon, and look, a woman of Canaan having come out from those borders cried out to him saying,

“Have pity on me Lord, Son of David, my daughter is sorely possessed by a demon!”

But he did not answer her a word. And having come up his disciples asked him saying,

“Send her away for she’s crying after us!”

But he answering said,

“I wasn’t sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But she, having come, worshipped him saying,

“Lord, help me!”

And he answering said,

“It’s not good to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the little dogs!”

But she said,

“Yes Lord, yet even the little dogs eat from the morsels which fall from their master’s table!”

Then Jesus answering said to her,

“Oh woman great is your faith, let it be to you as you wish!”

And her daughter was healed from that hour.

And having moved on from there Jesus came towards the sea of Galilee, and having gone up into the mountain he was sitting there, and great crowds came to him having with them lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others and they put them down at Jesus’ feet and he healed them, so that the crowds marvelled seeing the dumb speaking, the maimed healthy, the lame walking and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.

But Jesus having called to his disciples said,

“I’m moved with pity towards the crowd, because they continue with me three days already and they haven’t got anything to eat, and I don’t want to send them away fasting in case they faint on the way.”

And his disciples say to him,

“From where should we get, in a desert, enough loaves to satisfy so great a crowd?”

And Jesus says to them,

“How many loaves have you got?”

And they said,

“Seven, and a few small fish!”

And he commanded the crowds to recline on the ground, and having taken the seven loaves and the fish, having given thanks he broke them and gave to his disciples and the disciples gave to the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied, and they took up of the left over pieces seven baskets full; and they who ate were four thousand men besides women and children. And having dismissed the crowds he got into the boat and came to the coasts of Magdala.

Chapter Sixteen

And having come up, the Pharisees and Sadducees, tempting, asked him to show them a sign out of heaven. But he answering said to them,

“Evening having come you say, ‘Fine weather - for the sky is red!’ And in the morning, ‘A storm today for the sky is red and gloomy.’ Hypocrites! You know indeed to discern the face of the sky but you can’t discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation is looking for a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

And leaving them he went away.

And having come to the other side his disciples had forgotten to take bread.

And Jesus said to them,

“Look, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

And they debated among themselves saying,

“Because we haven’t taken any bread!”

And having known, Jesus said to them,

“Why are you discussing among yourselves, ones of little faith? Because you haven’t brought any bread? Don’t you see yet, nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many hampers you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? How don’t you see that it’s not about bread? I told you to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

And Jesus, having come into the region of Caesarea Philippi, asked his disciples saying,

“Who do people say that I, the Son of man, am?”

And they said,

“Some, John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He says to them,

“But you, who do you say I am?”

And answering, Simon Peter said,

“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”

And answering, Jesus said to him,

“You are blessed Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood didn’t reveal it to you, but my Father in heaven. And I say this also to you: that you are Peter and on this rock I’ll build my assembly and the gates of hell won’t prevail against it. And I’ll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Then he strictly instructed his disciples that they should tell no one that he is Jesus the Christ.

From then on Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go off to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up the third day.

And having taken him to himself Peter began to admonish him saying,

“It’ll be favourable to you Lord; in no way this to you!”

But having turned he said to Peter,

“Get behind me Satan: you’re an offence to me, for your thoughts aren’t of God’s things but of men’s things!”

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

“If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross and let him follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he’ll give to each one according to his works. Truly I’m telling you there are some of the ones standing here who will definitely not taste death until they have seen the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Chapter Seventeen

And after six days Jesus takes along Peter, and James and his brother John, and brings them up into a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them and his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light, and look - Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.

And Peter answering said to Jesus,

“Lord! It’s good for us to be here. If you want let’s make three tabernacles here: one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah!”

While he was still speaking, look, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and look, a voice out of the cloud saying,

“This is my beloved Son in whom I delight! Listen to him!”

And hearing, the disciples fell on their faces and were extremely afraid. And having come up Jesus touched them and said,

“Get up and don’t be afraid!”

And having raised their eyes they saw no one except Jesus, alone.

And as they were going down from the mountain Jesus commanded them saying,

“Tell the vision to no one until the Son of man has risen from the dead.”

And his disciples asked him saying,

“So why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

And Jesus answering said to them,

“Elijah indeed is coming first and will restore everything. But I’m telling you that Elijah has come already and they didn’t know him but they did to him whatever they wanted. So also the Son of man is going to suffer under them.”

Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them about John the Baptist.

And they having come to the crowd, there came to him a man kneeling down to him and saying,

“Lord have pity on my son for he is lunatic and suffers badly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water, and I brought him to your disciples and they couldn’t heal him.”

And Jesus answering said,

“Oh unbelieving and perverse generation till when shall I be with you? Bring him to me here!”

And Jesus rebuked him and the demon went out of him and the child was healed from that hour.

Then having come to Jesus apart, the disciples said,

“Why couldn’t we cast him out?”

And Jesus said to them,

“Because of your unbelief, for truly I’m telling you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard you’ll say to this mountain, ‘Remove from here to there’ and it will remove, and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.”

