And a word in season, how good it is!
A word fitly spoken
Is like golden fruit in silver settings.
Pleasant words are like honeycomb,
Sweet to the taste and healing to the body.
THE CONTROL OF THE TEMPER
A mild answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
A man without self-control
Is a ruined city whose wall is broken.
A fool gives way to his wrath,
But a wise man restrains his anger.
A fool's anger is known at once,
But a sensible man heeds not an insult.
A man's wisdom makes him patient,
It is his glory to overlook faults.
He who is patient is better than a warrior,
And he who rules his temper than he who takes a city.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MODEST
Do not boast what you will do to-morrow,
For you know not what a day may bring forth.
Do you see a man wise in his own opinion?
There is more hope for a fool than for him!
Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
But with the modest is wisdom.
It is not good to eat much honey;
But to seek the glory of others is glorious.
Let another man praise you, not your own mouth;
Some other, and not your own lips.
BEING GENEROUS AND LOVING
He who returns evil for good,
From his house evil shall not depart.
It is an honor for a man to avoid strife;
Only a fool is quarrelsome.
Charcoal for embers, and wood for fire,
And a quarrelsome man to kindle strife!
Strive not with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
The beginning of strife is as when one lets out water;
Therefore leave off strife before quarrelling begins.
Better a dry crust with quietness
Than a house full of feasting with strife.
A just man regards the life of his beast,
But the heart of the wicked is cruel.
He who oppresses the poor reviles his Maker,
But he who has pity on the needy honors him.
He who listens not to the cry of the poor,
He also shall call and not be answered.
He who pities the poor, lends to the Lord
And he will repay him for his good deed.
If your enemy hungers, give him food;
If he thirsts, give him water to drink;
For you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.
Hatred stirs up strife,
But love overlooks faults.
Better a meal of herbs where love is,
Than a fatted ox with hate.
Let not love and truth leave you,
Bind them about your neck;
So you will enjoy favor and a good reputation
In the sight of God and man.
THE NEW TESTAMENT
[Illustration: (C) _Curtis Publishing Company_
_The Nativity_
Painted by W. L. Taylor]
JESUS IS BORN AT BETHLEHEM
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a young woman named Mary in
Nazareth, a town of Galilee. She was to be married to a man named Joseph
of the family of David. When he came to her the angel said: "Hail,
highly honored one! God is with you!"
She was startled by his words and wondered what such a greeting might
mean. But the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. You will have a son and will name him Jesus. He will be
great and will be called the Son of the Most High."
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, for I am not yet
married." The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you
and the power of the Most High will cover you; therefore your child will
be called holy, the Son of God." Mary said: "I am God's servant. May it
be with me as you say." Then the angel left her.
In those days the Emperor Augustus commanded that every one should be
registered. So all went to be registered, each to his own town. Joseph,
because he was of the family of David, went to be registered with Mary,
his wife, from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea
where David was born. While they were there Mary's first son was born.
And she wrapped him in swaddling-clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
In that country there were shepherds living in the fields and keeping
watch over their flocks by night. And an angel from God stood by them
and a heavenly light shone around them, and they were frightened. But
the angel said to them:
"Fear not, for behold I bring you good news
Of great joy which shall be for all the people.
For to you is born this day in the town of David
A Saviour who is God's Anointed.
This will be a sign to guide you:
You will find a baby in swaddling-clothes lying in a manger."
Then suddenly there was with the angel a great number of the heavenly
ones singing praise to God and saying:
"Glory to God on high,
And on earth peace, good-will among men."
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said
to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem to see this which God has
made known to us." So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph; and
the baby was lying in a manger.
When they had seen him, they made known what had been told them about
this child. All who heard the words of the shepherds wondered, but Mary
kept these things to herself and often thought about them. And the
shepherds returned, thanking and praising God for what they had heard
and seen, as it had been foretold.
THE WISE MEN BRING GIFTS TO THE YOUNG CHILD
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the east came to
Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the newly born King of the Jews? For we
saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When Herod heard these things, he and every one else in Jerusalem were
greatly troubled. So when he had gathered all the high priests and
scribes together, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. They
said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea."
