American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
But his bow abode in strength,And the arms of his hands were made {Or, active}strong,By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob( {Or, From hence from the shepherd Or, as otherwise read, By the name of the shepherd}From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach.
And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow;
and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them:
and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth:
and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them:
and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
He that hath ears {Some ancient authorities add here, and in verse 43, to hear: as in Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8.}, let him hear.
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, {Isaiah 6:9, 10.}By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:
For this people's heart is waxed gross,And their ears are dull of hearing,And their eyes they have closed;Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes,And hear with their ears,And understand with their heart,And should turn again,And I should heal them.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.
Hear then ye the parable of the sower.
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side.
And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it;
yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth.
And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the {Or, age}world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field:
but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed {Or, darnel}tares also among the wheat, and went away.
But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
And the {Greek: bondservants.}servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?
And he said unto them, An {Greek: A man this is an enemy.}enemy hath done this. And the {Greek: bondservants.}servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.
Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three {The word in the Greek denotes the Hebrew seah, a measure containing nearly a peek and a half.}measures of meal, till it was all leavened.
All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them:
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, {Psalm 78:2.}I will open my mouth in parables;I will utter things hidden from the foundation {Many ancient authorities omit of the world.}of the world.
Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is {Or, the consummation of the age}the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.
As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in {Or, the consummation of the age}the end of the world.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity,
and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears {See verse 9.}, let him hear.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and {Or, for joy thereof}in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls:
and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a {Greek: drag-net.}net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.
So shall it be in {Or, the consummation of the age}the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous,
and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea.
And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these {Greek: powers.}mighty works?
Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, {Or, Jacob}James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?
And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
And they were {Greek: caused to stumble.}offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.
And he did not many {Greek: powers.}mighty works there because of their unbelief.
And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters;
with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.
And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, {Or, names full of blasphemy}full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and {Greek: gilded.}decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, {Or, and of the unclean things}even the unclean things of her fornication,
and upon her forehead a name written, {Or, a mystery, Babylon the Great}MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the {Or, witnesses See chapter 2:13}martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns.
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, {Some ancient authorities read and he goeth.}and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written {Greek: on.}in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and {Greek: shall be present.}shall come.
Here is the {Or, meaning}mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth:
and {Or, there are}they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.
And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goeth into perdition.
And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour.
These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto the beast.
These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they also shall overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful.
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire.
For God did put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.
And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which {Greek: hath a kingdom.}reigneth over the kings of the earth.
And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of Jehovah? then shalt thou {Or, tell them what the burden is}say unto them, What burden! I will cast you off, saith Jehovah.
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
saying unto them, Go into the village that is over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
And if any one say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
Now this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
{Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9.}Tell ye the daughter of Zion,Behold, thy King cometh unto thee,Meek, and riding upon an ass,And upon a colt the foal of an ass.
And the disciples went, and did even as Jesus appointed them,
and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their garments; and he sat thereon.
And the most part of the multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees, and spread them in the way.
And the multitudes that went before him, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, Who is this?
And the multitudes said, This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.
And Jesus entered into the temple {Many ancient authorities omit of God.}of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;
and he saith unto them, It is written, {Isaiah 56:7.}My house shall be called a house of prayer: {Jeremiah 7:11.}but ye make it a den of robbers.
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were moved with indignation,
and said unto him, Hearest thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: did ye never read, {Psalm 8:2.}Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
And he left them, and went forth out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.
Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered.
And seeing {Or, a single}a fig tree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only; and he saith unto it, Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig tree withered away.
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do what is done to the fig tree, but even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it shall be done.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one {Greek: word.}question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him?
But if we shall say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet.
And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
But what think ye? A man had two {Greek: children.}sons; and he came to the first, and said, {Greek: Child.}Son, go work to-day in the vineyard.
And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the {See marginal note on chapter 5:46.}publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the {See marginal note on chapter 5:46.}publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.
Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.
And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his {Greek: bondservants.}servants to the husbandmen, to receive {Or, the fruits of it}his fruits.
