010:032 They were still on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus
was walking ahead of them; they were full of wonder, and some,
though they followed, did so with fear. Then, once more
calling to Him the Twelve, He began to tell them what was
about to happen to Him.
010:033 "See," He said, "we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son
of Man will be betrayed to the High Priests and the Scribes.
They will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over
to the Gentiles;
010:034 they will insult Him in cruel sport, spit on Him, scourge Him,
and put Him to death; but on the third day He will rise
to life again."
010:035 Then James and John, the sons of Zabdi, came up to Him
and said, "Rabbi, we wish you would grant us whatever request
we make of you."
010:036 "What would you have me do for you?" He asked.
010:037 "Allow us," they replied, "to sit one at your right hand
and the other at your left hand, in your glory."
010:038 "You know not," said He, "what you are asking. Are you able
to drink out of the cup from which I am to drink, or to be
baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?"
010:039 "We are able," they replied. "Out of the cup," said Jesus,
"from which I am to drink you shall drink, and with the baptism
with which I am to be baptized you shall be baptized;
010:040 but as to sitting at my right hand or at my left, that is not
mine to give: it will be for those for whom it is reserved."
010:041 The other ten, hearing of it, were at first highly indignant
with James and John.
010:042 Jesus, however, called them to Him and said to them, "You are
aware how those who are deemed rulers among the Gentiles lord it
over them, and their great men make them feel their authority;
010:043 but it is not to be so among you. No, whoever desires to be
great among you must be your servant;
010:044 and whoever desires to be first among you must be the
bondservant of all.
010:045 For the Son of Man also did not come to be waited upon, but to
wait on others, and to give His life as the redemption-price
for a multitude of people."
010:046 They came to Jericho; and as He was leaving that town--
Himself and His disciples and a great crowd--Bartimaeus (the son
of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the way-side.
010:047 Hearing that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out,
"Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me."
010:048 Many angrily told him to leave off shouting; but he only cried
out all the louder, "Son of David, have pity on me."
010:049 Then Jesus stood still. "Call him," He said. So they called
the blind man. "Cheer up," they said; "rise, he is calling you."
010:050 The man flung away his outer garment, sprang to his feet,
and came to Jesus.
010:051 "What shall I do for you?" said Jesus. "Rabboni," replied the
blind man, "let me recover my sight."
010:052 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has cured you." Instantly he
regained his sight, and followed Him along the road.
011:001 When they were getting near Jerusalem and had arrived at
Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent
two of his disciples on in front, with these instructions.
011:002 "Go," He said, "to the village facing you, and immediately
on entering it you will find an ass's foal tied up which no
one has ever yet ridden: untie him and bring him here.
011:003 And if any one asks you, 'Why are you doing that?' say, 'The Master
needs it, and will send it back here without delay.'"
011:004 So they went and found a young ass tied up at the front door
of a house. They were untying it,
011:005 when some of the bystanders called out, "What are you doing,
untying the foal?"
011:006 But on their giving the answer that Jesus had bidden them give,
they let them take it.
011:007 So they brought the foal to Jesus, and threw their outer
garments over him; and Jesus mounted.
011:008 Then many spread their outer garments to carpet the road,
and others leafy branches which they had cut down in the fields;
011:009 while those who led the way and those who followed kept shouting
"God save Him!" Blessed be He who comes in the Lord's name.
011:010 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our forefather David! God in
the highest Heavens save Him!"
011:011 So He came into Jerusalem and into the Temple; and after looking
round upon everything there, the hour being now late He went
out to Bethany with the Twelve.
011:012 The next day, after they had left Bethany, He was hungry.
011:013 But in the distance He saw a fig-tree in full leaf, and went
to see whether perhaps He could find some figs on it.
When however He came to it, He found nothing but leaves
(for it was not fig time);
011:014 and He said to the tree, "Let no one ever again eat fruit from thee!"
And His disciples heard this.
011:015 They reached Jerusalem, and entering the Temple He began to drive
out the buyers and sellers, and upset the money-changers'
tables and the stools of the pigeon-dealers,
011:016 and would not allow any one to carry anything through the Temple.
011:017 And He remonstrated with them. "Is it not written," He said,
"'My House shall be called The House of Prayer for all the nations?'
But you have made it what it now is--a robbers' cave."
011:018 This the High Priests and Scribes heard, and they began
to devise means to destroy Him. For they were afraid of Him,
because of the deep impression produced on all the people
by His teaching.
011:019 When evening came on, Jesus and His disciples used to
leave the city.
011:020 In the early morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree
withered to the roots;
011:021 and Peter, recollecting, said to Him, "Look, Rabbi, the fig-tree
which you cursed is withered up."