[Illustration:(C) _Curtis Publishing Company_
_The Three Wise Men_
Painted by W. L. Taylor]
Then Herod privately called the wise men and asked them exactly how long
the star had been seen since it appeared in the east. And he sent them
to Bethlehem with the command, "Go and search carefully for the young
child, and when you have found him, come and let me know, that I also
may go and worship him." When they had heard the king, they went away,
and the star which they had seen in the east went before them until it
stood over the place where the young child was. They were overjoyed at
the sight; and when they came into the house and saw the child with
Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshipped him. Opening their
treasures they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
But being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to
their own country by another way.
THE BOY JESUS ASKS QUESTIONS
After Joseph and Mary had done all that the law commanded, they returned
to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the boy Jesus grew and
became strong in body and mind. And the blessing of God was upon him.
Now his parents went every year to Jerusalem to the Feast of the
Passover, and when he was twelve years old they went up as usual. After
they had stayed the full number of days and were returning, the boy
Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; but,
supposing him to be in the caravan, they travelled on for a whole day.
Then they searched for him among their relatives and friends. When they
did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, still looking for him.
After three days they found him in the Temple, sitting with the
teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard him
were amazed at his intelligence and his answers.
When his parents saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said to
him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have
been anxiously looking for you." He said to them, "Why did you look for
me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did
not understand what he meant.
Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth; and he was obedient to
them; but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus grew
in wisdom and body and in favor with God and man.
JOHN THE BAPTIST TELLS OF JESUS' WORK
While Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod was ruler of
Galilee, a man named John, the son of Zachariah, lived in the desert
country. And God commanded him and he went into all the country around
the river Jordan calling upon men to be baptized to show that they were
sorry for their sins and wished to be forgiven. Those who were truly
sorry for their sins, he baptized in the river Jordan.
This John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt, and his
food was locusts and wild honey.
Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea and the country around the
Jordan began to go out to him to confess their sins and to be baptized
by him in the Jordan.
To the crowds that went out to be baptized by him he said, "You children
of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bear fruits,
then, that will prove that you are truly sorry for what you have done.
Do not say to yourselves, 'We are children of Abraham'; for I tell you,
God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones. Already the axe
lies at the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
The crowds kept asking him, "What must we do?" He answered them, "Let
him who has two coats share with him who has none; and let him who has
food do the same."
When the tax-gatherers came to be baptized, they said to him, "Teacher,
what must we do?" He said to them, "Do not take more from any one than
rightfully belongs to you." Soldiers also asked him, "And what must we
do?" To them he said, "Do not take money from anybody by force, nor make
false charges, but be content with your wages."
Now as the people were wondering whether John might possibly be the
Christ, John said to them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One
is coming mightier than I, whose shoe-strings I am not worthy to untie.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His fan is in
his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and will
gather the wheat into his storehouse; but the chaff he will burn up with
fire that cannot be put out." In this way, and with many other earnest
words, he told the good news to the people.
JESUS DECIDES HOW HE WILL DO HIS WORK
At this time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan. And as he was coming up from the water, he saw the
heavens opening and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down upon him. And a
voice from heaven said,
"Thou art my beloved Son,
In thee I am well pleased."
[Illustration: (C) _Curtis Publishing Company_
"_O Little Town of Bethlehem_"
Painted by W. L. Taylor]
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil. And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was
hungry. Then the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to become bread." But Jesus answered, "It is
written,
"'Man is not to live on bread alone,
But on every word that comes from God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and, setting him on the highest
point of the Temple, said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down; for it is written,
"'He will give his angels charge of you,
And on their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus said to him, "It is also written,
"'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"
Once more the devil took him to a high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, "All these
things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said
to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
"'You shall worship the Lord your God,
And him only shall you serve.'"
JESUS WINS DEVOTED FRIENDS
Herod seized John the Baptist and bound him, and put him in prison
because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for John said to him,
"It is not right for you to have her." And although Herod wanted to put
him to death, he was afraid of the people, for they believed John to be
a prophet.
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
God's good news: "The time has come; repent of your sins and believe in
the good news, for the kingdom of God is at hand."
