When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things Jesus did
and heard the children crying out in the temple, Hosanna to the son of
David; they were greatly displeased. They said to Him, Hear thou what
they are saying? Jesus answered, Yea. Have ye never read, Out of the
mouth of babes comes perfect praise? Then He left them and went into
Bethany where He lodged that night.
In the morning Jesus, being very hungry, started out to return to the
city. On His way He saw a fig tree. As He came to it He found nothing
on it but leaves. He said, Let no fruit ever grow on thee. The fig tree
withered away.
When the disciples saw this, they marvelled and said, How quickly the
fig tree withered away! Jesus answered, If ye have faith, and doubt
not, ye shall not only do this that was done to the fig tree, but also,
if ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and cast into the
sea; it shall be done. The things ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye
shall receive.
Then He went into the temple. The chief priests and the elders of the
people came to Him as He was teaching and asked, By what authority do
you do these things? Who gave thee this authority?
Jesus replied, I, in turn, will ask you one thing, which, if ye can
tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the
baptism of John come from heaven or from man?
They reasoned among themselves and said, If we say, From heaven; He
will ask us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we say, From man;
we fear the people for they hold John as a prophet.
Finally they said to Jesus, We cannot tell. Jesus responded, Neither,
then, do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Hear this. A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son,
today go to work in my vineyard. The son answered, I will not. But,
afterward he repented and went to work. Then the man went to the second
son and said the same thing. The second son said, I will go, sir; but
he did not go. Which of these two did the will of his father? They
answered, The first son.
Jesus said, Verily I say, The publicans and the harlots enter the
kingdom of God before you. John came to you in the way of righteousness
and ye believed him not. But the publicans and the harlots believed
him. And ye, even after ye had seen, did not repent that ye believed
him.
Hear another parable: There was a householder who planted a vineyard.
He hedged it all around, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then
he rented it out to husbandsmen and went abroad. When the time of the
harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandsmen to receive
the fruits of it. The husbandsmen took his servants, beat one, stoned
one, and killed another. Next, he sent more servants than the first
time. They did to them the same thing. Finally, he sent his son,
saying, They will respect my son. But when the husbandsmen saw the son,
they said, This is the heir. Let us kill him and seize his inheritance.
So they caught him, cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When,
therefore, the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these
husbandsmen?
They said to Jesus, He will destroy these miserable and wicked men and
he will rent out his vineyard to others who will render him the fruits
in their seasons.
Jesus said, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the
builders rejected is the same that has become the cornerstone; this is
the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes? I tell you, The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that
brings forth its fruits. Whoever falls on this stone shall be broken.
On whomever this stone falls, he will be ground into powder.
When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these parables, they saw
that Jesus spoke about them. But when they thought of laying hands on
Him, they feared the multitude because they took Jesus for a prophet.
22
Jesus related more parables. He said, The kingdom of heaven is like a
king who arranged a marriage feast for his son. He sent his servants
forth to call those who were invited to the wedding but they did not
come. He sent other servants to say, Dinner is prepared. The king's
oxen and fatlings are killed. Everything is ready. Come to the
marriage. Those who were invited made light of it and went their ways.
One went out to his farm. Another attended to his merchandise. The
others took the king's servants, treated them spitefully, and then slew
them.
When the king heard this he was outraged. He sent out his armies to
destroy the murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his
servants, The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not
worthy. Go into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, invite them
to the marriage feast. These servants went out and gathered together
all those they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished
with guests.
Then, the king came in to greet the guests. He spotted a man who did
not wear the wedding garment that was provided. The king said to him,
Friend, why did you come in here without the wedding garment? The man
made no answer. So the king told his servants, Bind him hand and foot.
Then take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called but few are chosen.
Then the Pharisees met to discuss how they might trap Jesus in His
words. They sent some of their people along with the herodians to
question Jesus. They said, Master, we know that thou art true and teach
the way of God in truth. Tell us, therefore, what thou think. Is it
lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?
Jesus, perceiving their wicked motive, said, Why test me, ye
hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. They brought a coin to Him.