And while they were staying in Galilee Jesus said to them,

“The Son of man is going to be handed over into men’s hands, and they’ll kill him, and the third day he’ll be raised up.”

And they were extremely sad.

And they having come to Capernaum, there came to Peter those who collected the two-drachma pieces and said,

“Doesn’t your teacher pay the two drachmas?”

He says, “Yes!”

And when he entered into the house Jesus anticipated him saying,

“What do you think Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive tariffs or taxes - from their sons or from those outside the family?

Peter says to him,

“From the ones outside the family!”

Jesus said to him,

“Then the sons are indeed free! But so that we don’t offend them, you, having gone to the sea, cast a hook and take the first fish coming up, and having opened its mouth you’ll find a stater, having taken that give it to them for me and for you.

Chapter Eighteen

In that hour the disciples came to Jesus saying,

“Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

And Jesus, having called over a little child put it in the midst of them and said,

“Truly I’m telling you, unless you’re converted and become like the little children, you’ll definitely not enter into the kingdom of heaven. So whoever will humble himself like this little child, is greater in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever will receive one such little child in my name, receives me. But whoever shall cause offence to one of these little ones who believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone such as is turned by a donkey should be hung on his neck, and he be sunk in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world by reason of offences. For it’s necessary that offences come, yet woe to that person through whom the offence comes. And if your hand or your foot cause you to offend cut them off and throw them from you, it’s good for you to enter into life lame or maimed than having two hands or two feet to be thrown into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to offend pluck it out and throw it from you, it’s good for you to enter into life one-eyed than having two good eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. See you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I’m telling you that their angels in heaven continually look at the face of my Father who is in heaven.

“For the Son of man has come to save that which has been lost. What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, doesn’t he, having left the ninety-nine on the mountains, having gone, look for the one gone astray? And if it happens that he finds it, truly I’m telling you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which didn’t go astray. So it isn’t the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

“But if your brother sins against you go and reprove him between you and him alone. If he’ll listen you’ve won over your brother. But if he won’t listen take with you one or two besides, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. But if he fails to listen to them, tell the assembly. And if he fails also to listen to the assembly let him be to you like the heathen and the tax-gatherer.

“Truly I’m telling you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

“Again I’m telling you that if two of you agree on earth about anything, whatever they ask will be done to them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them.”

Then having come up to him Peter said,

“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven times?”

Jesus says to him,

“I’m not saying to you until seven times, but till seventy times seven! By reason of this the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man, a king, who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And he having begun to take count, there was brought to him one debtor of ten thousand talents. But he not having the wherewithal to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and the children and all that he had and payment to be made. So, having bent down, the servant did homage to him saying,

“Lord, have patience and I’ll pay you everything!”

And moved with pity that servant’s Lord released him and forgave him the debt. But, having gone out, that servant found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and having seized him he got him by the throat saying ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So having fallen down at his feet his fellow servant begged him saying, ‘Have patience with me and I’ll pay you everything!’ And he wouldn’t but rather, having gone, he threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. But his fellow servants, having seen what had happened, were extremely sorry and, having gone, related to their lord all that had occurred. Then having summoned him, his lord says to him,

“‘Wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt since you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have pitied your fellow servant as I also had pitied you?’

“And being angry his lord gave him over to the tormentors until he should pay all that was owing to him. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless you from your hearts forgive each one his brother their offences.”

Chapter Nineteen

And it happened when Jesus had finished these words he went off from Galilee and came to the region of Judaea on the other side of the Jordan, and great crowds followed him and he healed them there.

And the Pharisees came to him testing him and saying to him,

“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for every reason?”

But he answering said to them,

“Haven’t you read that he who created at the beginning created them male and female and said, ‘Because of this a man will leave father and mother and will be joined to his wife and the two will be one flesh.’? So that they are no longer two but one flesh. So what God has joined together let not a man separate!”

They say to him,

“Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce and to divorce her?”

He says to them,

“Moses, on account of the hardness of your hearts allowed you to divorce your wives, but at the beginning it wasn’t so. And I’m telling you that whoever divorces his wife except for fornication, and marries another commits adultery, and the one marrying the divorced woman commits adultery.”

His disciples say to him,

“If thus is the case of a man with the wife it isn’t advantageous to marry!”

But he said to them,

“Not all receive this word, but to whom it has been given, for there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who made eunuchs of themselves for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who can receive it, let him receive it.”

Then little children were brought to him so that he might put his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

But Jesus said,

“Let the little children come to me and don’t forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven!”

And having placed his hands on them he went away from there.

And look, one having come up said to him,

“Good teacher, what good shall I do so that I may have everlasting life?”

And he said to him,

“Why do you call me ‘good’? No one is good except one, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

He says to him,

“Which?”

And Jesus said,

“You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honour your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself!”

The young man says to him,

“I’ve kept all these from my youth, what do I still lack?”

Jesus said to him,

“If you want to be perfect go, sell your property and give to the poor, and you’ll have treasure in heaven, and come follow me!”

