The Aramaic New Testament

The Aramaic New Testament

Volume One:

The Good News According to Mark and According to Matthew

 

By

Stephen Andrew Missick

 

The Aramaic New Testament

 

Volume I: The Good News According the Mark and According to Matthew

Volume II: The Good News According to Luke the Physician and the Acts of the Apostles

Volume II: The Johannine Corpus: The Gospel of John with the Epistles and the Apocalypse

Volume III: The Writings of Saint Paul of Tarsus

Volume IV: The Apostolic Writings

 

 

The Preaching Of Marcas The Evangelist

The Holy Gospel, the Preaching of Marcas; which he spoke and preached in Rome.

 

Chapter One

 

The beginning of the Gospel of Yeshu Meshikha, the Son of Alaha. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

   Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, 
   Who shall prepare thy way.
   The voice which crieth in the desert, 
   Prepare the way of the Lord,
   Make level his paths.

Juchanon was in the desert, baptizing, and proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And all the region of Judea and all the sons of Jerusalem (Urishlem) went out to him; and he baptized them in the river Jordan, while they were confessing their sins. But Juchanon himself was clothed with a garment of the hair of camels, and girded with a belt of leather upon his loins; and his food was locusts and wilderness honey. And he preached and said, "Behold, One cometh after me, who is mightier than I; he, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to bow myself to unloose. I have baptized you with waters; but he shall baptize you with the Spirit of Holiness." And it was in those days that Yeshu came from Natsrath of Galilee, and was baptized in Jordan by Juchanon. And as soon as he had arisen from the waters, he saw the heavens part asunder, and the Spirit, as a dove, descend upon him. And the voice was from the heavens, "Thou art my Son, the Beloved: I have delighted in thee." And immediately the Spirit led him out into the desert. And he was there in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan: and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.

But after Juchanon was delivered up, Yeshu came to Galilee (Galila), and proclaimed the announcement of the kingdom of Alaha. And he said, "The time is complete; the kingdom of Alaha cometh: repent, and believe the good news." And while he walked about the sea of Galilee, he saw Shemun and Andreas his brother, who were casting nets into the sea: for they were fishermen. And Yeshu said to them, "Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of the sons of men." And at once they abandoned their nets, and went after him. And when he had passed on a little, he saw Jacob bar Zabdai and Juchanon his brother; and they also were in a boat, preparing their nets. And he called them; and immediately they left Zabdai their father with the hired hands, and went after him. And when they were come to Kapher-nachum, he forthwith taught on the sabbaths in their assemblies. And they wondered at his doctrine; for he taught them as having power, and not as their Scribes (sophree). And there was in their assembly a man who had an unclean spirit: and he cried and said, "What is it between us and to thee, Yeshu Natsroya? Art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of Alaha!" And Yeshu restrained him, and said, "Close thy mouth, and come forth from him!" And the unclean spirit threw him down, and cried with a high voice, and went forth from him. And all wondered, and questioned one with another, "Who is this? and what is this new doctrine? Because with authority he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they obey him." And his fame soon went out through all the region of Galilee. And he proceeded from the assembly, and came to the house of Shemun and Andreas with Jacob and Juchanon. And the mother-in-law of Shemun was lying in a fever; and they told him concerning her. And he approached, took her by her hand; and she arose, and at once the fever left her, and she served them. Then in the evening at sunset they brought to him all those who were grievously affected and demoniacs. And the whole city was gathered at the gate: and he healed multitudes who were grievously affected with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and would not permit the demons to speak; for they knew who he was. And in the morning he arose long before day, and went into a solitude, and there prayed. And Shemun and they who were with him sought for him; and when they had found him, they said to him, "All men are seeking thee." He said to them, "Proceed you to the neighbouring towns and cities; for there also will I preach, because for this I have come." And he preached in all their assemblies in all Galilee, and cast out devils. And a leper came to him, and fell at his feet, and besought him, and said to him, "If thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me." And Yeshu had compassion on him, and stretched forth his hand, touched him, and said, "I will, be clean." And in that very moment his leprosy went from him, and he was cleansed. And he restrained him, and led him forth, and said to him, "See lest thou tell any one; but go, show thyself to the priests, and offer the oblation for thy purification as Musha commanded for their testimony." But he, when he was gone forth, began to announce it much, and so divulged the matter as that Yeshu could not go openly in the city, but went without to a solitary part: and they came to him from every place.

Chapter Two

And Yeshu entered again into Kapher-nachum for some days. And when they had heard that he was in the house, many were gathered together, so that it could not contain them, nor yet the space before the gate; and he spoke with them the word. And they came to him, and brought him a paralytic borne between four. And when they could not approach him for the crowd, they ascended to the roof, and took the covering from the place where Yeshu was, and let down the couch on which the paralytic lay. When Yeshu saw their faith, he said to the paralytic himself, "My son, thy sins are forgiven to thee." But some of the Scribes and Pharisee were there, who sat and reasoned in their heart, "Who is this uttering blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but One, Alaha?" But Yeshu knew in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, and said to them, "Why reason you these things in your heart? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Forgiven are thy sins, or to say, Arise, lift up thy couch, and walk? But, that you may know that the Son of Man (Bar Nasha) hath power on earth to forgive sins," he said to the paralytic, "To thee I say, Arise, take up thy couch, and go to thy house." And he arose at once, and took up his couch, and went forth before them all; so that all wondered, and glorified Aloha, saying, "Never saw we thus."

And he went forth again to the sea; and the whole multitude came to him, and he taught them. And when he had passed, he saw Levi Bar Chalphai sitting among the publicans: and he said to him, "Come follow me"; and arising, he went after him. And while he reclined in the house, many publicans and sinners reclined with Yeshu and with his disciples; for they were many, and they followed him. And the Scribes and Pharisee, when they saw him eat with publicans and with sinners, said to his disciples, "Why doth he eat and drink with publicans and with sinners?" But when Yeshu heard, he said to them, "The healthy have no need of the physician, but they who are sorely affected: I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners."

 

Now the disciples of Juchanon and of the Pharisee fasted. And they came and said to him, "While the disciples of Juchanon and of the Pharisee fast, why do not thy disciples fast?" Yeshu said to them, "Can the sons of the marriage-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? No; but the days shall come when the bridegroom shall be taken up from them: then shall they fast in those days. No man inserteth a new piece, and seweth it upon an old vestment; lest that new should take away its fullness from the old, and makes the rent the greater. And no man putteth new wine into old wineskins; lest the wine rends the wineskins, and the bottles perish, and the wine is spilled: but they put new vine into new wineskins."

And it was that, as Yeshu went among the grain, his disciples walked and plucked the ears. And the Pharisee said to him, See how on the Shabbat they do what is not lawful. Yeshu saith to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he needed and was hungry, he, and they who were with him? How he entered the house of Alaha, when Abiathar was high priest, and did eat the bread of the table of the Lord, that which it is not lawful except for the priests to eat, and gave also to those who were with him?" And he said to them, that the Shabbat on account of the Son of Man was made, and not the Son of Man on account of the Shabbat. The Son of Man, therefore, is the Lord also of the Shabbat.

 

Chapter Three

 

And Yeshu again entered the congregation: and a certain man was there whose hand was withered; and they watched him whether he would cure him on the Shabbat, that they might accuse him. And he said to him, the man with the withered hand, "Stand up in the midst." He said also to them, "Is it lawful on the Shabbat to do good, or that which is evil? To save life, or to destroy it?" But they were silent. And he beheld them with indignation, while it grieved him on account of the hardness of their hearts. And he said to the man, "Stretch out thy hand." And he stretched it and his hand straightened. And the Pharisees went out immediately, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. And Yeshu with his disciples went towards the sea: and many people joined him from Galilee, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Edom, and from beyond Jordan, and from Tyre, and from Tsaidon; great multitudes, who, having heard all that he had done, came to him. And he spoke to his disciples to bring a boat for him, that the crowds might not oppress him; for he had healed multitudes, until they were rushing upon him to touch him. And they who were troubled with impure spirits, when they saw him, fell down, and cried, saying, "Thou art the Son of Alaha!" And he strongly prohibited them to make him known.

And he went up a mountain, and called those whom he willed; and they came to him. And he chose twelve to be with him, and to send them to preach, and to have authority to heal diseases and to cast out devils. And he gave to Shemun the name of Kepha; and upon Jacob bar Zabdai, and Juchanon the brother of Jacob, he gave the name of B'nai-regesh, which is, Sons of Thunder (B'nai-rama). And Andreas, and Philipos, and Bar-Thulmai, and Mathai, and Thoma, and Jacob bar Chalphai, and Thadai, and Shemun the Zealous, and Judah S'carjuta, he who betrayed him. And they came to the house: and the assemblies gathered again, so that they could not eat bread. And his relatives heard, and came forth to take him; for they said, "He hath gone out of himself." And the Scribes, they who had come down from Jerusalem (Urishlem), said, "Beelzebub is in him, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils." And Yeshu called them, and by similitudes said to them, "How can Satan cast out Satan? For if a kingdom against itself be divided, that kingdom cannot stand; and if a house against itself be divided, that house cannot stand; and if Satan rise against Satan, and be divided, he cannot stand, but his he at his end. No one can enter into the house of the strong, and spoil his goods, unless first the strong one he binds; and then his house he may destroy. Amen I say to you, That all sin and blasphemy which the sons of men blaspheme may be remitted them; but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Spirit of Holiness hath no remission for ever, but is condemned to the judgment that is eternal." Because they had said that an unclean spirit was in him.

And there came his mother and his brethren, standing without; and they sent to call him to them. But the congregation sat about him. And they say to him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without inquire for thee." And he answered, and said to them, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?" And looking upon those who sat with him, he said, "Behold my mother, and behold my brethren: for whosoever shall do the will of Alaha, he is my brother, and my sister, and my mother."

 

 

Chapter Four

And he began again to teach by the seaside: and great multitudes were gathered to him; so that, going up, he sat in a boat on the sea, and the whole multitude stood on the land, by the edge of the water. And he instructed them by many parables, and said in his teaching, "Listen: Behold, a farmer went forth to scatter seed; and as he scattered the seeds, some fell by the way-side, and the birds came and devoured it. And other fell upon the rock, so that it had not much earth; and it soon came up, because it had not depth of earth: but when the sun arose, it became hot; and inasmuch as it had no root, it dried up. And other fell in a place of thorns; and the thorns sprang up, and choked it, and it gave no fruits. But other fell upon good ground; and it came up, and grew, and gave fruits, some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred." And he said, "Whoever hath ears to hear, let him hear."

And when he was alone, they who were with him along with his twelve inquired of him concerning that parable. And Yeshu said to them, "To you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of Alaha; but to those without every thing is in parables: that while seeing they may see, and not see; and while hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them." And he said to them, "Do you not know this parable? how will you know all parables? The farmer who sowed, sowed the word. These which were by the way-side, these are they in whom the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately cometh Satan, and taketh up the word which was sowed in their heart. And these who upon the rock are sowed, these are they who, when they have heard the word, at once with joy receive it: but they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time; and when there is affliction or persecution on account of the word, they are soon offended. And these who in the place of thorns are sown, these are they who hear the word; and the care of this world, and the deceptiveness of wealth, and the remainder of other lusts, entering, choke the word, and it is without fruit. And these who in good ground are sowed, these are they who hear the word, and receive, and give fruits, thirty, and sixty, and a hundred."

And he said to them, "A lamp never cometh to be put under a measure, or under a bed: is it not set upon a candlestick ? For nothing is hid which shall not be revealed; nor is there any thing in secret which is not to be manifested. If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear."

And he said to them, "Consider what you hear. With that measure which you mete, you shall have measured to you; and there shall be, added to you those which you hear. For whosoever hath, unto him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, that also which he hath shall be taken from him." And he said, "So is the kingdom of Alaha, as a man who shall cast seed into the earth; and shall sleep, and rise up by night and day, and the seed shall increase, and become long, while he knoweth not, For the earth yieldeth him fruit; and first is there the plant, and after it the ear, but lastly the completed wheat in the ear. But when the fruit is mature, immediately cometh the sickle, because the harvest is come." And he said, "To what may we compare the kingdom of Alaha? and with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard, which, when sown in the earth, is smaller than all seeds which are in the earth: and when it is sown, it springeth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and maketh great branches; so that in its shadow the fowl can dwell." In parables such as these spake Yeshu with them, in parables such as they could hear. And without parable did he not speak with them: but to his disciples, between him and them, he explained all.

And he said to them that day, in the evening, "Let us pass to the opposite shore." And they sent away the crowd, and took him into the boat; and other boats were with him. And there was a great commotion and wind, and the waves fell upon the vessel, which was nigh being filled. But Jeshu upon a pillow slept in the after-part of the vessel, and they came and raised him, saying to him, "Rabban (Our master), hast thou no care that we are perishing?" And he arose, and restrained the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be silent." And the wind ceased, and there was a great stillness. And he said to them, 'Why feared ye? how is it ye have no faith? And they feared with great fear, and said one to another, "Who is this, to whom the winds and the sea are obedient?"

 

Chapter Five

And they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gadroyee. And when he had come from the boat, there met him from the place of tombs a man who had an unclean spirit, and he dwelt in the place of tombs; and no man could bind him with chains: for, so often as with shackles and chains he had been bound, the chains he had broken, and the shackles he had burst asunder; and no man could subdue him. And at all time, by night and by day, he was in the place of tombs, and in the mountains, crying out, and bruising himself with stones. But when he saw Yeshu from afar, he ran, worshipped him, and cried with a high voice, and said, "What is it to between me and thee, Yeshu, Son of Alaha the Most High? I adjure thee by Alaha, that thou torment me not!" For he had said to him, "Come forth from the man, unclean spirit!" And he questioned him, "What is thy name?" And he said to him, "Legion is our name, because we are many." And he besought him much that he would not send him out of the region. Now at the mountain there was a great herd of swine feeding. And the devils besought him, saying, "Send us into those swine, that into them we may enter." And he allowed them. And those unclean spirits went forth and entered into the swine; and that herd ran to the rock, and plunged into the sea, as two thousand, and was drowned in the waters. And they who kept them fled, and told in the city, and also in the towns; and they came forth to see what was done. And they came to Yeshu, and saw him who had had the devils, sitting, clothed, and sane; him, who had had in him the legion and they were afraid. And they, who had seen, related to them what had been done to him who had had the devils, and also concerning those swine. And they began to beg of him to go from their region. And when he had ascended the vessel, he in whom had been the devils besought him that he might be with him. But he permitted him not; but said to him, "Go to thy house, to thy men, and show them what the Lord hath done for thee, and how he hath had mercy on thee." And he went, and began to preach in the ten cities what Yeshu had done for him: and all marveled.

And when Yeshu had passed in the boat to the opposite side, there were again congregated unto him great crowds, while he was upon the shore of the sea. And there came one whose name was Yair, one of the masters of the synagogue; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, and besought him much, saying to him, "My daughter is greatly afflicted; come, lay thy hand upon her, and she will be healed, and live." And Yeshu went with him; and a great multitude adhered to him, and pressed him. But a certain woman, who had a flow of blood twelve years, who much had suffered from many physicians, and had expended all whatever she had, and was nothing helped, but also the more afflicted, having heard of Yeshu, came in the press of the crowd behind him, and touched his vestment. For she said, "If I but touch his vestment, I shall live." And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried; and she felt in her body that she had been healed from her plague. But Yeshu at once knew within himself that power had gone forth from him, and he turned to the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" His disciples say to him, "Thou seest the crowds that oppress thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?" And he looked round to see who this had done. But the woman herself, fearing and trembling, because she knew what had been done for her, came, fell before him, and told him all the truth. But he said to her, "My daughter, thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace, and be healed from thy plague." And while he was speaking, there came some of the house of the master of the synagogue, saying, "Thy daughter is dead: for what then art thou troubling the Teacher (Malpana)?" But Yeshu heard the word which they spake, and said to the master of the synagogue, "Fear not, only believe." And he did not permit any one to go with him, except Shemun Kepha, and Jacob, and Juchanon, brother of Jacob. And they came to the house of that master of the synagogue, and he saw how they made a tumult, and wept and bewailed. And he entered, and said to them, "Why make you a tumult, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but asleep." And they derided him. But Yeshu put them all forth, and took the father of the damsel, and her mother, and those who were with her, and went in where the damsel was lying. And he took the hand of the damsel, and said to her, "Damsel, arise." And forthwith the damsel arose, and walked; for she was a daughter of twelve years. And they wondered with great admiration. And he charged them greatly that no one should know this, and spake that they should give her something to eat.

Chapter Six

And Yeshu went forth from thence, and came to his city; and his disciples adhered to him. And when it was Shabbat, he began to teach in the house of the congregation: and many who heard wondered, and said, "Whence to him are these? and what is this wisdom which hath been given him, that miracles such as these by his hands should be done? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mariam, and the brother of Jacob, and of Joseph, and of Judah, and of Shemun? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they were offended with him. And Yeshu said to them, "No prophet is despised, unless in his own city, and among his kinsfolk, and in his own house." And he could not do there any miracle, except that upon a few sick he laid his hands, and healed them And he wondered at the defectiveness of their faith.

And he itinerated through the villages, teaching. And he called his twelve, and began to send them two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey, except a staff only; not a wallet, nor bread, nor brass in their purses; but be shod with sandals, and not to be clothed with two tunics. And he said to them, "Into whatsoever house you enter, there be until you go forth from thence. And every one who will not receive you, nor hear you, when you are going out from thence, beat off the dust that is beneath your feet for their testimony. And Amen I say to you, That it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and for Amura in the day of the judgment, than for that city." And they went forth, and preached that they should repent. And many devils they cast out, and anointed with oil the sick, and healed many.
And Herod the king heard concerning Yeshu, for his name had become known; and he said, Juchanon the Baptizer hath raised from among the house of the dead; therefore works of power are wrought by him. Others said, He is Elijah; and others, A prophet as one from the prophets. But when Herod heard, he said, "It is Juchanon whom I beheaded; he hath risen from among the dead. For Herod had sent and had taken Juchanon, and had cast him into the house of the bound, on account of Herodia, wife of Philipos his brother, whom he had taken." For Juchanon had said to Herod, "It is not lawful to thee to take the wife of thy brother." But Herodia herself was adverse to him, and wished to kill him, but she could not. For Herod feared Juchanon, because he knew that he was a man righteous and holy, and he protected him, and was many times hearing him, doing, and hearing him favorably. And there was a notable day when Herod, in the house of his nativity, (b'beth yaldeh,) made a feast to his chiefs and kiliarchs and the heads of Galilee; and the daughter of Herodia came in and danced; and she pleased Herod and them who reclined with him. And the king said to the damsel, "Ask of me whatever thou wilt, and I will give to thee." And he swore to her, "Whatever thou shalt ask of me, I will give thee, unto the dividing of my kingdom." Then went she out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask of him?" She saith to her, "The head of Juchanon the Baptizer." And immediately she entered with solicitude unto the king, and saith to him, "I will this hour that thou give me, upon a dish, the head of Juchanon the Baptizer." And greatly grieved was the king; but, for the sake of the oath, and the sake of the guests, he could not deny her. But the king dispatched at once a sentinel, and commanded that he should bring the head of Juchanon. And he went and cut off the head of Juchanon in the house of the bound, and brought it in a dish and gave to the damsel, and the damsel herself gave to her mother. And his disciples heard and went, took up his corpse, and laid it in the place of the buried.
And the disciples gathered unto Yeshu, and told him all whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. And he said to them, Come and let us go into the desert alone, and rest a little while; for there were multitudes going and coming, so that they had not space even to eat; and they went to a wilderness district in a vessel by themselves. And many saw them as they went, and knew them; and into the waste ran they from all the cities, and were there before him. And Yeshu coming forth beheld the great assemblies, and had compassion upon them, they being like sheep which had no shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. And when much time had passed, the disciples came to him and said to him, This place is waste, and the time is great; send them away to go to the farms around us and into the villages, and buy for themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat. But he said to them, "Give you them to eat." They said to him, "Shall we go and buy bread for two hundred dinoreen, and give them to eat?" But he said; "Go see how many loaves you have here;" and when they had seen, they said to him, "Five loaves and two fishes. And he directed that they should make them all recline in companies upon the herbage; and they reclined in companies, by hundreds and by fifties. And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the bread, and gave to his disciples to set before them: and those two fishes they divided among them all, and they all did eat and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces, twelve baskets full, and from the fishes. Now they who had eaten bread were five thousand men. And immediately he constrained his disciples to ascend into the bark and to go before him across to Beth-tsaida, while he dismissed the assemblies; and when he had sent them away, he went to a mountain to pray.

But when it was eventide, the boat was in the midst of the sea and himself alone upon the land. And he saw them that they were distressed with rowing; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night Yeshu came to them walking upon the waters, as though he willed to pass by them: but they beheld him walking upon the waters, and thought it was a spectre, and they cried out; for all saw him and were afraid. But he immediately spoke to them and said to them, "Take heart, I am, fear not." And he ascended to them into the ship, and the wind was still: and they wondered greatly, and were astonished among themselves. For they understood not from that bread, because their heart was dull. And when they had crossed over, they came to the land of Genesar. And when they had gone forth from the bark, the men of the place at once recognized him. And they ran throughout all that land, and began to bring those who were greatly afflicted, bearing them on matts, to where they heard that he was. And wherever he entered, into villages and cities, they placed the sick in the streets, and besought from him that they might touch only the edge of his mantle; and all they who touched him were healed.

