The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Part 8

[36] And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: [37] For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

[38] And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

[39] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

[40] Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: [41] Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: [42] Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

[43] And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

[44] But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: [45] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

[46] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [47] Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: [48] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

[49] But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

[50] But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

[51] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, [52] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

[53] Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

[54] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

[55] Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

[56] But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

[57] Therefore be ye also ready.

[58] Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

[59] Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

[60] Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

[61] But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; [62] And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; [63] The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, [64] And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth.

CHAPTER 14.

[1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

[2] And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

[3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: [4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

[5] While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

[6] And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

[7] Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

[8] And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

[9] But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

[10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut.

[11] Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

[12] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

[13] Watch therefore.

[14] For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

[15] And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

[16] Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

[17] And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

[18] But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

[19] After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

[20] And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

[21] His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

[22] He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

[23] His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

[24] Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: [25] And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

[26] His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: [27] Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

[28] Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

[29] For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

[30] And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth.

[31] And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

[32] For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

[33] Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pa.s.s, and to stand before the Son of man.

[34] When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: [35] And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: [36] And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

[37] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [38] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [39] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

[40] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

[41] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

[42] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

[43] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

[44] Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: [45] For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: [46] I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

[47] Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

[48] Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

[49] And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

CHAPTER 15.

[1] After two days was the feast of the pa.s.sover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

[2] But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

[3] And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

[4] And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

[5] For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

[6] And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

[7] For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

[8] She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

[9] Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, [10] And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

[11] And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

[12] Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pa.s.sover?

[13] And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the pa.s.sover at thy house with my disciples.

[14] And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the pa.s.sover.

[15] Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

[16] And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

[17] And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lords.h.i.+p over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

[18] But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

[19] For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

[20] And supped being ended, [21] He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

[22] After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

[23] Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

[24] Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

[25] Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

[26] Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

[27] Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

[28] For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

[29] So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

[30] Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

[31] If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

[32] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

[33] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.