But the young man, having heard the word, went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

“Truly I’m telling you that with difficulty will a rich man enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I’m telling you it’s easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!”

And having heard,, his disciples were extremely amazed saying,

“Who then can be saved?”

But looking at them Jesus said to them,

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!”

Then answering, Peter said to him,

“Look, we’ve left everything and followed you, what then will be to us?”

And Jesus said to them,

“Truly I’m telling you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man sits down on the throne of his glory, you too will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name’s sake, will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit everlasting life, but many first will be last, and the last first.

Chapter Twenty

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man, head of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard; and having agreed with the workmen on a denarius for the day he sent them into his vineyard. And having gone out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place, and he said to them, ‘You go too into the vineyard and I’ll give you whatever’s fair.’ And they went. Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour he did similarly. And about the eleventh hour, having gone out, he found others standing idle, and he says to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They say to him, ‘Because no one’s hired us.’ He says to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard, and you’ll get whatever’s fair.’

“And evening having come the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, ‘Call the workmen and pay them their wages, starting from the last to the first.’ And the ones of about the eleventh hour having come they each received a denarius. And the first having come they thought they would receive more, and they too received, each one, a denarius. And having received it they murmured against the head of the household saying, ‘These last have worked one hour and you’ve made them equal to us who’ve put up with the burden of the day and the heat!’ But he answering said to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? Take your own and go. But I want to give to this last even as to you, or isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want with what’s mine? Is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first and the first last, for many are called but few chosen.”

And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples by themselves on the road, and said to them,

“Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem and the Son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they’ll condemn him to death. And they’ll hand him over to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify him. And on the third day he’ll rise again!”

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to him with her sons, worshipping him and asking something from him.

And he said to her,

“What do you want?”

She says to him,

“Say that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and one on your left in your kingdom!”

But answering, Jesus said,

“You don’t know what you’re asking for. Can you drink the cup which I’m going to drink and be baptised with the baptism with which I’m baptised?”

They say to him,

“We can!”

And he says to them,

“Indeed you’ll drink my cup, and you’ll be baptised with the baptism with which I’m baptised, but to sit on my right hand and on my left isn’t mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

And having heard, the ten were indignant about the two brothers. But Jesus having summoned them said,

“You know that the rulers of the nations wield lordship over them and the great ones wield authority over them; but it won’t be so among you! But whoever among you wants to become great let him be your minister, and whoever among you wants to be first let him be your servant, even as the Son of man didn’t come to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.”

And as they were going away from Jericho a great crowd followed them. And look, two blind men sitting at the side of the road, having heard that Jesus is passing by, cried out saying,

“Have pity on us, Lord, Son of David!”

But the crowd admonished them to be quiet. But they cried out the more saying,

“Have pity on us, Lord, Son of David!”

And having stopped, Jesus called to them and said,

“What do you want me to do for you?”

They say to him,

“Lord, that our eyes may be opened!”

And moved with pity Jesus touched their eyes, and at once their eyes saw again and they followed him.

Chapter Twenty One

And when they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage near the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,

“Go into the village just by you, and at once you’ll find a donkey, tied up, and a foal with her. Having untied them bring me them. And if anyone says anything to you say, ‘Their Lord needs them’ and he’ll send them at once!”

And this all happened so that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled saying,

“Say to Zion’s daughter, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, meek, and mounted on a donkey and on a foal, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

And the disciples, having gone and done as Jesus instructed them, brought the donkey and the foal, and put their garments on them and he sat on them. And most of the crowd put their garments on the road, and others cut down branches from the trees and were strewing them on the road. And the crowds, the ones going in front and the ones following, were crying out saying,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

And he, entering into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved saying,

“Who is this?”

And the crowds said,

“This is Jesus the prophet, the one from Nazareth of Galilee.”

And Jesus entered into the temple of God and threw out all those selling and buying in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of the ones selling the pigeons.

And he says to them,

“It has been written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’ but you’ve made it a den of thieves!”

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them.

But the chief priests and the scribes, seeing the wonderful things which he did and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’, were indignant and said to him,

“Do you hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus says to them,

“Yes, didn’t you ever read, ‘Out of the mouth of babies and sucklings you’ve perfected praise’?”

And having left them he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

And early in the morning, coming back into the city, he was hungry, and seeing a fig tree by the road he came to it, and found nothing on it save only leaves. And he says to it,

“Let there be no more fruit on you for ever!”

And at once the fig tree dried up.

And seeing, the disciples wondered saying,

“How instantly the fig tree is dried up!”

And Jesus said to them,

“Truly I’m telling you, if you have faith and don’t doubt you’ll do not only this to the fig tree but even if you said to this mountain, ‘Be taken away and thrown into the sea’ it’ll happen! And all things whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you’ll receive.”

And on his coming into the temple, as he was teaching, there came up to him the chief priests and the elders of the people saying,

“By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?”

And answering, Jesus said to them,

“I too am going to ask you one thing which if you tell me I too will tell you by what authority I’m doing these things: the baptism of John, where was it from, from heaven or from men?”

