The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Part 16

(32)But Peter and they who were with him were heavy with sleep; and awaking, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

(33)And it came to pa.s.s, that, as they were departing from him, Peter said to Jesus: Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tents, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah; not knowing what he said. (34)While he said this, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them; and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

(35)And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my chosen Son; hear ye him.

(36)And when the voice had come, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

(37)And it came to pa.s.s, on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great mult.i.tude met him. (38)And, behold, a man from the mult.i.tude cried, saying: Teacher, I beseech thee, look upon my son; for he is my only child. (39)And, behold, a spirit takes him, and he suddenly cries out; and it tears him with foaming, and hardly departs from him, bruising him. (40)And I entreated thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

(41)And Jesus answering said: O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and bear with you? Bring hither thy son.

(42)And while he was yet coming, the demon threw him down, and tore him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and gave him back to his father. (43)And all were amazed at the mighty power of G.o.d.

But while all were wondering at all things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples: (44)Do ye let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men. (45)But they understood not this saying, and it was hidden from them, that they perceived it not; and they feared to ask him concerning that saying.

(46)And there arose in them the thought[9:46], which of them was greatest. (47)And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child and placed it by him, (48)and said to them: Whoever shall receive this child in my name, receives me; and whoever shall receive me, receives him who sent me; for he that is least among you all, the same is great.

(49)And John answering said: Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he follows not with us. (50)And Jesus said to him: Forbid him not; for he that is not against us is for us.

(51)And it came to pa.s.s, when the days were being completed that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.

(52)And he sent messengers before his face; and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. (53)And they did not receive him, because his face was directed toward Jerusalem.

(54)And his disciples, James and John, seeing it, said: Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, as also Elijah did? (55)And he turned, and rebuked them, and said: Ye know not[9:55] of what spirit ye are. (56)And they went to another village.

(57)And as they were going in the way, a certain one said to him: I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. (58)And Jesus said to him: The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has not where to lay his head.

(59)And he said to another: Follow me. But he said: Lord permit me first to go and bury my father. (60)And he said to him: Let the dead bury their own dead; but do thou go and announce the kingdom of G.o.d.

(61)And another also said; I will follow thee, Lord; but first permit me to bid farewell to those in my house. (62)And Jesus said to him: No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of G.o.d.

X.

AFTER these things the Lord appointed also seventy others, and sent them two and two before his face, into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come. (2)And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. (3)Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. (4)Carry neither purse, nor bag, nor sandals; and salute no one by the way.

(5)And into whatever house ye enter, first say: Peace be to this house. (6)And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; and if not, it shall return to you. (7)And in that house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give[10:7]; for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. (8)And into whatever city ye enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; (9)and heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of G.o.d has come nigh unto you. (10)But into whatever city ye enter and they receive you not, go out into the streets of the same, and say: (11)Even the dust of your city that cleaves to our feet, we wipe off to you[10:11]; yet know this, that the kingdom of G.o.d has come nigh.

(12)I say to you, that it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

(13)Woe to thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (14)But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you. (15)And thou, Capernaum, that art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to the underworld.

(16)He that hears you, hears me; and he that rejects you, rejects me; and he that rejects me, rejects him who sent me.

(17)And the seventy returned with joy, saying: Lord, even the demons are subjected to us in thy name. (18)And he said to them: I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven. (19)Behold, I have given you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. (20)But yet, rejoice not in this, that the spirits are subjected to you; but rejoice, that your names are written in heaven.

(21)In that hour he rejoiced in spirit, and said: I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and discerning, and reveal them to babes; yea, O Father, that so it seemed good in thy sight. (22)All things were delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son is pleased to reveal him.

(23)And turning to the disciples, he said privately: Happy are the eyes that behold what ye are beholding. (24)For I say to you, that many prophets and kings desired to see what ye are beholding, and saw not, and to hear what ye are hearing, and heard not.

(25)And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, saying: Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (26)He said to him: What is written in the law? How readest thou? (27)And he answering said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. (28)And he said to him: Thou answeredst rightly. This do, and thou shalt live. (29)But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus: Who then is my neighbor?

(30)And Jesus answering said: A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. (31)And by chance a certain priest was going down that way; and seeing him, he pa.s.sed by on the other side. (32)And in like manner also a Levite, arriving at the place, came and saw, and pa.s.sed by on the other side.