Chapter Seven

And there gathered to him Pharisee and Scribes, who had come from Jerusalem; and they saw some of his disciples eating bread with their hands not washed; and they complained. For all the Jews (Jihudoyee) and Pharisees, unless they carefully wash their hands, do not eat, because they hold the tradition of the elders; and coming from the market, unless they wash they eat not. And many other of those things there are which they have received to observe, as the baptisms of cups, and of measures, and of brazen utensils, and of beds. And the Scribes and Pharisees questioned him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders; but, while their hands are not washed, eat bread?" But he said to them, "Well prophesied concerning you Isaiah the prophet, you assumers of faces; as it is written, 'This people with their lips honor me, but their heart is very far from me.'" But in vain do they reverence me while they teach the teachings of the commandments of sons of man. For you have abandoned the commandment of God and hold the tradition of men, as the baptisms of cups and measures, and many things like these. He said to them moreover, "You decently suppress the commandment of God, that you may establish your tradition." For Musha hath said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and whosoever curseth father and mother, the death he shall die. But you say, If a man shall say to his father, or to his mother, My oblation, be that whatever from me thou mayest profit; and you permit him not to do any thing for his father and his mother. But you reject the word of Aloha for the sake of the tradition which you have delivered: and many similar (observances) to these you practice. And Yeshu called the whole multitude, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: It is not that which is without the man, and which entereth into him, that can defile him: but that which proceedeth from him, that defileth a man. He who hath ears to hear let him hear."

But when Yeshu had gone into the house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him concerning that parable. He said to them, "How dull are even you! Know you not, that nothing from without that entereth a man can defile him, because it entereth not into his heart, but into his belly, and is cast out in the purgation which all food purgeth? But that which proceedeth from a man, that polluteth a man. For from within, from the heart of the sons of men, go forth evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, robbery, murder, rapacity, malice, fraud, obscenity, an evil eye, blasphemy, vain-glory, folly; all these evils come from within, and they defile a man."

From thence Yeshu arose and went to the region of Tsur and of Tsaidon, and entered into a certain house: and he was unwilling that any man should know of him, but he could not be concealed. For immediately a certain woman heard concerning him, whose daughter had an unclean spirit; and she came, and fell before his feet. But that woman was a Gentile of Phoenicia of Syria, and she prayed of him to cast out the demon from her daughter. But Yeshu said to her, "Let the children first be filled; for it is not well to take the bread of the children and cast it to the dogs." But she answering said to him, "Yes, my Lord, yet the dogs also from beneath the table eat the crumbs of the children." Yeshu saith to her, "Go; on account of that word, the demon hath gone forth from thy daughter." And she went to her house, and found her daughter lying on the couch, and that the demon had gone out from her.

Yeshu again departed from the region of Tyre and of Tsaidon, and came to the Sea of Galilee, on the region of the Ten Cities; and they brought to him a blind man, a stammerer, and besought him to lay upon him the hand. And he took him aside from the crowd by himself, and put his fingers in his ears, and spat, and touched his tongue. And he looked up to heaven, and sighed, and said to him, "Be opened" (Ethphátach) and in that hour his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plainly. And he charged them that to no man they should tell this. But so much as he charged them, they the more proclaimed it; and they were exceedingly astonished, and said, "He doeth every thing well; the deaf he maketh to hear, and them who spoke not, to speak."

Chapter Eight

But in those days when the multitude was great and there was nothing for them to eat, he called his disciples, and said to them, "I have compassion on this multitude, for behold three days have they continued with me, and there is nothing which they may eat. And if it be that I send them away fasting to their houses, they will faint in the way; for some of them come from afar." His disciples say to him, "Whence can any one here in the wilderness satisfy with bread all these?" And he asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They say to him, "Seven;" and he directed the multitudes to recline upon the ground, and he took those seven loaves, and blessed and brake and gave to his disciples that they should set, and they set before the assemblies. And there were fishes, a few: and also over them he blessed, and said that they should set them. And they all ate and were satisfied, and took up the abundances of the fragments, seven baskets full. Now the men who had eaten were about four thousand: and he dismissed them, and immediately ascended into a vessel with his disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

And there came forth Pharisee, and began to question with him, and they demanded of him the sign from heaven, tempting him. And he groaned in his spirit, and said, "Why seeketh this generation the sign? Amen I say to you, There shall not be given the sign unto this generation." And he left them, and ascended into the ship, and went to that overland. And they had forgotten to take with them bread, and but one loaf was with them in the ship. And he counseled them, and said to them, "Look and beware of the leaven of the Pharisee, and of the leaven of Herod." And they reasoned one with another, saying, "Because we have no bread." But Yeshu knew, and said to them, "Why reason you because you have no bread?" do you not yet know nor under stand? Is your heart still hard? And eyes have you, and not see? And ears have you, and not hear? Neither remember you? When those five loaves I brake to five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." He saith to them. And when seven to four thousand, how many panniers of fragments when filled took you up?" They said, "Seven." He saith to them, "How do you not yet understand?"

And he came to Beth-tsaida; and they brought to him a blind man, and prayed of him to touch him. And he took the hand of the blind man, and led him forth without from the village; and spat in his eyes, and laid his hand on them, and inquired what he saw. And he looked, and said, "I see the sons of man as the trees, walking." Again he laid his hand upon his eyes, and he was restored, and he saw every thing clearly. And he sent him to his house, and told him to go not into the village, nor to inform any man in the village.
And Yeshu went forth and his disciples into the villages of Kesarea of Philipos, and he interrogated his disciples by the way, saying to them, "What say men concerning me that I am?" But they answered, "That thou art Juchanon the Baptizer; and others, that thou art Elijah; and others, one from the prophets." Yeshu said to them, "But you, what say you concerning me that I am?" Shemun Kepha answered and said to him, "Thou art the Meshikha, the Son of Aloha the Living." And he charged them that to any one they should not tell concerning him. And he began to teach them, that it was to be that the Son of man should suffer much, and be rejected by the elders, and by the chief priests, and by the Scribes, and be killed, and that the third day he should arise!" And he spoke the word with them openly. And Kepha took him, and began to chide him. But he turned, and, beholding his disciples, reprehended Shemun, and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou thinkest not that which is of Alaha, but that which is of the sons of men."
And Yeshu called to the assemblies with his disciples, and said to them, "Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and come after me. For every one who willeth to save his life shall lose it; and every one who shall lose his life on account of me and on account of my gospel, shall save it. For what is a man profited, if the whole world he gain and his soul be lost? Or what shall a son of man give as the compensation for his soul? For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this generation, sinful and adulterous, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." 

 

Chapter Nine
   

And he said to them, "Amen I say to you, There are some who are standing here, who shall not taste death, until they shall have seen the kingdom of Alaha come with power." And after six days Yeshu took Kepha, and Jacob, and Juchanon, and led them up to a high mountain by themselves. And he was altered before their eyes: and his raiment shone, and became exceeding white as the snow; as the sons of man on earth could not make white. And there were seen with them Musha and Elijah discoursing with Yeshu. And Kepha said to him, "Rabi, it is good for us here to be: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Musha, and one for Elijah (Elia)." But he knew not what he said, for they were in fear. And there was the cloud, and it shadowed over them: and the voice was from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, the Beloved, him hear. (Hano Bari chabiba leh shamaii.)" And instantly, while the disciples looked, they saw no man, but Yeshu alone with them. And while they were descending from the mountain, he charged them to tell no man what they had seen, until the Son of Man should have arisen from the dead. And they held discourse among themselves, and inquired what was this word, when he should have arisen from among the dead. And they asked him, saying, "How then say the Scribes that Elijah must come before?" He said to them, "Elijah doth come before, to restore all things; and how it is written concerning the Son of Man, that much he should suffer, and be rejected. But I tell you, Elijah hath also come, and they have done to him whatever they would, as it is written concerning him."
And when he came to his disciples, he saw with them a great crowd, and the Scribes questioning with them. And immediately all the crowd saw him, and wondered, and ran to salute him. And he inquired of the Scribes, "What dispute you with them?" And one from the company answered and said, "Malpana, I had brought my son to thee, because he hath a spirit which speaketh not; and when he seizeth him, he dashed him, and teareth and grindeth his teeth, and he becometh dry. And I spoke to thy disciples that they should cast him out, but they could not." Yeshu answered, and said to him, "O generation that believeth not! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I tolerate you? Bring him to me." And they brought him unto him: and when the spirit saw him, he immediately dashed him, and he fell upon the ground; and was convulsed, and was torn. And Yeshu asked the father, "How long is it from the time from which it was thus?" He saith to him, "Behold, from his childhood. And many times he casteth him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but whatever thou canst, help me, and have mercy upon me." Yeshu saith to him, "If thou canst believe, every thing can be to him who believeth." And in a moment the father of the youth cried out, weeping and saying, "I am believing; help the imperfection of my faith." But when Yeshu saw the people running together, and assembling to him, he rebuked the unclean spirit, and said to him, "Spirit, deaf and unspeaking! I command thee, come forth from him, and enter not into him again!" And that devil cried greatly, and crushed him, and went forth. And he became as the dead; as that many would say, "He is dead." But Yeshu took him by the hand, and raised him. But when Yeshu had gone into the house, his disciples inquired of him by themselves, "Why could not we cast him out?" Yeshu said to them, "This kind with nothing can be cast out, but by fasting and prayer." And when he had gone forth from thence, they passed into Galilee: and he was not willing that any man should know of him. And he taught his disciples, and told them, "That the Son of Man would be delivered into the hands of men, and they would kill him; and that when he was slain, on the third day he should arise." But they understood not his word, and feared to ask him.

 

And they came to Kapher-nachum: and when they had entered the house, he asked them of what they had argued in the way among themselves. But they were silent: for they had contended in the way one with another, who should be greatest among them. And Yeshu sat, and he called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wills to be the first, shall be the last of all, and the servant of all. And he took a certain child, and made him stand in the midst: and he took him upon his arms, and said to them, Every one who receiveth one who is as this child in my name, me he receiveth: and whoever me receiveth, not me he receiveth, but Him who sent me." Juchanon said to him, "Rabi, we saw a man casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he did not adhere to us." Yeshu saith to them, "Forbid him not; for no man who doeth powerful works in my name, can soon speak of me that which is evil. He therefore who is not against you is for you. For every one who shall give you only a cup of waters to drink in the name that you are of the Meshikha, Amen I say to you, He shall not lose his reward. And every one who shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it had been more tolerable for him that an ass-millstone had been set to his neck, and he had been cast forth into the sea. But if thy hand, causeth offence to thee cut it off: better for thee mutilated to go into life, than having two hands to go into Gehenna; where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. And if thy foot causeth offence to thee, cut it off: better for thee to go into life lame, than having two feet to fall into Gehenna: where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. And if thine eye causeth offence to thee, root it out: better for thee that with one eye thou enter the kingdom of Alaha, than having two eyes to fall into the Gehenna of fire: where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. For every thing with fire is salted, and every victim with salt shall be salted. Good is salt: but if the salt shall become insipid, how shall it be salted? Let there be in you salt, and in peace be one with another."

Chapter Ten

And he arose from thence, and came to the borders of Judea (Jehud) on the other side of the Jordan: and great multitudes went thither to him; and he taught them again as he was accustomed. And the Pharisee drew nigh, tempting him, and demanding whether it were lawful for a man to dismiss his wife. He said to them, "What hath Musha prescribed?" But they say, "Musha permitted us to write a writing of dismissal, and to send away." Yeshu answered and said to them, "On account of the hardness of your heart he wrote for you this commandment. But from the beginning the male and the female Alaha made them. For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they two shall be one flesh: henceforth they are not two, but one flesh. What Alaha therefore hath conjoined, man may not separate." And his disciples asked him again in the house concerning this matter. And he said to them, "Every one who shall send away his wife, and take another, commits adultery. And if the wife shall leave her husband, and shall become another's, she commits adultery."

And they presented unto him children, that he should touch them: but his disciples rebuked those who presented them. But Yeshu, when he saw, was displeased, and said to them, Permit the children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of those who are as these is the kingdom of Alaha. Amen I say to you, "That whoever shall not receive the kingdom of Alaha as a child, shall not enter into it." And he took them on his arms, and laid his hand upon them, and blessed them.

And as he journeyed in the way, one ran, fell upon his knees, and asked him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life"? Yeshu said to him, "Why callest thou me good? None is good but one, Alaha. Thou knowest the commandments, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not witness false testimony, Thou shalt not injure, Honor thy father and thy mother." But he answered and said to him, "Malpana, these all have I kept from my childhood." And Yeshu beheld him and loved him, and said to him, "One thing is wanting to thee: go, sell all whatever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have a treasure in heaven: and take up thy cross and come after me." But he was grieved at that word, and went away sorrowful: for he had great riches. And Yeshu beheld his disciples, and said to them, "How hard to those who have riches to enter the kingdom of Alaha! But his disciples were astonished at his words." And Yeshu answered again, and said to them, "My sons, how hard is it for those who trust on their riches to enter into the kingdom of Alaha! It is easier for a camel to go through the hole of a needle, than for a rich to enter into the kingdom of Alaha." And they were the more astonished, and said among themselves, "Who can be saved?" Yeshu beheld them and said to them, "With the sons of men this is not possible, but with Alaha: for every thing is possible with Alaha."

 

Then began Kepha to say, "Behold, we have forsaken every thing, and have cleaved to thee. Yeshu responded and said, Amen I say to you, There is no man who forsaketh houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, on account of me, and on account of my gospel, who shall not receive a hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields, with persecution; and in the world which cometh the life that is eternal. But many are first who will be last, and last who will be first."

Now when they were going up in the way to Jerusalem, Yeshu himself preceded them; and they were amazed, and came after him, fearing. And he took his twelve, and began to tell them what it was which was to happen to him. "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests, and to the Scribes; and they shall condemn him to the death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles; and shall mock him, and scourge him, and spit in his face, and kill him: and the third day he shall arise."

And Jacob and Juchanon, sons of Zabdai, approached him, saying to him, "Malpana, we would that whatever we ask thou wilt do for us." He saith to them, "What will you that I should do for you?" They say to him, "Give us that one may sit at thy right hand, and one at thy left, in thy glory." But he said to them, "You know not what you ask: can you drink the cup that I drink? And with the baptism that I am baptized with can you be baptized?" They say to him, "We can." Yeshu saith to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and with the baptism that I am baptized with you shall be baptized: but that you sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, except for those for whom it is prepared." And when the ten heard, they began to murmur against Jacob and Juchanon. And Yeshu called them and said to them, "You know that they who are considered the princes of the Gentiles are lords of them; and their great ones exercise power over them: but not thus shall it be among you. But if any one among you willeth to be great, let him be to you the servant; and whoever of you willeth to be the first, he shall be the laborer for all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life the ransom for many."

And they came unto Jericho. And as Yeshu went forth from Jericho, he and his disciples and a great multitude, Timai bar Timai, the blind man, was sitting by the side of the way begging. And he heard that it was Yeshu Natsroia; and he began to cry out, and to say, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, that he should be silent: but he cried out the more, saying, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Yeshu stood, and commanded that they should bring him. And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of heart, rise, he calleth thee." But he, the blind, loosed his garment, and rose up, and came to Yeshu. Yeshu saith to him, "What wilt thou that I do for thee?" And he, the blind, said to him, "Rabi, that I may see." And Yeshu said to him, "See: thy faith hath saved thee. And instantly he saw, and he went in the way."

Chapter Eleven

And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, against Bethphage and Beth-ania, at the mount of Olives, he sent two from his disciples, and said to them, "Go to that village which is over against you; and forthwith as you enter it, you will find a colt tied, which no man hath ridden; loose, bring him. And if any man shall say to you, Why do you this? Say to him, Because for our Lord it is requested, and at once he will send him hither." And they went, and found the colt tied at the gate without in the street. And as they were loosing, some of those who were standing said to them, "What are you doing that you loosen the colt?" But they said to them as Jeshu had instructed them; and they permitted them. And they brought the colt to Yeshu, and threw upon him their garments; and Yeshu rode upon him. But many spread their vestments in the way, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them in the way; and these who went before him, and these who came after him, cried, saying, "Save now! And blessed be the coming kingdom of our father David: Save now, in the heights (Ushana bamraumee)!" And Yeshu entered Jerusalem, into the temple, and surveyed every thing. And when it was the time of the evening, he went forth to Beth-ania with the twelve. And the day after, when he went from Beth-ania, he hungered. And he saw a certain fig-tree from afar which had leaves on it, and he came to it, if he might find upon it somewhat; but when he came, he found on it only the leaves, for the time was not for figs to have been ingathered. And he said to it, "Henceforth and for ever man from thee fruit shall not eat." And his disciples heard. And they came to Jerusalem. And Yeshu went into the temple of Alaha, and began to cast forth those who sold and bought in the temple, and he overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them who sold doves: and he would not suffer any man to carry goods through the temple. And he taught, and said to them, "Is it not written, That my house the house of prayer shall be called of all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves." And the chief priests and Scribes heard it, and inquired how they might destroy him; for they feared from him, because all the people admired his doctrine.

And when it was evening, they went without from the city. And in the morning, while they passed by, they saw that fig-tree that it was dry from its root. And Shemun remembered and said to him, "Rabi, behold, that fig-tree which thou didst curse hath dried." And Yeshu answered and said to them, "Let there be in you the faith of Alaha. Amen I say to you, That whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be lifted up, and fall into the sea, and shall not be divided in his heart, but shall believe that that thing which he speaketh is, he shall have the thing that he saith. On this account I tell you, that every thing whatever you supplicate and ask, believe that you receive, and it shall be unto you. And when you stand to pray, forgive whatever you have against any man; and your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, your Father who is in heaven will also not forgive you your transgressions. And they came again to Jerusalem: and as he walked in the temple, the chief priests and the Scribes and the elders came to him, and said to him, By what authority these things doest thou? And who gave thee the authority to do them? But Yeshu said to them, I also will ask you one word, that you may tell me, and I tell you by what authority I these things do. The baptism of Juchanon, from whence was it? From heaven, or from the sons of man? Tell me." And they reasoned among themselves, and said, If we say to him, that it was from heaven, he saith to us, And why did you not believe him? And if we should say, From the sons of man, there is fear from the people; for all have held Juchanon that he was truly a prophet. And they answered, saying to Yeshu, We know not. He saith to them, "I also do not tell you by what authority I these things do."

 

Chapter Twelve

 

And he began to discourse with them in parables. "A certain man planted a vineyard, and surrounded it with an enclosure, and dug in it a wine-press, and built in it a tower, and gave it to be held by husbandmen, and journeyed. And he sent to the husbandmen his servant in the time to receive the fruits of the vinery. But they beat him, and sent him away empty. He sent to them again another servant; and also that one they stoned, and bruised him, and sent him away with dishonor. And he sent again another, and him they killed; and many other servants he sent, and of them they beat, and of them they killed. But at last having one son, the beloved, he sent him to them; for he said, "Now will they be confounded by my son." But those husbandmen said among themselves, "This is the heir; come let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours." And they took and killed him, and cast him without from the vinery. What therefore shall the Lord of the vinery do? He will come, destroy those laborers, and will give the vinery to others. And also that scripture have you not read, The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner? From the Lord is this done, and it is wondrous in our eyes." And they sought to apprehend him, but feared from the people: for they knew that concerning themselves he had spoken this parable. And he left them, and went.

And they sent to him men from the Scribes and from the house of Herod, that they should ensnare him in discourse. And they came and questioned him: "Malpana, we know that thou art true, and that thou bearest not care for man: for thou regardest not the person of the sons of man, but in truth the way of Alaha thou teachest: Is it lawful to give head money to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?" But he knew their deceit, and said to them, "Why do you tempt me? Bring me the dinara, that I may see it. And they brought it to him. He said to them, "Of whom is this image and writing?" And they said, "Of Caesar." Yeshu said to them, "Of Caesar give to Caesar, and of Alaha to Alaha." And they were astonished at him.

 

And the Sadducees (Zadukoyee) came to him, those who say that (there is) no resurrection; and they questioned him, saying, "Malpana, Musha has written for us, That if the brother of a man die, and leave a wife, and leave not children, his brother shall take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. Seven brethren there were. The first took a wife, and died, and left not seed. And the second took her, and died, and he also left not seed: and the third likewise. And the seven of them took her, and did not leave seed: last of all died also that woman. In the resurrection therefore, whose from them shall she be the wife? For the seven of them had her." Yeshu saith to them, "Do you not on this account err, because you know not the scripture, nor the power of Aloha? For when they rise from the dead, they take not wives, neither are wives given unto husbands; but as the angels that are in heaven are they. But concerning the dead, that they rise: have you not read in the book of Musha, how from the bush Aloha said to him, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? And Aloha is not of the dead, but of the living. You therefore do greatly err."