And they debated among themselves saying,

“If we say, ‘From heaven’ he’ll say to us, ‘Why then didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ we’re afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.”

And answering Jesus, they said,

“We don’t know!”

And he said to them,

“Neither am I telling you by what authority I’m doing these things! But what do you think? A man had two children and having come to the first he said, ‘Child, go today, work in my vineyard’, and he answering said, ‘I won’t!’ But afterwards, having repented, he went. And having approached the second, he spoke similarly, and he, answering, said ‘Yes sir!’ - and didn’t go. Which of the two did the father’s will?”

They say to him,

“The first!”

Jesus says to them,

“Truly I’m telling you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes go ahead of you into the kingdom of God. For John came to you in the path of righteousness and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him, and you, having seen, didn’t repent afterwards and believe him.

“Listen to another parable. There was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard and placed a fence around it, and dug a winepress in it and built a tower, and let it to farmers and left the country. And when the time of the fruit drew near he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. And the farmers, having taken his servants, beat one and killed another and stoned another. Again he sent other servants more than the first and they did to them similarly. And at last he sent his son to them saying, ‘They’ll respect my son!’ But the farmers seeing the son said among themselves, ‘This is the heir, come let’s kill him and get possession of his inheritance!’ And having taken him they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. So when the lord of the vineyard comes what will he do to those farmers?”

They say to him,

“He’ll absolutely destroy those evil ones and will let out the vineyard to other farmers, who will hand over to him the fruit at their seasons.”

Jesus says to them,

“Didn’t you ever read in the scriptures, ‘The stone which the ones building rejected, this one has become the head of the corner: this was from the Lord and it is wonderful in our eyes.’? Because of this I’m telling you that the kingdom of God is going to be taken from you, and it’ll be given to a nation producing its fruits. And he who falls on this stone will be broken but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder!”

And the chief priests and the Pharisees hearing his parables knew that he is speaking about them. And seeking to take him, they were afraid of the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Chapter Twenty Two

And answering, Jesus spoke to them again in parables saying,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king, who made a wedding for his son, and he sent his servants out to call those who had been invited to the wedding, and they didn’t want to come. Again he sent other servants saying, ‘Say to those who were invited - look, I’ve prepared my dinner, my oxen and fattened animals are killed and everything ready: come to the wedding!’

“But they, taking no notice, went away, one to his own field, and another to his business, and the rest, having held his servants, insulted them and killed them. And having heard, the king was angry and, having sent his forces, he destroyed those murderers and burnt their city. Then he says to his servants, ‘Indeed the wedding is ready but those invited weren’t worthy, so go to the crossroads and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ And having gone out into the roads those servants gathered together all that they found, both evil and good, and the wedding was full of guests. And coming in to see the guests the king saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, and he says to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here not having wedding clothes on?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Having bound his feet and hands, take him away and throw him out into the outer darkness, there there’ll be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ For many are called, but few chosen.”

Then, having gone out, the Pharisees took advice as to how they could entrap him in his talk, and they send to him their disciples with the Herodians saying,

“Teacher, we know that you’re true and that you teach the way of God in truth and you’re not worried about anyone because you don’t look on people’s façade, so tell us, what do you think, is it lawful to give tax to Caesar or not?”

But knowing their wickedness Jesus said,

“Why are you hypocrites tempting me? Show me a piece of money for the tax.”

And they brought him a denarius.

And he says to them,

“Whose is this picture and inscription?”

They say to him,

“Caesar’s!”

Then he says to them,

“Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things of God!”

And having heard they marvelled, and leaving him they went away.

On that day Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and questioned him saying,

“Teacher, Moses said if any man should die without having children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers, and the first, having married and not having seed, left his wife to his brother. Similarly the second, and the third up to the seventh. And last of all the woman died too. So, in the resurrection, of the seven whose wife will she be? For they all had her!”

And answering, Jesus said,

“You’re mistaken, knowing neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are they given in marriage but they’re like God’s angels in heaven. But about the resurrection from the dead haven’t you read what was said to you by God saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’? God isn’t God of the dead, but of the living!”

And having listened, the crowds were amazed at his teaching. But the Pharisees, having heard that he had silenced the Sadducees got together, and one of them, a doctor of law, asked a question testing him and saying,

“Teacher, which commandment is great in the law?”

And Jesus said to him,

“You will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is similar to it: You will love your neighbour like yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Now the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus questioned them saying,

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is he?”

They say to him,

“David’s!”

He says to them,

“How then does David, in the Spirit, call him ‘Lord’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord - Sit on my right hand until I put your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ So if David calls him ‘Lord’ how is he his Son?”

And no one could answer him a word, nor did anyone from that day dare to question him any more.

