James Murdock Peshitto

I.

  01 THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
  02 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way.
  03 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make smooth his paths.
  04 John baptized in the wilderness, and proclaimed the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 
  05 And there went out to him all the region of Judaea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and he baptized them in the river Jordan, while they confessed their sins. 
  06 And this John was clad in raiment of camels' hair; and was girded with a cincture of skin about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
  07 And he proclaimed, and said: Behold, after me cometh one more powerful than I, of whom I am not worthy to stoop and untie the fastenings of his shoes.
  08 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
  09 And it occurred, in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized in Jordan by John. 
  10 And immediately on his coming from  the water, he saw the heavens cleft, and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him.
  11 And there was a voice from the heavens: Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I delight.
  12 And directly the Spirit carried him into the wilderness: 
  13 and he was there in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild beasts; and angels ministered to him.
  14 After John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee,  and proclaimed the tidings, of the kingdom of God, 
  15 and said: The time is completed, and the kingdom of God is near.  Repent ye,  and believe the tidings.
  16 And as he walked near the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and  Andrew  his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
  17 And Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
  18 And immediately they left their nets, and  went after him.
  19 And as he passed on a little, he saw James the son of  Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in a ship, and  mending their nets.
  20 And he called them: and immediately they left  Zebedee their father in the ship, with the hired servants, and went after him.
  21 And  when they entered Capernaum, he immediately taught on the sabbath in their synagogues.
  22 And they were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them, as having authority,  and not as their Scribes.
  23 And in their synagogue was a man, in whom was an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
  24 and said: What have we to do with  thee ? Jesus thou Nazarean. Hast thou come to destroy us ? I know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of God.
  25 And Jesus rebuked him, and said: Shut thy mouth, and come out of him.
  26 And the unclean spirit threw him down, and cried with a loud voice, and came out of him.
  27 And they were all amazed, and inquired one of another, and said: What is this ? What new doctrine is this ? For with authority he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
  28 And immediately his fame spread into all the land of Galilee.
  29 And he retired from the synagogue, and entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 
  30 And Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever: and they told him about her.
  31 And he came, and took her hand, and raised her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered to them.
  32 And in the evening at the setting of the sun, they brought to him all them that were diseased, and demoniacs.
  33 And all the city was collected at the door.
  34 And he healed many who labored under divers diseases, and cast out many demons; and he suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew him.
  35 And in the morning, he rose much before others, and retired to a solitary place, and there prayed.
  36 And Simon and his associates sought for him. 
  37 And when they found him, they said to him: Every body is seeking for thee.
  38 And he said to them: Go into the adjacent villages and towns; for there also I will preach, because therefore have I come.
  39 And he  preached in all their synagogues, in all Galilee, and cast out demons.
  40 And a leper came to him, and fell at his feet, and entreated him, and said to  him: If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
  41 And Jesus had compassion on him, and stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said: I will; be thou clean.
  42 And in that hour, his leprosy departed from him, and he became clean.
  43 And he charged him, and sent him away,
  44 and he said to him: See that thou tell no person; but go, show thyself to the priests, and offer an oblation on account of thy purification, as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
  45 And he, as he went out, began to proclaim [it] much, and to divulge the matter; so that Jesus could not openly go into the city, but was without, in desert places; and they came to him from every quarter.

II.

  01 And Jesus again entered into Capernaum, after some days. And  when they heard that he was in the  house,
  02 many were assembled, so that [the house] could not contain them, not even before the door. And he held discourse with them.
  03 And they came to  him and brought to him a paralytic, borne between four persons.
  04 And as they could not come near him on account of the crowd, they ascended to the roof, and removed the covering of the place where Jesus was, and let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
  05 And when Jesus  saw their faith, he said to the paralytic:  My  son, thy sins are forgiven thee. 
  06 And there were some Scribes and Pharisees there, who sat and reasoned in their hearts:
  07 Who is this speaking, blasphemy ? Who can forgive  sins, except God only ?
  08 And Jesus knew, in his spirit, that they thus reasoned in themselves; and he said to them: Why reason ye thus in your heart ?
  09 Which is the easier, to say to a paralytic,  Thy sins are forgiven thee ? or to say, Arise, take up thy bed, and  walk ?
  10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive  sins, he said to the paralytic, 
  11 I say to thee, Arise, take thy bed, and go to thy house.
  12 And he arose in that hour, took up his bed, and departed in presence of them all: so that they were all amazed, and praised God, saying: We never saw the like.
  13 And he went  again to the sea; and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them.
  14 And as he passed along he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting among the publicans. And he said to him: Come after me. And he arose and went after him.
  15 And it was so, that as he reclined in his [Levi's] house, many publicans and sinners reclined with Jesus and with his disciples: for they were  many, and they followed him.
  16 And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw that he ate with publicans and with sinners, they said to his disciples:  Why  doth he eat and drink with publicans and sinners ?
  17 When Jesus heard [it], he said to them: The healthy need not a physician, but those laboring under disease: I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners. 
  18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasters; and they came and said to him: Why are the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fasters, and thy disciples fast not ?
  19 Jesus said to them: Can the guests of the nuptial chamber fast so long as the bridegroom is with them ? No.
  20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast, in that day. 
  21 No one taketh a patch of new cloth and seweth it upon an old garment, lest the supplemental new should take from the old, and the rent become the greater.
  22 And no one putteth new wine into old sacks, lest the wine burst the sacks, and the sacks be spoiled, and the wine spilled; but they put new wine into new  sacks.
  23 And it was so, that as Jesus on a sabbath walked in the tillage grounds, his disciples walked and plucked the ears.
  24 And the Pharisees said to him: See, how on the sabbath, they do that which is not lawful ?
  25 Jesus said to them: Have ye never read what David did, when he had need and was hungry, he and his attendants ?
  26 How he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Lord's table, which it was not lawful for any but priests to eat, and gave [it] also to those with him ?
  27 And he said to them: The sabbath was made on man's account, and not man for the sake of the sabbath. 
  28 Therefore also the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

III.

  01 And again Jesus entered into a synagogue. And there was a man there, whose hand was withered.
  02 And they watched him, that if he should heal on the sabbath, they might accuse him.
  03 And he said to the man of the withered hand: Stand up in the midst.
  04 And he said also to them: Is  it lawful to do good on the sabbath, or to do evil ? to give life to a person, or to destroy ? But they were silent
  05 And he looked on them with indignation, being grieved with the hardness of their heart. And he said to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched forth, and his hand was restored.
  06 And the Pharisees went out, that very hour, with the domestics of Herod, and held a consultation against him, how they might destroy him.
  07 And Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea. And many people joined him from Galilee, and from Judaea, 
  08 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan, and from Tyre, and from Sidon: great multitudes, when they heard all that he did, came to him.
  09 And he told his disciples to bring him a ship, on account of the multitude, lest they should crowd upon him
  10 For he had healed many, so that they rushed upon him, in order to touch him.
  11 And they who were afflicted with unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down and cried out, and said: Thou art the Son of God.
  12 And he charged them much, not to make him known.
  13 And he ascended a mountain, and called whom   he pleased; and they came to him.
  14 And he chose twelve to be with him, whom he would send out to preach,
  15 and who would have power to heal the sick, and to cast out demons.
  16 And to Simon he gave the name of Cephas.
  17 And to James the son of Zebedee and to John the brother of James, he gave the name of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder.
  18 And [he chose also] Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
  19 And Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. And they came to the house:
  20 and the multitude assembled again, so that they could not eat bread.
  21 And his kinsmen heard, and went out to take him; for they said: He is out of his reason.
  22 And those Scribes that had come down from Jerusalem, said: Beelzebub is in him; and by the prince of demons he expelleth demons.
  23 And Jesus called them, and said to them, by similitudes : How can Satan cast out Satan ?
  24 For if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
  25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
  26 And if Satan rise up against himself and be divided, he cannot stand, but is at an end.
  27 No one can enter the house of a strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man; and then he may rob his house.
  28 Verily I say to you: All sins, and the blasphemies that men may utter, may be forgiven them:
  29 but whoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, to him for ever there is no forgiveness; but he is obnoxious to eternal judgment.
  30 Because they had said: An unclean spirit is in him. 
  31 And his mother and his brothers came, and, standing without, sent to call him to them.
  32 And the multitude were sitting around him, and they said to him: Lo, thy mother and thy brothers, without, call for thee.
  33 He replied, and said to them: Who is my mother? and who are my brothers ?
  34 And he looked upon those who sat by him, and said: Behold my mother ! and, behold my brothers !
  35 For whoever shall do the pleasure of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.