 And one from the Scribes approached and heard how they disputed, and, perceiving that he had well rendered to them the answer, inquired of him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" Yeshu saith to him, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, Israel, The Lord our Aloha is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second, which is like it, is that thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is not another commandment greater than these." That Scribe said to him, "Well said, Rabi, and truly hast thou spoken: for One there is and no other than He: and that a man love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and that he love his neighbor as himself, is better than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices." Yeshu, seeing that he had wisely returned the word, answered and said to him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of Alaha." And no man dared again to question him. And Yeshu answered and said, while he taught in the temple, "How say the Scribes that the Meshikha is son of David? For David himself saith by the Spirit of Holiness, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I set thy adversaries a footstool beneath thy feet. David therefore himself calleth him My Lord; and how is he then his son?" And the entire multitude heard him gladly. And in his doctrine he said to them, "Beware of the Scribes, who will to walk in long robes, and love the shalama in public places, and the chief seats in the congregations, and the head couches at suppers: they who devour the houses of widows, and for the occasion prolong their prayers: they shall receive the greater judgment."

And as Yeshu sat before the house of treasure, he beheld how the multitude cast money into the place of treasure; and many rich threw in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and threw in two menin, which are a shemona. And Yeshu called to his disciples, and said to them, "Amen I tell you, that this poor widow more than all the men who throw hath thrown into the house of treasure. For all they from what is over abundant to them have thrown in, but this from her deficiency all whatever she had; she hath thrown in her whole possession."

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

And as Yeshu went forth from the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Malpana, behold, see those stones and those buildings?" But Yeshu said to him, "You see these great buildings?" There will not be left here a stone upon a stone which will not be destroyed. And while Yeshu sat on the Mount of Olives before the temple, Kepha and Jacob and Juchanon and Andreas asked him by themselves, "Tell us when these events shall be, and what the sign is when these all draw nigh to be accomplished." But he, Yeshu, began to say to them, "See that no man deceive you. For many will come in my name, and will say, I am He; and many will be deceived. But when you hear of battles and the rumor of wars, fear not: for it is that they are to be; but not yet is the end. For people shall rise against people, and kingdom against kingdom; and earthquakes will he in various places; and there will be famines and convulsions. These are the beginning of sorrows. But look to yourselves; for they will deliver you to the judgments; and in their assemblies will they scourge you, and before kings and governors you shall stand on account of their testimony. But first will be preached my gospel among all the nations. But when they lead you to deliver you up, be not previously anxious what you shall say, nor premeditate; but that, whatever is given you in that hour, that say. For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of Holiness. But the brother will betray his brother to the death, and the father his son; and children will rise up against their fathers, and shall put them to death; and you will be hated by all men on account of my name: but he who shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved."

But when you see the unclean sign of desolation, that which is spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not,-he who readeth, let him understand!-then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountain And he who is upon the roof, let him not descend nor enter in to carry any thing from his house; and he who is in the field, let him not turn back to take up his garments. But woe to those who are with child, and to those who give suck, in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter: for in those days shall be affliction such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation which Alaha created, and until now, nor shall be. And unless the Lord cut short those days, no flesh would live; but on account of the elect whom he hath chosen, those days he hath cut short. Then, if any man shall say to you, Behold, here is the Meshikha! And, 'Behold, he is there!' believe not. For there will arise false Messiahs and prophets of a lie, and will give forth signs and wonders, to deceive, if possible, the elect also. But you, beware. Behold, I have told you every thing before.

But in those days after that affliction the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give forth her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be moved. And then will they see the Son of Man coming in the cloud with great power and with glory. And then will he send his angels, and will assemble his chosen ones from the four winds, from the extremity of the earth to the extremity of the heavens.

But from the fig-tree learn a parable. When her branches are tender, and she shoots forth her leaves, you know that the summer draws nigh: so also you, when you see that these things are done, understand that it is near, even at the door. Amen I tell you, that this race shall not pass until these all shall be. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and of that hour man knoweth not, nor the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Look: be watchful and pray; for you know not when the time is. For as a man who hath journeyed, and left his house, and hath given authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and the door-keeper he hath instructed to be watchful; so watch you, therefore, because you know not when cometh the Lord of the house,-in the evening, or in the dividing of the night, or at cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest he should come suddenly, and find you sleeping. But what to you I say, that unto all I say, Be watchful."

Chapter Fourteen

But after two days was the Pascha of Unleavened Bread: and the chief priests and the Scribes sought how with guile they might apprehend and kill him. And they said, "Not on the festival, lest there be a commotion among the people." And when he was at Bethany in the house of Shemun the leper, as he reclined, there came a woman who had with her a vase of the balsam of the choicest nard of great prices; and she opened it, and poured it upon the head of Yeshu. But there were men of the disciples who were displeased among themselves, and said, "Why make destruction of this balsam? for it could have been sold for more than three hundred dinoreen, and given to the poor." And they were angry with her. But he, Yeshu, said," Let her alone; why do you trouble her? A good work hath she wrought upon me. For in all time you have the poor with you, and, when you will, you can do them good; but I am not at all time with you. With that which was hers she hath done this, and beforehand as for the funeral she hath anointed my body. And Amen I say to you, that wheresoever my gospel shall be preached in the whole world, this also which she hath now done shall be told in memorial of her."
But Judah Scarjuta, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray Yeshu to them: and they when they had heard rejoiced, and promised silver to give him. And he sought to him opportunity to betray him.

And the first day of the Unleavened Bread, in which the Jews sacrifice the Pascal lamb, the disciples say to him, "Where wilt thou that we go to prepare for thee to eat the Pascha?" And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go to the city, and, observe, a man meeteth you bearing a vessel of waters. Go after him; and when he hath entered, say to the house-lord, Our Master saith, "Where is the place of feasting, where I can eat with my disciples the Pascha?" And, behold, he showeth you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us." And the disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had told them: and they prepared the Pascha. And when it was evening he came with his twelve. And as they reclined and ate, Yeshu said to them, "Amen I tell you, that one of you who eateth with me shall betray me." But they began to be sad, and said to him one, one, Is it I? But he said to them, "One of the twelve who dippeth with me in the dish." And the Son of man goeth, as it is written concerning him; but woe to that man by whom is betrayed the Son of Man! It had been better for that man if he had not been born.

And while they were eating, Yeshu took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them, and said to them, "Take; this is my body." And he took the cup, and praised and blessed, and gave to them; and they drank of it, all of them. And he said to them, "This is my blood of the new Covenant, which for many is shed. Amen I say to you, that again I will not drink from the fruit of the vine till that day in which I will drink it newly in the kingdom of Alaha." And they praised, and went forth to the Mount of Olives.

And Yeshu said to them, "All of you will be offended with me in this night: for it is written, I will strike the Shepherd, and scattered shall be his sheep." But when I have arisen, I go before you into Galilee." Kepha saith to him, "If all shall be offended with thee, yet I will not." Yeshu saith to him, "Amen I tell thee, that thou, to-day, in this very night, before the cock shall crow, three times wilt deny me." But he the more said, "If I shall die with thee, I will not deny thee, my Lord." And so also all of the disciples said. And they came to the place which is called Gedsimon; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." And he took with him Kepha and Jacob and Juchanon, and began to be sorrowful and agonized. And he said to them, "My soul is afflicted unto death; wait for me here, and be watchful." And he removed a little, and fell upon the earth, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, "Father, my Father, thou canst do every thing, cause to pass from me this cup: but not my will, but thine." And he came and found them sleeping: and he said to Kepha, "Shemun, dost thou sleep? Couldst thou not watch one hour? Be wakeful and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit is willing and ready, but the body is infirm." And he went again, prayed, and said that word. And he turned again, came and found them sleeping, because their eyes were made heavy, and they knew not what to say to him. And he came the third time, and said to them, "Sleep on, and be at rest. The end approaches, and the hour cometh, and, behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, we will go; behold, he draweth nigh who betrayeth me." And while he was speaking, Judah Scarjuta, one of the twelve, came, and with him a multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the Scribes and the elders. And the traitor who betrayed had given to them a sign, and said, "He whom I shall kiss is He: take him carefully and lead him." And immediately he approached, and said to him, "Rabi, Rabi," and kissed him. Then they laid on him their hands and seized him. But one of those who stood drew a sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and took off his ear. But Yeshu answered and said to them, "As against a robber are you come out against me, with swords and with staves to apprehend me? Every day with you was I teaching in the temple, and ye did not take me; but to fulfill the scriptures this is done." Then his disciples forsook him and fled. But a certain youth followed him, and he was covered with a linen cloth, naked; and they laid hold on him: but he left the linen cloth, and escaped naked. And they led Yeshu to Kaiapha, chief of the priests: and were gathered together to him all the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. But Shemun from afar came after him, until within the court of the chief of the priests: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. But the chief priests and all the assembly of them sought against Yeshu testimony to put him to death, but they found not. For when many bore witness against him, their testimonies were not equal. But men rose up against him, witnesses of falsehood, and said, "We heard him say, I dissolve this temple which is made with hands, and in three days I build another not made with hands." But neither so was their testimony equal. And the chief of the priests arose in the midst, and questioned Yeshu, and said, "Returnest thou no answer? What witness against thee these?" But Yeshu was silent, and answered him nothing. And again the chief of the priests demanded, and said, "Art thou the Meshikha, the Son of the Blessed?" (Meshikha Bareh dambarka.) And he, Yeshu, said to him, "I am: and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming upon the clouds of heaven." Then the chief of the priests tore his robe, and said, "Why now seek we witnesses? Behold, from his own lips you have heard the blasphemy: how is it seen by you?" And they all judged that he was guilty of death. And some began to spit on his person, and they struck him on his face, and did buffet him, saying, "Prophesy!" And the servitors struck him upon his cheeks.

And Shemun being below in the court, there came a certain damsel of the chief of the priests. She saw him as he warmed himself, and knew him, saying to him, "Thou also wast with Yeshu Natsroia." But he denied, and said, "I know not what thou sayest." And he went without into the vestibule; and the cock crew. And again that damsel saw him, and she began to say to those who were standing, "This man is also of them." But he again denied. And after a little while those who stood said to Kepha, "Assuredly thou art from them, for thou art also a Galilean, and thy speech is similar." But he began to imprecate and to swear, "I know not this man of whom thou speakest!" And in the hour the cock crew the second time. And Shemun remembered the word that Yeshu had spoken to him, That before the cock should crow twice; three times thou shalt deny me. And he began to weep.

Chapter Fifteen

And immediately in the morning the chief priests with the elders and with the scribes and with the whole congregation made council; and they bound Yeshu, and led him and delivered him to Pilatos the governor. And Pilatos asked him, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" And he replied and said to him, "Thou hast said." And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he, Pilatos, asked him again and said to him, "Returnest thou not an answer? See how many are witnessing against thee." But he, Yeshu, did not give any answer; so that Pilatos admired. But he was accustomed at every festival to release to them of the bound one whom they requested; and there was one who was called Bar-aba, who was bound with the makers of sedition, they who murder in the sedition had committed. And the people cried out and began to demand, that as he was used he would do to them. But Pilatos answered and said, "Will you that I release to you the King of the Jews?" For Pilatos knew that for envy the chief priests had delivered him. But the chief priests the more incited the multitude, that Bar-aba he should release to them. But he, Pilatos, said to them, "What then will you that I do to this, whom ye call King of the Jews?" And they cried out the more, "Crucify him!" Pilatos said to them, "Why? What evil hath he done?" And they the more exceedingly cried, "Crucify him." But Pilatos was willing to serve the will of the people, and released to them Bar-aba, and delivered up to them Yeshu, scourged, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him into the court which is the praetorium, and called the whole band; and they robed him in purple, and twisted and set upon him a crown of thorns, and they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they struck him upon the head with a cane, and spat in his face, and kneeled upon their knees and worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple, and clothed him with his own vestments, and led him forth to crucify him.

And they constrained one who was passing, Shemun Kurinoia, who was coming from the field, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to bear his cross. And they brought him to Gogultha, a place which is interpreted "A skull." And they gave him to drink wine which was mixed with myrrh; but he would not receive. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, and cast for them lots who should take them. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And there was written the occasion of his death in the inscription, "This is the King of the Jews." (Hanu Malka d'Jihudoyee) And they crucified with him two thieves, one on his right and one on his left; and was accomplished the Scripture which said, "That with the wicked he was reckoned."

And they also who passed by blasphemed against him, wagging their heads and saying, Ho, destroyer of the temple and builder of it in three days, deliver thyself and come down from the cross ! And so also the chief priests laughing one with one, and the Scribes, and saying, "Others he saved, himself he cannot save. The Meshikha King of Israel, let him descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe on him; and they also who were crucified with him reviled him."

And when it was the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And in the ninth hour Yeshu cried with a high voice and said, "Il, Il, Lamana Shabaktoni! Which is, Alahi! Alahi! (My God, my God!) Why hast thou forsaken me? And certain who heard, of them who were standing, said, Elijah (Elia) he calleth; but one ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, and bound it on a rod that he might drink. And they said, "Let alone, we will see if Elijah cometh to take him down." But he, Yeshu, cried with a high voice, and completed: and the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. But when that centurion who stood near him saw that he cried thus, and ended, he said, "Assuredly this man was the Son of Alaha." And there were women from afar who were beholding; Mariam Magdalitha, and Mariam mother of Jacob the less and of Joseph, and Shaloom (Salome); those who, when he was in Galilee, adhered to him, and ministered to him, and many others who went up with him to Jerusalem.

 

And when it was evening of the preparation which is before the Shabbat, came Jauseph, he who was from Rametha, an honorable counselor, who also himself waited for the kingdom of Alaha. And he took courage, and went in to Pilatos and requested the body of Yeshu. But Pilatos wondered if he were now dead; and he called the centurion and asked him whether before the time he was dead: and when he had learned, he gave the body to Jauseph. And Jauseph bought linen, and took him down and wrapped him in it, and laid him in a sepulcher which was hewn in the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the sepulcher. But Mariam Magdalitha and Mariam, she who was the mother of Joseph, beheld where he was laid.

 

Chapter Sixteen

 

And when the Shabbat had passed Mariam Magdalitha and Mariam, the mother of Jacob and Salome (Shaloom), bought aromatics, and came to anoint him. But in the morning of the first day in the week, they came to the sepulcher when the sun had risen, and they said between themselves, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the house of burial?" And they looked and saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very great. And they went into the sepulcher, and saw a youth sitting on the right. And he was clothed in a white robe. And they were astonished. But he said to them, "Fear not! Yeshu Natsroia you seek, he who was crucified, he has risen; he is not here. Behold the place where he lay. But go, tell his disciples and Kepha that, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall you see him as he told you." And when they had heard, they fled, and went forth from the sepulcher, for astonishment and tremor had seized them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.

 But in the morning of the first day of the week he arose, and was first seen by Mariam Magdalitha, she who had seven devils cast out from her. And she went and declared to them who were with her, who mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard what they told, that he lived and had appeared to them, believed them not. After these things he appeared to two of them in another fashion as they walked and went to a village. And they went and told the rest, neither did they believe. But afterward he appeared to the eleven as they reclined, and he reproved the littleness of their faith and the hardness of their heart, because those who had seen that he had arisen they had not believed. And he said to them, "Go into the entire world, and proclaim my gospel to every creature: He who believeth and is baptized is saved; and he who believeth not is condemned. And these signs shall follow those who believe: In my name they shall cast out devils, and with new tongues shall they speak; and serpents they shalt take up; and if the poison of death they drink, it shall not hurt them; and their hands shall they lay upon the sick, and they shall be healed." But Yeshu our Lord, after he had spoken with them, unto the heavens ascended, and sat on the right hand of Alaha. And they went forth and preached in every place, and our Lord helped them, and confirmed their words by the signs which they wrought.

(Note Chapter 14: Phatiree, "unleavened bread," in the plural; so called either from phatar, "to send forth, liberate," in allusion to the Exodus; or from the Arabic fatara," to knead bread without leaven.")

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hebrew Origin of Saint Matthew's Gospel:

Jesus in the Light of Jewish Sources

 

By

Stephen Andrew Missick

 

"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" John 8:32

 

    I want to begin by looking at the name of Jesus. Jesus is a Greek way of pronouncing the name Joshua. How do you get Jesus ("Iesous") out of Joshua? The name "Jesus" is a Hebrew loan-word in the Aramaic language. It was pronounced "Yeshua". In Greek there is no letter "Y" so it was replaced with an "I". There is no "sh" so they pronounced it as an "s". Also in Greek it sounds proper to end a name with an "s". This is seen in the Aramaic name "Kaipha" which is written "Kaiphas" in Greek (and mispronounced as "Cephas" in English). Hence, we have "Iesous", or Jesus. How was the name originally pronounced? In Jerusalem and in the southern area of Judea it was pronounced as "Yeshua", however, Galileans had their own dialect of Aramaic. This distinctive form of Aramaic is mentioned in the Gospels and in the ancient Jewish writings called the Talmud. In the area of the north where Galilee was they would have called Jesus "Yeshu". Certain ignorant people claim that the name "Jesus" contains the name of the Greek God Zeus. This is not true. (People who say this do not believe in the authority of in the inspiration of the Books of the New Testament in our holy scriptures. Thus they are outside of Christian orthodoxy.) Others claim that "Jesus" is the Hebrew word for "horse" and that when we call our Lord "Jesus" we are insulting him. This is also false.

    The word Yeshua is an Aramaic form of the Hebrew name "Yehashua". In Hebrew this name means "Yahweh is Salvation". Yahweh is a more correct pronunciation of the Name of God which in older translations is written as "Jehovah". After the Babylonian Captivity, the Jews out of reverence to the name of God avoided uttering it lest it be taken in vain and thus violate the second commandment. This tradition was practiced by Jesus and the writers of the New Testament. (Strong's seems to suggest that this Aramaic name is found in the Old Testament in our Bibles as 'Jeshua'. In Strong's concordance Yeshua, which he states is Chaldean, meaning Aramaic, form is coded 3443. 3444 is pronounced almost the same as Yeshua and this is the Hebrew word for 'salvation'. Strong interprets it as "deliverance, victory, prosperity, health, salvation, save, saving, health and welfare". The name Yeshua is found in the Old Testament and it is not Yahshua.)

    Jesus warned his followers about people who are leavened with the evil spirit of the scribes and Pharisees. These people will "strain on a gnat and swallow a camel". They are obsessed with trivialities and ignore what is important is God's message; justice, mercy and equity. Should we pronounce the name of Jesus Yahshua, Yehoshua, Yeshua or Y'shua? Not satisfied to only dwell on this issue they argue about the Divine Name of God, YHWH. We do not know exactly how this word was pronounced. Should we not speak it and say "adonai"? Or should we pronounce it Yahowah or some other pronunciation? Scholars have no consensus on how it was pronounced. Certain church fathers writings centuries after the time of Christ transcribed it as "Yahweh" in Greek. Other pronunciations from archeological evidence include Yahu, Yahoo and Yahwah. This is not a subject we can be dogmatic on. Jesus didn't focus on the correct pronunciation of the "Tetragrammitan" and showed his reverence for the name of God by not uttering it. Jesus called the Lord "Father" and "God", which is Elaw in Aramaic.

    Yeshua is a form of the name Joshua as in Joshua the Son of Nun who led the army of Israel under Moses and led the Israelites after the death of Moses. Ron Miller in The Hidden Gospel of Matthew notes that "His full name was Jehoshua ben Yosef; Joshua the son of Joseph. But Jehoshua was commonly shortened to Jeshua or Jeshu. When the gospels were written in Greek, there was a problem. Greek has no sh sound. So Iesous was the closest approximation to Jeshu. Furthermore, it was not common in Greek to end a name in a vowel, and the word Jesus was arrived at." Mr. Miller is slightly incorrect. In Aramaic the pronunciation would have been "Yeshua Bar Yosef". The form 'Jesus' as an equivalent for 'Joshua' was settled on about 150 years before the birth of Jesus when the Old Testament was translated into Greek as the Septuagint translation. In the New Testament Joshua the Son of Nun is also called 'Jesus'. 'Jesus' was a very common name in the first century. Flavious Josephus, a Jewish historian who wrote during the same era the New Testament was being composed, mentions several people who lived at the time of Christ who were also named Jesus. (There is symbolic significance in the name Joshua. Moses gave the law but it was Joshua that brought the people into the land of promise, which symbolizes the Kingdom of God.) The Jews transformed Yeshu into a Hebrew acronym, "May His Name Be Accursed" (Yeshu-Yemach SHemo Uezichro-"May his name and memory be obliterated"),

    In the Gospel of Matthew we find a word-play with the name Yeshua and its meaning in Hebrew. This word-play works in Hebrew but not Aramaic. So, what language did Jesus speak, Hebrew or Aramaic? Was the Gospel of Matthew originally written in Hebrew?

    The answers to these questions are not lost to history. By carefully examining the New Testament, archeological discoveries and the writings of the church fathers the facts can be discovered.

 

Papias and the Discourses on the Oracles of Our Lord

 

Papias was one of the early church fathers. He interviewed people who knew the apostles and wrote down saying of Jesus that had been handed down orally. He knew three of the apostolic generation, John the Elder, his disciple Polycarp and someone name Ariston. Papias work has been preserved only in fragments. He was a second generation Christian and lived at the end of the first century and the beginning of the second. Papias stated "Matthew collected the oracles in the Hebrew language and each interpreted them as best as he could". In the New Testament and in the early Church era the Aramaic dialect of the Jew's was called 'Hebrew'. In the New Testament sometimes Aramaic and sometimes Hebrew is referred to as 'Hebrew'. For example, Golgotha is called a Hebrew word in John's Gospel. It is Aramaic. But in the Revelation Abaddon and Armageddon are Hebrew and not Aramaic.