Chapter Twenty Three

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples saying,

“The scribes and Pharisees have sat down on Moses’ seat, so everything that they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do according to their deeds, for they say and they don’t do. For they bind heavy burdens and hard to carry, and they lay them on men’s shoulders but they, with their own finger will not shift them. And all their works they do to be seen by men. They widen their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments, and they love the first place at dinners and the top seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the market places and to be called by people ‘Rabbi, Rabbi!’ But you, don’t you get called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your Master: the Christ, and you are all brothers! And don’t call one on earth your father, for one is your Father: he who is in heaven. Nor be called masters, for one is your Master: the Christ. But the greater of you will be your servant, and whoever lifts himself up will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised up.

“And woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you eat up widows’ houses, and as a pretence pray at great length. Because of this you’ll receive greater condemnation!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven in the face of men, for you don’t enter, nor do you allow even those who are entering to go in.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you go about sea and land to make one convert and when it’s happened you make him a son of hell twice as much as yourselves.

“Woe to you, blind guides who say ‘whoever swears by the temple - it’s nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is a debtor.’ Fools and blind ones! For which is greater, the gold or the temple which makes the gold holy? And ‘whoever swears by the altar - it’s nothing, but whoever swears by the gift upon it, he is a debtor.’ Fools and blind ones, for which is greater, the gift or the altar which makes the gift holy? So he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are on it. And he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who lives in it, and he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and you’ve left aside the weightier things of the law: judgement, mercy, and faith. These you ought to have done and not leave those aside. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat but swallow the camel!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they’re full of extortion and excess. Blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and plate, that their outside may become clean too.

“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed sepulchres which indeed outwardly seem to be beautiful, but inside they’re full of bones of the dead and all uncleanness. So you too indeed outwardly appear righteous to man, but inside you’re full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had been in the days of our fathers we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ So that you bear witness to yourselves that you are sons of the ones who murdered the prophets, and you fill up the measure of your fathers.

“Serpents, offspring of vipers, how will you escape the damnation of hell? Because of this, look, I’m sending to you prophets and wise men, and men of learning, and some of them you’ll kill and crucify, and some of them you’ll scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that on you may come all the righteous blood poured out on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I’m telling you, all these things will come upon this generation.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, she who kills the prophets and stones those who’ve been sent to her, how often I would have gathered together your children, in the way a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you wouldn’t! Look! Your house is left to you desolate, for I’m telling you, you definitely won’t see me from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the Lord’s name!’”

Chapter Twenty Four

And going out, Jesus departed from the temple and his disciples came up to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said to them,

“You see all these things don’t you? Truly I’m telling you there definitely won’t be left here one stone on another which won’t be thrown down!”

And as he was sitting on the mount of Olives the disciples came up to him privately saying,

“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the completion of the age?”

And answering Jesus said to them,

“Watch out in case anyone misleads you. For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ!’ and they’ll mislead many. And you’re going to hear of wars and rumours of wars, see you aren’t troubled, for all these things must happen, but the end isn’t yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there’ll be famines and epidemics and earthquakes in various places. And all these are the beginning of sufferings.

“Then they’ll hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you’ll be hated by all nations because of my name. And then many will be offended and they’ll betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and will mislead many, and because wickedness will have been multiplied, the love of many will grow cold; but the one who endures to the end, the same will be saved. And this joyful news of the kingdom will be proclaimed all over the world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

“So when you see the abomination of the desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place - let he who is reading understand - then let those in Judaea flee to the mountains. Let not the one on the house-top come down to take anything out of his house, and let not the one in the field go back to take his garments. and woe to those who are expecting and to those suckling children in those days! And pray that your flight doesn’t occur in winter or on a Sabbath, for then there’ll be great affliction such as hasn’t been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be. And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved, but because of the chosen ones those days will be shortened.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look: here is Christ!’ or ‘Here!’ Don’t believe it! For there’ll arise false Christs and false prophets and they’ll display great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones.

“Look, I’ve foretold you!

“So if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s in the desert!’ Don’t go out; ‘Look, he’s in secluded rooms!’ don’t believe it! For as the lightning comes out from the east and appears as far as the west, so too will be the coming of the Son of man. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

“But, immediately after the affliction of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon won’t give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will wail and they’ll see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory. And he’ll send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they’ll gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

“And from the fig tree learn the parable: as soon as its branch has become tender and puts out the leaves, you know the summer’s near. So too you, when you see all these things, know that it’s near - at the doors. Truly I’m telling you, this generation will definitely not have passed away until all these things have happened. The heaven and the earth will pass away but my words will definitely not pass away. But about that day and the hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only my Father.

“But like the days of Noah, so too will be the coming of the Son of man. For as they were in the days which were before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and they didn’t know until the flood came and took all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of man.

“Then two will be in the field, the one is taken and the one is left, two women grinding at the mill, one is taken and one is left. So keep awake, for you don’t know at what time your Lord is coming. But know this: that if the householder had known in what watch the thief is coming, he’d have stayed awake and not have allowed his house to be dug through. Because of this you too be ready, for in the hour you don’t expect the Son of man is coming!

“Who then is the faithful and prudent servant whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food at the right time? Blessed is that servant whose lord, having come, will find doing thus. Truly I’m telling you he’ll put him in charge of all his property.