IV.

  01 And again he began to teach by the side of the sea. And great multitudes were assembled about him; so that he embarked and sat in a ship on the sea, and all the multitude stood on the land by the side of the sea. 
  02 And he taught them much by similitudes. And in his teaching, he said:
  03 Hear ye: Behold a sower went forth to sow.
  04 And as he sowed, some [seed] fell on the side of the path; and a bird came, and devoured it.
  05 And other [seed] fell on a rock, so that it had not much earth; and it soon shot up, because it had no depth of earth.
  06 But when the sun was up, it wilted; and because it had no root, it dried up.
  07 And other [seed] fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruits. 
  08 And other [seed] fell on good ground, and came up, and grew, and yielded fruits; some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred.
  09 And he said: Whoever hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10) And when they were by themselves, those with him, together with the twelve, asked him [concerning] this similitude.
  11 And Jesus said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them without, all is in similitudes:
  12 that when they see, they may see and not see, and when they hear, they may hear and not understand; lest they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them. 
  13 And he said to them: Do ye not understand this similitude ? And how will ye understand all similitudes ?
  14 The sower that sowed, sowed the word.
  15 And those by the side of the path, are they in whom the word is sown; and as soon as they have heard [it], Satan cometh, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
  16 And those sown on the rock, are they who, when they hear the word, immediately with joy receive it. 
  17 And they have no root in them, but are temporary; and when there is  affliction or persecution on account of the word, they are quickly stumbled.
  18 And those sown among thorns, are they that hear the word,
  19 and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the residue of other lusts enter in and choke the word, and it is without fruits.
  20 And those sown on good ground are they that hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruits, by thirties, and by sixties, and by hundreds.
  21 And he said to them: Is a lamp brought to be placed under a bushel, or under a bed ? Is it not to be placed on a light-stand ?
  22 For there is nothing hid, which will not be exposed; and nothing concealed, which will not be made manifest. 
  23 If any one have ears to hear, let him hear. 
  24 And he said to them: Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you: and there shall more be given to you who hear.
  25 For to him that hath, will more be given; and from him that hath not, even what he hath, will be taken from him.
  26 And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground,
  27 and should sleep and rise, by night and by day, and the seed should grow an shoot up, he knoweth not how. 
  28 For the earth bringeth forth the fruit; first the plant, and subsequently the ear, and at last the complete wheat in the ear.
  29 And when the fruit is ripe, immediately cometh the sickle, because the harvest hath arrived.
  30 And he said: To what shall we liken the kingdom of God ? and with what similitude shall we compare it ? 
  31 It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the earth, is the least of all seeds sown on the earth;
  32 and when it is sown it springeth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and produceth great branches, so that birds can lodge under its shadow.
  33 And by many such similitudes, similitudes such as they could hear, Jesus discoursed with the people. 
  34 And without similitudes he did not converse with them: but to his disciples, between himself and them, he explained every thing.
  35 And he said to them, the same day at evening: Let us pass over to the other side.
  36 And they sent away the multitudes: and they conducted him in the ship as he was. And there were also with him other little ships.
  37 And there was a great tempest and wind: and the waves beat upon the ship, and it was near being filled. 
  38 And Jesus was asleep on a pillow in the hinder part of the ship. And they came and awoke him, and said to him: Our Rabbi, carest thou not, that we perish? 
  39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Cease; be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
  40 And he said to them: Why were ye so fearful? and why have ye not faith?
  41 And they feared with great fear: and they said, one to another: Who is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him !

V.

  01 And he came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.
  02 And as he went out  of the ship, there met him from the place of sepulchres a man in whom was an unclean spirit.
  03 And he dwelt in the place of sepulchres; and no one could confine him with chains:
  04 because, as often as he had been confined with fetters and chains, he had broken the chains and burst the fetters: and no one could subdue him.
  05 And continually, by night and by day, he was in the place of sepulchres, and cried and wounded himself with stones.
  06 And when he saw Jesus at a distance, he ran and worshipped him;
  07 and cried with a loud voice, and said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the High God ? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
  08 For he had said to him: Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
  09 And he demanded of him: What is thy name? And he replied to him: Our name is Legion; for we are many.
  10 And he besought him much, that he would not send him out of the country.
  11 And there was there by the mountain, a great herd of swine grazing.
  12 And the demons besought him, and said: Send us upon those swine, that we may enter them.
  13 And he permitted them. And those unclean spirits went out, and entered the swine: and the herd, of about two thousand, ran to a precipice, and fell into the sea, and were strangled in the waters.
  14 And they who tended them, fled and told [it] in the city and in the villages: and they came out to see what had occurred.
  15 And: they came to Jesus, and saw him in whom the demons had been, him in whom had been the legion, clothed, and sober, and sitting; and they were afraid.
  16 And those who had seen [it] told them how it occurred to him who had the demons, and also concerning the swine. 
  17 And they began to request him, that he would go from their border.
  18 And as he ascended the ship, the late demoniac requested that he might continue with him.
  19 And he suffered  him not, but said to him: Go home to thy people, and tell them what the Lord hath done for thee, and hath compassionated thee.
  20 And he went, and began to publish in Decapolis, what Jesus had done for him. And they were all amazed.
  21 And when Jesus had passed by ship to the other side, great multitudes again assembled about him as he was on the shore of the sea.
  22 And one of the rulers of the synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came, and, on seeing him, fell at his feet, 
  23 and besought him much, and said to him: My daughter is very sick; but come and lay thy hand on her, and she will be cured, and will live.
  24 And Jesus went with him; and a great company attended him, and pressed upon him.
  25 And a woman who had had a defluxion of blood twelve years,
  26 and who had suffered much from many physicians, and had expended all she possessed, and was not profited, but was even the more afflicted;
  27 when she heard of Jesus, came behind him in the press of the crowd, and touched his garment
  28 For she said: If I but touch his garment, I shall live.
  29 And immediately the fountain of her blood dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague. 
  30 And Jesus at once knew in himself, that virtue had issued from him: and he turned to the throng, and said: Who touched my clothes ?
  31 And his disciples said to him: Thou seest the throngs that press upon thee; and sayest thou, Who touched me ?
  32 And he looked around, to see who had done this. 
  33 And the woman, fearing and trembling, for she knew what had taken place in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
  34 And he said to her: My daughter, thy faith hath made thee live: go in peace; and be thou healed of thy plague. 
  35 And while he was speaking, some domestics of the ruler of the synagogue came, and said: Thy daughter is dead: why therefore troublest thou the teacher ? 
  36 But Jesus heard the word they spoke, and said to the ruler of the synagogue: Fear not; only believe. 
  37 And he suffered no one to go with him, except Simon Cephas, and James, and John the brother of James. 
  38 And they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he saw, that they were in a tumult, and weeping, and howling.
  39 And he entered in and said to them: Why are ye in a tumult, and weep? The maid is not dead, but is asleep. 
  40 And they laughed at him. But Jesus put them all out. And he took the maids father, and her mother, and those that accompanied him, and entered into where the maid lay.
  41 And he took the maid's hand, and said to her: Maiden, arise.
  42 And  immediately the maid arose, and walked; for she was twelve years old. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
  43 And he enjoined it upon them much, that no one should know of it. And he directed, that they should give her to eat.