Papias' book was in five parts. We also find five books in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew like the Torah has five books. This is noted by the imminent British scholar William Barclay in his New Testament translation.

 

Prelude: The Infancy Narrative (note: Hebrew versions of Matthew did not start with the genealogy nor with the birth narrative. It began with the words, "And so in the days of Herod, king of Judea, John came baptizing a baptism of repentance in the river Jordan. He was said to have come from the tribe of Aaron the priest…"

Book One: The Law of the Kingdom (Chapters 5-7)

Book Two: Ambassadors of the Kingdom (10)

Book Three: Parables of the Kingdom (13)

Book Four: Greatness and Forgiveness (18)

Book Five: The Coming of the Kingdom (24-25)

 

According to Papias Peter dictated his account of the Life of Jesus to John Mark. Papias included additional stories of Phillip and his daughters including a story of how they raised a dead man to live. He also preserved a narrative of Barnabas drinking a deadly substance and it doing him no harm. According to Papias Judas Iscariot was obese. Part of the reason why Papias was not preserved was it contained sayings of Christ that referred to his millennial reign. Many important church leaders decided that John's and Isaiah's prophecy of the Peaceful kingdom were not to be taken literally. Thus Papias fell from acceptance. In Papias Jesus speaks of the earth being fertile and animals living at peace with man in the coming kingdom and rebukes Judas Iscariot for his incredulity.

 

Shem Tov and the Polemical Gospels

 

A Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew has been found in a medieval book entitled "the Touchstone", Evan Bohan in Hebrew. It is an anti-Christian book written by a Rabbi named Shem Tov Ibn Sharput. This book was written in 1380. It contains the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew with is interrupted with and followed by a running commentary attacking Christianity. During the Middle Ages Jews were forced to come to "disputations" were they debated Christianity with authorities in the Roman Catholic Church. The Evan Bohan was written to help Jews argue against the truths of Christianity in these sessions. There are other of these anti-Christian Hebrew gospels such as one that is called "DuTillet".

Hugh Schonfield, George Howard and Michael Rood argue that this Gospel of Matthew contained in the Shem Tov work represents the original text of Matthew's Gospel that had disappeared but had been secretly preserved and re-surfaced in Rabbi Ibn Sharput's attack on Christianity.

 

How we know it isn't so…

 

Neither Ibn Sharput nor the Jewish community claimed that this Hebrew Gospel was the original version. If they did find it in their archives why didn't they say they did?

 

Such Hebrew Matthews only appear in Polemical works (the DuTillet version also contains commentary attacking Christianity). The reason behind this is that they originated for polemical purposes.

 

The text of the Polemical Matthews do not preserve Hebrew or Aramaic forms of the names of the Apostles, the text even has the Latin form "Apostolos" instead of the Aramaic or Hebrew form Shlikha. It has Petros instead of Peter, James is called Jimmy instead of the original Jacob and even Matthew has the Italian form Matio! If it was based on a Hebrew source why doesn't it have Hebrew forms of the apostles names? Even our Greek New Testaments have Simon Peter's Aramaic name Cephas. See Shem Tov Matthew 10: 2-3.

 

The Polemical Matthews are full of Latin words. This shows that they are translations from the Latin. The Latin is so obviously the source and background of these Matthews. The Shem Tov Matthew has a Latin substratum. If it has a "Hebrew" substratum where is it? No part of the Shem Tov Matthew can be proven to be a primitive Hebrew substratum. Here is a list of only some of the Latin words embedded in the Shem Tov. The Hebrew text is full of Latin words written in Hebrew letters.

 

    Mavangeleo, Good Gift Matthew 4: 23

    Libela repudio, Divorce Decree Matthew 5:31

    Ipocrates, Hypocrites Matthew 6:2

Paralatiko, paralyzed Matthew 8:6, 9:2

Paan Sagrah, Holy Bread Matthew 12:4

Rezinah de Isteriah, Queen of the East Matthew 12:42

Kristo, Christ Matthew 16: 16

Phiblios, Tassels Matthew 23: 5

Evungili, Gospel Matthew 24:14

 

Whoever wrote the Polemical Matthews did not know the geography of the Holy Land.

He confused Gilgal with Galilee in Matthew 4:12.(Gilgal is the place in the southern region of the Jordan River where Joshua and the Children or Israel crossed into the Promised Land.) He has Jesus travel to Macedonia in Greece in Matthew 15:39. It should be Magdala not Macedonia but the translator didn't know the geography of the Holy Land. He also calls Bethany "Cephar-hananyah" and Arimathia "Karnasiah" because he doesn't know these places and has no idea of where they are.

 

The writers of the Polemical Matthews did not know their Jewish history. The translator is unaware of who Herod Archeleaus is in Matthew 2:22. The translator also confuses Simon the Cyrenian with Simon the Canaanite, who is the same as Simon the Zealot (Matthew 27: 32).

 

Early Church Fathers knew of, described to us and even quoted from Hebrew versions of the Gospel of Matthew. The Shem Tov and related versions do not fit the description of the Hebrew Gospels and do not contain the additional and alternate reading known to be found in the Hebrew gospels. For example, the Hebrew Matthew was slightly shorter than our canonical Matthew. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople from 806-818, counted 2200 lines of texts in the Hebrew Matthew and thus is was according to his computations 300 lines shorter than our Biblical Matthew.

 

People who believe that the Polemical Matthews are the original version of the Gospel of Matthew are one of three things.

 

1. Not very intelligent, ill educated or poor scholars.
   
2. Fooling themselves, wanting to believe something that so obviously isn't true
   
3. Deceiving other people-someone who would promote Shem Tov as a type of "Dead Sea Scroll" discovery is a sensationalist at best and a huckster and charlatan at worst.
   

 

With the Shem Tov Matthew we are getting far removed from the original. With the Shem Tov we have a translation of a translation of a translation. And Shem Tov is a bad translation of even the Latin! It is full of errors, scribal errors and translation mistakes. With George Howard's The Gospel of Matthew According to a Primitive Hebrew Text we are far removed from the original. Here is how it goes English from Hebrew from Latin from Greek from the original Hebrew and Aramaic. There is nothing 'primitive' about the Shem Tov Matthews, they are very obviously from the Middle Ages and are poorly translated from the Latin Vulgate. The scholarship of the proponents of the Shem Tov Matthew is very questionable. Schonfield is the author of the Passover Plot (a book advocating the swoon theory and saying that Jesus was a phony messiah orchestrating events in order to deceive the populace). Howard has been quoted saying that the Greek word for God (theos) refers to a pagan deity and shouldn't be used by followers of Yeshua. If this is true the New Testament is not the inspired word of God and Paul was instructing the people of Athens to worship a false God when he told them that the "Unknown God (theos)" they ignorantly worshiped he came to declare to them. Jesus warned us to watch out for wicked men and deceivers.

 

 

The Hebrew Anti-Gospel of Toledoth Yeshu

 

While the Jews did not preserve a version of the Gospel of Matthew, they did have their version of the Gospel story that has been preserved and has been discovered in both Hebrew and Aramaic versions. It has also been preserved in Yiddish, the German language used by Jews in Europe. It is entitled the "Toledoth Yeshu" , this means the Epic, the Legend or the Generations of Jesus. It has an alternate title "Masaey Talui", which means "The Acts of the Crucified". An early version discovered in Aramaic and that was found in Egypt has been dated to the fifth century. This work is really very absurd it is filled with historical mistakes and anachronisms. It says Jesus was born in 90 BC and has Jesus as a contemporary with Queen Helena the mother of Constantine the Great who lived three hundred years after the time of Jesus. In it Jesus is a black magician who practices sorcery through perverting the secret name of God. He has a homosexual relationship with Judas Iscariot and leads an army against the Romans in Jerusalem. He is justly put to death but his resurrection is fabricated by his disciples. The fraud is exposed and then Jesus corpse is dragged through the streets of Jerusalem and desecrated. This highly offensive and derogatory work was written to inoculate Jewish youth against the claims of Christianity. Schonfield tried to argue that this work had some historical value but in reality it is just a trashy piece of hate literature that has little value except to shock and offend.

 

Jesus in the Talmuds

 

The Talmuds are the Rabbic commentaries that are authoritative texts for modern Judaism. Jesus is mentioned in the Talmuds. He is seldom mentioned and when he is it is in a similar manner to the Toledoth Yeshu.

In the Talmud it seems that Mary Magdalene is confused with Mary the Mother of our Lord. According to the Talmud, Jesus was the son of a whore and his biological father was a rapist named Pantera and this Pantera was a Roman soldier. Jesus is often called Ben Pantera meaning the Son of Pantera. In the Talmud Jesus is a sorcery and an idolater and a practitioner of the Black Magic he learned in Egypt.

There are only two important references to Jesus in the Talmud. One is a genuine lost saying and the other is a description of the passion.

 

On the eve of Passover they hung Yeshu and the crier went forth for forty days beforehand declaring that "Yehsu is going to be stoned for practicing sorcery, for enticing and leading Israel astray. Anyone who knows something to clear him should come forth and exonerate him." But no one had anything exonerating him and they hung him on the eve of Passover. Ulla said: Would one think that we should look for exonerating evidence for him? He was an enticer and God said (Deuteronomy 13;9), "Shoe him no pity or compassion, and do not shield him." Yeshu was different because he was close to the government.

Talmud Sanhedrin 43a

 

The reference to his being "close to government" may be a concession that he was of royal Davidic decent. The next verse deals with the disciples.

    

It is taught Yeshu had five disciples -Mattai, Nekai, Netzer, Buni and Toda. They brought Matai before the judges. He said to them, "Will Matai be killed? It is written, (Psalm 42:2) "When [which is Mattai in Hebrew] shall I come and appear before God." They said, "Yes, Matai will be killed as it is written (Psalm 41:5) "When [which is Mattai in Hebrew] shall he die and his name perish."

They Brought Nekai. He said to them, "Will Nekai be killed" It is written (Exodus 23:7) "The innocent [which is Naki in Hebrew] and the righteous you shall not slay." They said to him, "Yes Nekai will be killed as it is written (Psalm10:8) "In secret places he splay the innocent [which is Naki in Hebrew]."

They brought Netzer. He said to them: "Will Netzer be killed? It is written (Isaiah 11:1) "A branch [which is Netzer in Hebrew] shall spring up from his roots." They said, "Yes Netzer shall be killed as it is written (Isaiah 14:19) You are cast out of your graves like an abominable branch [which is Netzer in Hebrew]."

They brought Buni. He said to them, "Will Buni be killed? It is written (Exodus 4:22)"My son [Beni in Hebrew], my firstborn, Israel." They said to him, "Yes, Buni will be killed as it is written (Exodus 4:23) "Behold, I slay your son [Bincha in Hebrew] your firstborn."

They brought Todah. He said to them, "Will Todah be killed? It is written (Psalm 100:1) "A Psalm for thanksgiving [which is Todah in Hebrew]." They said to him, "Yes, Todah will be killed as it is written (Psalm 50:23) Whoever sacrifices thanksgiving [Todah in Hebrew] honors me."

 

Talmud Sanhedrin 43a

 

In this passage the names of these five disciples are interpreted and texts and counter texts are given. Who are these disciples Mattai is obviously Matthew. Bunni is elsewhere in the Talmud is identified with Nikodimon Ben Gorion or Nicodemus. What this represents is a trial and a sentencing to execution of disciples of Jesus. It also show a debate about Jesus fulfilling prophecy. The disciple offers a proof text and the rabbis offer a counter text. Now we know that Jesus had twelve disciples. Why are there five here? Notice, Matthews Aramaic name, Mattai, which is still used by Aramaic Christians today, comes first. The next four names mean Innocent, Branch, My Son, and Thanksgiving. The five names also remind us of the five books of Papias and the five books of the Gospel of Matthew. Particularly important is the third name, Netzer, the Branch. This is a source of the word Nazarene and Nazorean. Looks look at the names like this Matthew is the title and the history of Jesus he wrote becomes the subject of the debate. Jesus was righteous or innocent, which is the source of the name Nekai. Jesus is the Holy One. Secondly, Jesus is the Son of David and the Branch, Netzer, of Jesse. Then we see that Jesus is the Son of Man and the Son of God. In Hebrew the word for Son is Beni. Lastly we have Todah, for thanksgiving. Perhaps this is because the early Christian Jews interpreted thanksgiving Psalms, such as Psalm 118, as being Messianic prophecies.

Another saying is believed to contain an authentic lost saying of Jesus, the only one found in the Talmud. Rabbi Eliezar was condemned for associating with heretics, the Minnom, meaning Christians. He said

While walking in the supper streets of Sepphoris there I met with one of the disciples of Yeshu the Nazorean, by name Jacob of Kephar Sechania, who said to me, "It is found in your law, "Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot into the house of thy God" (Deuteronomy 23:19). May a toilet for the high-priest be made out of such a gift? I knew not how to answer him. Then he said to me, "This is what Yeshu the Nazorean taught me "Of the hire of an harlot has she gathered them and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return (Micah 1:7)" From the place of filth it has come and unto the place of filth it shall return." This saying pleased me.

 

Another important saying states:

 

It happened that Eliezar ben Dama was bitten by a serpent. Then came Jacob of Kephar Secania to heal him. But Rabbi Ishmael would not allow it. Ben Dama said, "Rabbi Ishmael, allow me to be healed by him, and I will bring thee a verse from the Torah showing it is allowed." But he died before he had the opportunity. Then Rabbi Ishmael said, "Blessed art thou, Ben Dama, that thy body is pure, and that thy spirit has passed away in purity, and that thou hast not transgressed the words of thy companions."

 

Thus, according to the Talmud, it is better to die rather than to be prayed over or healed by a believer in Jesus.

 

Who was Matthew?

 

In the Gospels Matthew is also called Levi. He was a tax collector. Tax collectors were seen as collaborators with the Roman oppressors of the Jewish people. Publicans, tax collectors and sinners were seen as traitors to their own race and the worst kind of sinners. Tax collectors did exploit their position. Everything they got over the set quota they were allowed to keep for themselves. They were extortionists, hedonists, drunkards, vulgar and sexually promiscuous. Sinners like Matthew were repudiated by the Jewish establishment. They would never be acceptable among the Pharisees or the Essenes because of their past. They were not given the luxury of being allowed to repent. The community of John the Baptist, and later of Jesus, did not tolerate sin but they did accept repentant sinners no one else would accept. As Joachim Jeremias noted part of the Good News was that God was inviting people to repent, the opportunity was available. God would forgive the repentant sinner and they would be accepted by the community. This love attracted Matthew. Yet it also had a great challenge.

 

The calling of Matthew shows us what Repentance really means in the teachings of Jesus. Mark 2: 14 states that, Jesus "passed by and saw Levi the Son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And he said to him, "Follow me." So he arose and followed him. It is important that we meditate on this verse and not pass over it to quickly. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who was martyred by the Nazis, brought out some important truths from this passage.

 

Jesus summons people to follow Him not as a teacher, or a pattern of the good life, but as the Christ, the Son of God. In this short text Jesus Christ and his claim are proclaimed to us. Not a word of praise is given to the disciple for his decision for Christ. We are not expected to contemplate the disciple, but only Him who calls and his absolute authority.

Levi must leave the receipt of custom in order to follow Jesus. One would have thought that nothing so drastic was necessary as such an early stage. Could not Jesus have initiated the publican into some new religious experience and leave him as he was before? He could have done so, had He not been the incarnate Son of God. But since He is the Christ, He must make it clear from the start that His Word is no t an abstract doctrine but the re-creation of the whole life of man. The only right and proper way is quite literally to go with Jesus. The call to follow implies that there is only one way of believing on Jesus Christ and that is by leaving all and going with the incarnate Son of God.

Now He has come, and His call goes forth. Faith can no longer mean sitting still and waiting-he must rise and follow Him. The call frees him from all earthly ties and binds him to Jesus Christ alone. He must plunge into the absolute insecurity in order to learn the demand and gift of Christ.

Had Levi stayed at his post, Jesus might have been his present help in trouble, but not the Lord of his whole life. In other words, Levi would never have learned to believe. The new situation must be created-the impossible situation in which everything is staked solely on the word of Jesus. The road to faith passes through obedience to the call of Jesus. Unless a definite step is demanded, the call vanished into thin air, and if people imagine that they can follow Jesus without taking this step, they are deluding themselves.

 

Matthew was an educated person. He knew how to keep records and documents. He gave that all up and used his skill to become a scribe in the Kingdom of God. In Matthew scribes are praised. Matthew 13:52, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the Kingdom of heaven is like a householder that brings out of his treasure things old and new."

Scholars believe that Matthew traveled to Antioch and established a school of Christian scribes known as the School of Matthew. Around 90 AD Matthew as we know have it was completed. Ignatius of Antioch, an early church father, was familiar with Matthew's Gospel. This subject is dealt with in the book Antioch and Rome.

 

 

In the Genealogy Matthew uses numerical symbolism. In Hebrew as in the Roman alphabet we use letters can also be numbers. The idea of Hebrew letters being numbers strikes many people as a mysterious concept but it shouldn't be. I, V, X, L, C and M are numbers. This is one, five, ten, fifty, one hundred and one thousand. This demonstrates that the concept of letters representing numbers is not familiar to us. Matthew assigns the numerical value of fourteen to the name David and uses it as a structure to organize the genealogy of Jesus. Aramaic and Hebrew letters are the same and have the same numerical value in both languages. In Hebrew David is D-V-D or 4+6+4, which of course 14. In Matthew, as Jesus said, the Son of David is greater than Solomon, he is also greater than David as David himself said in the Psalm. The divisions in the genealogy represent that Jesus is three times greater than David. The genealogies found in Matthew and Luke were according to Eusebius preserved by the Despoynia, the surviving relatives of Jesus. Luke used one of their family trees and the other was later added to Matthew's Gospel.

 

Matthew's Gospel is about what Jesus did and said. He juxtaposes large sections of teachings with miracle stories. Two things are important and distinctive about Matthews Gospel. His Gospel contains large amounts of the Doctrine of Jesus. This means what Jesus taught. All four gospel and the book of Acts contain many examples of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus but Matthew has more Old Testament citations than the rest of the Gospels.

 

What did Matthew Write?

 

The Gospel of Matthew that we have is an expanded version of the Gospel of Matthew. It has incorporated material from the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the earliest Gospel we have. The Gospel of Matthew actually summarizes material that has been added to it from Mark. This is clearly seen in the story of the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus.

 

So what did Matthew originally write? Matthew wrote two works. The teaching document know as "Q" and a collection of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus entitled "The Book of the Testimonies". A school of Christian Scribes that was founded my Matthew is probably responsible for the form of the Gospel of Matthew that we have today. It was based on the "Source" sayings document, the "Book of the Testimonies" and other material passed down both orally and in written form that did originate from Matthew. Important work on the original Book of the Testimonies called the testimonia was done by Dr. Rendel Harris in Cambridge. Based on a quotation from Justin Martyr it seems the Book of Testimonies had Genesis 49:11 fulfilled on Palm Sunday. The "Q" or Source document is a collection of sayings of Jesus that has been incorporated into Matthew and Luke.

 

The Gospel of the Hebrews

 

The question still remains, "What language did Matthew write in Hebrew or Aramaic".

While the Shem Tov Matthew isn't the original Hebrew Matthew, Saint Jerome did have access to the original Hebrew version of Matthew. He actually translated it into Latin. Like Papias' works it is now a lost work, although Jerome does cite this important Gospel. Jerome describes it in the following manner.

 

In the Gospel according to the Hebrews which is written in the Chaldaic and Syriac language [by this he means Aramaic], and is used up to this present day by the Nazoreans, I mean that according to the Apostles, or , as many maintain, according to Matthew…

 

From a direct first hand source we have that the Gospel of Matthew was written in the Aramaic language. A version of Matthew in Hebrew is a theoretical probability, it probably at one time existed. But we know for certain that in ancient times there was an Aramaic gospel because the church fathers used it and quoted from it. Jerome was fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. He had the text in front of him and describes it to us as being in Aramaic. Jerome is a reliable source.

 

Additional Readings from the Gospel of the Hebrews

 

There is additional information about Jesus that was only preserved in the Hebrew Gospels. For instance, we know from the Hebrew Gospels that when Jesus went to be baptized by John that his mother and brothers went with him. In 1 Corinthians 15:7 Paul mentions the appearance of the Resurrected Jesus to James, his brother. In the Hebrew Gospel we have a fuller account.

 

The Lord, after he had given the linen cloth [the Shroud] to the priest's slave, went to James and appeared to him. (Now James had sworn not to eat bread from the time that he drank from the Lord's cup until he would see him raised from among those who sleep." Shortly after this the Lord said, "Bring a table and some bread," and immediately it is added: He took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to James the Just and said to him, "My brother, eat your bread, for the Son of Man has been raised from among those that sleep."

 

The Jewish Gospels also have it that at the Baptism a great light shined down on Jesus and danced on the water like flames. This tradition is preserved in Aramaic Christian art and is depicted on Syriac Icons.

Jerome referenced the Gospel of the Hebrews to clarify the Lord's Prayer. He found that in the Aramaic was the word "Mahar" (still used in Aramaic today for "tomorrow"). Jerome said, "I found the word 'mahar' which means "bread for tomorrow". The majority of scholars feel that this reflects the original.