And the husbandmen took his {Greek: bondservants.}servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Again, he sent other {Greek: bondservants.}servants more than the first: and they did unto them in like manner.
But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance.
And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him.
When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, {Psalm 118:22 f.}The stone which the builders rejected,The same was made the head of the corner;This was from the Lord,And it is marvelous in our eyes?
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
{Some ancient authorities omit verse 44.}And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.
And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
And when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet.
And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,
and sent forth his {Greek: bondservants.}servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come.
Again he sent forth other {Greek: bondservants.}servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;
and the rest laid hold on his {Greek: bondservants.}servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.
But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then saith he to his {Greek: bondservants.}servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast.
And those {Greek: bondservants.}servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment:
and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless.
Then the king said to the {Or, ministers}servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few chosen.
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ensnare him in his talk.
And they send to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one: for thou regardest not the person of men.
Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites?
Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a {See marginal note on chapter 18:28.}denarius.
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
They say unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
And when they heard it, they marvelled, and left him, and went away.
On that day there came to him Sadducees, {Many ancient authorities read saying.}they that say that there is no resurrection: and they asked him,
saying, Teacher, Moses said, {Deuteronomy 25:5.}If a man die, having no children, his brother {Greek: shall perform the duty of a husband's brother to his wife.}shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first married and deceased, and having no seed left his wife unto his brother;
in like manner the second also, and the third, unto the {Greek: seven.}seventh.
And after them all, the woman died.
In the resurrection therefore whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
But Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels {Many ancient authorities add of God.} in heaven.
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
{Exodus 3:6.}I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
And when the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together.
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him:
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
And he said unto him, {Deuteronomy 6:5.}Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
{Or, And a second is like unto it, Thou shalt love &c.}And a second like unto it is this, {Leviticus 19:18.}Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
The Lord said unto my Lord,Sit thou on my right hand,Till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet?
If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son?
And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat:
all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.
Yea, they bind heavy burdens {Many ancient authorities omit and grievous to be bourne.}and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, {Greek: the heavenly.}even he who is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.
But he that is {Greek: greater.}greatest among you shall be your {Or, minister}servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven {Greek: before.}against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter. {Some authorities insert here, or after verse 12, verse 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation. See Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47.}
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Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of {Greek: Gehenna.}hell than yourselves.
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the {Or, sanctuary: as in verse 35.}temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the {Or, sanctuary: as in verse 35.}temple, he is a {Or, bound by his oath.}debtor.
Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the {Or, sanctuary: as in verse 35.}temple that hath sanctified the gold?
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a {Or, bound by his oath.}debtor.
Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
And he that sweareth by the {Or, sanctuary: as in verse 35.}temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and {Or, dill}anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,
and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of {Greek: Gehenna.}hell?
Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar.
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you {Some ancient authorities omit desolate.}desolate.
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
But he answered and 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.
And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy {Greek: presence.}coming, and of {Or, the consummation of the age}the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
But all these things are the beginning of travail.
Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.
And then shall many stumble, and shall {See chapter 10:4.}deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.
And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.
But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
And this {Or, these good tidings}gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole {Greek: inhabited earth.}world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was {Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.}spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in {Or, a holy place}the holy place (let him that readeth understand),
then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains:
let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house:
and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath:
for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe {Or, him}it not.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Behold, I have told you beforehand.
If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe {Or, them}it not.
For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Son of man.
Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the {Or, vultures}eagles be gathered together.
But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall 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:
and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send forth his angels with {Or, a trumpet of great sound}a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh;
even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that {Or, it}he is nigh, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, {Many authorities, some ancient, omit neither the Son.}neither the Son, but the Father only.
And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Son of man.
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Son of man.
Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:
two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.
{Or, But this ye know}But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be {Greek: digged through.}broken through.
Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Who then is the faithful and wise {Greek: bondservant.}servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
Blessed is that {Greek: bondservant.}servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
But if that evil {Greek: bondservant.}servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth;
and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken;
the lord of that {Greek: bondservant.}servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not,
and shall {Or, severely scourge him}cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their {Or, torches}lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
For the foolish, when they took their {Or, torches}lamps, took no oil with them:
but the wise took oil in their vessels with their {Or, torches}lamps.
Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their {Or, torches}lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our {Or, torches}lamps are going out.
But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.
For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own {Greek: bondservants.}servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey.
Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them, and made other five talents.
In like manner he also that received the two gained other two.
But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
Now after a long time the lord of those {Greek: bondservants.}servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them.
And he that received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: lo, I have gained other five talents.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful {Greek: bondservant.}servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
And he also that received the two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: lo, I have gained other two talents.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful {Greek: bondservant.}servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter;
and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own.
But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful {Greek: bondservant.}servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter;
thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest.
Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away.
And cast ye out the unprofitable {Greek: bondservant.}servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:
and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats;
and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
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:
for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?
And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, {Or, Depart from me under a curse}Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels:
for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink;
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.
Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.
And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these words, he said unto his disciples,
Ye know that after two days the passover cometh, and the Son of man is {See chapter 10:4.}delivered up to be crucified.
Then were gathered together the chief priests, and the elders of the people, unto the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas;
and they took counsel together that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him.
But they said, Not during the feast, lest a tumult arise among the people.
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
there came unto him a woman having {Or, a flask}an alabaster cruse of exceeding precious ointment, and she poured it upon his head, as he {Or, recline at table}sat at meat.
But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
But Jesus perceiving it said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
For in that she {Greek: cast.}poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever {Or, these good tidings}this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
and said, What are ye willing to give me, and I will {See chapter 10:4.}deliver him unto you? And they weighed unto him thirty pieces of silver.
And from that time he sought opportunity to {See chapter 10:4.}deliver him unto them.
Now on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Where wilt thou that we make ready for thee to eat the passover?
And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Teacher saith, My time is at hand; I keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
And the disciples did as Jesus appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
Now when even was come, he was {Or, reclining at table}sitting at meat with the twelve {Many authorities, some ancient, omit disciples.}disciples;
and as they were eating, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betray me.
And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began to say unto him every one, Is it I, Lord?
And he answered and said, He that dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same shall {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betray me.
The Son of man goeth, even as it is written of him: but woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betrayed! good were it {Greek: for him if that man.}for that man if he had not been born.
And Judas, who {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betrayed him, answered and said, Is it I, Rabbi? He saith unto him, Thou hast said.
And as they were eating, Jesus took {Or, a loaf}bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
And he took {Some ancient authorites read the cup.}a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
for this is my blood of the {Many ancient authorities insert new.}covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.
But I say unto you, I shall not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives.
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended in me this night: for it is written, {Zechariah 13:7.}I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.
But Peter answered and said unto him, If all shall be {Greek: caused to stumble.}offended in thee, I will never be {Greek: caused to stumble.}offended.
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Peter saith unto him, Even if I must die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
Then cometh Jesus with them unto {Greek: an enclosed place of ground.}a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go yonder and pray.
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and sore troubled.
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: abide ye here, and watch with me.
And he went forward a little, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
{Or, Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not}Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Again a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cannot pass away, except I drink it, thy will be done.
And he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
And he left them again, and went away, and prayed a third time, saying again the same words.
Then cometh he to the disciples, and saith unto them, {Or, Do ye sleep on, then, and take your rest?}Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Arise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betrayeth me.
And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Now he that {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he: take him.
And straightway he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Rabbi; and {Greek: kissed him much.}kissed him.
And Jesus said unto him, Friend, do that for which thou art come. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
And behold, one of them that were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and smote the {Greek: bondservant.}servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Or thinkest thou that I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?
How then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a robber with swords and staves to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and ye took me not.
But all this is come to pass, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him, and fled.
And they that had taken Jesus led him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
But Peter followed him afar off, unto the court of the high priest, and entered in, and sat with the officers, to see the end.
Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
and they found it not, though many false witnesses came. But afterward came two,
and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the {Or, sanctuary: as in chapter 23:35; 27:5}temple of God, and to build it in three days.