“But if that bad servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying coming’ and should start to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken, that servant’s lord will come in a day he doesn’t expect, and in an hour he doesn’t know, and he’ll cut him in two, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites, - there’ll be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Chapter Twenty Five

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be likened to ten virgins who, having taken their lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were prudent, and five foolish. The foolish, having taken their lamps, didn’t take oil with them, but the prudent took oil in their containers with their lamps. But the bridegroom tarrying they all got drowsy and fell asleep. But in the middle of the night there was a cry, ‘Look, the bridegroom’s comng! Go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us from your oil, for our lamps are going out!’ But the prudent answered saying, ‘In case there’s not enough for us and you, go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves!’ But as they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the ones ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. And afterwards the other virgins come also saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answering, said, ‘Truly I’m telling you I don’t know you!’ So stay awake, for you don’t know the day or the hour in which the Son of man is coming!

“For it’s like a man leaving the country, who called his own servants and handed over his property to them. And to one he gave five talents and to another two, and to another, one: to each according to his own capability, and he left the country at once.

“And having gone, the one receiving the five talents traded with them and made another five talents. Similarly also the one with the two gained also another two. But he who had received the one, having gone away, dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

“And after a long time the lord of those servants comes and takes account with them. And having come, the one who had received five talents brought the other five talents saying, ‘Lord, you handed over five talents to me. Look I’ve gained another five talents besides them!’ And his lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, you’ve been faithful over a few things, I’ll set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord!’

“And he who had received the two talents having come too, said, ‘Lord, you handed over two talents to me. Look, I’ve gained another two talents besides them!’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, you’ve been faithful over a few things, I’ll set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord!’

“And he who had received the one talent having approached also, said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you’re a hard man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered, and being afraid, having gone away, I hid your talent in the earth. Look, you have your own.’ And answering, his lord said to him, ‘Wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I haven’t sown, and gather from where I haven’t scattered, so you should have put my money to the money changers, and coming I would have received my own with interest. So, take the talent away from him and give it to the one having the ten talents! For to everyone who has, it will be given, and he will be in abundance, but from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away from him. And throw out the useless servant into the outer darkness. There’ll be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’

“But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he’ll sit on the throne of his glory, and all the nations will be gathered in front of him, and he’ll separate them fom each other as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he’ll set the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father’s blessed ones, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a foreigner and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and fed you, or thirsty and gave you to drink? And when did we see you a foreigner and took you in, or naked and clothed you? And when did we see you sick, or in prison, and came to you?’ And answering, the king will say to them, ‘Truly I’m telling you, in so far as you did it to one of these, the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me!’

“Then he’ll speak also to those on the left, ‘Go away from me, the cursed, into the everlasting fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you didn’t give me to eat, I was thirsty and you didn’t give me to drink, I was a foreigner and you didn’t take me in, naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me!’

“Then they too will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a foreigner, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t look after you?’ Then he’ll answer them saying, ‘Truly I’m telling you, in so far as you didn’t do it to one of these least, you didn’t do it to me!’

“And those will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life!”

Chapter Twenty Six

And it happened when Jesus had finished all these sayings he said to his disciples,

“You know that after two days the Passover takes place, and the Son of man is handed over to be crucified.”

Then the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people were gathered together at the court of the high priest called Caiaphas; and they took counsel together so that they might take Jesus by trickery and kill him, but they said, “Not at the feast in case there’s an uproar among the people.”

Now Jesus being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him having an alabaster flask of ointment - very precious - and poured it on his head as he was reclining. But seeing, his disciples got indignant saying,

“For what is this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a lot and have been given to the poor.”

But knowing, Jesus said to them, “Why are you causing the woman trouble? For she’s done me a good turn. For the poor you have with you always, but you don’t always have me. For this woman, in pouring this ointment on my body, did it for my burying. Truly I’m telling you, wherever this joyful news is proclaimed in all the world, what this woman did will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, having gone to the chief priests, said,

“What do you want to give me and I’ll hand him over to you?”

And they promised him thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he looked for a chance to hand him over.

Now on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came up to Jesus, saying to him,

“Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the passover?”

And he said,

“Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The teacher says, - My time is near, I’ll keep the passover with my disciples at your place.’”

And the disciples did as Jesus instructed them and got the passover ready.

And evening having come he was reclining with the twelve. And as they were eating he said,

“Truly I’m telling you that one of you will hand me over!”

And being extremely sad they began, each of them, to say to him,

“Is it me Lord?”

But he answering said,

“He who dipped his hand in the dish with me: he will hand me over. The Son of man goes indeed as it has been written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is handed over; it were good for that man if he hadn’t been born!”

And answering, Judas who was handing him over said,

“Is it me Rabbi?”

He says to him,

“You’re right.”

And as they were eating, Jesus, having taken and blessed the bread, broke it and gave to the disciples and said,

“Take, eat, this is my body.”

And having taken the cup, and having given thanks, he gave to them saying,

“All you drink from it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. But I’m telling you that from now on I’ll definitely not drink of this fruit of the vine, until the day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.”

