The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Part 5

(24)Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any one will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25)For whoever will save his life shall lose it; and whoever may lose his life for my sake, shall find it. (26)For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? Or what shall a man give as an exchange[16:26] for his soul? (27)For the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he will reward each one according to his works.

(28)Verily I say to you, there are some of those standing here, who shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

XVII.

AND after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart. (2)And he was transfigured before them; and his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. (3)And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. (4)And Peter answering said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make here three tents; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. (5)While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (6)And the disciples, hearing it, fell on their face, and were exceedingly afraid. (7)And Jesus coming to them touched them, and said: Arise, and be not afraid. (8)And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one save Jesus only.

(9)And as they came down out of the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is risen from the dead.

(10)And his disciples asked him, saying: Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? (11)And he answering said: Elijah indeed comes, and will restore all things. (12)But I say to you, that Elijah is already come, and they knew him not, but did with him whatever they would. So also is the Son of man about to suffer by them.

(13)Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Immerser.

(14)And when they were come to the mult.i.tude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him, and saying: (15)Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic, and is sorely afflicted; for ofttimes he falls into the fire, and oft into the water. (16)And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. (17)And Jesus answering said: O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him hither to me. (18)And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out from him, and the child was cured from that hour.

(19)Then the disciples, coming to Jesus apart, said: Why could not we cast him out? (20)And he said to them: Because of your want of faith.

For verily I say to you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you. (21)But this kind goes not forth, except by prayer and fasting.

(22)And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of man is about to be delivered into the hands of men (23)and they will put him to death, and he will rise on the third day. And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

(24)And they having come to Capernaum, those who received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said: Does not your teacher pay the half-shekel[17:24]? (25)He says, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus antic.i.p.ated him, saying: What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take customs, or tribute? Of their sons, or of strangers? (26)He says to him: Of strangers. Jesus said to him: Then are the sons free. (27)But that we may not offend them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the fish that first comes up; and opening its mouth thou wilt find a shekel; that take, and give to them for me and thee.

XVIII.

AT that time came the disciples to Jesus, saying: Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

(2)And Jesus, calling a little child to him, placed it in the midst of them, (3)and said: Verily I say to you, if ye do not turn and become as the little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

(4)Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5)And whoever shall receive one such little child, in my name, receives me. (6)But whoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to offend, it were better for him that an upper millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were plunged in the depth of the sea.

(7)Woe to the world, for causes of offense! For it must needs be that causes of offense come; but woe to that man, through whom the cause of offense comes! (8)But if thy hand or thy foot causes thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life lame or maimed, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the everlasting fire. (9)And if thine eye causes thee to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into h.e.l.l-fire.

(10)Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. (11)For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.

(12)What think ye? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them is gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine upon the mountains, and go and seek that which is gone astray? (13)And if it be that he find it, verily I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety and nine that went not astray. (14)So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones perish.

(15)But if thy brother shall sin against thee, go show him his fault between thee and him alone, If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. (16)But if he hear not, take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (17)And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he neglect to hear the church also, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. (18)Verily I say to you: Whatever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

(19)Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, concerning any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. (20)For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

(21)Then Peter came to him, and said: Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? (22)Jesus says to him: I say not to thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.

(23)Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king, who desired to make a reckoning with his servants. (24)And when he had begun to reckon, there was brought to him one, who owed ten thousand talents[18:24]. (25)But as he was not able to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. (26)The servant therefore, falling, prostrated himself before him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. (27)And the lord of that servant, moved with compa.s.sion, released him, and forgave him the debt. (28)But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred denaries[18:28]; and laying hold of him he took him by the throat, saying: Pay me that thou owest. (29)Therefore his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. (30)And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. (31)And his fellow-servants, seeing what was done, were very sorry, and came and disclosed to their lord all that was done. (32)Then having called him, his lord says to him: Thou wicked servant; I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me. (33)Shouldest not thou also have had pity on thy fellow-servant, as I too had pity on thee? (34)And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him.

(35)So also will my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother.