And the high priest stood up, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
Then the high priest rent his garments, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy: what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard the blasphemy:
what think ye? They answered and said, He is {Greek: liable to.}worthy of death.
Then did they spit in his face and buffet him: and some smote him {Or, with rods}with the palms of their hands,
saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ: who is he that struck thee?
Now Peter was sitting without in the court: and a maid came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilæan.
But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and saith unto them that were there, This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.
And again he denied with an oath, I know not the man.
And after a little while they that stood by came and said to Peter, Of a truth thou also art one of them; for thy speech maketh thee known.
Then began he to curse and to swear, I know not the man. And straightway the cock crew.
And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor.
Then Judas, who {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
saying, I have sinned in that I {See marginal note on chapter 10:4.}betrayed {Many ancient authorities read righteous.}innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to it.
And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.
And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the {Greek: corbanas, that is, sacred treasury. Compare Mark 7:11.}treasury, since it is the price of blood.
And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, {Zechariah 11:12, 13.}And {Or, I took}they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, {Or, whom they priced on the part of the sons of Israel}whom certain of the children of Israel did price;
and {Some ancient authorities read I gave.}they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
And he gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
Now at {Or, a feast}the feast the governor was wont to release unto the multitude one prisoner, whom they would.
And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him up.
And while he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
But the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.
Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified.
And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified.
So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it.
And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Then released he unto them Barabbas; but Jesus he scourged and delivered to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the {Or, palace See Mark 15:16.}Prætorium, and gathered unto him the whole {Or, cohort}band.
And they {Some ancient authorities read clothed.}stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
And they platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head.
And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put on him his garments, and led him away to crucify him.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they {Greek: impressed.}compelled to go with them, that he might bear his cross.
And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull,
they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted it, he would not drink.
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots;
and they sat and watched him there.
And they set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Then are there crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left.
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads,
and saying, Thou that destroyest the {Or, sanctuary}temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross.
In like manner also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
He saved others; {Or, can he not save himself?}himself he cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him.
He trusteth on God; let him deliver him now, if he desireth him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
And the robbers also that were crucified with him cast upon him the same reproach.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the {Or, earth}land until the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, {Psalm 22:1}Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, {Or, why didst thou forsake me?}why hast thou forsaken me?
And some of them that stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calleth Elijah.
And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
And the rest said, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him. {Many ancient authorities add And another took a spear and pierced his side, and there came out water and blood. See John 19:34.}
And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the veil of the {Or, sanctuary}temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent;
and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;
and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many.
Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was {Or, a son of God.}the Son of God.
And many women were there beholding from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of {Or, Jacob}James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
And when even was come, there came a rich man from Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
this man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded it to be given up.
And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
Now on the morrow, which is the day after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together unto Pilate,
saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I rise again.
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.
Pilate said unto them, {Or, Take a guard}Ye have a guard: go, {Greek: make it sure, as ye know.}make it as sure as ye can.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them.
If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder,
and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he hath spoken {Hebrew: turning aside.}rebellion against Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out of the way which Jehovah thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, that is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
but thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
And thou shalt stone him to death with stones, because he hath sought to draw thee away from Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do not more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee.
If thou shalt hear tell {Or, in}concerning one of thy cities, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to dwell there, saying,
Certain {Hebrew: sons of worthlessness.}base fellows are gone out from the midst of thee, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in the midst of thee,
thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, {Hebrew: devoting it.}destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof {Or, as a whole burnt-offering}every whit, unto Jehovah thy God: and it shall be a {Or, mound Hebrew: tel.}heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
And there shall cleave nought of the devoted thing to thy hand; that Jehovah may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;
when thou shalt hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.
Thou hast avouched Jehovah this day to be thy God, and that thou wouldest walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and hearken unto his voice:
and Jehovah hath avouched thee this day to be a people for his own possession, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
and to make thee high above all nations that he hath made, {Or, for a praise, and for a name, and for an honor}in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken.
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the {Or, terebinth}oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
{[Chapter 3:31 in Aramaic]}Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
It hath seemed good unto me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God hath wrought toward me.