Jesus asked, Whose image and superscription is this? They said,
Caesar's. Jesus said, Render, therefore, unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's. When they heard
these words, they marvelled, and left Him to go their way.
The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to
Him and asked, Master, Moses said if a man dies and has no children,
his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.
Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he married a
wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother.
Likewise, the second also, and the third, up to the seventh brother.
Then, finally the woman died also. Now, according to the resurrection,
whose wife shall she be of the seven since they all had her?
Jesus said, Ye err. You do not know the scriptures nor the power of
God. In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but are as the angels of God in heaven. Concerning the resurrection of
the dead, have ye not read: 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.
When the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine.
But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus put the Sadducees to silence,
they gathered together. One of them, a lawyer, tested Jesus with this
question, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus
answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. On these two commandments rests all the law and the
prophets.
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, What
think ye of Christ? Whose son is He? They said, The son of David. Jesus
then asked, How, then, does David, in spirit, call him Lord, saying,
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine
enemies thy footstool? If David calls him Lord, how is he his son? No
man was able to answer a word, nor dare any man from that day forth ask
Jesus any more questions.
23
Then Jesus spoke to the crowd and to His followers. He said, The
scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' place. Whatsoever they bid you
to observe and do, ye shall observe and do. But do not follow after
their works because what they say, they do not do themselves. They bind
heavy burdens, grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders.
But they, themselves, will not even lay so much as a finger on one of
them. All their works they do for show to other men. They love the
uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues. They
like greetings in the markets and to be called out to, Rabbi, Rabbi.
But be ye not called Rabbi. Only one is your teacher, even Christ; and
ye are all brethren. Call no man on earth your father, for only one is
your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters, for only
one is your Master, even Christ. Also, he that is greatest among you
shall be your servant. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased;
and he that shall be humbled shall be exalted.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye shut men out of
the kingdom of heaven, ye enter not in yourselves, and you do not allow
others to attempt to enter in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees.
Hypocrites! Ye devour widows' houses and, for a pretence, make long
prayers. Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye venture over sea
and land for one proselyte and, when he is made, ye make him twofold
more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides
who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, is worth nothing; but
whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, makes a good pledge!
Ye fools and blind men. What is greater, the gold or the temple that
sanctifies the gold?
And ye say, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, is worth nothing; but
whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, is worthy of praise. Ye
fools and blind men. What is greater, the gift, or the altar that
sanctifies the gift? Whoso, therefore, shall swear by the altar, swears
by it and by all things upon it. And whoso shall swear by the temple,
swears by it and by Him that dwells therein. And He that shall swear by
heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him that sits thereon.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye pay tithe of mint
and anise and cummin, but ye have ignored the weightier matters of the
law; judgment, mercy, and faith. Ye blind guides who strain from your
drink a gnat and swallow a camel.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye make the outside of
the cup and platter clean, but inside they are full of extortion and
excess. Thou blind Pharisee. Cleanse first that which is inside the cup
and platter so the outside may be clean also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye are like whited
sepulchres, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full
of dead men's bones and uncleanness. Even if ye also outwardly appear
righteous unto men, inside ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye build the tombs for
the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous. Ye say, If we
had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers
with them in the blood of the prophets. Be witnesses unto yourselves.
Ye are the children of those who killed the prophets and ye measure up
to your fathers.
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation
of hell? I send prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them ye shall
kill and crucify. Some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues and
persecute them from city to city. On your hands shall be the blood of
all the righteous shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel
to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the
temple and the altar. All these things shall come upon this generation.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killed the prophets, and stoned those
sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not
have it! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Ye shall not see
me again until ye shall say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord.
24
Jesus went outside and His disciples came to show Him the buildings of
the temple. Jesus said, Take note of all these things. There shall not
be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. On
the mount of Olives, the disciples said, Tell us, when will these
things happen? What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of
the world?