And having sung a hymn they went out to the mount of Olives.

Then Jesus says to them,

“You will all be offended because of me this night. For it has been written, “I’ll strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad’ But after being raised I’ll go ahead of you into Galilee.”

And answering, Peter said to him,

“Even if all will be offended, I’ll never be offended!”

Jesus said to him, truly I’m telling you that in this night, before the cockerel crows, you’ll deny me three times.”

Peter says to him,

“Even if I have to die with you I will definitely not deny you!”

And all the disciples said similarly.

Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and says to the disciples,

“Sit here while, having gone, I pray over there.”

And, having taken with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sad and greatly depressed. Then he says to them,

“My soul is very sad even to death! Stay here and stay awake with me.”

And having gone forward a little he fell on his face, praying and saying,

“My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I want but as you do.”

And he comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping, and he says to Peter,

“So, couldn’t you stay awake one hour with me? Stay awake and pray so that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is eager but the flesh is weak.”

Again a second time, having gone away, he prayed saying,

“If this cup can’t pass from me unless I drink it: your will be done!”

And having come he finds them sleeping again, for their eyes were heavy. And leaving them, having gone away again, he prayed a third time saying the same thing. Then he comes to his disciples and says to them,

“Sleep on now and rest, look the hour has approached and the Son of man is handed over into the hands of sinners. Rise up! Let’s go! Look, the one handing me over has drawn near.”

And look, even as he is speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. And he who was handing him over had given them a sign, saying,

“Whoever I kiss - he it is - take him.”

And at once, having come up to Jesus, he said,

“Hi, Rabbi!” and fervently kissed him.

But Jesus said to him,

“Friend, why have you come?”

Then having approached, they laid hands on Jesus and held him.

And look, one of those with Jesus, having stretched out his hand, drew his sword and striking the servant of the high priest took off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him,

“Put your sword back in its place, for all those taking the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I can’t now call on my Father and he will furnish me with more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen thus?”

In that hour Jesus said to the mob,

“You’ve come out with swords and clubs as against a robber to take me? I sat every day with you, teaching in the temple and you didn’t take me. But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Then the disciples, all forsaking him, ran away.

But the ones who had seized Jesus took him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. And Peter followed him from far off, right to the court of the high priest and, having gone in, sat with the officers to see the end. And the chief priests and the elders and the whole Sanhedrin looked for false evidence against Jesus so they might put him to death, and they found none: though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.

But at last two false witnesses, having come forward, said,

“This one said, ‘I can destroy God’s temple and build it in three days!’”

And having stood up, the high priest said to him,

“Aren’t you answering anything? What are these testifying against you?”

But Jesus was silent.

And answering, the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the Living God that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!!”

Jesus says to him,

“You’re right! Moreover I’m telling you, after this you’ll see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven!”

Then the high priest tore his garments saying,

“He has blasphemed! What need have we any more of witnesses? Look now, you heard his blasphemy. What do you think?”

And they, answering said,

“He deserves death!”

Then they spat in his face and punched him, and some slapped him saying,

“Prophesy to us Christ! Who is it that hit you?”

But Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a maid came to him saying,

“You too were with Jesus the Galilean!”

But he denied in the face of all saying,

“I don’t know what you’re saying!”

And he having gone out into the porch, another saw him and she says to those there,

“This one was with Jesus the Nazarene as well.”

And again he denied with an oath,

“I don’t know the man!”

And after a little, those who stood by, having approached, said to Peter,

“Truly you too are one of them, for your speech gives you away.”

Then he started to curse and to swear,

“I don’t know the man!”

And at once a cockerel crowed.

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the cockerel crows, you’ll deny me three times.’

And having gone out, he wept bitterly.

Chapter Twenty Seven

And morning being come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus so they might put him to death; and having bound him they led him away and handed him over to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Then Judas, who handed him over, having seen that he was condemned, having felt remorse, returned the thirty silver pieces to the chief priests and the elders saying,

“I have sinned, delivering up guiltless blood.”

But they said,

“What’s that to us? You see to it!”

And having thrown down the silver pieces in the temple he departed, and having gone away he hanged himself. And the chief priests, having taken the pieces of silver, said,

“It’s illegal to put them into the treasury, because they’re the price of blood.”

And having taken counsel they bought with them the potter’s field as a cemetery for strangers. So that field is called ‘The Field of Blood’ to this day. Then the word of Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled saying, ‘And I took the thirty silver pieces, the price of him who had a price on him, whom the sons of Israel had put a price on, and gave them for the potter’s field as the Lord directed me.’

And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned him saying,

“You’re the King of the Jews?”

And Jesus said,

“You’re right!”

And when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he answered nothing.

Then Pilate says to him,

“Don’t you hear how many things they’re witnessing against you?”

And he did not answer so much as one word, so that the governor was absolutely amazed.

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd a prisoner - whoever they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So they being gathered together, Pilate said to them,

“Who do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus called the Christ?”