Leaving Nazareth, Jesus went to live in Capernaum, which is on the Sea
of Galilee. As he was passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he
saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting their nets into the sea, for
they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come with me, and I will make
you fishers of men." And they at once left their nets and followed him.
And going a little farther on, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, with
John his brother, who were in their boat mending their nets. He called
them, and they at once left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the
hired men, and went with him.
Then Jesus found Philip and said to him, "Come with me." Now Philip was
from Bethsaida, the home of Andrew and Peter. Philip, finding Nathanael,
said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the
prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." But Nathanael
said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip replied,
"Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said to him, "Here is a true
Israelite, in whom there is no deceit." Nathanael said to him, "How do
you know me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, when you were
under the fig-tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are
the Son of God, you are the King of Israel." Jesus replied, "Do you
believe because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig-tree'? You shall
see greater things than these!"
[Illustration: _Courtesy of the Hanfstaengl Gallery_
_Christ and the Fishermen_
Painted by E. Zimmerman]
THE WEDDING AT CANA
Two days later there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee; and the mother of
Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When the
wine had all been used, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no wine."
Jesus answered, "What is that to me? My time has not yet come." His
mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Six stone
water-jars (such as the Jews used in washing) were there; each jar would
hold about twenty gallons. Jesus said, "Fill up the jars with water." So
they filled them to the brim. Then Jesus said, "Pour some out, and take
it to the one in charge of the feast." And they did so. When the one in
charge of the feast tasted the water which had become wine, he did not
know where it came from (although the servants who had poured out the
water knew), so he called the bridegroom and said to him, "Every one
serves the good wine first, and the wine that is not so good after men
have drunk freely; but you have kept the good wine until now." This the
first of his wonderful signs, showing his power, Jesus did at Cana in
Galilee; and his disciples believed in him.
THE HEALING OF THE TEN LEPERS
On their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples passed through
Samaria and Galilee. When he entered a certain village, he was met by
ten lepers, who cried to him from a distance, "Jesus, Master, have pity
on us." When Jesus saw them he said to them, "Go, and show yourselves to
the priests." And as they went, they were made clean.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a
loud voice praised God; and he fell down at the feet of Jesus with his
face to the ground and thanked him; and this man was a Samaritan. Jesus
said to him, "Were not ten made clean? Where are the other nine? Was
there no one who returned to give praise to God except this stranger?"
And Jesus said to him, "Arise, and go on your way, your faith has made
you well."
HEALING THE MAN AT THE POOL
There was a festival of the Jews in Jerusalem, and Jesus went there. In
Jerusalem there is a pool beside the sheep gate. In Hebrew it is called,
Bethesda. It has five porches, and a crowd of people who were sick,
blind, lame or helpless were lying there, waiting for the water to move,
for an angel of the Lord went down into the pool at certain times and
stirred the water; and the first person who stepped into the water after
it was stirred was made well, no matter what disease he had.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him
lying there, and knew that he had been ill for a long time; and he said
to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered, "Sir, I
have no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred, and while I
am getting in, some one else steps in before me." Jesus said to him,
"Arise, take up your bed, and walk." Immediately the man was made well,
and he took up his bed and walked.
JESUS TALKS WITH A SAMARITAN WOMAN
When Jesus left Judea and went back into Galilee, he had to pass through
Samaria; and he came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the piece
of ground that Jacob gave his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there.
Jesus, therefore, being wearied by the journey, sat down by the well. It
was about noon and a woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to
her, "Give me a drink." (For his disciples had gone away into the city
to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink
of me who am a Samaritan?" for the Jews have nothing to do with
Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it
is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he
would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you
have nothing with which to draw and the well is deep; where then do you
get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us
the well and himself drank from it, together with his children and his
cattle?" Jesus answered her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst
again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give shall never
thirst. The water that I give him will become in him a well of water
springing up into eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me
this water, that I may not thirst again nor have to come here to draw."
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, then come back here." The
woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right
in saying, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and he
whom you now have is not your husband; in saying that, you spoke the
truth."
