Part 17 (1/2)
XII.
IN the mean time, the mult.i.tude having gathered together in tens of thousands, so that they trod one upon another, he began first to say to his disciples: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (2)For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, nor hidden, that shall not be known. (3)Wherefore, whatever ye said in the darkness, shall be heard in the light; and what ye spoke in the ear in closets, shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.
(4)And I say to you, my friends, be not afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. (5)But I will warn you whom ye shall fear; fear him, who after he has killed has power to cast into h.e.l.l; yea, I say to you, fear him. (6)Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? And not one of them is forgotten before G.o.d.
(7)But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(8)And I say to you: Every one that shall acknowledge me before men, him will the Son of man also acknowledge before the angels of G.o.d; (9)but he that denied me before men shall be denied before the angels of G.o.d. (10)And every one that shall speak a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but to him that blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven.
(11)And when they bring you to the synagogues, and magistrates, and authorities, take not thought how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say. (12)For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.
(13)And a certain one of the mult.i.tude said to him: Teacher, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. (14)And he said to him: Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? (15)And he said to them: Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; because a man's life consists not in the abundance of his possessions.
(16)And he spoke a parable to them, saying: The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. (17)And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have not where to store my fruits?
(18)And he said: This will I do; I will pull down my barns, and will build greater; and there I will store all my fruits and my goods.
(19)And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. (20)But G.o.d said to him: Fool! this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall those things be, which thou didst provide? (21)So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward G.o.d.
(22)And he said to his disciples: Therefore I say to you, take not thought for the life, what ye shall eat, nor for the body, what ye shall put on. (23)The life is more than food, and the body than raiment. (24)Consider the ravens, that they sow not nor reap; which have neither storehouse nor barn; and G.o.d feeds them. How much better are ye than the birds! (25)And which of you by taking thought can add a cubit to his stature[12:25]? (26)If therefore ye can not do even that which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
(27)Consider the lilies, how they grow; they toil not, nor spin; and I say to you, that even Solomon, in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (28)And if G.o.d so clothes the gra.s.s, which to-day is in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, how much more you, ye of little faith? (29)And ye, seek not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, and be not of a doubtful mind. (30)For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knows that ye have need of these. (31)But seek his kingdom, and these things shall be added to you.
(32)Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (33)Sell what ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves purses that wax not old, a treasure unfailing in the heavens, where a thief approaches not, nor moth corrupts. (34)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(35)Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; (36)and ye like men waiting for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that, when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. (37)Happy those servants, whom their lord when he comes shall find watching! Verily I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them recline at table, and will come forth and serve them.
(38)And if he shall come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find it so, happy are those servants. (39)And this know, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief is coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. (40)Be ye also ready; for at an hour when ye think not, the Son of man comes.
(41)And Peter said to him: Lord, speakest thou this parable to us, or also to all? (42)And the Lord said: Who then is the faithful, the wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give the portion of food in due season? (43)Happy that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing! (44)Of a truth I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
(45)But if that servant say in his heart: My lord delays his coming; and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; (46)the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for it, and in an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the faithless.
(47)And that servant, who knew his lord's will, and prepared not, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; (48)but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For to whomsoever much was given, of him much will be required; and to whom they committed much, of him they will require the more.
(49)I came to send fire upon the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled[12:49]? (50)But I have an immersion to undergo; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! (51)Suppose ye that I came to give peace in the earth? I tell you, nay; but only division.
(52)For from this time forth, five in one house will be divided, three against two, and two against three. (53)They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against the daughter, and daughter against the mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law.
(54)And he said also to the mult.i.tudes: When ye see the cloud rising from the west, straightway ye say: A shower is coming and so it comes to pa.s.s. (55)And when ye see a south wind blowing, ye say: There will be heat; and it comes to pa.s.s. (56)Hypocrites! Ye know how to judge of the face of the earth and the sky; but how is it that ye know not how to judge of this time? (57)And why even of yourselves do ye not judge what is right? (58)For when thou art going with thine adversary to the magistrate, on the way give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he drag thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the exactor, and the exactor cast thee into prison. (59)I say to thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
XIII.
THERE were present at that season some who brought him word concerning the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices.
(2)And answering he said to them: Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they have suffered such things? (3)I tell you, nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish. (4)Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, suppose ye that they were sinners above all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? (5)I tell you, nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.
(6)He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none.
(7)And he said to the vine-dresser: Behold, three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none. Cut it down; why does it also enc.u.mber[13:7] the ground? (8)And he answering says to him: Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and cast in manure. (9)And if it bear fruit--; and if not, hereafter thou shalt cut it down[13:9].
(10)And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
(11)And, behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and wholly unable to raise herself up. (12)And Jesus seeing her, called her to him, and said to her: Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. (13)And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified G.o.d. (14)And the ruler of the synagogue answering (being indignant because Jesus healed on the sabbath), said to the mult.i.tude: There are six days in which it is proper to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath. (15)And the Lord answered him, and said: Hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox or a.s.s from the manger, and lead him away to water him? (16)And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound, lo, eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath? (17)And as he said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed; and all the mult.i.tude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.