The 12th Chapter
     As there gathered to gether an innumerable multitude of people (in so much that they trod one another) he began to say unto his disciples: First of all beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be uncovered: neither hid that shall not be known. For what soever you have spoken in darkness: that same shall be heard in light. And that which you have spoken in the ear even in secret places, shall be preached even on the top of the houses.
     I say unto you my friends: Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you, whom you shall fear. Fear him which after he has killed, has power to cast into hell. *Yes, I say unto you, him fear. Are not five sparrows bought for two farthings? And yet not one of them is forgotten of God. Also even the very hairs of your heads are numbered. Fear not therefore: you are more of value, than many sparrows.
     I say unto you: Whosoever confesses me before men, even him shall the son of man confess also before the angels of God. And he that denies me before men: shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever speaks a word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him. But unto him that blasphemes the holy ghost, it shall not be forgiven.
     When they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto the rulers, and officers, take no thought how or what thing you shall answer or what you shall speak. For the holy ghost shall teach you in the same hour, what you ought to say.
     One of the company said unto him: Master, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him: Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? Wherefore he said unto them: take heed, and beware of covetousness. For no mans life stands in the abundance of the things which he possesses. And he put forth a similitude unto them saying: The ground of a certain rich man brought forth fruits plenteously, and he thought in him self saying: what shall I do? because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said: This will I do. I will destroy my barns, and build greater, and therein will I gather all my fruits, and my goods: and I will say to my soul: Soul you have much goods laid up in store for many years, take your ease: eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him: You fool, this night will they fetch away your soul again from you. Then whose shall those things be which you have provided? So is it with him that gathered riches? and is not rich in God.
     And he spoke unto his disciples: Therefore I say unto you: Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat: neither for your body, what you shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more then raiment. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. How much are you better then the fowls. Which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If you then be not able to do that thing which is least: why take you thought for the remnant? Consider the lilies how they grow: They labor not: they spin not: and yet I say unto you, that Salomon in all this royalty, was not clothed like to one of these.
     If the grass which is today in the field, and tomorrow shall be cast into the furnace, God so clothe, how much more will he clothe you, o you endued with little faith? And ask not what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, neither climb you up on high: for all such things the heathen people of the world seek for. Your father knows that you have need of such things. Wherefore seek you after the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be ministered unto you. Fear not little flock, for it is your fathers pleasure, to give you a kingdom. Sell that you have, and give alms. And make you bags, which wax not old, and treasure that fails not in heaven, where no thief comes, neither moth corrupts. For where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also.
     Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and you yourselves like unto men, that wait for their master, when he will return from a wedding: that as soon as he comes and knocks, they may open unto him. Happy are those servants, which the Lord when he comes shall find waking. Verily I say unto you, he will gird himself about and make them sit down to meat, and walk by and minister unto them. And if he come in the second watch, yee if he come in the third watch, and shall find them so, happy are those servants. This understand, that if the good man of the house knew what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch: and not allow his house to be broken up. Be you prepared therefore: for the son of man will come at an hour when you think not.
     Then Peter said unto him: Master, tell you this similitude unto us, or to all men? And the Lord said: If there be any faithful servant and wise, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their duetie of meat at due season: happy is that servant, whom his master when he comes, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you: that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But and if the evil servant shall say in his heart: My master will defer his coming, and shall begin to smite the servants and maidens, and to eat and drink and to be drunken: the lord of that servant will come in a day, when he thinks not and at an hour when he is not ware, and will divide him, and will give him his reward with the unbelievers.
     The servant that knew his masters will and prepared not him self, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and yet did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whom much is given, of him shall be much required. And to whom men much commit, the more of him will they ask.
     I am come to send fire on earth: and what is my desire, but that it were already kindled? Notwithstanding I must be baptised with a baptism: and how am I pained till it be ended? Suppose you that I am come to send peace on earth? I tell you no, but rather debate. For from now on there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father. The mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. The mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
     Then said he to the people: when you see a cloud rise out of the west straight way you say: we shall have a shower, and so it is. And when you se the south wind blow, you say: we shall have heat, and it comes to pass. Hypocrites, you can skill of the fashion of the earth, and of the sky: but what is the cause, that you cannot skill of this time? *Ye and why judge you not of yourselves what is right? *Ye is in bold in the original.
     While you go with your adversary to the ruler: as you are in the way, give diligence that you may be delivered from him, least he bring you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the jailer, and the jailer cast you in to prison. I tell you, you depart not from that place, till you have made good the utmost mite.