VI.

  01 And Jesus departed from there and came to his own city, and his disciples attended him.
  02 And when the sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. And many who heard [him] were astonished, and said: Whence hath he obtained these things ? And, what wisdom is this, which is given to him! and that such mighty works are done by his hands!
  03 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and of Joses and of Judas and of Simon ? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were stumbled in him.
  04 And Jesus said to them: There is no prophet who is little, except in his  own city, and among his kindred, and at home.
  05 And he could not there do even one mighty work, except that he laid his hand on a few sick, and healed them. 
  06 And he wondered at the defect of their faith. And he travelled about the villages and taught.
  07 And he called his twelve, and began to send them forth, two and two; and he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out.
  08 And he commanded them to take nothing for the journey, except a staff only; neither a wallet, nor bread, nor brass in their purses;
  09 but to be shod  with sandals, and not put on two coats.
  10 And  he said to them: Into whatever house ye enter, there abide till ye leave the place.
  11 And whoever will not receive you, nor hear you, when ye go out from that place shake off the dust that is under your feet, for a testimony to them. Verily I say to you, There will be comfort for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment rather than for that city.
  12 And they went out  and proclaimed, that [men] should repent.
  13 And they cast out many demons, and many of the sick they  anointed with oil, and healed them.
  14 And Herod the king heard of Jesus, for his name had become known to him, and he said: John the Baptizer hath risen from the dead: and therefore it is, mighty deeds are done by him.
  15 Others said: He is Elijah: and others: He is a prophet,  like one of the prophets.
  16 But when Herod heard [of him], he said:  He is that John whose head I struck off: he is risen from the dead.
  17 For Herod had sent and seized John and bound him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philips wife, whom  he had taken.
  18 For John had said to Herod: It is not lawful for thee to  take thy brother's wife.
  19 And Herodias herself was an enemy to him, and wished to kill him, but was not able.
  20 For Herod was afraid of John, because he knew him to be a just and holy man: and he observed him, and gave ear to him in many things and did [the things], and he heard him with satisfaction.
  21 And there was a noted day, when Herod made  a supper, in the house of his nativity, for his nobles and the chiliarchs and the chiefs of Galilee.
  22 And the daughter of Herodias came in, and danced; and she pleased Herod and those reclining with him. And the king said to the maid: Ask of me what thou pleasest, and I will give it thee.
  23 And he swore to her: Whatever thou shalt ask, I will give  thee, even to the half of my kingdom. 
  24 And she went out, and said to her mother: What shall I ask of him ? She said to her: The head of John the Baptizer. 
  25 And she soon entered with  eagerness to the  king, and said: I desire that thou, this hour, give me in a dish the head of John the Baptizer.
  26 And it pained the king greatly; yet, on account of the oath, and on account of the guests, he would not deny her:
  27 and the king sent immediately an executioner, and commanded [him] to bring the head of John. And he went, and struck off the head of John in the prison;
  28 and brought it on a dish, and gave it to the maid; and the maid gave it to her mother.
  29 And his disciples heard [of it]; and they came and took up the corpse, and laid it in a Sepulchre.
  30 And the legates assembled before Jesus, and told him all they had done, and all they had taught. 
  31 And he said to them: Come, let us go into a desert by ourselves, and rest a little. For there were many going and coming, and they had not opportunity even to eat bread. 
  32 And they went by ship to a desert place by themselves.
  33 But many saw them, as they  departed, and knew them; and from all the cities, they ran thither by land before him.
  34 And Jesus disembarked and saw great multitudes: and he compassionated them, because they were like sheep having no shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 
  35 And when the time was advanced, his disciples came to him, and said to him: This is a desert place, and the time is advanced.
  36 Dismiss them, that they may go into the fields around us and into the villages, and may buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.
  37 And he said to them: Give ye them to eat. They say to him: Shall we go and buy bread of the value of two hundred denarii, and give them to eat ?
  38 And he said to them: Go, see  how many loaves ye have here. And when they had seen, they say to him: Five loaves and two fishes.
  39 And he bid them make the people recline on the grass by companies.
  40 And they reclined, by companies of a hundred, and of fifty.
  41 And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looked towards heaven, and blessed and brake the bread, and gave to his disciples to set before them: and they divided [also] the two fishes among them all.
  42 And they all ate, and were satisfied.
  43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments and of the fishes.
  44 And they who had eaten bread  were five thousand men.
  45 And he immediately constrained his disciples to take ship, and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the multitudes.
  46 And when  he had dismissed them, he went to a mountain to pray.
  47 And  when evening came, the ship was in the middle of the sea, and he alone on the land.
  48 And he  saw them straining themselves in rowing; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the  night, Jesus came to them  walking on the waters; and he was disposed to pass by them. 
  49 And they saw him  walking on the waters, and they supposed that the appearance was a spectre: and they cried out.
  50 For they all  saw him, and were afraid. And immediately he spoke with them, and said to them:  Take courage; it is I; fear not.
  51 And he entered into the ship to them; and the wind ceased.  And they  were greatly amazed, and astonished  among themselves.
  52 For they did not learn by the bread; because their heart was stupid.
  53 And when they had passed to the other shore, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
  54 And when they  went out of the ship, immediately the men of the place knew him.
  55 And they ran through all that region, and began to bring forth them that were sick, bearing them on beds to where they heard he was.
  56 And wherever he entered into villages or cities, the sick were laid in he streets: and they besought him, that they might touch but the extremity of his raiment. And all they that touched him, were  healed.

VII.