The Gospel of the Hebrews said "three days" and not "three days and three nights" in Matthew 12:40. This supports the belief that Jesus rose on the third day rather on the fifth day as people who try to compute three days and three nights (72 hours) as the time in the tomb. Matthew 12:40 may represent a scribal slip or a Hebraic Parallelism, which is a poetical structure. This is the only verse in the New Testament that has Jesus in the tomb three days and three nights and it is very interesting that it isn't found in the Hebrew Matthew. It is also interesting that here the Hebrew Matthew agrees with Luke 11:29. The idea of "three days" or "on the third day" has an Old Testament precedent (Joshua 2:16, 1 Samuel 26:19, 1 Kings 12:12). Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:4 that Jesus rose on the third day "according to the scriptures", this means according to Old Testament prophecy. This was most likely Hosea 6:2 which speaks of rising on the third day, not after three days had past nor on the fifth day.

The Hebrew Matthew also contained a verse that read, "Even if you are resting on my breast but do not do the will of my Father in heaven, I will cast you away from my breast." A similar saying is found in John 15: 2 and 5-7.

Hebrew Matthew had a longer version of the story of the rich young man.

 

"Master, what good things must I do to have life?" He replied to him, "O man, you should keep the law and the prophets." He responded, "I have already done that." Jesus said to him, "Go, and sell all that you have and distribute the proceeds to the poor, then come, follow me." But the rich young man scratched his head, for he was not please. And the Lord said to him, "how can you say, "I have kept the law and the prophets" For it is written in the law, "You shall love you neighbor as yourself". But look, many of your brothers, sons of Abraham, are clothed in excrement and dying of hunger while your house is full of many good things, not one of which goes forth to these others."

 

In the Hebrew Gospel it reads that Jesus said "You should never rejoice except when you look upon your brother in love." There are several other expanded saying and extra narratives from the Hebrew Matthew.

 

Other Hebrew Matthews

 

Scholars see three ancient Hebrew Gospels. The First is the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Second is the Gospel of the Nazoreans and the third is the Gospel of the Ebionites. The Hebrew Gospel called the Gospel of the Nazoreans was not considered to be non-orthodox according to church fathers. The Gospel of the Ebionites was a Greek Gospel used by a Jewish Christian sect called the Ebionites, which is from the Hebrew Ebion meaning the poor. This Gospel reflects their theology and tries to make Jesus out to be a vegetarian. It does have an interesting alternate reading,

 

And so there was a certain man named jesus, who was about 30 years old. He is the one who chose us. When he came to Capernaum he entered into the house of Simon, called Peter, and he opened his mouth to day, "As I was passing the lake of Tiberius I chose John and James, the sons of Zebadee, and Simon, Andrew, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot; and I called you, Matthew, while you were sitting at the tax collector's booth, and you followed me. I want you, therefore, to be the twelve apostles as a witness to Israel.

 

The famous poet and scholar Robert Graves in a massive work did a theoretical reconstruction of the Hebrew Matthew in a huge volume he entitled "The Nazorean Gospel Restored". This work is very impressive in its references of Rabbinical sources and the Jewish background of the Gospels. But is suffers from certain novel theories that he held to such as the "swoon theory". Graves believed that Jesus fainted on the cross and woke up in the tomb and after escaping from the Romans guarding the grave site he fled to Damascus and later further east. The books citations are helpful but many of his conclusions and hence reconstructed readings are dubious.

 

Aramaic Sources

 

The Ancient Aramaic Gospel that Jerome had is now lost but we do have important ancient Aramaic Gospels. There are conspiracy theories about a secret library in the Vatican. If there is truth to those legends it is possible that the translation of Jerome into Latin of the lost Aramaic Gospel could be preserved there. Instead of dwelling on 'what ifs' we can avail ourselves of important manuscripts we do have. The Aramaic versions seem to correct what some scholars see as scribal errors in Matthew but the truth may be the opposite. Scribal errors were made when Matthew was translated out of the Aramaic.

 

The first is The Diatesseron of Tatian the Assyrian. This was composed in the middle of the fourth century. The word "Diatesseron" means 'a harmony from four'. Tatian the Assyrian was the pupil of Saint Justin Martyr. This was the first harmony of the Four Gospels. Tatian was bi-lingual so he made both an Aramaic and a Greek version. This version of the Gospels became so popular among Aramaic Christians that they used it rather than the four gospels. Later, the Syrian Orthodox faction began burning all copies of it they could get their hands on and so we no longer have a complete text in either the Aramaic or the Greek. We do have a commentary on the Diatesseron by St. Ephraim the Syrian and an Arabic translation of the Diatesseron. Tatian is believed to have been informed by Hebrew Gospels while he composed the Diatesseron.

 

The Old Syriac Gospels were discovered in the Syrian Monastery in Egypt. (I have been to this monastery.) Another version was found in the monastery in Mount Sinai. This is the oldest translation of the gospel into any language. These two ancient texts were discovered in 1858 and 1892.

 

The Pesheeta Bible is the official Bible of the Aramaic Churches. It is a very ancient version of the Bible and its Aramaic is virtually identical with the form of Aramaic that was used by Jesus.

The Peshitta is move valuable than the Shem Tov Matthews. With the Peshitta we have an ancient translation, which is a good translation, back into the original Aramaic idiom spoken by Jesus. The Peshitta, unlike the Polemical Gospels, is indeed ancient. Greater clarity and word-plays are found in this Aramaic version.

 

Fragments of the Gospel have been found The Palestinian or "Jerusalem" Syriac Lectionary that belonged to an Aramaic Christian community. This community spoke Aramaic in the exact form that Jesus and the apostles did so this is a very valuable discovery. The alphabet they used is the Syriac Aramaic alphabet. But this work is written in the exact dialect Jesus spoke and not the closely related Syriac form.

 

Maurice Casey's Aramaic Sources

 

We no longer possess an original Aramaic gospel. Certain scholars have mastered the Aramaic language and then attempted to re-construct the Gospels in the original Aramaic.

Torrey began this endeavor with his "Our Translated Gospels". Then Burney continued with his "Poetry of Our Lord". They used Jewish Aramaic sources such as the Talmud and the Targums to theoretically reconstruct the Aramaic of Jesus. They did not have the Targum Neofiti, which is a paraphrase of the Old Testament in the Aramaic dialect Jesus used. They didn't have the Dead Sea Scrolls either. Maurice Casey has produced two books using the best Aramaic sources to reconstruct the words of Jesus in the original Aramaic. These books are Aramaic Sources of Mark's Gospel and An Aramaic Approach to Q. After the Syriac Peshitta Casey's work is the best work we have of the words of Jesus in Aramaic. Casey is not without his faults. He has a strong dislike for the Gospel of John because he sees it as anti-Semitic. He also has what I view as a faulty understanding of the Aramaic term, Barnasha. This word is translated as "The Son of Man".

The Aramaic used in the movie the Passion of the Christ was translated by Father William Fulco. Father Fulco is a very reputable scholar and this Aramaic in the film is very well done.

In conclusion, the Aramaic work is now ongoing and much work has yet to be done.

 

Matthew on Film

 

There are two movies whose scripts are based entirely on the Gospel of Matthew. The first is the Italian movie by Pier Paolo Pasolini. This movie was filmed at the same location that the Passion of the Christ was. This film is black and white (even though it was filmed in the 1960s) and is iconoclastic. The strength of this film is in the passion that the actor who portrays Jesus has in delivering the strong words of Jesus, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. The Pasolini film is considered a classic. This film was shot in Italian but is available dubbed over in English. A more recent effort starred Bruce Marchiano as a happy laughing Jesus. I doubt the text warranted such a portrayal. The Marchiano version is sincere but perhaps a little misdirected. It has every word from the New International Version on screen.

 

The Preaching Of Mathai The Apostle

By the Strength of Our Lord and Our God Yeshu Meshikha

The Holy Gospel of the Preaching of Mathai; which he preached in Hebrew in the land of Judea

 

 

Chapter One

The record of the geneology of Yeshu the Meshikha, the Son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham begat Issac, Issac begat Jacob, Jacob begat Judah and his brothers: Judah begat Pharez and Zara of Tamar: Pharez begat Hezron: Hezron begat Ram: Ram begat Aminadab: Aminadab begat Nahshon: Nahshon begat Salmon: Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab: Boaz begat Obed of Ruth: Obed begat Jesse: Jesse begat David the king: David begat Solomon of the wife of Uriah: Solomon begat Rehoboam: Rehoboam begat Abia: Abia begat Asa: Asa begat Jehoshaphat: Jehoshaphat begat Joram: Joram begat Uzziah: Uzziah begat Jotham: Jotham begat Ahaz: Ahaz begat Hezekiah: Hezekiah begat Manasseh: Manasseh begat Amon: Amon begat Josiah: Josiah begat Jeconiah and his brothers, in the captivity of Babylon. And after the captivity of Babylon, Jeconiah begat Salathiel: Salathiel begat Zerubbabel: Zerubbabel begat Abiud: Abiud begat Eliakim: Eliakim begat Azor: Azor begat Zadok: Zadok begat Achim: Achim begat Eliud:Eliud begat Eleazar: Eleazar begat Matthan: Matthan begat Jacob: Jacob begat Jauseph, the husband of Mariam, of whom was born Yeshu who is called the Messiah (Meshikha)    Thus all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David to the exile of Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile of Babylon to the Meshikha, fourteen generations.

 

Now the nativity of Yeshu the Meshikha was thus: While Mariam his mother was betrothed to Jauseph, before they could be consummated, she was found to be with child from the Spirit of Holiness. But Jauseph her husband was just, and, not willing to shame her, thought privately to release her. But while he reflected on these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said to him, "Jauseph, son of David, fear not to take Mariam thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is from the Spirit of Holiness. She shall give birth to a son, and thou shalt call his name Yeshu; for he shall save his people from their sins." Now all this was done, that what was spoken from the Lord by the hand of the prophet might be fulfilled: "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth the son, and they shall call his name Amanuel"; which is interpreted, "Our Alaha is with us." Then Jauseph, when he had arisen from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; and knew her not until she had given birth to her son, the firstborn; and she called his name Yeshu.

Chapter Two

Now when Yeshu was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, there came Magi (Magushee) from the East to Jerusalem: and they said, "Where is the King of the Jews who is born? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him." But Herod the king heard, and he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, and anxiously inquired of them where the Meshikha should be born. But they said, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written in the prophet, "Also thou, Bethlehem of Judea, wast not the least among the kings of Judea; for from thee shall come forth the king who shall be as a shepherd to my people Israel."" Then Herod privately called the Magi, and learned from them at what time the star appeared to them: and he sent them to Bethlehem, and said to them, "Go and inquire diligently concerning the child; and when you have found him, come, show me, and I also will go and will worship him." But they, when they had heard the king, went forth; and, behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, proceeded before them, until it came and stood over against where the child was. Now when they saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. And they entered the house, and beheld the child with Mariam his mother; and they fell down, and worshipped him. And they opened their treasures, and offered unto him gifts; gold, and myrrh, and frankincense. And it was shown to them in a dream that they should not return unto Herod; so, by another way, they went unto their place.

And when they were gone, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream unto Jauseph, and 
said to him, "Arise, take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt (Metsreen), and there be until I tell thee; for it will be that Herod will seek the child, that he may destroy him." Then Jauseph arose, took up the child and his mother, and fled by night into Metsreen, and was there until the death of Herod. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken from the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt (Metsreen) have I called my son." Then Herod, when he saw that he had been deceived by the Magi, was greatly wroth, and sent and killed all the children of Bethlehem, and all its limits, from two years and under, according to the time which he had inquired from the Magi. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah (Eramio) the prophet, who said, "A cry was heard in Rametha; weeping and great lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and not willing to be comforted, because they are not." But when King Herod was dead, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Jauseph in Egypt, and said to him, "Arise, take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead who sought the life of the child." And Jauseph arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Arkelaos was the king in Judea, instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there: and it was shown to him in a dream that he should go into the region of Galila. And he came and dwelt in a city which is called Natsrath. So would be fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet, that he should be called a Nazarene (Natsroio).

Chapter Three

Now in those days came Juchanon (Yu'hanan) the Baptizer preaching in the desert of Judea, and saying, "Repent! The kingdom of heaven hath drawn near." For this is he of whom it was spoken by Isaiah (Eshaia) the prophet: The voice which crieth in the desert, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." But this Juchanon, his clothing was of the hair of camels, with a belt of leather upon his loins; and his food was locusts and wilderness-honey.  Then went forth to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and the whole country about Jordan; and were baptized of him in Jordan, the river, while they were confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisee and Sadducees (Zodukoyee) coming to be baptized, he said to them, "Generation of vipers, who hath showed you to escape from the wrath that cometh? Work, therefore, fruits which are suitable to repentance. Neither consider and say within yourselves, that Abraham is father to us; for I say to you that Alaha is able from these stones to raise up sons unto Abraham. But, behold, the axe lieth at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, which maketh not good fruit is cut down and falleth into the fire. I, indeed, baptize you with water unto repentance; but He who cometh after me is mightier than I; he, whose sandals I am not worthy to bear,-he baptizeth you with the Spirit of Holiness and with fire. He it is whose fan is in his hand, and, purifying his floors, the wheat he gathereth into his garner, but the chaff he burneth with the fire that is not quenched." Then came Yeshu from Galilee unto Jordan to Juchanan to be baptized of him. But Juchanon prohibited him, and said, "I need from thee to be baptized, and hast thou come unto me?" But Yeshu answered and said unto him, "Permit this now; for thus it becometh us to accomplish all righteousness." And then he permitted him. But when Yeshu was baptized, he immediately ascended from the waters; and the heaven was opened unto him; and he saw the Spirit of Alaha, who descended, like the dove, and came upon him. And, behold, the voice from heaven, which said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I have delighted."

Chapter Four

Then Yeshu was led by the Spirit of Holiness into the desert, that he should be tempted by the Accuser. And he fasted forty days and forty nights; but afterward he hungered. And he who tempteth approached and said, "If thou art the Son of Alaha, say that these stones shall become bread." But he answered and said, "It is written that not by bread alone liveth the Son of Man, but by every word which proceedeth from the mouth of Alaha." Then the Accuser taketh him to the holy city, and caused him to stand on the pinnacle of the temple; and said unto him, "If the Son thou art of Alaha, throw thyself down; for it is written that his angels he shall command concerning thee, and upon their hands they shall bear thee, that thou strike not against a stone thy foot." Yeshu said to him, "Again it is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy Alaha." Again the Accuser took him to a mountain which is exceeding high, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and said to him, "These all to thee will I give, if thou wilt fall and worship me!" Then said Yeshu to him, "Away with thee, Satan! For it is written that the Lord thy Alaha thou shalt worship, and him only thou shalt serve." Then the Accuser left him, and, behold, the angels drew nigh and ministered unto him.

 

But when Yeshu heard that Juchanan was perfected, he removed into Galilee. And he left Natsrath, and came and dwelt in Kaphar-Nachum by the hand of the sea on the borders of Zebulon and of Napthali. That the thing might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, who said, "The land of Zebulon, the land of Napthali, the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the peoples. The people who sat in darkness the great light hath seen; and they who have sat in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen upon them." From that time began Yeshu to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven hath drawn nigh." And while he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Shemun who was called Kepha, and Andreas his brother, who were casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishers. And Yeshu said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." And they immediately forsook their nets and went after him. And when he had passed thence, he saw two other brethren, Jacob Bar-Zabdai and Juchanan his brother, in a vessel with Zabdai their father, repairing their nets: and Yeshu called them; and they forthwith left the vessel and their father, and went after him. And Yeshu toured all Galilee, and taught in their synagogues (assemblies, congregations) and preached the announcement of the kingdom, and healed all disease and affliction in the people. And his fame was heard in all Syria; and they brought to him all those who were grievously affected with various diseases, and those who were pressed down by strong pains, and demoniacs, and lunatics, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. And there went after him great gatherings of people from Galilee, and from the ten cities, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

 

Chapter Five

 

But when Yeshu saw the multitudes, he ascended a mountain; and when he had sat down, his disciples drew near to him; and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:  

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed the mourners, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed they who hunger and thirst unto righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed the merciful, for upon them shall be mercy.

Blessed they who are pure in their hearts, for they shall see Alaha.

Blessed the makers of peace, for they shall they be called the children of Alaha.

Blessed they who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they treat you with reviling, and persecute you, and say concerning you every evil word, for my sake, in falsity. Then be glad and exult, for your reward is great in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.

 

You are the salt of the earth: but if it happens that salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing but to be thrown without and trodden down by men. You are the light of the world: It is not possible that a city which is built upon a hill can be hidden. Nor do they kindle a lamp and place it beneath a container, but on a lampstand, and it enlightens all who are in the house. So let your light shine before the sons of men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Think not that I came to loose the law or the prophets: I came not that I might loose, but that I might fulfill. For, Amen I say unto you, that until heaven and earth shall pass away, one yod, or one point, shall not pass from the law, till all be done. Every one, therefore, who shall set loose one from these least commandments, and shall so teach the children of men, the least shall he be called in the kingdom of heaven: but every one who shall do and teach them, this one shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness shall abound more than that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
You have heard that it was said unto them who were before, "Thou shalt not kill;" and "Whosoever shall kill is subject to the judgment." But I say unto you, that he who is angry against his brother rashly is liable to the judgment; and he who shall say to his brother, "Thou empty one!" (Raca) is liable to the council; and every one who shall say, "Thou fool!" is liable to the Gehenna of fire. If it occur, therefore, that thou bring thy oblation to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother retaineth some enmity against thee; leave there thy oblation at the altar, and go, first be reconciled with thy brother, and then come and offer thy oblation. Be at one with thine adversary (Beel-dino, "lord of strife") quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest thy adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the exactor, and thou fall into the house of boundage. And, Amen I say unto thee, that thou shalt not come forth from thence till thou hast rendered the last shamuna." (A shamuna is a minute coin, in value the one-eighth of the asor, or assarius; from the Hebrew shemoneh, "eight.")

You have heard that it hath been said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." But I say to you, that every one who beholdeth a woman so as that he shall desire her, already committeth adultery in his heart. But if thy right eye causes thee to offend, root it out and cast it from thee: it is better to thee that one of thy members should perish, than that thy whole body should fall into Gehenna. And if thy right hand cause thee to offend, cut it off and cast it from thee; for it is better to thee that one from thy members should perish, rather than thy whole body should fall into Gehenna.
It hath been said, that he who loosest his wife should give her a writing of divorcement. But I say unto you, that whosoever looseth his wife, except on account of fornication, maketh her to commit adultery; and whosoever taketh her who is sent away, committeth adultery. Again, you have heard it was said to those beforetime, Thou shalt not lie in thine oaths, but shalt fulfill thine oaths unto the Lord. But I say unto you, Swear not at all: not by heaven, for it is the throne of Alaha; nor by earth, for it is the foot-stool beneath his feet; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make a single hair in it either black or white. But let your discourse be, "Yea, yea; nay, nay;" for whatsoever is more than these is from the evil. You have heard that it hath been said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." But I say unto you, that you shall not rise up against evil: but if any one strikes thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any one will contend with thee to take away thy tunic, leave him thy mantle also; and if a man compel thee one mile, go with him twain. Give to him who asketh from thee, and him who would borrow from thee refuse not. You have heard that it hath been said; "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy." But I say unto you, Love your enemies; bless them who curse you; do that which is good to him who hateth you; and pray for them who lead you with a chain, and persecute you. That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who causeth his sun to arise on the good and on the evil, and who sendeth showers on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those only who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors this? And if you wish peace to your brethren only, what more do you than they? Do not also the tribute-gatherers this? Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect!
 
Chapter Six

See that in your almsgiving you do it not before men, so as that you may be observed by them; otherwise no reward is for you with your Father who is in heaven. When, therefore, thou art doing alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as do the hypocrites in the assemblies and streets, so that they may be praised from men; and, Amen I say to you, they receive their reward. But thou, when thou art doing thy alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee in open.

And when thou prayest, be not as the assumers of faces, who love to stand in the assemblies and at the corners of the streets to pray, that they may be seen of men; and truly I say to you that they receive their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy secret chamber, and shut thy door, and pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee in open. And when thou art praying, be not wordy, like the profane; for they think that in much speaking they are heard. Be you not like them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you before that you ask him.

 

Thus pray:

Our Father who art in the heavens!

Be sanctified thy Name.

Come thy kingdom. Be done thy will, as in heaven, also in earth.

Give to us the bread of our need today;

and forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors;

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory to the age of ages.

 

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Father who is in heaven will forgive you also. But if you will not forgive men, your Father also forgiveth not your trespasses unto you.

When, too, you fast, be not morosely sad as the hypocrites, for they defile their countenances so as that they may appear unto men to fast: and, Amen I say unto you, they receive their reward. But thou, when thou art fasting, wash thy face and anoint thine head, that it may not appear to men that thou art fasting, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, he shall reward thee. Lay not up for yourselves treasures in the earth, a place where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves dig through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where no moth and no rust corrupt, and where thieves do not dig through and steal. For where your treasure is, there also your hearts are. The lamp of the body is the eye: if thine eye therefore be perfect, thy whole body will be illuminated; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body will be dark. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, what will thy darkness be? No man can serve two lords; for the one he will hate, and the other he will love, or the one he will honor, and the other he will neglect: you cannot serve Alaha and riches (mammon).

