Page images
PDF
EPUB

blind man sat by the way-side begging. 36. And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37. And they told him, That Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38. Then he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. But they who went before, rebuked him, that he might be silent; but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

39.

42.

40. Then Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought to him. And being come near, he asked him, 41. What wilt thou have me to do for thee? Then he said, Lord, that I may have sight. Then Jesus said to him, Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee. 43. Then immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, seeing it, gave praise to God. CHAP XIX.

OF ZACCHEUS THE PUBLICAN.

AND having entered, he passed thro' Jericho. 2. And, lo, a man named Zaccheus was there, who was chief of the publicans, and he was rich. 3. And he sought to see who was Jesus; but could not for the multitude, because he was of little stature. 4. So he ran before, and climbed up a sycamore tree to see him; for he was to pass that way. 5. Now Jesus coming to the place, looked up, and seeing him, said to him, Zaccheus, come down speedily; for to-day I must abide at thy house. 6. He did so, and received him joyfully.

7. And seeing it, they all murmured, saying, He was gone to be a guest to a sinful man.

8. Then Zaccheus stood, and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wronged in any thing any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

9. Then Jesus said to him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham, (both naturally and spiritually). 10. For

the Son of man is come to seek and to save what was lost.

11. Now as they heard these things, he spake further a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

12. He said, therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. (See Matth. xxv. 14. Christ ascended to heaven to possess his mediatorial kingdom, and to return to judge the world). 13. So he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, saying, Traffic till I come. 14. But his citizens (the Jews) hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15. And being returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called, to know how much every man had gained by traffic. 16. Then the first came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17. So he said to him, Well, thou good servant; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18. Then the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19. He said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20. But another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin: 21. For I feared thee, as thou art an austere man; taking up what thou laidest not down, and reaping what thou didst not sow. 22. Then he said to him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping what I did not sow: 23. Why then gavest thou not my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have had it employed with interest. (It is not enough not to spend it ill, or not lose it, but it must not be kept

uselessly, but spent in pious or charitable actions.) 24. Then he said to them who stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25. They said to him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.

26. For I tell you, That to every one who ims proveth what he hath, more shall be given; and from him who improveth not what he hath, even what he hath shall be taken. 27. But bring hither those mine enemies (the Jews) who would not have me reign over them, and slay them before me, (and destroy their nation).

28. Now having said thus, he went before, going up to Jerusalem.

29. Now as he came near to Bethphage and Beth any, at the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 30. Saying, Go ye to the village opposite: in which, at your entering, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him hither. 31. And if any man ask you, Why, loose ye him? Say to him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

32. So they went, and found even as he said, to them. 33. And, as they loosed the colt, its owners said to them, Why loose ye it? 34. And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

35. Then they brought him to Jesus, and cast their mantles on him, and set Jesus thercon. 36. And as he went, they spread their mantles in the way, (for royal tapestry).

37. And being come nigh the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples rejoiced and praised God aloud, for all the mighty works they had seen; 38. Saying, Blessed be the King (of Zion), who cometh in the Lord's name, peace in heaven, (for saints, communion of angels with them), and glory in the highest.

39. Then some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, Master, rebuke thy disciples, 40. But

he replied, I tell you, if these would hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out, (rather than Christ should not be praised, as the rocks rent when he was on the cross).

41. And being come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it. 42. Saying, O that thou hadst known, in this thy day, the things belonging to thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes, (thy time of trial is past, Heb. xii. 17.) 43. For the days are coming on thee, when thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee around, and press thee on every side, 44. And level thee with the ground, with thy children within thee; they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou wouldst not improve the time of thy visitation.

45. Now he went into the temple, and cast out them that sold and bought therein; 46. Saying to them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of robbers.

[ocr errors]

47. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests, scribes, and chief of the people, sought to destroy him; 48. But could not do what they would; for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

CHAP. XX.

CHRIST AVOUCHETH HIS AUTHORITY.

AND on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came suddenly upon him, with the elders, 2. And said to him, Tell us by what authority thou doest these things, and who gave thee this authority? 3. Then he replied to them, I will also ask you one thing, and answer me; 4. Was John's baptism from heaven, or of men? 5. Then they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we say, From heaven? he will say, Why then believed ye him not? 6. But,

if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us; for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. 7. So they answered, They could not tell whence it was. 8. So Jesus said to them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

9. Then he spake to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went to a far country for a long time. 10. And at the season he sent a servant to receive the fruit from the husbandmen, but they beat him, and sent him away empty. 11. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. 12. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

14.

13. Then the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. 15. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What, therefore, shall the lord of the vineyard do to them? 16. He shall come and destroy them, and give the vineyard to others. And having heard it, they said, Be this far from us.

17. Then he beheld them, and said, What means this scripture, The stone which the builders rejected, is become the head of the corner? 18. Whoever falls on that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it falls, it will crush him to pie ces, Matth. xxi. 33.

19. Then the chief priests and scribes the same hour sought to seize him, for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them; but they feared the people.

20. But they watched him, and sent spies, to feign themselves righteous men, and catch his

VOL. III.

Bb

29

« PreviousContinue »