  01 And there gathered about him Pharisees and Scribes, who had come from Jerusalem.
  02 And they saw some of his disciples eating bread, with their hands unwashed; and they censured it.
  03 For all the  Jews and the Pharisees, unless they carefully  wash their hands do not eat; because they hold fast the tradition of the Elders.
  04 And [coming] from the market-place, except they baptize, they do not eat. And there are many other things which they have received to observe, [such as] the baptisms of cups, and of pots, and of brazen vessels, and of couches. 
  05 And the Scribes and Pharisees asked him: Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the Elders, but eat bread with their hands unwashed ?
  06 And he said to them: Well did Isaiah the prophet prophecy concerning you, ye hypocrites; as it is written: This people honoreth me with its lips, but their heart is very far from me.
  07 And in vain do they give me reverence, while teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.
  08 For ye have forsaken the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men, the baptisms of cups, and of pots, and many things  like these.
  09 He said [also] to them: Full well do ye spurn the precept of God, that ye may establish your tradition ! 
  10 For Moses said: Honor thy father and thy mother; and whoever shall revile his father or his mother, shall surely die.
  11 But ye say: If a man say to his father or to his mother, Be it my oblation, whatever thou mayest gain from me:
  12 then ye suffer him not to do any thing for his father or his mother.
  13 And ye reject the word of God, on account of the tradition which ye hand down. And many things like these, ye do.
  14 And Jesus called all the multitude, and said to them: Hear, all ye; and understand.
  15 There is nothing without a man which, by entering him, can pollute  him. But that which cometh out of him, that it is that polluteth a man.
  16 Whoever hath ears to hear, let  him hear.
  17 And when Jesus had entered the house, apart from the multitude, his disciples asked him about this similitude. 
  18 And he said to them: Are ye likewise so undiscerning ? Do ye not know, that whatever from without entereth into a man, cannot defile him ?
  19 For it doth not enter into his heart, but into his belly, and is thrown into the digestive process, which carries off all that is eaten.
  20 But that which proceedeth from a man, that defileth a man.
  21 For from within, from the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adultery, whoredom,
  22 theft, murder, avarice, malice, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, reviling, haughtiness, folly.
  23 All these evil things come from within, and defile a man.
  24 Thence Jesus arose, and went to the border of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and  wished no man to  know him; but he could not be concealed. 
  25 For immediately a woman, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him; and she came, and fell before his feet,
  26 (the woman was a Gentile from Phenicia of Syria), and besought him, that he  would expel the  demon from her  daughter.
  27 Jesus said to her: Permit the children first to be satisfied; for it  is not becoming, to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs.
  28 And she replied, and said to him: Yes, my Lord: and yet the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs. 
  29 Jesus said to her: Go thou; because of this speech, the demon hath departed from thy daughter.
  30 And she went to her house, and found her daughter lying on a bed, and the demon gone from her.
  31 Again Jesus departed from the border of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, to the border of Decapolis.
  32 And they brought to him a deaf and stammering man, and besought him to lay his hand on  him.
  33 And he led him aside  from the multitude,  and put his  fingers into  his ears, and spit, and touched his tongue,
  34 and looked towards heaven, and sighed, and said to him: Be opened.
  35 And immediately his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plainly. 
  36 And he charged them to tell no man of it: and the more he charged them, the more they proclaimed it. 
  37  And they admired exceedingly, and said:  He doeth every thing excellently: he maketh the deaf to hear, and the speechless to talk.

VIII.

  01 And in those days, when the multitude was great, and had nothing to eat, he called his disciples, and said to them:
  02 I compassionate this multitude; for, lo, three days have they continued with me, and they have nothing to eat.
  03 And if I send them to their homes fasting, they will faint by the way: for some of them have come from a great distance.
  04 His disciples say to him: Whence can  one, here in the desert, satisfy all these with bread?
  05 And he asked them: How many loaves have ye ? They say to him, Seven.
  06 And he directed the multitudes to recline on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and blessed, and brake, and grave to his disciples to set forth; and they set before the multitudes.
  07 And there were a few fishes;  and them he also blessed, and ordered them set forth.
  08 And they ate, and were satisfied: and they took up seven baskets of the remaining fragments.
  09 And the  men who had eaten, were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
  10 And immediately he entered a ship, with his disciples, and came to the place Dalmanutha.
  11 And the Pharisees came out, and began to dispute with him; and, to tempt him, they demanded of him a sign from heaven.
  12 And he sighed with his breath, and said: Why doth this generation seek after a sign ? Verily I say to you, No sign will be given to this generation.
  13 And he left them, and embarked in the ship; and they passed to the other shore.
  14 And they had forgotten to  take bread  with them, and had but a single  cake in the ship with them.
  15 And he charged them, and said to them: Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
  16 And they reasoned one with another, and said: It is, because we have no bread.
  17 And Jesus knew [it], and said to them: Why reason ye, because ye have no bread ? Do ye still not know, nor understand? How long will your heart be hard ?
  18 and ye have eyes, but see not ? and have ears, but hear not, nor reflect ?
(l9) When I broke the five loaves to five thousand, how many baskets full of the fragments took ye up ? They say to him: Twelve.
  20 He saith to them. And when the seven to four thousand, how many baskets full of the fragments took ye up ? They say: Seven.
  21 He saith to them: Why is it that, to this time, ye do not consider ?
  22 And he came to Bethsaida : and they brought  to him a blind man, and besought him to touch him. 
  23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village, and spit on his eyes, and laid on his hand: and asked him, what he  saw.
  24 And he gazed, and said: I  see men  like trees which walk.
  25 Again he laid his hand on his eyes, and he was recovered, and  saw every thing plainly.
  26 And he sent him to his house, and said to him: Neither enter  into  the village, nor tell any person in the village.
  27 And Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And he asked his disciples by the way, and said to them: Who, do men say of me, that I am? 
  28 And they said to  him: That [thou art]  John the Baptizer; and others: That [thou art] Elijah; and others: That [thou art] one of the prophets. 
  29 Jesus said to them: And  who, do  ye yourselves say of me, that I am ? Simon replied, and said to  him: Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God. 
  30 And he charged them, that they should say [this] of him to no person.
  31 And  he began to teach them, that the Son of man was about to suffer much, and be rejected by the  Elders and by  the chief priests and by the Scribes, and be killed, and rise on the third day.
  32 And he spoke out the thing distinctly. And Cephas took  him, and began to rebuke him.
  33 But he turned, and looked upon his disciples, and rebuked Simon, and said: Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou dost not consider what is of  God,  but what is of men.
  34 And Jesus called the multitude, together with his disciples, and said to them: Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and come after me.
  35 For, whoever will preserve his life, shall lose it; and whoever will lose his life on my account, and on account of my tidings, shall preserve it.
  36 For, what will a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his life ?
  37 Or what will a man give in  exchange for his life ?
  38 For, whoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him also will the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the  glory of his Father, with his holy angels.

IX.