(33)And a certain Samaritan, as he was journeying, came where he was, and seeing him had compa.s.sion; (34)and coming to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine; and setting him on his own beast, he brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (35)And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two denaries[10:35] and gave to the host, and said: Take care of him; and whatever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

(36)Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor to him that fell among the robbers? (37)And he said: He that had mercy on him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou likewise.

(38)And it came to pa.s.s, as they were going, that he entered into a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. (39)And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the feet of Jesus, and heard his word. (40)But Martha was enc.u.mbered with much serving; and she came to him, and said: Lord, dost thou not care that my sister left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. (41)And Jesus answering said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things. (42)But one thing is needful; and Mary chose the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

XI.

AND it came to pa.s.s that, as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as also John taught his disciples. (2)And he said to them: When ye pray, say; Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. (3)Give us day by day our daily bread[11:3]. (4)And forgive us our sins; for we ourselves forgive every one indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation.

(5)And he said to them: Who of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him: (6)Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him; (7)and he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not; the door is already shut, and my children with me are in bed; I can not rise and give thee? (8)I say to you, though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. (9)I also say to you: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. (10)For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

(11)And what father is there among you, of whom if his son ask bread, he will give him a stone; or a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? (12)Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion?

(13)If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

(14)And he was casting out a demon, and it was dumb. And it came to pa.s.s, when the demon was gone out, that the dumb man spoke; and the mult.i.tudes wondered. (15)But some of them said: He casts out the demons through Beelzebul, the prince of the demons. (16)And others, tempting, sought of him a sign from heaven. (17)But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls[11:17]. (18)And if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out the demons through Beelzebul. (19)And if I through Beelzebul cast out the demons, through whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. (20)But if with the finger of G.o.d I cast out the demons, then is the kingdom of G.o.d come near to you.

(21)When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace.

(22)But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he takes away his whole armor, wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.

(23)He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathers not with me scatters abroad.

(24)When the unclean spirit is gone out from the man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and not finding it, he says, I will return into my house whence I came out. (25)And coming, he finds it swept and set in order. (26)Then he goes, and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

(27)And it came to pa.s.s, as he was saying these things, that a certain woman lifting up her voice from the mult.i.tude, said to him: Happy the womb that bore thee, and b.r.e.a.s.t.s which thou didst suck! (28)And he said: Yea, rather, Happy they who hear the word of G.o.d, and keep it!

(29)And the mult.i.tudes gathering more and more, he began to say: This generation is an evil generation. It seeks a sign; and no sign shall be given it, but the sign of Jonah. (30)For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

(31)A queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and will condemn them; because she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. (32)Men of Nineveh will rise in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

(33)No one, having lighted a lamp, puts it in a secret place, or under the bushel, but on the lamp-stand, that they who come in may see the light. (34)The lamp of the body is thine eye. When thine eye is single, thy whole body also is light; but when it is evil, thy body also is dark. (35)Take heed therefore, lest the light that is in thee is darkness[11:35]. (36)If therefore thy whole body is light, having no part dark, it shall be all light as when the lamp, with its bright s.h.i.+ning, gives thee light.

(37)And as he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him and he went in, and reclined at table. (38)And the Pharisee, seeing it, wondered that he did not first immerse himself before dinner. (39)And the Lord said to him: Now ye Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of rapacity and wickedness. (40)Fools! Did not he, who made the outside, make the inside also? (41)But give that which ye have in alms[11:41]; and, behold, all things are clean to you.

(42)But woe to you, Pharisees! because ye pay t.i.the of mint and rue and every herb, and pa.s.s by judgment and the love of G.o.d. These ought ye to have done, and not leave those undone.

(43)Woe to you, Pharisees! because ye love the first seat in the synagogues, and the greetings in the markets.

(44)Woe to you! because ye are as tombs that appear not, and men walking over them know it not.

(45)And a certain one of the lawyers answering says to him: Teacher, in saying these things thou reproachest us also. (46)And he said: Woe to you lawyers also! because ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

(47)Woe to you! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. (48)So then ye bear witness to and approve the deeds of your fathers; because they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres[11:48]. (49)Therefore also said the wisdom of G.o.d: I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will slay and persecute; (50)that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation, (51)from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the temple. Verily I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

(52)Woe to you lawyers! because ye took away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and those who were entering in ye hindered.

(53)And as he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things[11:53]; (54)lying in wait for him, seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.