Wherefore, I say unto you, let not your souls be anxious what you shall eat and what you shall drink, and for your bodies what you shall wear. Is not the life more excellent than food and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the heaven; they sow not, neither do they reap, nor collect into granaries; yet your Father who is in heaven nourisheth them: are you not far more considerable than they? But who among you by being anxious can add to his stature one cubit? And concerning raiment why are you anxious? Look upon the lilies of the wilderness how they increase; they toil not, neither do they spin. Yet I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was covered like one from among these. But if the herb of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, Alaha thus clotheth, how much more you, little of faith? Be not anxious, therefore, nor say, "What shall we eat," or, "What shall we drink," or, "How shall we be clothed?" For after all these things do the people of the world inquire: but your Father who is in heaven knoweth that also by you are required these all. But seek first the Kingdom of Alaha and his righteousness, and all these shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for tomorrow; the morrow shall care for its own: the evil of today is enough for it.

Chapter Seven

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment that you judge, you shall be judged; and with the measure that you mete, it shall be measured to you. But why dost thou look at the speck that is in thy brother's eye, while the plank that is in thine own eye thou dost not consider? Or how sayest thou to thy brother, "Permit that I draw forth the speck from thine eye," and, behold, there is a plank in thine own eye? Hypocrite! Draw forth first the plank from thine own eye, and then thou wilt see to draw forth the speck from thy brother's eye.

Give not the holy unto dogs, and throw not your precious stones before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one who asketh receiveth, and he who seeketh findeth; and to him who knocketh it is opened. Or what man from among you, who if his son shall ask bread, will reach forth a stone to him? Or if a fish he shall ask of him, a serpent will he reach forth to him? If, therefore, you who are evil know to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him? All therefore that you will that men shall do unto you, so also do you unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and spacious the way, that leads to destruction; and they are many who go therein. How small is the gate, and narrow the way, that leadeth unto salvation; and they are few who find it!
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but within are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do they gather from thorns grapes, or from briers figs? So every good tree maketh good fruits; but an evil tree maketh evil fruits. A good tree cannot make evil fruits, nor an evil tree make good fruits. Every tree that maketh not good fruits is cut down, and falleth into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. Not every one that saith to me, "My Lord, my Lord," entereth into the kingdom of heaven; but he who doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Multitudes will say to me in that day My Lord, my Lord, in thy name have we not prophesied, and in thy name ejected devils, and in thy name performed many mighty works? And then will I confess to them, I never knew you; go far from me, ye workers of iniquity. Every one therefore who heareth these my words, and doeth them, shall be likened to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the torrents came, and the winds blew, and rushed against that house, but it fell not, for its foundations were placed upon the rock. And every one who heareth these my words, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a man who built his house upon sand. And the rain descended, and the torrents came, and the winds blew, and rushed against that house, and it fell, and the ruin of it was great.

And when Yeshu had finished these words, the multitudes wondered at his doctrine. For he taught them as one having power, and not as their scribes and the Pharisees.

Chapter Eight

When he had descended from the mountain, great multitudes clave to him. And, behold, a certain leper came and worshipped him, and said, "My Lord, if thou art willing, thou canst cleanse me." And Yeshu extended his hand, and touched him, and said, "I am willing: be clean." and in that very hour his leprosy was cleansed. And Yeshu said to him, "See that thou tell no man, but go, show thyself to the priests, and offer the oblation that Musha required for their testimony." Then when Yeshu had entered into Kapharnachum, a certain centurion approached him, and besought of him, saying, "My Lord, my child is lying in the house, paralyzed and grievously tormented." Yeshu saith to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and saith, "My Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come beneath my roof; only speak in a word, and my child shall be healed. For I also am a man under authority, and under my hand there are soldiers. I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to the other, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth." When Yeshu heard this, he was moved with admiration, and said to those with him; "Truly I say to you, that in Israel I have not found faith like this. But I tell you, That many shall come from the east, and from the west, and shall recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens; but the children of the kingdom shall go forth into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And Yeshu said unto the centurion, "Go; as thou hast believed, it shall be to thee." And his child was healed in that very hour.

And Yeshu came to the house of Shemun, and saw his mother-in-law lying, a fever having seized her. And he touched her with his hand, and the fever left her; and she arose and ministered to them. And when it was evening, they brought before him many demoniacs, and he cast out their devils by a word; and all those who were heavily afflicted he healed. So was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Isaiah, who said, that "he should take our griefs, and bear our infirmities." Now when Yeshu saw the great multitudes which encompassed him, he commanded that they should go to the opposite shore. And a certain scribe approached him, and said, "Rabi, I will come after thee to the place whither thou goest." Yeshu saith to him, "The foxes have their dens, and the fowls of heaven a arbor, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." And another from his disciples said to him, "My Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Yeshu said to him, "Come after me, and leave the dead ones burying their dead."

And when Yeshu had ascended into the ship, his disciples ascended with him. And, behold, a great commotion was made on the sea, insomuch that the vessel was covered by the waves; but Yeshu himself was asleep. And the disciples approached him that they might awake him, saying to him, "Our Lord, deliver us, we are perishing!" And Yeshu said to them, "Why are you fearful, you little in faith?" Then he arose, and forbade the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm. But the men were struck with wonder, saying, "What being is this, to whom the winds and the sea are obedient?" And when Yeshu came to the other side, to the region of the Gadrayee, there met him two demoniacs, who came forth from the place of sepulchers, exceedingly malignant, insomuch that no man could pass by that way. And they shouted, saying, "What to us, and to thee, Yeshu, son of Alaha? Hast thou come hither before the time, to torment us?" Now there was at a distance from them a herd of many swine feeding. Those demons, therefore, supplicated from him, saying, "If thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine." Yeshu saith to them, "Go." And immediately they went forth, and entered into the swine; and the whole herd rushed directly over the rock, and, plunging into the sea, perished in the waters. And they who tended them, fled, and went into the city, and showed every thing that was done, and what concerned these demoniacs. And the whole city came forth to meet Yeshu himself; and when they beheld him, they besought from him that he would remove from their coasts.

 

Chapter Nine

 

And he ascended into the boat, and went over, and came to his city. And they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed; and Yeshu saw their faith, and said to the paralytic, "Be comforted, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee." But men from among the scribes said within themselves, "This man blasphemeth." But Yeshu knew their reasonings, and said to them, "Why reason ye evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, "Thy sins are forgiven," or to say, "Arise, walk?" But that ye may know that authority hath the Son of Man in the earth to remit sins," he saith to him-the paralytic, "Arise, lift up thy bed, and go to thy house": and he arose and went to his house. When the assembly saw this, they feared, and glorified Alaha who had given such power as this unto men.

 

And when Yeshu had passed thence, he saw a man who was sitting at the place of the tribute-collectors, whose name was Mathai; and he said to him, "Come after me." and he arose and went after him. And while he reclined in the house, there came to him many tribute-gatherers and sinners, and reclined with Yeshu and with his disciples. And when the Pharisee saw it, they say to his disciples, "Why doth your master eat with tribute-collectors and sinners?" But Yeshu, when he heard it, said to them, "The healthy have no need for the physician, but they who are grievously afflicted. Go, learn what that is-"I require mercy, and not sacrifice; "for I am not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."

 

Then drew nigh to him the disciples of Juchanon, and said, "Why do we and the Pharisee fast much, and thy disciples fast not?" Yeshu said to them, "Neither can the sons of the marriage-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them: but the days are coming when the bridegroom shall be taken up from them, and then shall they fast. No man inserteth a piece of new cloth upon an old garment, lest he should take away its fullness from that garment, and the rent be greater. Neither do they pour new wine into old wineskins, that the sacks may not be broken, nor the wine be spilled, and the sacks perish. But they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

While he spake these words with them, a certain chief came, drew near, worshipped him, and said, "My daughter is now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live!" And Yeshu arose, with his disciples, and went after him. And, behold, a woman whose blood had flowed twelve years, came behind him, and touched the edge of his vestment. For she was saying within herself, "If I touch but his garment, I shall be healed." But Yeshu turned and seeth her, and said to her, "Be comforted, my daughter, thy faith hath given thee life." And the woman was healed from that very hour. And Yeshu came to the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the crowds which were making a tumult. And he said to them, "Retire; for the damsel is not dead, but asleep." And they laughed at him. And when he had put forth the crowds, he entered, and took her by the hand; and the damsel arose. And the rumor of this went forth through all that land.

And when Yeshu had passed thence, two blind men followed him, and besought him, and said, "Have compassion on us, Son of David!" And when he had come into the house, these blind men were brought to him. Yeshu saith to them; "Believe you that I am able to do this?" They say to him, "Yes, our Lord!" Then he touched their eyes, and said, "As you believe be it to you." And immediately their eyes were opened. And Yeshu forbad them and said, "Beware lest any man know." But they went forth and spread the report of it through all that land.  And when Yeshu went forth, they brought to him a dumb person in whom was a demon. And when the demon had gone out, the dumb spake; and the multitudes were astonished, and said, Never was it thus seen in Israel. But the Pharisee said, "By the chief of the devils he casteth out devils."

And Yeshu traveled through all their cities and villages, and taught in their assemblies, and preached the gospel of the kingdom, and healed all diseases and all pains.
But when Yeshu saw the multitudes, he had compassion upon them, because they fainted and were dispersed as sheep that had no shepherd; and said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, and the laborers few. Ask, therefore, from the Lord of the harvest, that he would thrust forth laborers into his harvest."

 

Chapter Ten

 

And he called his twelve disciples, and gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to cure every disease and infirmity. Now, of the twelve apostles the names are these: the first of them, Shemun who is called Kepha, and Andreas his brother, and Jacob Bar-Zabdai, and Juchanon his brother, and Philipos, and Bar-Tholmai, and Thoma, and Mathai the tribute-gatherer, and Jacob Bar-Chalphai, and Levi who was surnamed Thaddai, and Shemun the zealous (Kenanaia), and Judah Scarjuta, he who betrayed him. These twelve Yeshu sent, and commanded them and said, "In the way of the heathens go not, and into the city of the Samaritans (Shomroyee) do not enter; but go rather unto the sheep which have perished from the house of Israel. And as you go, proclaim and say that the kingdom of heaven hath drawn near. The diseased heal, the lepers cleanse, the dead raise, and the demons cast forth. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor a wallet for the road; neither two tunics, nor sandals, nor staff: for worthy is the workman of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and there be till you depart. And when you enter into the house, invoke peace for the house; and if the house be worthy, your peace shall come upon it; but if it be not worthy, your peace upon yourselves shall revert. But whosoever doth not receive you or hear your words, when you depart from that house, or that town, set free the dust from your feet. And, Amen, I say unto you, that for the land of Sodom and of Amura (Gomorrah) it will be more tolerable, in the day of the judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep among wolves: be you, therefore, wise as serpents and guileless as doves. But beware of the sons of men; for, delivering you to the house of judgments, in their synagogues they will scourge you, and before governors and kings bring you, on my account, for the testimony concerning them and the gentiles. But when they deliver you up, be not solicitous how or what you shall speak; for it is given you in that hour what you shall speak. For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking in you. But the brother shall deliver his brother unto death, and the father his son; and the sons shall rise up against their fathers, and shall slay them. And you shall be abhorred by all men on account of my name: but he who shall persevere until the end, he shall be saved. When they persecute you in this city, escape to the other; for, Amen I say unto you, that you shall not have completed all the cities of the house of Israel, till the Son of man shall come. The disciple is not greater than his master, nor the servant than his lord. It sufficeth the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If the master of the house they have called Beelzebub, how much more his house-sons! You shall not fear, therefore, from them; for there is nothing covered which shall not be revealed, nor secret which shall not be known. Whatsoever I say to you in darkness, declare you in the light; and whatsoever you have heard in your ears, proclaim upon the house-roofs. And fear not them who kill the body, but the soul cannot kill; but fear rather One who the soul and the body can destroy in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for an asor? Yet one of them, without your Father, doth not fall upon the earth. But of you, also, the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; precious are you than many sparrows more. Every man, therefore, who shall confess me before the sons of men, I myself will confess him also before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before the sons of men, I also will deny him, I, before my Father who is in heaven. Expect not that I have come to send forth peace on the earth; I have not come to send forth peace, but the sword. For I have come to cause a man to separate from his father, and a daughter from her mother, and a daughter-in-law from her mother-in-law; and the adversaries of a man to be his own house-sons. Whosoever loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whosoever loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And every one who taketh not his cross and cometh after me, is not worthy of me. Whosoever will find his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. Whosoever receiveth you, receiveth me; and whosoever receiveth me, Him who sent me he receiveth. Whosoever entertaineth a prophet in the name of a prophet, the reward of a prophet receiveth. Whosoever entertaineth a just man in the name of a just man, the reward of the just man he receiveth. And whosoever only giveth one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, Amen, I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."

Chapter Eleven

And it was that when Yeshu had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. But Juchanon, when he heard in the house of bondage the works of the Meshikha, sent by his disciples, and said to him, "Art thou He that cometh, or another are we to expect?" Yeshu answered and said to them, "Go, recount to Juchanon these things which you hear and see; that the blind see, the lame are walking, the lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead arise, and the poor are evangelized; and blessed is he who shall not be offended with me." But when they were gone, Yeshu began to speak to the assembly concerning Juchanon, "What went you forth into the wasteland to see? A reed that by the wind was shaken? And if not, what went you forth to see? A man clothed in soft vestments? Behold, they who are softly clothed are in the house of kings. And if not, what went you forth to see? A prophet? I tell you, Yes; and more than a prophet. For this is he concerning whom it is written, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, to prepare the way before thee." Amen I say to you, there hath not arisen among them born of women one who is greater than Juchanon the Baptizer: yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. But from the days of Juchanon the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of the heavens by violence is taken, and the violent ones seize it. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until Juchanon; and if you are willing, receive, that he is Elijah who was to come. Whoever hath ears to hear, he shall hear."

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in the public place, and cry to their companions, and say, "We have sung to you, and you have not danced; we have wailed unto you, and you have not mourned." For Juchanon came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, See a man a glutton, a wine-drinker, a friend of tribute-collectors and of sinners. But justified is wisdom by her servants."

 

Then Yeshu began to reproach those cities in which were done many of his miracles, and which did not repent, saying, "Woe to thee, Korazin! Woe to thee, Bethtsaida! For if in Tyre and in Tsaidon those miracles had been done which have been performed in you, they would a while ago in sackcloth and ashes have repented. But I say to you, that for Tyre and Tsaidon it shall be more tolerable in the Day of Judgment than for you. And thou, Kaphernachum, who unto heaven art exalted, unto Sheol shalt be brought down; for if in Sodom had been done those miracles which have been done in thee, it would have stood until this day. But I tell you that for the land of Sodom it shall be more tolerable in the Day of Judgment than for thee.

In that time Yeshu answered and said, "I praise thee, my Father, the Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou hast concealed these things from the wise and prudent ones, but hast revealed them unto little children. Yes, my Father, for thus was it pleasing before thee! All things are delivered to me from my Father; and no man knoweth the Son but the Father; also the Father no man knoweth, except the Son, and he to whom the Son pleaseth to reveal him. Come unto me, all you who are wearied and bearing burdens, and I will give you rest. Bear my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am peaceful and lowly in my heart, and you shall find repose for your souls. For my yoke is kindly, and my burden is light."

 

Chapter Twelve

At that time Yeshu was walking on the Sabbath among the grain; and his disciples hungered, and began to pluck the ears and to eat. But when the Pharisee saw them, they say to him, "Look, thy disciples do something which is not lawful to be done on the Sabbath." But he said to them, Have you not read what David did when he hungered, and they who were with him? How he went to the house of Alaha, and the bread of the table of the Lord did he eat-that which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them who were with him, but for the priests only? Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath in it, and are without blame? But I say to you, that one greater than the temple is here. Moreover, if you knew what that meanest, "I desire mercy and not a sacrifice," you would not have condemned them who are not faulty. For the Lord of the Sabbath is the Son of Man."

 

And Yeshu passed thence, and came into their synagogue. And a certain man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned him, saying, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to heal?" that they might accuse him. But he said to them, "What man is there among you that hath one sheep, who, if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, doth not take and lift it up?" How much more precious is a child of man than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful on the Sabbath-day to do that which is good." Then saith he to the man, "Stretch forth thine hand!" And he stretched forth his hand, and it was restored like the other its fellow. And the Pharishee went forth and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. But Yeshu knew, and passed from thence; and great crowds went after him, and he healed them all. And he forbad that they should make him known. That what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, who said,

 

Behold my servant, in whom is my pleasure: 
My beloved, in whom my soul delighteth.

My Spirit will I put upon him,

And judgment to the peoples shall he preach. 

He shall not contend nor cry,

And no man shall hear his voice in the street. 

A bruised reed he will not break,

And a flickering lamp he will not extinguish, 

Until he bring forth judgment unto victory. 

And in his name shall the gentiles hope.

Then they brought to him a certain demoniac who was dumb and blind; and he healed him, so that the dumb and blind could speak and see. And the entire multitude was amazed, and said, "Is not this the Son of David?" But the Pharisee, when they heard, said, "This man doth not cast forth demons unless by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils." But Yeshu knew their reasonings, and said to them, "Every kingdom that is divided against itself is destroyed; and every city which is divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then standeth his kingdom? And if I by Beelzebub cast forth demons, your sons, by whom do they cast them forth? On this account they shall be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of Alaha cast forth demons, the Kingdom of Alaha hath come nigh upon you. Or, how can one enter the strong one's house, and spoil his goods, unless he first binds the strong one? And then can he spoil his house. He who is not with me is against me; and he who gathereth not with me, in scattering scattereth. Wherefore, this I say to you that all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the sons of men; but the blasphemy which is against the Spirit shall not be forgiven to the sons of men. And every one who shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but every one who against the Spirit of Holiness shall speak, it shall not be forgiven to him, neither in this world nor in the world to come. Or make the tree good, and the fruits will be good; or make the tree evil, and the fruits will be evil: for by the fruits the tree is known. Brood of vipers! How can you speak good who are evil? For from the abundancies of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man from the good treasuries bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasuries bringeth forth evil things. But I tell you, that for every useless word which the sons of men shall speak, they must give the answer for it in the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."


Then answered certain from the scribes and Pharisee, and said to him, "Teacher, we would wish to see a sign from thee." But he answered them and said, "A generation depraved and adulterous demands a sign; but a sign shall not be given to it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah (Jaunan in Aramaic); and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall arise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the confines of the earth that she might hear the wisdom of Shelemun (Solomon); but one more excellent than Shelemun is here. When the unclean spirit shall have gone forth from a son of man, he wandereth through places that have no waters in them, and seeketh repose, but findeth it not. Then he saith, "I will return unto the house from whence I came forth"; and coming, he findeth it untenanted, cleansed, and decorated. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits, than himself more wicked, and they enter and dwell in him. And the end of that man is worse than his beginning. So shall it be with this wicked race!" While he spake to the assembly, his mother and his brethren came, standing without, and seeking to speak with him. And a man said to him, "Thy mother and thy brethren are standing without, and are requesting to speak with thee." But he answered and said to him who spake to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?" And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Behold my mother, and behold my brethren! For every one who doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and my sister, and my mother."

 

Chapter Thirteen

In that day Yeshu went forth from the house and sat by the sea-side (in Aramaic: "By the hand of the sea"); and great multitudes gathered near him, so that he went up and sat in a vessel; and all the multitude were standing on the shore of the sea. And he discoursed largely to them in parables, and said: "Behold, there went forth a sower to sow; and as he sowed, some fell by the road-side, and the fowl came and devoured it. Another portion fell upon the rock, where there was not much soil; and immediately (Aramaic figure of speech: "Bar-shoteh, " the son of its hour.") it sprung up, because there was no depth of earth. But when the sun was risen, it burned, and, because it had no root, it withered away. And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it. And another fell into good earth, and gave fruits, this a hundred, another sixty, and another thirty. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
And his disciples approached, saying to him, "Why dost thou speak to them in parables?" He replied and said to them, "Because unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given. For unto him who hath, it shall be given, and it shall be increased to him: but as to him who hath not, that also which he hath shall be taken from him. On this account I speak to them in parables. Hence they see, and yet see not; and they hear, and yet hear not, neither understand; and accomplished in them is the prophecy of Isaiah (Eshaia), who said, that hearing they should hear, but not understand, and seeing they should see, but not know. For the heart of this people is become gross, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and their eyes they have shut, that they may not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I heal them. But blessed are your eyes which see, and your ears which hear: for, Amen I say unto you, that many prophets and just ones have desired to behold what you see, and have not beheld, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard. You, then, attend to the comparison of the seed: When any one who heareth the doctrine of the kingdom doth not understand it, there cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away the doctrine that was sown in his heart: this is what by the road-side was sown. But that which was sown upon the rock is he who heareth the word, and at once with joy apprehendeth it. Yet hath he no root in him, but is (only) for a time; and when affliction or persecution occurs on account of the doctrine, he is quickly offended. That sown in the place of thorns, is he who heareth the word, but the anxious thought of this world and the illusions of riches stifle the word in him, and he is without fruits. But that which upon good ground was sown is he who heareth my doctrine, and understandeth it, and giveth fruits, and produceth, whether a hundred, or sixty, or thirty fold.
Another comparison he allegorized unto them, and said, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who sowed good seed in his field. And while men slept, came his adversary, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went. And when the plant sprang up and produced fruit, then appeared the tares. And the laborers of the house-lord drew near and said to him, "Our lord, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field?" From whence then are the tares in it? But he said to them, "An enemy hath done this." The laborers say to him, Art thou willing that we go and gather them? But he said to them, No, lest, when ye gather the tares, you root out with them the wheat also. Leave them, that both may grow together till the harvest; and in the season of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them together in bundles, that they may burn; but the wheat collect into my barns. Another comparison allegorized he to them, and said: The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field. This is less than all other seeds; but when it has grown, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the fowl of the heavens come and build in its branches. Another parable he spake to them: The kingdom of heaven resembles that leaven which a woman took and hid in three satas of meal, until the whole was leavened. (The sata was the third of an ephah.)
All these spake Yeshu in parables to the multitude; and without a parable he did not speak with them. That there should be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet, who said, "I will open my mouth in comparisons, and pour forth things hidden from before the foundation of the world."