  01 And he said to them: Verily I  say to you, There are some standing here, who will not taste of death, until they shall see the kingdom of God to be  coming with power.
  02 And after six days, Jesus took Cephas and James and John, and led them to a high mountain, apart; and was transformed before them.
  03 And his raiment shone and was very white,  like snow, so as men on earth can never
whiten.
  04 And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, in conversation with Jesus.
  05 And Cephas said to him: Rabbi, it is delightful for  us  to be here. And let us make three booths; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 
  06 But he did not know what he said, for they were in trepidation.
  07 And there was a cloud, and it overshadowed them. And a voice issued  from the cloud, which said: This is my beloved Son. Hear ye him.
  08 And suddenly, when the disciples looked up, they saw no one with them, except Jesus
only.
  09 And as they descended the mountain, he commanded them to tell no man what they had seen, till after the Son of man should be risen from the dead.
  10 And they kept that saying in their mind; and inquired,  What doth  this saying mean:
" When he shall be risen from the dead !"
  11 And they asked him, and said: Why then do the Scribes say, that Elijah must first come ?
  12 He said to them: Elijah [truly] first cometh, to prepare all things: and, as it is written of the Son of man, he will suffer much, and be rejected.
  13 But I say to you: That Elijah hath come; and they have done to him all that they desired, as it was written of him.
  14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude with them, and the Scribes disputing with them. 
  15 And immediately the multitude saw him, and were surprised: and they ran and saluted him.
  16 And he asked the Scribes:  What were ye disputing with them ?
  17 And one of the multitude replied, and said: Teacher, I have brought to thee my son, who  hath a spirit that will not speak.
  18 And wherever he seizeth  him, he shaketh and teareth him: and he gnasheth his teeth, and pineth away. And I spoke to thy disciples, to cast him out; and they could not.
  19 Jesus answered, and said to them: O incredulous generation! How long shall I be with you ? how long bear with you ? Bring him to me.
  20 And they brought him to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately he shook him; and he fell upon the ground, and wallowed and foamed.
  21 And Jesus asked his father, how long a time he had been thus. He said to him: Lo, from  his childhood. 
  22 And many times it hath thrown him into the fire, and into the water, to destroy  him. But, if thou canst do any thing, aid me and have compassion on me. 
  23 Jesus said to him: If thou canst believe; every thing can be, to him that believeth.
  24 And immediately the father of the child cried out, while he wept and said: I believe; aid thou the defect of my faith.
  25 And when Jesus saw that the people were, running and collecting around him, he rebuked the unclean spirit, and said to him: Thou deaf and unspeaking spirit, I command thee, come out of  him; and no more enter  him. 
  26 And the demon cried out greatly, and bruised him, and came out. And he was as a dead person; so that many would say,  he is  dead.
  27 And Jesus took  him by the hand, and raised him  up.
  28 And when Jesus entered the house, his disciples asked him privately: Why could not we cast him out ?
  29 He saith to them: This kind can come out, by nothing but fasting and prayer.
  30 And when he departed from there, they passed  through Galilee: and he desired that no one might know him.
(3l) For he taught his disciples, and said to them: The Son of man is delivered into  the hands of men, and they will kill him; and  when he is killed, on the third day, he will rise.
  32 But they did not understand that speech; and they were afraid to ask him.
  33 And they came to Capernaum. And when they entered the house, he asked them: What disputed ye among yourselves by the way ?
  34 And they were silent; for by the way they had contended with one another, which should be the great among them. 
  35 And Jesus sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them: Whoever would be first, let him be last of all, and servitor to all.
  36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst, and took him in his arms and said to them:
  37 Whoever receiveth one in  my name, like this child, he receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth not me [only], but him that sent me.
  38 John said to him: Rabbi, we saw one casting out demons in thy name, and we forbad him, because he adhereth not to us.
  39 Jesus said to them: Forbid him not; for there is no one who doeth mighty works in my name, that can readily speak evil of me.
  40 Whoever therefore is not against you, is for you. 
  41 For whoever shall give you to drink a cup of water only, on the ground that ye are Messiah's [followers], verily I say to you, he will not lose his  reward. 
  42 And whoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe in me to stumble, it were better for him, if a millstone were put to his neck, and he cast into the sea.
  43 And if thy hand  make thee offend, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than, having two hands, to go into hell;
  44 where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not extinguished.
  45 And if thy foot make thee offend, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life lamed, than, having two feet, to fall into hell;
  46 where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not extinguished.
  47 And if thy eye make thee offend, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter with one eye into the kingdom of God, than, having two eyes, to fall into the hell of fire;
  48 where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not extinguished.
  49 For every thing will be salted with fire; and every sacrifice will be salted with salt.
  50 Salt is a good thing: but if the salt become insipid, with what will it be salted ? Let there be salt in you: and be ye in peace, one with another.

X.

  01 And he arose from there, and came to the border of Judaea, on the other side the Jordan. And great multitudes came to him there; and again he instructed them, as he was accustomed.
  02 And the Pharisees came to him, and, tempting him, inquired if it were lawful for a man to divorce his wife. 
  03  He said to them: What did Moses command you? 
  04 They said: Moses permitted us to write a bill of divorce, and send [her] away.
  05 Jesus answered and said to them: On account of the hardness of your heart, Moses wrote you this precept. 
  06 But, from the beginning, God made them a male and a female.
  07 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and adhere to his wife:
  08 and they two shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are not two, but one flesh.
  09 What therefore God hath conjoined, let not man separate. 
  10 And in the house, the disciples asked him again of this matter.
  11 And he said to them: Whoever shall divorce his wife, and take another, committeth adultery.
  12 And if a woman shall leave her husband, and marry another, she committeth adultery.
  13 And they brought little children to him, that he might touch them. But his disciples rebuked those who brought them.
  14 And when Jesus saw it, he was displeased; and he said to them, Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not; for of those like them is the kingdom of God.
  15 Verily I say to you, That whoever doth not receive the kingdom of God, like a little child, shall not enter it.
  16 And he took them in his arms, and laid his hand on them and blessed them.
  17 And as he walked in the way, one ran and fell upon his knees, and asked him, and said: Good Teacher, what must I do, to inherit eternal life ?
  18 Jesus saith to him: Why callest thou me good? There is none good, but one, God.
  19 Thou knowest the commandments; thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not give false testimony, thou shalt not defraud; honor thy father and thy mother.
  20 And he answered, and said to him: Teacher, all these have I kept from my childhood.
  21 And Jesus looked on him, and loved him, and said to him: One thing thou lackest. Go, sell all that thou possessest, and give to the poor, and there will be a treasure for thee in heaven; and take thy cross, and come after me.
  22 And he was made sad by that speech, and went away sorrowing: for he possessed great riches.
  23 And Jesus looked upon his disciples, and said to them: How hard for those who possess wealth, to enter into the kingdom of God !
  24 And the disciples wondered at the remark. And Jesus, replied again, and said to them: My children, how hard it is, for those who trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God.
  25 It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. 
  26 And they wondered the more, and said among themselves: Who can obtain life !
  27 And Jesus looked on them again, and said to them: With men, this is not possible, but with God [it is]; for with God all things are possible.
  28 And Cephas began to say: Lo, we have left every thing, and have cleaved to thee.
  29 Jesus answered and said: Verily I say to you, There is no man that leaveth houses, or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or wife or children, for my sake, and for the sake of my tidings,
  30 who will not receive a hundredfold, here in the present time, houses, and brothers and sisters, and mothers and children, and lands, with persecution; and in the world to come eternal life.
  31 But many are first, who will be last; and last, [who will be] first.
  32 And as they were in the way, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus went before them: and they were amazed, and walked after him with trembling. And he took his twelve, and began to tell them what was to befall him.
  33 Behold, we are going to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and the Scribes; and they  will condemn him to die, and will deliver him over to the Gentiles.
  34 And they will mock him, and will scourge him, and will spit in his face, and will kill him; and on the third day he will arise.
  35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him, and said to him: Teacher, we desire that thou wouldst do for us all that we ask.
  36 He saith to them: What would ye, that I should do for you?
  37 They say to him: Grant to us, that one may sit on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy glory. 
  38 But he said to them: Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup, of which I drink ? and to be baptized with the baptism, that I am baptized with ? 
  39 They say to him:  We are able. Jesus saith to them: The cup that I drink, ye will drink, and the baptism that I am baptized with, ye will be baptized with: 
  40 But that ye should sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine o give, except to those for whom it is prepared.
  41 And when the ten heard [it], they began to murmur against James and John.
  42 And Jesus called them, and said to them: Ye know, that they who are accounted chiefs of the nations, are  their lords; and their great men have authority over them. 
  43 But it shall not be so among you: but he that would be great among you, must be a servitor to you.
  44 And he of you that would be first, must be servant to every one.
  45 And also the Son of man came, not to be served, but to serve; and to give his  life a ransom for many.
  46 And they came to Jericho. And as Jesus went out of Jericho, he and his disciples and a great multitude; Timeus, the son of Timeus, a blind man, was sitting by the side of the way, and begging.
  47 And he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarean; and he began to cry out, and to say: Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
  48 And many rebuked him, that he might be silent. But he cried out the more, and said: Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
  49 And Jesus stood, and directed him to be called. And they called the blind man, and said to him:  Take courage: arise, he calleth thee.
  50 And the blind man cast off his garment and arose, and went to Jesus.
  51 Jesus said to him: What wilt thou, that I do for thee ? And the blind man said to him: Rabbi, that I may have sight.
  52 And Jesus said to him: Go; thy faith hath procured thee life. And immediately his sight was restored; and he followed after him.