011:022 Jesus said to them, "Have faith in God.
011:023 In solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall say
to this mountain, 'Remove, and hurl thyself into the sea,'
and has no doubt about it in his heart, but stedfastly believes
that what he says will happen, it shall be granted him.
011:024 That is why I tell you, as to whatever you pray and make
request for, if you believe that you have received it it
shall be yours.
011:025 But whenever you stand praying, if you have a grievance
against any one, forgive it, so that your Father in Heaven
may also forgive you your offences."
011:026 []
011:027 They came again to Jerusalem; and as He was walking in the Temple,
the High Priests, Scribes and Elders came to Him
011:028 and asked, "By what authority are you doing these things?
and who gave you authority to do them?"
011:029 "And I will put a question to you," replied Jesus; "answer me,
and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
011:030 John's Baptism--was it of Heavenly or of human origin?
Answer me."
011:031 So they debated the matter with one another.
"Suppose we say, 'Heavenly,'" they argued, "he will ask,
'Why then did you not believe him?'
011:032 Or should we say, 'human?'" They were afraid of the people;
for all agreed in holding John to have been really a Prophet.
011:033 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." "Nor do I tell you,"
said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."
012:001 Then He began to speak to them in figurative language.
"There was once a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard,
fenced it round, dug a pit for the wine-tank, and built
a strong lodge. Then he let the place to vine-dressers
and went abroad.
012:002 At vintage-time he sent one of his servants to receive from
the vine-dressers a share of the grapes.
012:003 But they seized him, beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.
012:004 Again he sent to them another servant: and as for him,
they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully.
012:005 Yet a third he sent, and him they killed. And he sent
many besides, and them also they ill-treated, beating some
and killing others.
012:006 He had still one left whom he could send, a dearly-loved son:
him last of all he sent, saying, "'They will treat my
son with respect.'
012:007 "But those men--the vine-dressers--said to one another,
"'Here is the heir: come, let us kill him, and then the property
will one day be ours.'
012:008 "So they took him and killed him, and flung his body
outside the vineyard.
012:009 What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do?"
"He will come and put the vine-dressers to death," they said;
"and will give the vineyard to others."
012:010 "Have you not read even this passage," He added, "'The stone
which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone:
012:011 this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful
in our esteem?'"
012:012 And they kept looking out for an opportunity to seize Him,
but were afraid of the people; for they saw that in this parable
He had referred to *them*. So they left Him and went away.
012:013 Their next step was to send to Him some of the Pharisees
and of Herod's partisans to entrap Him in conversation.
012:014 So they came to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you
are a truthful man and you do not fear any one; for you do
not recognize human distinctions, but teach God's way truly.
Is it allowable to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not?
012:015 Shall we pay, or shall we refuse to pay?" But He,
knowing their hypocrisy, replied, "Why try to ensnare me?
Bring me a shilling for me to look at."
012:016 They brought one; and He asked them, "Whose is this likeness
and this inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied.
012:017 "What is Caesar's," replied Jesus, "pay to Caesar--and what is God's,
pay to God." And they wondered exceedingly at Him.
012:018 Then came to Him a party of Sadducees, a sect which denies that
there is any Resurrection; and they proceeded to question Him.
012:019 "Rabbi," they said, "Moses made it a law for us:
'If a man's brother should die and leave a wife, but no child,
the man shall marry the widow and raise up a family
for his brother.'
012:020 There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife,
but at his death left no family.
012:021 The second married her, and died, leaving no family;
and the third did the same.
012:022 And so did the rest of the seven, all dying childless.
Finally the woman also died.
012:023 At the Resurrection whose wife will she be? For they all
seven married her."
012:024 "Is not this the cause of your error," replied Jesus--"your
ignorance alike of the Scriptures and of the power of God?
012:025 For when they have risen from among the dead, men do not marry
and women are not given in marriage, but they are as angels
are in Heaven.
012:026 But as to the dead, that they rise to life, have you never
read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush,
how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob?'
012:027 He is not the God of dead, but of living men.
You are in grave error."
012:028 Then one of the Scribes, who had heard them disputing and
well knew that Jesus had given them an answer to the point,
and a forcible one, came forward and asked Him, "Which is
the chief of all the Commandments?"
012:029 "The chief Commandment," replied Jesus, "is this:
'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;
012:030 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart,
thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole strength.'
012:031 "The second is this: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as thou
lovest thyself.' "Other Commandment greater than these
there is none."