Then Yeshu dismissed the multitudes, and came into the house; and his disciples drew near him, and said to him, "Explain to us the comparison of the tares of the field." He answered and said to them, "He who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. Now, the good seed are the sons of the Kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the evil one. The adversary who sowed them is Satana; the harvest is the Consummation of the world; the reapers are the angels. As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the completion of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall collect from his Kingdom all those who cause offence, and all who work iniquity, and shall throw them into a furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure which was hidden in a field, and which a man found and concealed, and from joy went and sold all that he had, and bought that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man a merchant, who sought goodly pearls; but who, when he had found one pearl of exceeding price, went, sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net, which was thrown into the sea, and from every kind collected. And when it was full, they drew to the shore, and sat down, and selected; and the good they threw into vessels, and the bad they cast without. Thus shall it be at the Consummation of the world. The angels shall go forth, and separate the evil from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth!" Yeshu said to them, "Have you understood all these?" They say to him, "Yes, our Lord." He saith to them, "On this account every scribe who is learned in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man a house-lord, who bringeth forth from his treasuries the new and the old."
And when Yeshu had finished these parables, he passed from thence, and came to his city, and taught them in their synagogues, so that they were astounded and said, "Whence hath he this wisdom and these powers? Is not this the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Miriam, and his brothers, Jacob, and Joseph, and Simeon, and Judah? And his sisters, all, are they not with us? Whence to this one all these?" And they were offended with him. But Yeshu said to them, "No prophet is contemned except in his own city, and in his own house." And he did not many miracles there on account of their unbelief.

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

In that time Herod the Tetrarch heard the rumor concerning Yeshu; and he said to his servants, "This is Juchanon the Baptizer: he hath risen from the house of the dead, therefore powerful works are wrought by him." For he, Herod, had seized Juchanon, and bound him, and cast him into the house of the chained, because of Herodia the wife of Philip his brother. For Juchanon had said to him, "It is not lawful that she should be to thee a wife." And he would have killed him, but he feared the people, because as a prophet they held him. But at the birthday of Herod, the daughter of Herodia danced before those who reclined, and she pleased Herod; wherefore with an oath he swore to her to give her whatever she should demand. Then she, because instructed by her mother, said, "Give me here in a dish the head of Juchanon the Baptizer." And the king was sickened, yet, on account of the oath and the guests, he commanded that it should be given to her. And he sent and cut off the head of Juchanon in the house of the chained. And his head was brought in a dish, and given to the girl, and she carried it herself to her mother. And his disciples came near, took up his corpse, buried it, and came and showed Yeshu. Then Yeshu, when he heard, removed from thence by ship to a desert place by himself; and when the multitude heard it, they came after him on dry land from the cities. And Yeshu came forth, and saw great multitudes, and felt compassion for them, and healed their diseases.

But when it was evening, his disciples approached him, and said to him, "The place is desert, and the time passed over; send away these multitudes of men, that they may go to the villages, and buy for themselves food." But he said to them, It is not needful that they should go; give you them to eat. They said to him, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes." Yeshu said to them, "Bring them hither to me." And he directed the multitudes to recline upon the ground; and he took the five loaves and two fishes, and looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples themselves placed it before the multitudes. And all did eat, and were satisfied; and they took up, of the abundance of the fragments, twelve baskets when full. Now those men who had eaten were five thousand, besides women and children. And immediately he constrained his disciples to ascend into the boat, and proceed before him to the other shore, while he was dismissing the crowds. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up to a mountain by himself, to pray.

And when it was dark, he alone was there. But the vessel was distant from the land many stadia, being greatly beaten with the waves, for the wind was against them. But in the fourth watch of the night, Yeshu came to them, walking upon the waters. And the disciples beheld him walking on the waters, and they were troubled, saying, that it was a specter; and from fear they cried out. But Yeshu at once spoke to them, and said, "Take courage, I am, fear not!" And Kepha answered, and said to him, "My Lord, if it be thou, command me to come to thee upon the waters." Yeshu said to him, "Come." And Kepha descended from the ship, and walked on the waters to go to Yeshu. But when he saw the furious wind, he feared, and began to sink; and he lifted up his voice, and said, "My Lord, save me!" And immediately our Lord reached forth his hand, and seized him, and said to him, "Little of faith, why art thou divided in mind?" And when they had ascended into the ship, the wind was tranquil. And they who were in the ship, came and adored him, and said, "Truly thou art the Son of Alaha." And they rowed, and came to the land of Genésar; and the men of that country recognized him, and sent to all the villages that were about them, and they brought to him all those who were grievously afflicted, and besought from him that they might touch only the border of his mantle; and those who touched were healed.

Chapter Fifteen

Then came to Yeshu the Pharisee and Scribes who were from Jerusalem, saying, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders, and wash not their hands when they eat bread?" Yeshu answered, and said to them, "Why also do ye transgress the commandment of Alaha for the sake of your tradition? For Alaha hath said, "Honor thy father and thy mother; and whoso curseth his father or his mother, to die he shall die" but ye say, "Every one who shall say to a father, or to a mother, It is my oblation whatever thou wouldst be profited by me, and shall not honor his father or his mother shall be guiltless." Thus you have abolished the word of Alaha for the sake of your tradition. Ye hypocrites! Rightly prophesied concerning you Isaiah the prophet, and said, "This people with the lips honor me, but their heart is very far from me." But in vain they reverence me, while they teach the doctrines of the commandments of men." And he called to the multitudes, and said to them, "Hear, and understand: It is not that which, entering the mouth, contaminates a man; but that which shall come from the mouth, that contaminates a man." Then drew near his disciples, saying to him, "Knowest thou that the Pharisee who heard this word were offended?" But he answered, and said to them, "Every plant which my Father who is in heaven hath not planted shall be rooted up. Leave them: they are blind leaders of the blind; but if a blind man shall lead a blind man, both shall fall into the ditch." And Shemun Kepha answered and said, "My Lord, expound to us this parable." But he said to them, "Do you also not yet understand? Know you not that whatsoever entereth the mouth, goeth into the belly, and from thence in purification it is cast without? But whatsoever from the mouth shall come forth, from the heart cometh forth, and this it is that contaminates a child of man. For from the heart proceed evil thoughts, adultery, murder, fornication, robbery, false witness, blasphemy. These are they which defile a man; but if any one eat when his hands are not washed, he is not defiled."

And Yeshu went forth from thence, and came to the borders of Tyre and Tsaidon. And, beheld, a Canaanite woman from those coasts came forth crying, and saying, "Have mercy upon me, my Lord, son of David!" My daughter is grievously possessed with the demon!" But he did not return her an answer. And the disciples approached and requested from him, saying, "Dismiss her, for she crieth out after us." But he answered and said to them, "I am not sent but to the sheep which have wandered from the house of Israel." Then she came, worshipped him, and said, "My Lord, help me!" Yeshu said to her, "It is not proper to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she said, "Even so, my Lord; yet the dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from the tables of their masters, and live." Then said Yeshu to her, "O woman, great is thy faith! Be it to thee as thou wilt!" And healed was her daughter from that hour. And Yeshu passed from thence, and came near the Sea of Galilee; and he ascended the mountain and sat there. And there drew near to him great gatherings of people, and with them there were the lame, and the blind, and the dumb, and the mutilated, and many others; and they cast them at the feet of Yeshu, and he healed them. So that those multitudes were astounded as they beheld the dumb speaking, and the mutilated made whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the Alaha of Israel.

But Yeshu himself called his disciples, and said to them, I have pity for this multitude, who, behold, for three days have continued with me, but there is nothing for them to eat; and to send them away fasting, I am unwilling, lest they should faint in the way." The disciples say to him, "Whence can we have bread in the wilderness, that we may satisfy this whole multitude?" Yeshu saith to them, "How many loaves have you?" They say to him, "Seven, and a few small fishes." And he directed that the multitudes should recline upon the ground. And he took those seven loaves and the fishes, and offered praise, and brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes; and they all did eat and were satisfied: and they took up of the abundance of fragments seven baskets full. And they who had eaten, were four thousand men, besides women and children. And when he had dismissed the multitudes, he ascended into a ship, and came to the coasts of Magdala.

 

Chapter Sixteen

 

And there came Pharisee and Sadducees, tempting him, and demanding that he would show them a sign from heaven. But he answered and said to them, "When it is evening, you say, "It will be serene weather, for the heaven hath reddened." And in the early morning you say, "Today will be tempestuous, for the heaven hath reddened gloomily." Hypocrites! The aspect of the heaven you are skilful to discriminate, but the signs of this time you know not how to distinguish. A depraved and adulterous race requireth a sign, but a sign shall not be given to it, save the sign of Jonah the prophet; and he left them, and went away. And when his disciples had come to the opposite shore, they had forgotten to take bread with them. But he said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisee and Sadducees. But they thought within themselves, saying, "It is because we have not taken bread?" But Yeshu knew, and said to them, "Why reason you within yourselves, little in faith, because bread you have not brought? Have you not yet understood? Do you not remember those five loaves for the five thousand, and how many panniers you took up? Or those seven loaves and the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Why do you not understand that it was not concerning bread I spoke to you, but that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisee and of the Sadducee" Then they understood that he did not say that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisee and of the Sadducee.

Now when Yeshu had come to the place of Cesarea of Philipi, he questioned his disciples, saying, "What do men say concerning me who am the Son of Man?" They said to him, "Some say that thou art Juchanon the Baptizer, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one from the prophets." He saith to them, "But you, whom say you that I am?" Shemun Kepha answered and said, "Thou art the Meshikha, Son of Alaha the Living." Yeshu responded and said to him, "Blessed art thou, Shemun Bar-Jonah; because flesh and blood have not revealed this to thee, but my Father who is in heaven." Also I say unto thee, that thou art Kepha, and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of Sheol shall not prevail against her. To thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Then he commanded his disciples that no man they should tell that he was the Meshikha.
And from that time began Yeshu to show to his disciples that it was to be that he should go to Jerusalem, and suffer much from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and the third day arise again. Then Kepha took him aside and began to expostulate with him, and said, "Far be it from thee, my Lord, that this should be to thee!" But he turned and said to Kepha, "Get thee behind me, Satan! Thou art a stumbling-block to me, because thou thinkest not from Alaha, but from the sons of men." Then said Yeshu to his disciples, "Whosoever willeth to come after me, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever willeth to save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it. For what shall a man be profited, if the whole world he shall acquire, and his soul shall perish? or what equivalent shall a man give for his soul? For it is to be, that the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his holy angels, and then shall he render unto every man according to his works. Amen, I say unto you, There are men standing here who shall not taste death, until they shall have seen the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

And after six days, Yeshu took Kepha, and Jacob, and Juchanon his brother, and led them to a high mountain by themselves. And Yeshu was changed before them; and his countenance shone like the sun, and his vestments were resplendent as the light. And there were seen with them Musha and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Kepha, and said to Yeshu, "My Lord, it is good for us to be here; and if thou art willing, we will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Musha, and one for Elijah." But while he spake, behold, a bright cloud overspread them, and the voice was from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I have delighted: to him attend." And when the disciples heard, they fell upon their faces and feared greatly. And Yeshu approached them and touched them, and said, "Arise, fear not." And they lifted up their eyes and saw no man, except Yeshu by himself. And while they were descending from the mountain, Yeshu charged them, and said to them, "Before no man declare this vision, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead." And the disciples asked and said to him, "Why therefore say the scribes that Elijah must come first?" Yeshu answered and said to them, "Elijah cometh first that he may fulfill every thing; but I say to you, that, behold, Elijah hath come, but they knew him not, and have done to him as they would. So also is the Son of Man to suffer from them." Then the disciples understood that he spake to them concerning Juchanon the Baptizer.

And when they came to the multitude, a man approached him and kneeled upon his knees, and said to him, "My Lord, have mercy on me! My son is lunatic and grievously afflicted; for often he falleth into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, but they could not heal him." Yeshu answered and said, "O unbelieving and perverse generation! How long shall I be with you, how long shall I bear with you? Bring him hither to me." And Yeshu rebuked him, and the demon went forth from him, and the youth was healed from that hour. Then came the disciples to Yeshu by himself, and said to him, "Why were we not able to heal him?" Yeshu saith to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly I tell you, if there were in you faith as a grain of mustard, you should say to this mountain, Pass hence, and it would pass away; and nothing should overcome you. But this kind goeth not forth but by fasting and by prayer."
When they had returned into Galilee, Yeshu said to them, "It is coming that the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and in the third day he shall arise." And it grieved them exceedingly. And when they came to Kapher-nachum, they who took the two zuzis, the head tax paid in silver, approached Kepha and said to him, "Your master, doth he not give his two zuzeen?" (The zuz, or zuza, was a silver coin, value one drachma.) He saith to them, "Yes." And when Kepha entered the house, Yeshu anticipated him, and said to him, "How doth it appear to thee, Shemun?" the kings of the earth, from whom do they take custom and headsilver, from their children, or from foreigners?" Shemun saith to him, "From foreigners." Jeshu saith to him, "Then the children are sons of the free. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, and cast the hook; and the fish that first cometh up, open his mouth; and thou salt find a coin, that take and present for me and thee."

 

Chapter Eighteen

In that hour the disciples came near to Yeshu, saying, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And Yeshu called a child, and made him stand in the midst of them, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you be converted and become as children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore humbleth himself as this child, he shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whosoever shall receive such as are like this child in my name, he receiveth me. And every one that shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, to him it had been better that the mill-stone of a donkey were hung to his neck, and himself plunged into the depths of the sea. Woe to the world from causes of offence! For it is unavoidable that causes of offence will come; but woe to the man by whose hand the causes of offence shall come! If, then, thine hand or thy foot shall be a cause of offence to thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is good for thee that thou enter into life lame or mutilated; and not that, having two hands or two feet, thou fall into the fire of eternity. And if thine eye be a cause of offence to thee, dig it out, and cast it from thee; good it is for thee that with one eye thou enter into life; and not that, having two eyes, thou fall into the Gehenna of fire. See that you condemn not one of these little ones: for I say unto you that their angels in all time are beholding the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which had perished. How doth it appear to you? If a man have an hundred sheep and one of them shall wander from them, doth he not leave the ninety and nine on the mountain, and, going, seek that which had wandered? And if he shall find it, assuredly I tell you that he rejoiceth in it more than in the ninety and nine which wandered not. So it is not good before your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Now if thy brother offend against thee, go, and argue the matter between thyself and him alone; and if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hears thee not, take with thee one or two, that upon the mouth of two or three witnesses may be established every word. And if, also, he will not hear them, tell the church; but if he will neither hear the church, let him be to thee as a publican and as a heathen. And, Amen I say unto you, that whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you shall consent on earth concerning every thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Then Kepha came near to him, and said to him, "My Lord, how many times, if my brother offend me, shall I forgive him; until seven times?" Yeshu said to him, "I say not to thee, until seven, but, until seventy times seven and seven."

Therefore is the kingdom of the heavens likened to a royal person who would take the account from his servants. And when he began to receive, they brought to him one who owed myriad talents. And when he had nothing to pay, his lord commanded that they should sell both himself, his wife, and his children, and all that he had, and to pay. And that servant fell and worshipped him, saying, "My lord, be patient of spirit toward me, and all things I will pay thee." And the lord of that servant had mercy, and absolved him, and forgave him his debt. Then went forth that servant, and found one of his fellows who owed him a hundred pence; and he seized him, strangling, and saying to him, "Give me what thou owest to me." His fellow-servant fell at his feet, beseeching him, and saying, "Be patient of spirit towards me, and I will pay thee." But he would not, but went and threw him into the house of the chained until he should have rendered him what he owed him. When their fellow-servants saw what was done, they were greatly grieved, and went and declared to their lord all that was done. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, "Evil servant! All that debt did I forgive thee, because thou didst entreat me. Oughtest thou not to have been as gracious to thy fellow-servant as I was gracious unto thee?" And his lord was indignant, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should have paid all whatsoever he owed to him. Thus will your heavenly Father deal with you unless you forgive each his brother from your heart his trespasses.

Chapter Nineteen

And it was that when Yeshu had finished these words, he removed from Galilee and came into the confines of Judea beyond Jordan. And great multitudes came after him, and he healed them there. And the Pharisee approached him, and, tempting him, questioning him whether it was lawful for a man to send away his wife for every cause. But he answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who created from the beginning, male and female hath made them? And he said, "On this account a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Wherefore they were not constituted two, but one body. That, therefore, which Alaha hath joined, man shall not separate." They said to him, "Why then did Musha direct that he should give a writing of dismissal and send her away?" He said to them, "Musha, on account of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to send away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you that whosoever shall forsake his wife who is not adulterous, and take another, committeth adultery; and whosoever taketh the deserted one, committeth adultery." His disciples say to him, "If thus be the case between the man and the woman, it is not expedient to take a wife." But he said to them, "Not every man is sufficient for this doctrine, but he to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs who from their mother's womb are born so; and there are some eunuchs who by men are made eunuchs; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs on account of the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever is capable of receiving this, let him receive it."

Then they brought to him children, that he should put his hand upon them and pray. And his disciples forbad them. But Yeshu himself said, "Allow children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of those who are as these, is the kingdom of heaven." And he put his hand upon them, and went thence.

And one came and approached and said to him, "Good teacher, what of good shall I do, that I may have the life of eternity?" But he said to him, "Why dost thou call me good? None is good but one, Alaha. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" Yeshu answered him, "Thou shalt not kill, neither commit adultery, nor steal, neither shalt thou witness false testimony; and honor thy father and thy mother, and love thy neighbor as thyself." The young man saith to him, "These all have I kept from my childhood: how am I deficient?" Yeshu saith to him, "If thou wilt become perfect, go, sell thy possession and give to the poor, and there shall be for thee a treasure in heaven: and come after me." But he, the young man, heard this word, and went away with sadness, for he had great property. But Yeshu said to his disciples, "Amen I say unto you, that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, that it is easier for a camel to enter through the aperture of a needle, than the rich to enter into the kingdom of Alaha." But the disciples when they heard were greatly hurt, saying, "Who then can be saved?" Yeshu, beholding them, said, "With the sons of men it is not possible; but with Alaha every thing is possible." Then answered Kepha and said to him, "Behold, we have abandoned every thing, and have come after thee: what then shall there be for us?" Yeshu saith to them, Amen I say to you, that you who have come after me, in the new world, when the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And every man who hath relinquished houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, on account of my name, shall receive a hundred-fold, and shall inherit the life of eternity, Many however are first who shall be last, and the last first."

 

Chapter Twenty

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man, a house lord, who went forth in the early morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And he bargained with the laborers for a denarius a day, and sent them into his vineyard. And he went forth in three hours, and saw others who were standing in the public place and unemployed. And he said to them; "Go also you in the vineyard, and what is suitable I will give you." Then they went. And he went forth again in six and nine hours, and did the same. And about eleven hours he went out, and found others who were standing and unemployed; and he said to them, "Why are you standing all the day unemployed?" They say to him, "Because no man hath hired us." He saith to them, "Go also you into the vineyard, and whatever is suitable you shall receive." But when it was evening, the lord of the vinery said to the chief of his household, "Call the workmen and give to them their wages; and begin from the last unto the first." And they came who had wrought from eleven hours; and they received each a denarius. But when the first came, they expected to take more; but they also received each a denarius. And when they had received, they murmured against the house-lord, and said, "These last have wrought one hour, and thou hast made them equal with us, who have borne the burden of the day and its heat." But he answered and said to one of them, "My friend, I am not unjust towards thee: didst thou not bargain with me for a denarius? Take what is thine and go: I will unto these last to give as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me that whatsoever l am willing, I may do with mine own?  Is thine eye evil because I am good?" Thus the last shall be first, and the first last; for many are the called, but few the chosen.

Now Yeshu was about to go up to Jerusalem, and he took his twelve disciples by themselves in the way, and said to them, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they shall condemn him to the death; and they shall consign him to the Gentiles, and they shall mock him, and scourge him, and shall crucify him, and on the third day he shall arise." Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zabdai, she and her sons, and worshipped him, and supplicated a certain thing of him. But he said to her, "What wilt thou?" She said to him, "Declare that these my two sons shall sit, one at thy right hand, and one at thy left, in thy kingdom" Yeshu answered and said, "You know not what you ask: are you able to drink the cup of which I am about to drink, or with the baptism with which I am baptized will you be baptized?" They say unto him, "We are able!" He saith to them, "My cup you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you shall be baptized: but that you may sit at my right hand, and at my left, is not mine to give, unless to them for whom it is prepared by my Father." And when the ten heard it, they were indignant against those two brothers. And Yeshu called them, and said to them, "You know that the princes of the Gentiles are their lords, and their great ones exercise power over them; but it shall not be so among you; but whoever among you willeth to be great, let him be minister to you. And whoever among you willeth to be first, let him be to you the servant. So, the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life the redemption for many."