XI.

  01 And as they approached Jerusalem, near by Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
  02 and said to them: Go ye to the village that is over against us, and as soon as ye enter it, ye will find a colt tied, on which no person hath ridden: loose [him], and bring him hither.
  03 And, if any one say to you, Why do ye this ? Say ye to him: Because our Lord hath need of him. And immediately he will send him hither.
  04 And they went, and they found the colt tied, by the door, without in the street. And as they were loosing [him],
  05 some of those standing there, said to them: What do ye, untying the colt ?
  06 And they said to them, as Jesus had commanded them; and they permitted them.
  07 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments upon him, and set Jesus upon him.
  08 And many spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees, and strewed them in the  way.
  09 And those preceding him, and those following him shouted and said: Hosanna: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
  10 And blessed is the advancing kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest [heavens].
  11 And Jesus entered Jerusalem and the temple, and surveyed every thing. And when evening arrived, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
  12 And the following day, as he left Bethany, he was hungry:
  13 and he saw a fig-tree at a distance, on which were leaves, and he came to it, if he could find somewhat on it. And when he had come, he found on it only leaves; for the time of figs had not arrived.
  14 And he said to it: Henceforth and for ever, let no man eat fruit from thee: and the disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem.
  15 And Jesus entered the temple of God: and he began to cast out those who bought and sold in the temple; and he overturned the counters of the money-brokers, and the seats of them that sold doves.
  16 And he suffered no one to carry goods through the temple.
  17 And he taught them, and said: Is it not written, My house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations ? But ye have made it a den of robbers.
  18 And the chief priests and the Scribes heard [him], and they sought how they  might destroy him; for they were afraid of him, because all the people admired his doctrine.
(l9) And  when it was evening, they went out from the city.
  20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree dried up, as it were, from its root.
  21 And Simon remembered, and said to  him: Rabbi; behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst, is dried up. 
  22 And Jesus replied, and said to them: Have faith in God.
  23 Verily I say to you, That whoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and fall into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he said will occur, to him will be the thing he spoke. 
  24 Therefore I say to you, That whatsoever ye shall pray and ask for, believe that it will be, and it will be to you.
  25 And when ye stand up to pray, forgive what ye have against any  one; that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive your offences.
  26 For if ye forgive not, your Father also who is in heaven will not forgive you your offences.
  27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and Scribes and Elders came to him,
  28 and said to him: By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee the authority to do these  things ?
  29 And Jesus said to them: I also will ask you one thing, that ye may tell me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
  30 The baptism of John, whence was it ? from heaven, or from men ? Tell me.
  31 And they reasoned with themselves, and said: If we should say to him, From heaven; he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him ?
  32 But if we should say, From men; there is fear from the people; for they have all held John to be truly a prophet.
  33 And they answered, and said to Jesus: We do not know. He said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

XII.

  01 And he began to discourse with them in similitudes. A certain man planted a vineyard, and inclosed it with a hedge, and dug in it a wine vat, and built a tower in it, and put it into the hands of husbandmen, and removed to a distance.
  02 And at the proper time, he sent his servant to the husbandmen, to receive of the fruits of the vineyard. 
  03 And they beat him, and sent him away empty. 
  04 And again he sent to them another servant; and him also they stoned, and wounded, and sent him away under indignities.
  05 And again he sent another; and him they killed. And he sent many other servants, some of whom they beat, and some they killed.
  06 At last, having an only and dear son, he sent him to them ; for he said, Perhaps they will respect my son. 
  07 But those husbandmen said among themselves: This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.
  08 And they took him, and slew [him], and cast [him] out of the vineyard.
  09 What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do ? He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and transfer the vineyard to others.
  10 And have ye not read this scripture, The stone which the builders rejected, hath become the head of the corner: 
  11 From the Lord, was this; and it is wonderful in our eyes ?
  12 And they sought to apprehend him, but were afraid of the people; for they knew that he spoke this similitude against them. And they left him, and went away.
  13 And they sent to him some of the Scribes and of the household of Herod, to ensnare him in discourse. 
  14 And these came, and asked him: Teacher; we know that thou art veracious, and hast no fear of man; for thou regardest not the face of men, but teachest the way of  God in truth. Is it lawful to give capitation money to  Caesar; or not ? Shall we give, or not give ?
  15 And he knew their wile, and said to them: Why tempt ye me ? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it. 
  16 And they brought [one] to him. And he said to them: Whose is this image and inscription ? They said to him: Caesar's.
  17 Jesus said to them: What is Caesar's, give to Caesar; and what is God's, [give] to God. And they wondered at him.
  18 Then came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, and said:
  19 Teacher ; Moses wrote to us, that if a man's brother die, and leave a widow, but leave no children, his brother shall take his widow, and raise up seed to his brother. 
  20 There were seven brothers: and the first took a wife, and died, and left no seed.
  21 And the second took her, and died, and he also left no seed: and the third in like manner.
  22 And the seven took her, and left no seed. Last of all, the woman also died.
  23 In the resurrection, therefore, of which of them will she be the wife ? For all the seven took her.
  24 Jesus said to them: Is it not on this account that ye err, because ye understand not the scriptures, nor the power of God ?
  25 For when they rise from the dead, they do not take wives, nor are wives given to husbands; but they  are as the angels that are in heaven.
  26 But  concerning the dead, that they rise, have ye not  read in a book of Moses, how God said to him from the bush: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ?
  27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Ye, therefore, do err greatly.
  28 And one of the Scribes  came, and heard them as they discussed, and he saw that he gave them an excellent answer; and he asked him, Which is the first of all the commandments ?
  29 Jesus said to him: The first of all the commandments [is]: Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord: 
  30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy might. This is the first commandment. 
  31 And the second, which is like it, [is]: Thou shalt love thy neighbor, as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
  32 The Scribe said to him: Excellently ! Rabbi; thou hast spoken the truth; for he is one [God], and there is no other beside him.
  33 And for a man to love him, with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the soul, and with all the might; and to love his neighbor, as himself; is better than all holocausts and sacrifices.
  34 And Jesus perceived that he replied wisely; and he answered, and said to him: Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no one dared  again to question him.
  35 And as Jesus was teaching in the temple, he answered and said: How can the Scribes say, that Messiah is the son of David ?
  36 For David himself saith, by the Holy Spirit:  The Lord said to my Lord; Seat thyself on my right hand, until I place thy enemies as a footstool beneath thy feet. 
  37 David therefore calleth him " My Lord ;" and how is he his  son ? And all the multitude heard him with pleasure.
  38 And he said to them in his teaching : Beware of the Scribes, who choose to walk in long robes, and love the salutation in the streets,
  39 and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the chief couches at feasts.
  40 They devour the houses of widows, under pretence that they prolong their prayers. These shall receive a greater condemnation.
  41 And as Jesus sat over against the treasury-room, he saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. And many rich ones cast in much.
  42 And a poor widow came, and cast in two mites, which are a brass farthing.
  43 And Jesus called his disciples, and said to them: Verily I say to you, That this poor widow hath cast into the treasury more than all they that cast in.
  44 For they all cast in of that which abounded to them, but she, of her poverty, hath cast in all that she possessed, the whole of her property.

XIII.

