5:1 Behold, my brethren, do ye not remember to have read the words of
the prophet Zenos, which he spake unto the house of Israel, saying:
5:2 Hearken, O ye house of Israel, and hear the words of me, a prophet
of the Lord.
5:3 For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of
Israel, like unto a tame olive-tree, which a man took and nourished in
his vineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay.
5:4 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and
he saw that his olive-tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune
it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth
young and tender branches, and it perish not.
5:5 And it came to pass that he pruned it, and digged about it, and
nourished it according to his word.
5:6 And it came to pass that after many days it began to put forth
somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top
thereof began to perish.
5:7 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he
said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree;
wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive-tree, and bring
them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which
are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into the fire that
they may be burned.
5:8 And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away many of
these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I
will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree
will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I
will take these young and tender branches, and I will graft them
whithersoever I will.
5:9 Take thou the branches of the wild olive-tree, and graft them in,
in the stead thereof; and these which I have plucked off I will cast
into the fire and burn them, that they may not cumber the ground of my
vineyard.
5:10 And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of the vineyard
did according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and grafted in
the branches of the wild olive-tree.
5:11 And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged
about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth
me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might
preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve
them unto myself, I have done this thing.
5:12 Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according
to my words.
5:13 And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard,
whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I
may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also,
that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it
grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.
5:14 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way,
and hid the natural branches of the tame olive-tree in the nethermost
parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to
his will and pleasure.
5:15 And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of
the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the
vineyard, that we may labor in the vineyard.
5:16 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and also the
servant, went down into the vineyard to labor. And it came to pass that
the servant said unto his master: Behold, look here; behold the tree.
5:17 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and
beheld the tree in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted;
and it had sprung forth and begun to bear fruit. And he beheld that it
was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit.
5:18 And he said unto the servant: Behold, the branches of the wild
tree have taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that the root
thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the much
strength of the root thereof the wild branches have brought forth tame
fruit. Now, if we had not grafted in these branches, the tree thereof
would have perished. And now, behold, I shall lay up much fruit, which
the tree thereof hath brought forth; and the fruit thereof I shall lay
up against the season, unto mine own self.
5:19 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the
servant: Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the vineyard, and
behold if the natural branches of the tree have not brought forth much
fruit also, that I may lay up of the fruit thereof against the season,
unto mine own self.
5:20 And it came to pass that they went forth whither the master had
hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant:
Behold these; and he beheld the first that it had brought forth much
fruit; and he beheld also that it was good. And he said unto the
servant: Take of the fruit thereof, and lay it up against the season,
that I may preserve it unto mine own self; for behold, said he, this
long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought forth much fruit.
5:21 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How
comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For
behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard.
5:22 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew
that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have
nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought
forth much fruit.
5:23 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his
servant: Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree
also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the
first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it
hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up
against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self.
5:24 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said again unto
his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have
planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought
forth fruit.
5:25 And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last.
Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have
nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought
forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth
wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others.
5:26 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the
servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit,
and cast them into the fire.
5:27 But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig
about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring
forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the
season.
5:28 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant
of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard.
5:29 And it came to pass that a long time had passed away, and the Lord
of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the
vineyard, that we may labor again in the vineyard. For behold, the time
draweth near, and the end soon cometh; wherefore, I must lay up fruit
against the season, unto mine own self.
5:30 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant
went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural
branches had been broken off, and the wild branches had been grafted
in; and behold all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree.
5:31 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard did taste of the
fruit, every sort according to its number. And the Lord of the vineyard
said: Behold, this long time have we nourished this tree, and I have
laid up unto myself against the season much fruit.
5:32 But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there
is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad
fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and
now it grieveth me that I should lose this tree.
5:33 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: What shall we
do unto the tree, that I may preserve again good fruit thereof unto
mine own self?
5:34 And the servant said unto his master: Behold, because thou didst
graft in the branches of the wild olive-tree they have nourished the
roots, that they are alive and they have not perished; wherefore thou
beholdest that they are yet good.
5:35 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his
servant: The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me
nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit.
5:36 Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for mine own
purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much strength they
have hitherto brought forth, from the wild branches, good fruit.
5:37 But behold, the wild branches have grown and have overrun the
roots thereof; and because that the wild branches have overcome the
roots thereof it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that
it hath brought forth so much evil fruit thou beholdest that it
beginneth to perish; and it will soon become ripened, that it may be
cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to preserve
it.