The 13th Chapter
     There were present at the same season, that showed him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their own sacrifice. And Jesus answered, and said unto them: Suppose you that these Galileans were greater sinners then all the other Galileans, because they suffered such punishment? I tell you no: but except you repent, you shall all in like wise perish. Or those eighteen upon which the tower in Siloe fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you no: But except you repent, you all shall likewise perish.
     He put forth this similitude: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard: Behold, this three year have I come and sought fruit in this fig tree, and find none: cut it down: why cumbers it the ground? And he answered and said unto him: Lord let it alone this year also, till I dig round about it, and dung it, to see whether it will bear fruit: and if it bear not then, after that, cut it down. And he taught in one of their synagogues on the Saboth days. And behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years: and was bowed together and could not lift up herself at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said to her: woman, you are delivered from your disease. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation (because that Jesus had healed on the Saboth day) and said unto the people. There are six days in which men ought to work: in them come and be healed, and not on the Saboth day.
     Then answered him the Lord, and said: Hypocrite, does not each one of you on the Saboth day, loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him to the water? And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound lo eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Saboth day? And when he thus said, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced on all the excellent deeds, that were done by him.
     Then said he: What is the kingdom of God like? or whereto shall I compare it? Is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his garden: and it grew and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air made nests in the branches of it.
     And again he said: whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three bushels of flour, till all was through leavened. And he went through all manner of cities and towns teaching, and journeying towards Jerusalem. Then said one unto him: Lord, are there few that shall be saved? And he said unto them: strive with your selves to enter in at the strait gate: For many I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
     When the goodman of the house is risen up, and has shut to the door, you shall begin to stand without, and to knock at the door saying: Lord, Lord, open unto us: and he shall answer and say unto you: I know you not from where you are. Then shall you begin to say: We have eaten in your presence and drunk, and you have taught in our streets. And he shall say: I tell you, I know you not from where you are: depart from me all you workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out at doors. And they shall come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last, which shall be first: And there are first which shall be last.
     The same day there came certain of the Pharisees and said unto him: Get you out of the way, and depart from here, now: for Herod will kill you. And he said unto them, Go you and tell that fox, behold I cast out devils and heal the people today and tomorrow, and the third day I make an end. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow, and the day following: For it cannot be, that a Prophet perish any other where, save at Jerusalem.
     O' Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kill Prophets, and stone them that are sent to you: how often would I have gathered your children together, as the hen gathers her nest under her wings, but you would not. Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. For I tell you, you shall not see me until the time come that you shall say, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

The 14th Chapter
     And it chanced that he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on a Saboth day: and they watched him. And behold there was a man before him, which had the dropsy. And Jesus answered and spoke unto the lawyers and Pharisees saying: is it lawful to heal on the Saboth day? And they held their peace. And he took him and healed him, and let him go: and answered them saying, which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straight way pull him out on the Saboth day? And they could not answer him again to that.
     He put forth a similitude to the guests, when he marked how they pressed to the highest rooms, and said unto them: When you are bidden (moved, invited, called) to a wedding of any man, sit not down in the highest room, least a more honorable man than you be bidden of him, and he that bade both him and you, come and say to you: give this man room, and you then begin with shame to take the lowest room. But rather when you are bidden (moved, invited, called), go and sit in the lowest room, that when he that bade you comes, he may say unto you: friend sit up higher. Then shall you have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with you. For whosoever exalts himself, shall be brought low. And he that humbles himself, shall be exalted.
     Then said he also to him that had desired to him to dinner: When you make a dinner or a supper: call not your friends, nor your brethren neither your kinsmen nor yet rich neighbors: least they bid you again, and a recompense be made you. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind, and you shall be happy, for they cannot recompense you. But you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just men.
     When one of them that sat at meat also heard that, he said unto him: happy is he that eats bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he to him. A certain man ordained a great supper, and bade many, and sent his servant at supper time, to say to them that were bidden (moved, invited, called), come: for all things are now ready. And they all at once began to make excuse. The first said unto him: I have bought a farm, and I must needs go and see it, I pray you have me excused. And another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them, I pray you have me excused. The third said: I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come. And the servant went, and brought his Master word thereof.
     Then was the good man of the house displeased, and said to his servant: Go out quickly into the streets and quarters of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind. And the servant said Lord it is done as you commanded and yet there is room. And the Lord said to the servant: Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my supper.
     There went a great company with him, and he turned and said unto them: If a man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, moreover and his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever bear not his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
     Which of you disposed to build a tower, sits not down before and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to perform it? least after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to perform it, all that behold it, begin to mock him saying: this man began to build, and was not able to make an end. Or what king goes to make battle against another king, and sits not down first, and casts in his mind, whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else while the other is yet a great way off, he will send ambassadors, and desire peace. So likewise one of you that forsakes not all that he has, can be my disciple. Salt is good, but if salt have lost her saltiness, what shall be seasoned there with? It is neither good for the land nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out at the doors. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

CONTINUE

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