  01 And as Jesus retired from the temple, one of his disciples said to him: Teacher; behold; see these stones, and these structures !
  02 And Jesus said to him: Admirest thou these great structures ? There will not be left here one stone  upon another, not demolished.
  03 And as Jesus was sitting on the mount of Olives, over against the temple, Cephas and James and John and Andrew asked him, privately:
  04 Tell us, when will these things be? and what [will be] the sign that these things approach their consummation ?
  05 And Jesus began to say to them Beware, that no one mislead you:
  06 for many will come in my name, and will say: I am he. And they will mislead many.
  07 But when ye shall hear of battles, and the rumor of battles, be not afraid; for this must be; but the end is not yet.
  08 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be earthquakes in several places, and there will be famines and insurrections. These are the beginning of sorrows.
  09 And take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to the tribunals; and ye  will be beaten in the synagogues, and ye will stand before kings and governors, on my account, for a testimony to them.
  10 And my  tidings must first be proclaimed among all the nations.
  11 And when they shall lead you to deliver you up, be not solicitous beforehand what ye shall  say, neither premeditate; but, that which shall be given you in that hour, speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.
  12 And brother will deliver up his brother to death, and the father his son; and children will rise up against their parents, and will kill them.
  13 And ye will be hated of every man, on account of my name. But whoever shall persevere to the end, shall live.
  14 And when ye see the profane sign of desolation, which was mentioned by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not; (let him that readeth, understand;) then let those that are in Judaea,  flee to the mountain: 
  15 and let him that is on the roof, not come down and enter [it], to take any thing from his house:
  16 and let him that is in the field, not return back to take his clothing.
  17 But, woe to those with child, and to those who nurse children, in those days !
  18 And pray ye, that your flight be not in winter. 
  19 For in those days will be affliction, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation that God made until now, and shall not be.
  20 And, unless God should shorten those days, no flesh would live. But, on account of the elect whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened those days.
  21 Then, if any  one shall say to you: Lo, here is Messiah, or lo, there; give not credence.
  22 For false Messiahs will  arise, and lying prophets; and they will give signs and wonders; and will deceive, if possible, even the elect.
  23 But take ye heed. Lo, I have told you the whole beforehand.
  24 And in those days, after that  affliction, the sun will be darkened; and the moon will not give her light;
  25 and the stars will fall from heaven; and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
  26 And then will they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.
  27 And then will he send forth his angels, and will assemble his elect from the four winds, from the extremity of earth to the extremity of heaven.
  28 And, from the fig-tree learn ye a simile. When its twigs are tender, and its leaves bud forth, ye know that summer approacheth.
  29 So also, when ye shall see these occurrences, know ye, that it is near, at the door.
  30 Verily I say to you, That this generation shall not pass away, until all these things occur.
  31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
  32 But of that day and that hour, knoweth no man; nor the angels of heaven; neither the Son, but the Father. 
  33 Take heed, watch, and pray; for ye know not when the time is.
  34 For it is as a man, who took a journey, and left his home; and he gave authority to his servants, and to each his service; and he commanded the porter to be watchful. 
  35 Watch ye, therefore; for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh; at evening, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning:
  36 lest he come suddenly, and find you sleeping. 
  37 And what I say to you, I say to you all: Be ye watchful.

XIV.

  01 And after two days, was the passover of unleavened cakes. And the chief priests and the Scribes sought how they might take him by stratagem, and kill him. 
  02 But they said: Not on the festival, lest there be commotion among the people.
  03 And when he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he reclined, a woman came having an alabaster box of precious ointment of spikenard, of great price; and she opened and poured upon the head of Jesus. 
  04 And there were certain of the disciples, who were dissatisfied among themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment ?
  05 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and been given to the poor. And they were indignant at her.
  06 But Jesus said: Let her alone; why trouble ye her ? She hath done an excellent act towards me.
  07  For the poor ye have always with you; and when ye please, ye can do them kind offices: but I am not always with you.
  08 What was in  her  power, she hath done; and by anticipation, hath perfumed my body, as if for burial.
  09 Verily I say to you, That wherever this my gospel shall be proclaimed, in all the world, this also which she hath done shall be told in memory of her.
  10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, in order to betray Jesus to them. 
  11 And when they heard [him], they rejoiced; and they promised to give him money. And he sought for opportunity to betray him.
  12 And on the first day of unleavened cakes, on which the Jews slay the passover, his disciples said to him: Where wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the passover ?
  13 And he  sent two of his disciples, and said to them:  Go ye to the city, and behold, there will meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water. Go ye after him,
  14 and where he entereth in, say ye to the lord of the house: Our Rabbi saith, Where is the place of refreshment, in which I may eat the passover with my disciples? 
  15  And lo, he will  show you a  large upper room, furnished and prepared: there make ready for  us.
  16 And his disciples went,  and entered the city, and found as he had told them: and they made ready the passover.
  17 And when it was evening, he came with his twelve. 
  18 And as they reclined and ate, Jesus said: Verily I say to you, That one of you that eateth with me, will betray me.
  19 And they began to be distressed. And they said to him, one by one, Is it I ?
  20 And he said to them: It is one of the twelve that dippeth with me in the dish.
  21 And the Son of man goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed. Better would it have been for that man, if he had not been born.
  22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them, and said to them: Take; this is my body.
  23 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and blessed, and gave to them. And they all drank of it.
  24 And he said to them: This  is my blood of the new testament, which is shed in behalf of many. 
  25 Verily I say to you, That I will not drink again of the product of the vine, until the day in which I shall drink it anew in the kingdom of God.
  26 And they sang praise, and went out to the mount of Olives.
  27 And Jesus said to them: All of you will this night be stumbled in me: for it is written, " I will smite the shepherd, and his sheep will be scattered."
  28 And when I am risen, I will precede you into Galilee. 
  29 And Cephas said to him: Though they all should be stumbled, yet I will not be.
  30 Jesus said to him: Verily I say to thee, That this day, on this night, before the cock shall crow twice, thou wilt thrice deny me.
  31 And he said, in addition: If I were to die with thee, I will not deny thee, my Lord. And like him, spake all the disciples.
  32 And they came to the place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I pray. 
  33 And he took with him Cephas and James and John, and began to be gloomy and distressed.
  34 And he said to them: My soul hath anguish, even to death.  Wait for me here, and be watchful. 
  35 And he advanced a little,  and fell upon the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
  36 And he said: Father, my Father, thou canst do all things. Let this cup pass from me. Yet not my pleasure, but thine.
  37 And he came and found them sleeping. And he said to Cephas: Sleepest thou, Simon ? Couldst thou not watch with me one hour ?
  38 Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit is willing and ready, but the body is weak. 
  39 And he went  again and prayed, speaking the same language.
  40 And returning he came  again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And they knew not what to say to him.
  41 And he came the third time, and said to them: Sleep on now, and take rest. The end is near; the hour is come; and lo, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 
  42 Arise ye; let us go. Lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
  43 And while he was yet speaking, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, arrived, and much people, with swords and clubs, from before the chief priests and Scribes and Elders 
  44 And the traitor who betrayed [him], had given them a sign, and said: He whom I shall kiss is the man. Seize promptly, and lead him away
  45 And immediately he came up, and said to him: Rabbi, Rabbi; and kissed him.
  46 And they laid hands on him and took him.
  47 And one of them that stood by, drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 
  48 And Jesus answered and said to them:  Have ye come out against me, as against a robber; with swords and clubs, to apprehend me?
  49 I was daily with you, while I taught in the temple, and ye seized me not. But this occurs, that the scriptures may be fulfilled.
  50 Then his disciples left him and fled.
  51 And a young man followed after him, who was clad with a linen cloth on [his] naked [body]: and they laid hold of him.
  52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled naked.
  53 And they led away Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest. And with him were assembled all the chief priests and the Scribes and the Elders.
  54 And Simon followed after him, at a distance; into the hall of the high priest; and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself by the fire.
  55 And the chief priests and all the assembly sought for testimony against Jesus, to put him to death: but they found it not.
  56 For while many testified against him, their testimonies were inadequate.
  57 And some false witnesses stood up against him, and said:
  58 We have heard him say: I will destroy this temple, which is made with hands; and in three days I will build another not made with hands.
  59 Nor even thus were their testimonies adequate. 
  60 And the high priest arose in the midst, and interrogated Jesus and said: Returnest thou no answer ? What do these testify against thee ?
  61 And Jesus was silent, and made no reply. And again the chief priest interrogated him, and said: Art thou the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed ?
  62 And Jesus said to him: I am. And ye will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and he will come on the clouds of heaven.
  63 And the high priest rent his tunic, and said: What need of witnesses have we, any more ?
  64 Behold, from his own mouth ye have heard blasphemy. How doth it appear to you? And they all decided, that he deserved to die.
  65 And some began to spit in his face, and to buffet him, saying: Prophesy thou. And the servants smote him on the cheeks.
  66 And as Simon was below in the court, a maid of the high priest came,
  67 and saw him warming himself; and she looked upon him, and said to him: And thou too wast with Jesus the Nazarean.
  68 But he denied, and said: l know not what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. 
  69 And the maid saw him again, and she began to say to those standing by, This man also is one of them. 
  70 And he again denied [it]. And a little after, those standing there said again to Cephas: Surely, thou art one of them; for thou art likewise a Galilean, and thy speech answers to it.
  71 And he began to imprecate, and swore: I know not that man, of whom ye speak.
  72 And immediately the cock crew the second time. And Simon remembered the declaration of Jesus, who said to him: Before the cock shall crow twice, thou wilt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.