5:38 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his
servant: Let us go down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard, and
behold if the natural branches have also brought forth evil fruit.
5:39 And it came to pass that they went down into the nethermost parts
of the vineyard. And it came to pass that they beheld that the fruit of
the natural branches had become corrupt also; yea, the first and the
second and also the last; and they had all become corrupt.
5:40 And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree
which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away
and died.
5:41 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said
unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?
5:42 Behold, I knew that all the fruit of the vineyard, save it were
these, had become corrupted. And now these which have once brought
forth good fruit have also become corrupted; and now all the trees of
my vineyard are good for nothing save it be to be hewn down and cast
into the fire.
5:43 And behold this last, whose branch hath withered away, I did plant
in a good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice unto me above
all other parts of the land of my vineyard.
5:44 And thou beheldest that I also cut down that which cumbered this
spot of ground, that I might plant this tree in the stead thereof.
5:45 And thou beheldest that a part thereof brought forth good fruit,
and a part thereof brought forth wild fruit; and because I plucked not
the branches thereof and cast them into the fire, behold, they have
overcome the good branch that it hath withered away.
5:46 And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken
of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they
bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have
laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But,
behold, they have become like unto the wild olive-tree, and they are of
no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me
that I should lose them.
5:47 But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened
mine hand, that I have not nourished it, Nay, I have nourished it, and
I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and
I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end
draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees
of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned.
Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?
5:48 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it
not the loftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof
overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have
overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength
of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not
this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted?
5:49 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the
servant: Let us go to and hew down the trees of the vineyard and cast
them into the fire, that they shall not cumber the ground of my
vineyard, for I have done all. What could I have done more for my
vineyard?
5:50 But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare
it a little longer.
5:51 And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it
grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard.
5:52 Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have
planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft them
into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree
those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural
branches of the tree in the stead thereof.
5:53 And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that, perhaps, I
may preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own purpose.
5:54 And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I
planted whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore, that I may
preserve them also for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of
this tree, and I will graft them in unto them. Yea, I will graft in
unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may preserve the
roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall be sufficiently
strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I may yet
have glory in the fruit of my vineyard.
5:55 And it came to pass that they took from the natural tree which had
become wild, and grafted in unto the natural trees, which also had
become wild.
5:56 And they also took of the natural trees which had become wild, and
grafted into their mother tree.
5:57 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck not the
wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter;
and in them ye shall graft according to that which I have said.
5:58 And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will
trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those
branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the
fire.
5:59 And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength
because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches,
that the good may overcome the evil.
5:60 And because that I have preserved the natural branches and the
roots thereof, and that I have grafted in the natural branches again
into their mother tree, and have preserved the roots of their mother
tree, that, perhaps, the trees of my vineyard may bring forth again
good fruit; and that I may have joy again in the fruit of my vineyard,
and, perhaps, that I may rejoice exceedingly that I have preserved the
roots and the branches of the first fruit—
5:61 Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently
with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may
bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good and
the most precious above all other fruit.
5:62 Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time,
for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I
shall prune my vineyard.
5:63 Graft in the branches; begin at the last that they may be first,
and that the first may be last, and dig about the trees, both old and
young, the first and the last; and the last and the first, that all may
be nourished once again for the last time.
5:64 Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once
more, for the last time, for the end draweth nigh. And if it be so that
these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then
shall ye prepare the way for them, that they may grow.
5:65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which
bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the
size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once,
lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the
graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard.
5:66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard;
wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow,
that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good
shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the
fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I
sweep away the bad out of my vineyard.
5:67 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in again into
the natural tree;
5:68 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural
branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that
they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one.
5:69 And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of
my vineyard; for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard.
5:70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his
servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him,
and brought other servants; and they were few.
5:71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in
the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I
shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season
speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have
joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time
which will soon come.
5:72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their
mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they
did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
5:73 And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and
the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild
branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep
the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof.
5:74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the
commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been
cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself
that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like
unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard
had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious
unto him from the beginning.
5:75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that
his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he
called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time
have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done
according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it
is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou;
for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard,
and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the
natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is
cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my
vineyard.
5:76 For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my
vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh;
and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and
dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self
of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken.
5:77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my
vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and
the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into
its own place. And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard
will I cause to be burned with fire.