Jesus answered, Take heed that no man deceive you. Many shall come in
my name, saying, I am Christ and they shall deceive many. Ye shall hear
of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye are not troubled. All these
things must come to pass but the end is not come yet. Nation shall rise
against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines,
pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows. They will deliver you up to be
afflicted. They shall kill you. Ye shall be hated by all nations for my
name's sake. Many will be offended and will betray and hate one
another. False prophets shall arise and deceive. And, because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many will wax cold. But those who endure unto
the end shall be saved.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached all around the world as a
witness to all nations. Then the end shall come. When ye see the
abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet, Daniel, stand in
the holy place; understand the prophecy.
Let those who are in Judaea flee into the mountains. Let him stay who
is on the housetop and not come down to take anything out of his house.
Neither let he who is in the field return to get his clothing. Woe unto
the women who are with child.
Pray that your flight be not in the winter or on the sabbath day. There
shall be great tribulation, such as was not seen from the beginning of
the world until now and will never be seen again. Unless those days are
numbered, no flesh shall be saved. But, for the elect's sake, those
days shall be numbered.
Thus, if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there He is;
believe it not. There shall arise false Christs and false prophets.
They will show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it be
possible, they will deceive the very elect.
Behold, I tell you all this beforehand. So, if they say to you, Behold,
He is in the desert, do not go forth. Or, behold, He is in the secret
chambers, believe it not. For, just as the lightning comes out of the
east and shines over unto the west, so also shall be the coming of the
Son of man.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened. The moon will not reflect light. The stars will fall from
heaven. The powers of the heavens shall be shaken. All the people of
the earth shall mourn.
Then the sign of the Son of man will appear. They shall see Him coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He shall send His
angels with a great sound of a trumpet. His angels will gather together
His elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other.
Now learn a parable about the fig tree. When its branch is yet tender
and puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is near. So, likewise, when
ye see all these things, know what is near.
This generation shall not pass away until all these things are
fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not
pass away. But, of the day and the hour no man knows, no, not the
angels of heaven, but only my Father.
The coming of the Son of man shall be like in the days of Noah. Before
the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. They knew
nothing until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also be
the coming of the Son of man.
At that time, two shall be in the field. One shall be taken and the
other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One shall be taken
and the other left. Watch, for ye know not what hour your Lord comes.
Know this, If the good man of the house had known in what watch the
thief would come, he would have guarded and would not have suffered his
house to be broken into. Therefore, be ready. At an hour that ye think
the Son of man will not come, then He will come.
It is a faithful and wise servant who, his lord having given him charge
over the household, prepares the foods in due season. Blessed is that
servant who, when his lord arrives, shall find him doing so. He shall
make the servant ruler over all his goods.
It is an evil servant who says, My lord delays his coming so I shall
take advantage. He smites his fellowservants and eats and drinks until
drunken. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when the servant
does not expect him. At a time when the servant is unaware, he shall be
cut asunder and thrown out with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
25
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins who took their lamps
and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise. Five were
foolish. The foolish took their lamps but no extra oil with them. The
wise took oil in their vessels along with their lamps. While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered. At midnight there was a cry,
Behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet Him.
All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the
wise, Give us some of your oil for our lamps are gone out. But the wise
answered, No, there will be not enough for us and you. Go to them that
sell oil and buy some.
While they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were
ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Much
later, the other virgins arrived and called, Lord, Lord, open the door
to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I do not know
you. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of man comes.
The kingdom of heaven is like a man who travels into a far country.
Before he leaves he calls his servants and turns his goods over to
them. To one he gives five talents. To another he gives two talents. To
another he gives one. He gives to every man according to his ability.
The servant who received the five talents traded and made another five
talents. He who received two, gained another two. But the servant that
received one, dug a hole in the earth and hid his lord's money.
After a long time, the lord returned from his journey and reckoned with
his servants. He who received five talents came and brought another
five talents. He said, Lord, thou delivered five talents to me. Behold,
I have gained five more talents besides them. His lord said, Well done.
Thou has been faithful over a few things so I will make thee ruler over
many things. Enter into the joy of thy lord!
He who received two talents came and said, Lord, thou delivered to me
two talents. Behold, I have gained two more talents beside them. His
lord said, Well done. Thou has been faithful over a few things. I will
make thee ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of thy lord!