XV.

  01 And forthwith, in the morning, the chief priests with the Elders and the Scribes, and the whole Sanhedrim, held a consultation. And they bound Jesus, and led him away, and delivered him over to Pilate the president.  
  02 And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews ? He replied and said to him: Thou hast said.
  03 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 
  04 And Pilate again questioned him, and said to him: Makest thou no reply ? See how much they testify against thee!
  05 But Jesus gave no answer; so that Pilate wondered. 
  06 And it was his custom, at each festival, to release to them one prisoner, whom they might desire.
  07 And there was one named Bar Abas, who was confined with the movers of sedition, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
  08 And the people clamored, and began to demand, that he should do to them as he was accustomed.
  09 And Pilate answered, and said: Will ye, that I release to you the king of the Jews ?
  10 For Pilate knew that the chief priests, from envy, had delivered him up.
  11 But  the chief priests further persuaded the multitudes, that Bar Abas should be released to them. 
  12 And Pilate said to them: What will ye, therefore, that I do to him whom ye call king of the Jews?
  13 And they again cried out: Crucify him.
  14 And Pilate said to them: But what evil hath he done ? And they cried out the more: Crucify him.
  15 And Pilate was willing to gratify the wishes of the multitudes; and he released to them Bar Abas; and, having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to them to be crucified. 
  16 And the soldiers led him into the hall which was the Praetorium ; and they called together the whole regiment; 
  17 and they clothed him in purple, and braided a crown of thorns and put upon him;
  18 and began to salute him with, " Hail, king of the Jews !"
  19 And they smote him on the head with a reed and spit in his face, and bowed upon their knees and worshipped him.
  20 And having mocked him, they divested him of the purple, and clothed him in his own garments, and led him forth to crucify him.
  21 And they compelled a passer-by, Simon the Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming from the fields, to bear his cross.
  22 And they brought him to Golgotha, the place which is interpreted a Skull.
  23 And they gave him to drink wine in which myrrh was mixed; and he would not receive it.
  24 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments; and cast the lot upon them, what each should take.
  25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 
  26 And the cause of his death  was written in the inscription: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
  27 And they crucified with him two robbers, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
  28 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith: He was accounted among the wicked.
  29 And they also that passed by, reviled him; and, nodding their heads, they said: Aha, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days,
  30 rescue thyself, and come down from the cross. 
  31 And so also the chief priests, jeering one with another, and the Scribes, said: He gave life to others, his own life he cannot save.
  32 Let Messiah, the king of the Jews, now descend from the cross, that we may see [it] and believe in him. And those also who were crucified with him, derided him. 
  33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
  34 And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said: Il, Il, lemono shebakthone; that is: My God, my God; why hast thou forsaken me ?
  35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said: He calleth for Elijah.
  36 And one ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, and tied it on a reed, to offer him drink. And they said: Desist; let us see if Elijah will come to take him down.
  37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and expired.
  38 And the curtain of the door of the temple was rent, from the top to the bottom.
  39 And when the centurion, who was standing near him, saw that he so cried and expired, he said: Verily, this was the Son of God.
  40 And there were women looking on, from a distance, Mary Magdalena, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
  41 who, when he was in Galilee adhered to him, and ministered to him; and many other women, who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
  42 And, as it was the eve of preparation, which precedeth the sabbath,
  43 Joseph of Ramath, an honorable counsellor, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God, came, and assuming courage, went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
  44 And Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And he called the centurion, and inquired if he had been any time dead.
  45 And when he learned it, he gave his body to Joseph.
  46 And Joseph bought fine linen, and took it down, and wrapped it in the linen, and deposited it in a sepulchre that was hewed in a rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the sepulchre.
  47 And Mary Magdalena and Mary [the mother] of Joses saw where he was laid.

XVI.

  01 And when the sabbath had passed, Mary Magdalena, and Mary [the mother] of James, and Salome, bought aromatics, that they might come and anoint him.
  02 And in the morning of the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre as the sun arose.
  03 And they said among them. selves: Who will roll back for us the stone from the door of the sepulchre ? 
  04 And they looked,  and saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great.
  05 And entering the sepulchre, they saw a youth sitting on the right hand, and clothed in a white robe: and they were in perturbation.
  06 But he said to them: Be not affrighted. Ye are seeking Jesus the Nazarean, who was crucified. He is risen; he is not here. Behold the place where he was laid. 
  07 But go, tell his disciples and Cephas: Lo, he precedeth you into Galilee; there will ye see him, as he said to you.
  08 And when they heard, they fled and left the sepulchre; for astonishment and trembling had seized them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were in fear. 
  09 And in the morning of the first day of the week, he arose; and he appeared first to Mary Magdalena, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
  10 And she went and told them that had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping.
  11 And they, when they heard [the women] say that he was alive, and that he had appeared to them, did not believe them.
  12 After this he appeared, under another aspect, to two of them as they walked  and went into the country. 
  13 And these went and told the rest; but they would not believe them
  14 And at last, he appeared to the eleven: as they reclined at table; and he reproved the slenderness of their faith, and the hardness of their heart; because they believed not those who had seen him actually risen.
  15 And he said to them: Go ye into all the world, and proclaim my tidings in the whole creation.
  16 He that believeth, and is baptized, liveth; but he that believeth not, is condemned.
  17 And these signs shall attend them that believe: In my name, they will cast out demons; and in new tongues will they speak.
  18 And they will take up serpents; and if they should drink a deadly poison, it will not harm them; and they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.
  19 And Jesus, our Lord, after he had conversed with them, ascended to heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
  20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere: and our Lord aided them, and confirmed their discourses by the signs which they wrought.

Completion of the Holy Gospels, the announcement of Mark; which he uttered and proclaimed in Latin at Rome.