How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
{[Chapter 4:1 in Aramaic]}I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the {Or, imaginations}thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, saying,
O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and, behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; and the height thereof was great.
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in the branches thereof, and all flesh was fed from it.
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.
He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.
Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven: and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the {Or, matter}demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the lowest of men.
This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken dumb for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries.
The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;
whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation:
it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven: and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
that thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee; till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and {Or, redeem}break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be {Or, as otherwise read, a healing of thine error}a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
At the end of twelve months he was walking {Aramaic: upon.}in the royal palace of Babylon.
The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee:
and thou shalt be driven from men; and they dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation;
and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can {Aramaic: strike.}stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
At the same time mine understanding returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added unto me.
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Man that is in honor, and understandeth not,Is like the beasts that perish.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their {Or, torches}lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
For the foolish, when they took their {Or, torches}lamps, took no oil with them:
but the wise took oil in their vessels with their {Or, torches}lamps.
Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their {Or, torches}lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our {Or, torches}lamps are going out.
But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.
For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own {Greek: bondservants.}servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey.
Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them, and made other five talents.
In like manner he also that received the two gained other two.
But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
Now after a long time the lord of those {Greek: bondservants.}servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them.
And he that received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: lo, I have gained other five talents.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful {Greek: bondservant.}servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
And he also that received the two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: lo, I have gained other two talents.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful {Greek: bondservant.}servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter;
and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own.
But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful {Greek: bondservant.}servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter;
thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest.
Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away.
And cast ye out the unprofitable {Greek: bondservant.}servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:
and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats;
and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
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:
for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?
And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, {Or, Depart from me under a curse}Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels:
for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink;
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.
Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.
And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.
For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, {Deuteronomy 27:26.}Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
But he answered and 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.
And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy {Greek: presence.}coming, and of {Or, the consummation of the age}the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
But all these things are the beginning of travail.
Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.
And then shall many stumble, and shall {See chapter 10:4.}deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.
And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.
But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
And this {Or, these good tidings}gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole {Greek: inhabited earth.}world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was {Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.}spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in {Or, a holy place}the holy place (let him that readeth understand),
then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains:
let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house:
and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath:
for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe {Or, him}it not.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Behold, I have told you beforehand.
If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe {Or, them}it not.
For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Son of man.
Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the {Or, vultures}eagles be gathered together.
But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall 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:
and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send forth his angels with {Or, a trumpet of great sound}a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh;
even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that {Or, it}he is nigh, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, {Many authorities, some ancient, omit neither the Son.}neither the Son, but the Father only.
And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Son of man.
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Son of man.
Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:
two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.
{Or, But this ye know}But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be {Greek: digged through.}broken through.
Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Who then is the faithful and wise {Greek: bondservant.}servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
Blessed is that {Greek: bondservant.}servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
But if that evil {Greek: bondservant.}servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth;
and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken;
the lord of that {Greek: bondservant.}servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not,
and shall {Or, severely scourge him}cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah;
and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah.
And Jehovah said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit thou shalt protest solemnly unto them, and shalt show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
And Samuel told all the words of Jehovah unto the people that asked of him a king.
And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, {Or, over his chariots, and over his horses}for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots;
and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will set some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.
And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his {Or, eunuchs}officers, and to his servants.
And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest {The Septuagint Version has, herds.}young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
He will take the tenth of your flocks: and ye shall be his servants.
And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye shall have chosen you; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.
But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay: but we will have a king over us,
that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Jehovah.
And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep.
The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them.
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah:
As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep;
therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in {Hebrew: the day of clouds and thick darkness.}the cloudy and dark day.
And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
I will feed them with good pasture; and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Jehovah.
I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.
And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the he-goats.
Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
And as for my sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Because ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
And I, Jehovah, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them; I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing.
And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those that made bondmen of them.
And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them; but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid.
And I will raise up unto them a {Or, plant}plantation for renown, and they shall be no more {Hebrew: taken away.}consumed with famine in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more.
And they shall know that I, Jehovah, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord Jehovah.
And ye my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord Jehovah.
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart,And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.