012:032 So the Scribe said to Him, "Rightly, in very truth, Rabbi, have you
said that He stands alone, and there is none but He;
012:033 and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding,
and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man
no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole
burnt-offerings and sacrifices."
012:034 Perceiving that the Scribe had answered wisely Jesus said
to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
No one from that time forward ventured to put any question to Him.
012:035 But, while teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it
the Scribes say that the Christ is a son of David?
012:036 David himself said, taught by the Holy Spirit, "'The Lord said
to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I have made thy foes
a footstool under thy feet.'
012:037 "David himself calls Him 'Lord:' how then can He be his son?"
And the mass of people found pleasure in listening to Jesus.
012:038 Moreover in the course of His teaching He said, "Be on your
guard against the Scribes who like to walk about in long
robes and to be bowed to in places of public resort,
012:039 and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues and at dinner parties,
012:040 and who swallow up the property of widows and then mask their
wickedness by making long prayers: these men will receive
far heavier punishment."
012:041 Having taken a seat opposite the Treasury, He observed
how the people were dropping money into the Treasury,
and that many of the wealthy threw in large sums.
012:042 But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings,
equal in value to a halfpenny.
012:043 So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I
tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more
than all the other contributors to the Treasury;
012:044 for they have all contributed out of what they could well spare,
but she out of her need has thrown in all she possessed--
all she had to live on."
013:001 As He was leaving the Temple, one of His disciples exclaimed,
"Look, Rabbi, what wonderful stones! what wonderful buildings!"
013:002 "You see all these great buildings?" Jesus replied; "not one
stone will be left here upon another--not thrown down."
013:003 He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple,
when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,
013:004 "Tell us, When will these things be? and what will be the sign
when all these predictions are on the point of being fulfilled?"
013:005 So Jesus began to say to them: "Take care that no one misleads you.
013:006 Many will come assuming my name and saying, 'I am He;'
and they will mislead many.
013:007 But when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed:
come they must, but the End is not yet.
013:008 For nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places;
there will be famines. These miseries are but like the early
pains of childbirth.
013:009 "You yourselves must be on your guard. They will deliver
you up to Sanhedrins; you will be brought into synagogues
and cruelly beaten; and you will stand before governors
and kings for my sake, to be witnesses to them for me.
013:010 But the proclamation of the Good News must be carried to all
the Gentiles before the End comes.
013:011 When however they are marching you along under arrest,
do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say,
but speak what is given you when the time comes; for it
will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
013:012 "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will
betray children; and children will rise against their parents
and have them put to death.
013:013 You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called
by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.
013:014 "As soon, however, as you see the Abomination of Desolation
standing where he ought not"--let the reader observe these
words--"then let those in Judaea escape to the hills;
013:015 let him who is on the roof not come down and enter the house
to fetch anything out of it;
013:016 and let not him who is in the field turn back to pick up
his outer garment.
013:017 And alas for the women who at that time are with child
or have infants!
013:018 "But pray that it may not come in the winter.
013:019 For those will be times of suffering the like of which has
never been from the first creation of God's world until now,
and assuredly never will be again;
013:020 and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days,
no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom
He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days.
013:021 "At that time if any one says to you, 'See, here is the Christ!'
or 'See, He is there!' do not believe it.
013:022 For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets,
displaying signs and prodigies with a view to lead astray--
if indeed that were possible--even God's own People.
013:023 But as for yourselves, be on your guard: I have forewarned
you of everything.
013:024 "At that time, however, after that distress, the sun will be
darkened and the moon will not shed her light;
013:025 the stars will be seen falling from the firmament, and the forces
which are in the heavens will be disordered and disturbed.
013:026 And then will they see the Son of Man coming in clouds with
great power and glory.
013:027 Then He will send forth the angels and gather together His chosen
People from north, south, east and west, from the remotest
parts of the earth and the sky.
013:028 "Learn from the fig-tree the lesson it teaches. As soon
as its branch has become soft and it is bursting into leaf,
you know that summer is near.
013:029 So also do you, when you see these things happening, be sure
that He is near, at your very door.
013:030 I tell you in solemn truth that the present generation will
certainly not pass away without all these things having
first taken place.
013:031 Earth and sky will pass away, but it is certain that my words
will not pass away.
013:032 "But as to that day or the exact time no one knows--not even
the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
013:033 Take care, be on the alert, and pray; for you do not know
when it will happen.
013:034 It is like a man living abroad who has left his house, and given
the management to his servants--to each one his special duty--
and has ordered the porter to keep awake.
013:035 Be wakeful therefore, for you know not when the master of
the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at cock-crow,
or at dawn.
013:036 Beware lest He should arrive unexpectedly and find you asleep.