XIX.

AND it came to pa.s.s, when Jesus finished these sayings, that he departed from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judaea beyond the Jordan. (2)And great mult.i.tudes followed him, and he healed them there.

(3)And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

(4)And he answering said to them: Have ye not read, that he who made them[19:4] from the beginning made them male and female, (5)and said: For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. (6)So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore G.o.d joined together, let not man put asunder.

(7)They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? (8)He says to them: Moses, for your hardness of heart, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. (9)And I say to you, that whoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her when put away, commits adultery.

(10)His disciples say to him: If the case of the man with the woman is so, it is not good to marry. (11)But he said to them: Not all can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given. (12)For there are eunuchs, who were so born from the mother's womb; and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs, who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

(13)Then were brought to him little children, that he might put his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. (14)But Jesus said: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. (15)And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

(16)And, behold, one came to him and said: Teacher, what good shall I do, that I may have eternal life? (17)And, he said to him: Why dost thou ask me concerning good? One is the Good. But if thou desirest to enter into life, keep the commandments. (18)He says to him, Which?

Jesus said: Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness; (19)Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

(20)The young man says to him: All these I kept; what do I yet lack?

(21)Jesus said to him: If thou desirest to be perfect, go, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. (22)But when the young man heard this saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

(23)And Jesus said to his disciples: Verily I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. (24)And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of G.o.d. (25)And the disciples, hearing it, were exceedingly amazed, saying: Who then can be saved? (26)But Jesus, looking on them, said to them: With men this is impossible; but with G.o.d all things are possible. (27)Then Peter answering said to him: Behold, we forsook all, and followed thee; what then shall we have? (28)And Jesus said to them: Verily I say to you, that ye who followed me, in the renovation, when the Son of man shall sit on his throne of glory, shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (29)And every one who forsook houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive manifold more, and shall inherit everlasting life. (30)But many first will be last, and last first.

XX.

FOR the kingdom of heaven is like to a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. (2)And having agreed with the laborers for a denary[20:2] a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

(3)And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place. (4)And to them he said: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

(5)Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

(6)And about the eleventh he went out, and found others standing, and says to them: Why stand ye here all the day idle? (7)They say to him: Because no one hired us. He says to them: Go ye also into the vineyard.

(8)And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward: Call the laborers, and pay them the hire, beginning from the last, unto the first. (9)And they of the eleventh hour came, and received every man a denary. (10)But when the first came, they supposed that they should receive more; and they also received each one a denary. (11)And on receiving it, they murmured against the householder, (12)saying: These last labored one hour, and thou madest them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day, and the burning heat.

(13)But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong.

Didst thou not agree with me for a denary? (14)Take what is thine, and go. But I will give to this last, even as to thee. (15)Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

(16)So will the last be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few are chosen.

(17)And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart; and in the way he said to them: (18)Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, (19)and will deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify; and on the third day he will rise again.

(20)Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing down and asking a certain thing of him. (21)And he said to her: What wilt thou? She says to him: Command that these my two sons shall sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left, in thy kingdom.

(22)But Jesus answering said: Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? They say to him: We are able.

(23)And he says to them: Ye shall drink indeed of my cup; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but is for them for whom it has been prepared by my Father. (24)And the ten, hearing it, were much displeased with the two brothers. (25)But Jesus, having called them to him, said: Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles exercise lords.h.i.+p over them, and they that are great exercise authority over them. (26)Not so shall it be among you; (27)but whoever would become great among you, let him be your minister; and whoever would be first among you, let him be your servant; (28)even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

(29)And as they were going forth from Jericho, a great mult.i.tude followed him. (30)And behold, two blind men sitting by the way-side, hearing that Jesus was pa.s.sing by, cried, saying: Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David. (31)And the mult.i.tude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace. But they cried the more, saying: Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David. (32)And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said: What will ye that I shall do to you? (33)They say to him: Lord, that our eyes may be opened. (34)And Jesus, moved with compa.s.sion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight; and they followed him.