Then the servant who received the one talent came and said, Lord, I
know that thou art a hard man who reaps where he has not sown and
gathers where he has not toiled. I was afraid, so I hid thy talent in
the earth. Here, now thou has what is thine.
His lord cried, Thou wicked and slothful servant. Thou knew that I reap
where I sow not and gather where I do not toil. Thou ought to have, at
least, put my money out to the exchangers so, upon my return, I should
have received my own money with interest. Take the talent and give it
to the one who has ten talents.
To the one who uses his talent wisely, more shall be given, and he
shall have abundance. But to the one who does not, any talent he has
shall be taken away. The unprofitable servant shall be cast into outer
darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
When the Son of man comes with His holy angels, He shall sit upon the
throne of His glory. Before Him shall be gathered all nations. He shall
separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from his
goats. He shall set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on the
left.
Then the King shall say to those on His right, Come, ye blessed of my
Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the
world. For I was hungry and ye gave me food. I was thirsty and ye gave
me drink. I was a stranger and ye took me in. I was naked and ye
clothed me. I was sick and ye visited me. I was in prison and ye came
to me.
Then the righteous shall ask Him, Lord, when did we see thee hungry and
feed thee? Or thirsty and gave thee drink? When did we see thee a
stranger and take thee in? Or naked and clothe thee? When did we see
thee sick, or in prison and come to thee? The King shall answer,
Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least
of my brethren, ye have done it to me.
Then He shall say to those on the left, Depart from me into the
everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry
and ye gave me no food. I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink. I was a
stranger and ye did not take me in. I was naked and ye did not clothe
me. I was sick and in prison and ye did not visit me.
Then they shall also ask Him, Lord, when did we see thee hungry or
thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and not
minister unto thee? He shall answer them, Inasmuch as ye did not do
these things to one of the least of my brethren, ye did not do it to
me. These shall go to everlasting punishment. And the righteous shall
have life eternal.
26
It came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings He said to
His disciples, In two days is the feast of the passover. The Son of man
will be betrayed and crucified.
At the same time the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people
held a meeting in the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas. They
discussed how they might take Jesus by stealth and kill Him. But they
said, It cannot happen on the feast day lest there be an uproar among
the people.
Jesus was now in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. There He was
approached by a woman carrying an alabaster box containing very
precious ointment. She, then, annointed His head as He sat at dinner.
When His disciples saw it they were indignant and said, To what purpose
is this waste? This ointment could have been sold for much and the
money given to the poor. When Jesus overheard them He said, Why bother
this woman? She has wrought a good work upon me. The poor ye have
always with you; but me ye have not always. In annointing me, she
prepared me for my burial. Anywhere in the world this gospel is
preached it shall also be told what this woman has done.
Then, one of the twelve, Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests. He
asked, What will ye give me if I will deliver Jesus unto you? They
agreed on thirty pieces of silver and, from that time, Judas looked for
an opportunity to betray Him.
On the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to
Jesus and asked, Where shall we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
Jesus told them to go into the city to a certain man and tell him that
the Master says His time is at hand. Tell this man that He will keep
the passover there with His disciples. Then the disciples did as Jesus
had appointed and they prepared the passover.
When it was evening, Jesus sat down with the twelve. While they ate He
said, Verily I say unto you, one of you shall betray me. The disciples
heard this with great sorrow and, all at the same time uttered, Lord,
is it me? Jesus only said, He that dips his hand in the dish with me
shall betray me.
It is written: Woe unto the one by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It
had been better for him if he had not been born. Then Judas, who
betrayed Him, asked, Master, is it me? Jesus turned to him and quietly
said, Thou has said right.
While they ate, Jesus took up the bread and blessed it. He then broke
it and gave it to the disciples saying, Take this and eat for this is
my body. Then He took the cup and gave thanks. He passed it to them
saying, Drink ye all from this for this is my blood of the new
testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins. I say unto
you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day
when I drink it with you in my Father's kingdom. Following the meal,
they sang hymns and went out into the mount of Olives.
Jesus said to the disciples, Ye shall all be offended this night
because of me for it is written: I will smite the shepherd, and the
sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But, after I am risen
again, I will go before you into Galilee.