The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our fathers
worshipped in this mountain; and you Jews say that Jerusalem is the
place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe
me, the time will come when you will worship the Father neither on this
mountain nor at Jerusalem. The time is coming, yes, has already come,
when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in
truth; for such worshippers the Father seeks. God is a spirit, and they
who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." The woman said
to him, "I know that the Messiah (which means Christ) is coming. When
he comes he will explain all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I who am
talking to you am he."
At this point the disciples came up and were astonished that he was
talking with a woman; but none of them said, "What do you want?" or,
"Why are you talking to her?"
Then the woman left her water-pot and going into the city said to the
men, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Is not this the
Messiah?" And they set out from the town on their way to him.
Meanwhile Jesus' disciples urged him, saying, "Master, take some food";
but he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you know not." So they
said to one another, "Has any one brought him something to eat?" Jesus
said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to carry
out his work. Do not say, 'Four months and then comes the harvest'; I
say to you, lift up your eyes and see these fields white for the
harvest! Already the reaper is receiving his wages and gathering in a
crop for eternal life, that the sower and reaper may rejoice together.
For here the proverb holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent
you to reap a harvest for which you had not toiled; other men have
toiled and you are sharing the results of their toil."
Because of the words of the woman who had said, "He told me everything
that I ever did," many Samaritans from the town believed in Jesus; and
when they came to him, they begged him to stay with them. And he stayed
there two days, and many more believed because of what he himself said.
To the woman they said, "Now we believe, not because of your words but
because we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the
Saviour of the world."
GIVING LIFE TO A WIDOW'S SON
Jesus went to a town called Nain; and his disciples went with him
followed by a large crowd. Just as Jesus came to the gate of the town,
he saw one who was dead being carried out. He was the only son of his
mother who was a widow. Many people of the town were with her.
When Jesus saw her, he had sympathy for her and said to her, "Do not
weep." And he came and touched the coffin, and those who carried it
stood still. Jesus said: "Young man, I say to you, arise." And he who
had been dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his
mother. And all the people were filled with fear and praised God,
saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us, and God has visited his
people." And the story of what Jesus had done was told in all of Judea
and the country around there.
JESUS HEALS THE SICK
Jesus and his disciples entered Capernaum; and on the next Sabbath he
went into the synagogue and began to teach. And the people were
astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority,
and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue that day was a man under the power of an unclean
spirit, who cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us? I know you are God's Holy One." But Jesus
reproved the unclean spirit, saying, "Be still, and come out of him."
Then the unclean spirit, after convulsing the man, came out of him with
a loud cry. The people were so astonished that they began to ask one
another, "What is this? Is it a new teaching? With authority he commands
even the unclean spirits and they obey him." So the news about Jesus
spread at once in every direction all through the country about Galilee.
After leaving the synagogue they went straight to the house of Simon and
Andrew; and James and John went with them. The mother of Simon's wife
was ill in bed with a fever; so at once they told Jesus about her. He
went to her and, taking her by the hand, lifted her up. Then the fever
left her, and she began to wait upon them.
In the evening, after the sun had set, they brought to him all who were
sick or under the control of evil spirits, until all the people of the
city were gathered at the door. He healed many who were sick with
different kinds of diseases, and cast out many evil spirits, but would
not let them speak, because they knew who he was.
One day a leper came to him and on bended knees begged him: "If you
will, you can make me clean." Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out
his hand and touched him, and said, "I will; be cleansed!" At once the
leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Then Jesus, after strictly warning
him, sent him away with the command, "See that you do not say a word to
any one, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer what Moses
commanded as proof to them that you are clean." But the man went away
and began to tell every one about it, so that Jesus could no longer
enter a city openly, but had to stay outside in lonely places; and
people from everywhere came to him.
JESUS CURES A MAN WHO CANNOT WALK
When Jesus entered Capernaum again, after some days, it was reported
that he was at home, and so many people gathered about him that there
was no longer room for them, not even at the door. While Jesus was
preaching to them, four men came, carrying a man who was paralyzed and
could not move. As they could not get near to Jesus on account of the
crowd, they tore up the roof over his head. When they had made a hole,
they let down the bed on which the man who could not move was lying.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to him, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
But some of the scribes sitting there said to themselves, "Why should
this man say such a thing? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins
except God alone?"