For he knew that they had delivered him up through envy. And as he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent to him saying, ‘May there be nothing between you and that righteous man; for I’ve suffered many things today in a dream because of him.’ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the mob that they should entreat for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

And answering, the governor said to them,

“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

And they said,

“Barabbas!”

Pilate says to them,

“What shall I do with Jesus who’s called the Christ?”

They all say to him,

“Let him be crucified!”

And the governor said,

“Why? What evil has he done?”

And they cried out the more saying,

“Let him be crucified!”

And Pilate, seeing that it profited nothing but, rather, a tumult is arising, having taken water, washed his hands in front of the mob saying,

“I am guiltless of this righteous man’s blood! You see to it!”

And answering, all the people said,

“His blood on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas to them, and having scourged Jesus he handed him over so that he might be crucified.

Then the governor’s soldiers, having taken Jesus along to the Praetorium, gathered against him all the guard, and having stripped him, they put a scarlet cloak on him, and having plaited a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and a cane in his right hand. And bowing the knees before him they mocked him saying,

“Hi! King of the Jews!”

And having spat on him, they took the cane and hit him on the head. And when they had mocked him they took the cloak off him and put his own garments on him and led him away to crucify him.

And going out they found a man by the name of Simon, a Cyrenian. They forced him to carry his cross. And having come to a place called Golgotha, which is called ‘the place of a skull’, they gave him vinegar mixed with gall to drink, and having tasted it he would not drink.

And having crucified him they divided his garments, casting lots, so what had been spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, ‘They divided my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothes.’ And sitting down they kept watch over him there. And they put up above his head his written accusation:-

“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews”

Then two robbers are crucified with him, one at the right hand, and one at the left.

And those passing by blasphemed him, shaking their heads, and saying,

“You who are destroying the temple and building it in three days - save yourself! If you’re God’s Son come down from the cross!”

And similarly the chief priests also, mocking, with the scribes and elders, said,

“He saved others: he can’t save himself! If he is Israel’s King let him come down now from the cross and we’ll believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him if he wants him, for he said ‘I’m God’s Son!’”

And with the same thing too the robbers, crucified with him, reproached him.

And from the sixth hour darkness came over all the land until the ninth. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying,

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” - that is - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

And some of the ones standing there, having heard, said,

“This one’s calling Elijah!”

And immediately one of them, having run and taken a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a cane, gave him to drink.

But the rest said,

“Leave it! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him!”

And Jesus, having cried again with a loud shout yielded up the Spirit.

And look, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth was shaken and the rocks were torn apart, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep rose up, and having gone out of the tombs after his resurrection entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

Now the centurion and the ones with him keeping watch over Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that happened were extremely afraid saying,

“Truly, this was God’s Son!”

And there were many women there, looking on from far off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, looking after him, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

And evening being come there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also himself had become a disciple of Jesus. This one, having gone to Pilate, begged for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be handed over. And having taken the body Joseph wrapped it in a clean sheet, and placed it in his new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and having rolled a great stone into the door of the tomb, he went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting by the sepulchre.

Now on the day following after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate saying,

“Sir, we’ve remembered that while alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I arise.’ So, command that the sepulchre is secured until the third day, in case his disciples coming by night steal him away and say to the people, ‘He is risen from the dead!’ - and the last error will be worse than the first!”

And Pilate said to them,

“You’ve got a guard - go, make things as secure as you can!”

And they, having gone, made the sepulchre secure, sealing the stone and setting guards.

Chapter Twenty Eight

And after the Sabbath, as it was growing light towards the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulchre.

And look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, having come down out of heaven, having come up rolled away the stone from the entrance and was sitting on it. And his look was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. And from fear of him the guards shook and became like the dead.

And answering, the angel said to the women,

“Don’t be afraid, for I know that you’re looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s risen, like he said. Come, look at the place where the Lord lay, and going quickly tell his disciples that he’s risen from the dead, and look he’s going ahead of you into Galilee. You’ll see him there. Look, I’ve told you!”

And having gone out quickly from the tomb, with fear and great joy, they ran to inform his disciples. But as they were going to inform his disciples look, Jesus too met them saying,

“Hi!”

And they, having approached, took hold of his feet and worshipped him.

Then Jesus says to them,

“Don’t be frightened, go, tell my brothers to go into Galilee and they’ll see me there!”

And as they were going, look, some of the guards, having gone into the city, reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. And having assembled with the elders, and having taken counsel, they gave a lot of money to the soldiers saying,

“Say that ‘his disciples, having come by night stole him, we being asleep.’ And if this is heard by the governor, we’ll persuade him and get you out of trouble.”

And they, having taken the money, did as they were instructed. And this tale is spread abroad among the Jews up till this day.

And the eleven disciples went off into Galilee to the mountain where Jesus commanded them. And seeing him they worshipped him, but some doubted.

And having approached, Jesus spoke to them saying,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me! Going therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to hold fast all things that I’ve commanded you. And look, I’m with you all the days until the completion of the age. Truly!”

This translation,

from the Greek Text used for the ‘Authorized’ or ‘King James’ Version

Copyright © David Lawrie 1998

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