And when Yeshu went forth from Jericho, a great multitude cometh after him. And, behold, two blind men were sitting by the side of the way; and when they heard that Yeshu was passing, they gave voice, saying; "Be merciful upon us, my Lord, Son of David!" But the crowds rebuked them that they should be silent; but they lifted up their voice the more, saying, "Our Lord, be merciful upon us, O Son of David!" And Yeshu stood and called them, and said, "What will you that I should do for you?" They say to him, "Our Lord, that our eyes may be opened." And he had compassion on them, and touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes were opened, and they went after him.

 

Chapter Twenty-one

And when he drew nigh to Jerusalem, and had come to Beth-phage, at the mount of Olives, Yeshu sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go to this village which is over against you, and you shall at once find an ass tied, and her colt with her; loose and bring them to me. And if any one say ought to you, say to him that it is requested for our Lord, and immediately he will send them hither." But all this was done that there should be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet, who said, "Tell you the daughter of Tsheum (Zion), Behold, thy king cometh to thee, lowly, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass." Then the disciples went, and did as Yeshu had commanded them; and brought the ass and the colt, and laid upon the colt their clothes, and Yeshu rode upon him. And many of the crowds spread their vestments in the way; and others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way. But the throngs who went before him, and came after him, cried out and said, "Ushana (Hosanna) to the son of David! Blessed be He who cometh in the name of the Lord! Ushana in the heights!" And when he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, and said, "Who is this?" But the multitude answered, "This is Yeshu, the prophet who is from Natsrath of Galilee."
And Yeshu went into the temple of Alaha, and cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold doves; and said to them, "It is written, that my house shall the house of prayer be called, but ye have made it a den of thieves!" And there came to him in the temple the blind and the lame, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and Pharisee saw the wondrous things which he did, and the children who were crying in the temple, and saying, "Ushana to the son of David", they were displeased with them, saying to him, 'Hearest thou what these say?" Yeshu saith to them, "Yes. Have ye not read, that from the mouth of children and of babes thou hast prepared praise?"

And he left them, and went forth without the city to Bethany, and lodged there. But in the early morn, as he returned to the city, he hungered: and he saw a certain figtree in the way, and came to it, but found nothing thereon but leaves only; and he said, "Let there be no fruit upon thee again for ever." And immediately that figtree withered. And the disciples saw, and were astonished, saying, "How in a moment is the figtree withered!" Yeshu answered and said to them, "Amen I say to you, that if faith were in you, and you did not hesitate, (Aramaic idiom: Were not divided; that is, in mind) you should not only do as to this figtree, but also were you to say to this mountain, Be thou lifted up and fall into the sea, it should be done. And whatsoever you shall ask in prayer and shall believe, you shall obtain." And when Yeshu came to the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people approached him, while he taught, saying to him, "By what authority doest thou these things, and who gave thee this authority?" Yeshu answered and said to them, "I will also ask you one word; and if you will tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of Juchanon, whence is it, from heaven or from men?' But they thought within themselves, saying, "If we shall say, "From heaven," he saith to us, "Why did ye not believe him?" And if we shall say, "From men," we fear from the crowd; for all have regarded Juchanon as a prophet." And they answered, saying to him, "We know not." Yeshu saith to them, "Also I tell not you by what authority I do these things.

But how doth it appear to you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the elder, and said to him, "My son, go to-day work in the vineyard." But he answered and said, "I am not willing: yet afterwards he relented, and went." He came to the other, and said likewise. He answered and said, I will, my lord; yet went not. Which of these two did the will of his father?" They say to him, "The elder." Yeshu saith to them, Amen I tell you, the tribute collectors and harlots go before you into the kingdom of Alaha. For Juchanon came to you in the way of righteousness; and you believed him not. But the tax collectors and harlots believed him: but you neither when you saw him, nor afterwards, repented, that you might believe him. Hear another comparison: A certain man was a house-lord; and he planted a vinery, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a wine-press in it, and built in it a tower, and had it taken by laborers, and journeyed. And when the time of fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might send him of the fruits of his vinery. And the husband-men took his servants, and beat some, and stoned some, and killed others. And again he sent other servants more than the first, and they acted towards them likewise: last, he sent to them his son, saying, Now will they be ashamed from my son. But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take the inheritance." And they seized and cast him without the vinery, and killed him. When the lord of the vinery, therefore, cometh, what will he do to these husbandmen?" They say to him, "Most miserably will he destroy them, and the vinery will he cause to be held by other laborers, even such as will give him the fruits in their seasons." Yeshu saith to them, "Have you not read in the scripture, that the stone which the builders rejected, this is become the head of the corner? By the Lord was this done, and it is wondrous in our eyes. On this account I tell you, that the kingdom of Alaha is taken from you, and shall be given to a people who will yield fruits. And whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken; but every one upon whom it shall fall, it will scatter him." And when the chief priests and Pharisee heard his comparisons, they knew that concerning themselves he had spoken. And they sought to apprehend him, but feared the people, because as a prophet they regarded him.

 

Chapter Twenty-two

And Yeshu answered again by parables, and said, "The kingdom of heaven resembles a royal person who made a feast to his son; and he sent his servants to call the invited ones to the feast, but they were not willing to come. And again he sent other servants, and said, "Tell the invited ones, Behold, my dinner is prepared, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come to the feast." But they despised it, and went, one to his domain, and another to his business. But the rest took his servants and shamefully treated and killed them. But when the king heard, he was wroth; and sent his forces and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then said he to his servants, "The feast is prepared, and those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the outlets of the highways, and every one whom you find call to the feast. And those servants went forth into the highways, and assembled all whom they found, the bad and the good; and the place of feasting was filled with guests (Aramaic: Recliners). And the king entered to see the guests, and he saw there a man who was not dressed in the garments of a festival. And he said to him, "My friend, how didst thou enter here, when thou hast not the vestments of the feast?" But he was silent. Then said the king unto the servitors, Bind his hands and his feet, and cast him forth into the darkness without: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are the called, but few the chosen."

Then went the Pharisee and took counsel how they might ensnare him in discourse. And they sent to him their disciples with certain of the household of Herod, saying to him, "Doctor, we know that thou art resolutely true, and that the way of Alaha in truth thou teachest; neither carriest thou fear for man, for thou acceptest not the person of men. Tell us then, how doth it appear to thee? Is it lawful to give head-tax unto Cesar or not?" But Yeshu knew their malice, and said, "Why do you tempt me, you hypocrites?" Show me the denarius of the head-silver. And they presented to him a denarius. And Yeshu said to them, "Whose are this image and inscription?" They say, "Cesar's." He saith to them, "Give then the things of Caesar unto Caesar, and the things of Alaha unto Alaha. And when they heard, they wondered, and left him, and went."

In that same day came the Sadducee, affirming to him, that there is no life for the dead. And they questioned him, saying to him, "Doctor, Musha has said to us that if a man die having no children, his brother shall take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. But there were with us seven brethren: the eldest of whom took a wife, and died. And because he had no children, he left his wife unto his brother. So also did he who was second, and he who was the third, and unto the seventh of them. But the last of all the woman also is dead. In the resurrection, therefore, of whom from these seven shall she be the wife? For all had taken her." Yeshu answered and said to them, "You do err, because you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of Alaha. For in the resurrection of the dead, they take not wives, neither are wives united to husbands; but as the angels of Alaha in heaven are they. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which has been spoken to you by Alaha, who said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob"? But Alaha is not of those who are dead, but of those who are alive." And when the multitudes heard, they were wonder-struck at his doctrine.
But when the Pharisee heard that he had silenced the Sadducee, they gathered together. And one from them, who was skilful in the law, questioned him, tempting him, "Doctor, which commandment is greatest in the law?" Yeshu said to him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy Alaha from all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. This is the commandment, the great and the first. And the second is like unto it, that thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang the law and the prophets." While the Pharisee were gathered together, Yeshu questioned them, and said, "What say you concerning the Meshikha-whose son is he?" They say to him, "Son of David." Saith he to them, "And how doth David in spirit call him the LORD? For he said, that "the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I put thine adversaries beneath thy feet." If, then, David calleth him the Lord, how is he his son? And no man could give to him the answer; nor did any man dare again from that day to question him.

 

Chapter Twentythree

 

Then Yeshu discoursed with the multitudes and with his disciples, and said to them, "Upon the chair of Musha sit the scribes and the Pharisee. Every thing, therefore, which they tell you to observe, observe and do; but after their practices do not act; for they say, and do not. And they bind heavy burdens, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but they themselves with their fingers are not willing to touch them. And all their works they do that they may be seen of men; for they widen their tephillin (Phylacteries), and lengthen the fringes of their waving vestments, and love the chief reclining-places at evening feasts, and the highest seats in synagogues, and the shalama in public places, and to be called of men Rabbi (My Master). But be you not called Rabbi: for One is your Master; but all ye are brethren. And call no man Abba (Father) to you upon earth: for One is your Father, who is in heaven. Neither be ye called Medabronee (Guides) for One is your Guide,-the Meshikha. But he who is great among you, let him be your servitor. For whosoever will exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever will abase himself shall be exalted.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisee, hypocrites! Because you devour the houses of widows, with the pretext of prolonging your prayers; on account of which you shall receive the greater judgment. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisee, hypocrites! Because you hold the kingdom of heaven closed before the children of men; for you will not enter in yourselves, and them who are entering you will not permit to enter. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisee, hypocrites! Because you go over sea and dry land to make one proselyte; and when you have done it, you make him doubly more a son of Gehenna than yourselves. Woe to you, ye blind guides, who say, "That to him who sweareth by the temple, it is nothing; but if he swear by the gold which is in the temple, he is liable!" You senseless and blind! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And that whoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing; but if he swear by the oblation which is upon it, he is liable. You foolish and sightless! For which is greater, the oblation, or the altar that sanctifieth the oblation? He therefore who sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it. And he who sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by whatever abideth in it. And whosoever sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of Alaha, and by Him who sitteth thereon. Woe to you, scribes, Pharisee, hypocrites! Because you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and omit the more grave requirements of the law,-justice, benignity, and faithfulness. For these you should have done, and those not omitted. You blind guides, who strain out gnats and swallow camels. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisee, hypocrites! Who cleanse the outside of the cup and dish which within are full of rapine and injustice. Sightless Pharisee! Cleanse first the inside of the cup and the dish, that their outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisee, hypocrites! For you are like whited sepulchers, which without appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead and all impurity. So you also from without appear to the sons of men as righteous, but within you are full of unrighteousness and hypocrisy.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisee, hypocrites! because you rebuild the tombs of the prophets and beautify the sepulchers of the just; and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been with them partakers in the blood of the prophets: thus bearing witness against yourselves, that you are the sons of them who killed the prophets. And you also,-complete the measure of your fathers. Serpents, birth of vipers! How will you escape from the judgment of Gehenna? On this account, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; some of these you shall kill and crucify; and some of these you shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. So that there shall come upon you all the blood of the just which hath been shed upon the earth; from the blood of Habil (Abel) the righteous, unto the blood of Zachariah-Bar Barakia, whom you slew between the temple and the altar. Amen I say unto you, that all these shall come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Who killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto her, what times would I have gathered thy children, as gathereth the hen her young ones beneath her wings, and you would not! Lo, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, that you shall not see me from henceforth, until you shall say, "Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord."

 

Chapter Twenty-four

And Yeshu went forth from the temple to depart: and his disciples approached him, showing him the building of the temple. But he said to them, "See you not all these? Amen I say to you, there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone which shall not be destroyed." And while Yeshu sat upon the Mount of Olives, his disciples drew near and said between themselves and him, "Tell us when these things shall be; and what is the sign of thy coming and of the consummation of the world." Yeshu answered and said to them, "Beware that no man cause you to err; for many will come in my name and will say, I am the Meshikha; and many will be deceived. But it will be for you to hear of wars and the noise of battles; yet see that you be not distressed; for all these will take place, but not yet is the end. For people will rise against people, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But these are all the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you to affliction, and shall kill you; and you shall be hated of all peoples on account of my name. Then shall many be offended, and shall hate one another, and betray one another. And many lying prophets shall stand up, and shall delude the multitudes. And because of the abounding of iniquity, the love of many will languish. But he who shall persevere unto the end,-he shall live. And this annunciation of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony for all nations; and then will come the end. But when you see the unclean sign of desolation which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, that it standeth in the holy place;-he who readeth let him understand! Then let those who are in Judea escape to the mountain. And let not him who is on the roof descend to take what is in his house; nor he who is in the field turn back to take his vestment. But woe to those who are with child, and to those who give suck in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, nor on the Shabbat. For then shall be the great affliction, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be again. And unless those days are cut short, none could live of all flesh: but on account of the chosen those days shall be cut short. Then if any one shall say to you, "Behold, here is the Meshikha, or there;" believe them not. For there shall arise false Messiahs and prophets of untruth; and they shall give forth magnificent signs, so as to seduce, if possible, the chosen also. If therefore they shall say to you-See! I have told you beforehand- "Behold, he is in the desert;" go not forth: or, "Behold, he is in the inner chamber;" believe not. As the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen unto the west, so shall be the advent of the Son of Man. But where the body shall be, there will be assembled the eagles. But immediately after the affliction of those days, the sun will become dark, and the moon show not her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven be moved. And then shall be seen the standard of the Son of Man in heaven, and then all the generations of the tribes of the land shall wail, and they shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven, with great power and glory. And he shall send his angels with the great trumpet, and they shall gather the chosen who are his from the four winds and from the ends of heaven. But from the figtree learn a parable: As soon as her branches are soft, and they put forth her leaves, you know that summer draweth nigh. So also, when all these are seen, you know that it cometh to the door. Amen I say to you, that this race shall not have passed away until all these shall take place. Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away.

But concerning that day and concerning that hour, no man knoweth; neither the angels of heaven, but the Father only. But as the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man. For as before the deluge they were eating and drinking, taking wives and giving to husbands, until the day that Noah went into the ark; and knew not till the deluge came, and carried them all away; so shalt be the advent of the Son of Man. Then two shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and one be left. Two shall be grinding in the mill; one is taken, and one is left. Be wakeful therefore, because ye know not in what hour cometh your Lord. But this know; that if the master of the house knew in what watch the thief would come, he would have been watching, and not have allowed his house to be broken through. Wherefore be ye also prepared, because in the hour that ye expect not shall come the Son of Man.

Who is the servant faithful and wise whom his lord shall appoint over the children of his house, to give every one his meat in his time? Blessed is that servant, who, when cometh his lord, shall be found doing so. Amen I say to you, that he will establish him over all that he hath. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, "My lord withholdeth to come"; and shall begin to beat his fellow servants, and shall be eating and drinking with drunkards; the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he expecteth not, and in an hour which he doth not know, and shall sunder him, and set his lot with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

Chapter Twenty-five

 

Then shall be likened the kingdom of heaven unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom and the bride. But five of them were wise, and five foolish. And those foolish ones took their lamps, but did not take with them the oil: but those were wise who took oil in vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom withheld, they all dozed and slept. And in the dividing of the night there was the cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go forth to his meeting." Then all the virgins arose, and prepared their lamps. But those foolish ones said to the wise, "Give to us from your oil; for, behold, our lamps are gone out." But the wise ones answered them, saying, "Lest it should not suffice for us and for you; but go to those who sell, and buy for you." And while they were gone to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared entered with him into the house of festivity, and the gate was shut. At last came also those other virgins, saying, "Our Lord, our Lord, open to us!" But he answered and said to them, "Assuredly I tell you, I know you not." Be wakeful therefore, for you know neither that day nor the hour.

For as a man who journeyed called his servants, and delivered to them his property: To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, each man according to his faculty; and forthwith went away. But he who had received five talents went and traded with them, and gained five others. Likewise he who had received two by trading gained two others. But he who had received one went, dug in the earth, and hid the money of his lord. After a long time the lord of those servants came, and received from them the account. Then he drew near who had received the five talents, and brought five others, and said, "My lord, five talents thou gavest me: behold, five others I have gained by them." His lord said to him, "It is well, good and faithful servant; over a little thou hast been faithful, over much I will establish thee: enter into the joy of thy lord." And he of the two talents approached, and said, "My lord, two talents thou gavest me: behold, two others I have gained by them." His lord saith to him, "It is well, servant good and faithful; over a little thou hast been faithful, over much will I establish thee: enter into the joy of thy lord." But he also drew near who had received the one talent, and said, "My lord, I knew thee, that thou wast a hard man, reaping where thou hadst not sowed, and gathering together from whence thou hadst not dispersed. And I feared, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold, thou hast thine own." His lord answered, "Thou evil and slothful servant, thou didst know me that I reap where I have not sowed, and collect from whence I have not dispersed. Did it not behoove thee to cast my money upon the table, that when I came I might require mine own with its increase? Take therefore from him the talent, and give it unto him who hath ten talents. For unto him who hath shall be given, and it shall be added to him; but he who hath not, that also which he hath shall be taken from him. And the indolent servant cast forth into the darknesses without; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

When the Son of Man cometh in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats. And he shall cause the sheep to stand upon his right hand, and the goats on his left. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, "Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom which was to be for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I thirsted, and you made me to drink; I was a stranger, and you received me; I was naked, and you covered me; I was sick, and you cared for me; and I was in prison, and you came to me. Then shall say unto him those righteous," Our Lord! When did we see that thou wast hungry, and fed thee, or that thou didst thirst, and we gave thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and received thee, or naked, and covered thee? And when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and came to thee?" And the King shall answer and say to them, Amen I say to you, "Inasmuch as you did it unto one of these my least brethren, unto me you did it." Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, "Go from me, accursed, into the fire of eternity, which was prepared for the accuser and for his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me not to eat; and I thirsted, but you made me not to drink; and I was a stranger, and you received me not; and naked, and you clothed me not; and I was sick, and in prison, and you visited me not." Then shall they also answer and say, "Our Lord! When saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" Then shall he answer and say to them, "Amen I say unto you, that inasmuch as you did it not unto one of these little ones, you did it not to me." And these shall go away into the torment which is eternal, and the just into the life which is eternal.

 

 

Chapter Twentysix

And when Yeshu had finished all these discourses, he said to his disciples, "You know not that after two days is the Pashca, and the Son of Man is delivered up to be crucified." Then assembled the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, in the hall of the chief of the priests, who was called Kaiapha. And they held counsel concerning Yeshu, how that by artifice they might apprehend and kill him. And they said, "Let it not be on the festival, lest there be a tumult among the people." And when Yeshu was at Bethania, in the house of Shemun the leper, there drew near to him a woman who carried a vase of aromatic balsam, great of price, and she poured it upon the head of Jeshu as he reclined. But his disciples saw and were displeased, and said, "For what is this destruction? For this could have been sold for much, and given to the poor." But Yeshu knew, and said to them, "Why grieve you the woman? A good work hath she wrought upon me. For in all time the poor you have with you, but me you have not in all time with you. For this woman who hath poured this balsam upon my body, as unto my funeral hath done it. And Amen I say unto you, Wheresoever this my Gospel shall be proclaimed, in all the world, this also which she hath done shall be told for her memorial." Then went one from the twelve, named Jihuda Scarjuta, unto the chief priests, and said to then, "What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver him to you?" But they settled to him thirty of silver. And from that time he sought to him opportunity to betray him.

But in the first day of the (Phatiree) unleavened-bread days, the disciples came to Yeshu, and said to him, "Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?" But he said to them, Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, Our master saith, My time hath come! with thee will I perform the passover with my disciples." And the disciples did as Yeshu had commanded, and prepared the passover. And when it was evening, he reclined with his twelve disciples. And while they were eating, he said, "Amen I say unto you, that one from you betrayeth me." And they were very sad, and began to say to him, one by one of them, "My Lord, is it I?" But he answered and said, "One who dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. And the Son of Man goeth as it is written concerning him; but woe to him, to that man by whose hand the Son of Man is betrayed! Better had it been for that man if he had not been born." Then Jihuda the traitor answered and said, "Am not I he, Rabi?" Jeshu replieth to him, "Thou hast said!" But while they were eating, Yeshu took the bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat, this is my body." And he took the cup, and offered thanks, and gave to them, and said, "Take, drink of this all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which for multitudes is shed for the remission of sins. But I say to you, that I will not drink from henceforth of this product of the vines, until the day in which I shall drink it with you new in the Kingdom of Alaha." And they sang praises, and went forth unto the mount of Olives.
Then said Yeshu unto them, "You all shall be offended in me this night; for it is written,  'I will strike the shepherd, and scattered shall be the sheep of his flock.' But after that I am risen I am before you in Galila." Kepha answered and said to him, "Though every man should be offended in thee, I never will be offended in thee." Yeshu saith to him, "Amen I say to thee, that in this night, before the cock shall crow, three times thou wilt deny me." Kipha saith to him, "If I am to die with thee, I will not deny thee." The same also all the disciples said. Then cometh Yeshu with them unto the place which is called Gedsiman; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray." And he took Kepha and the two sons of Zabdai; and he began to be sorrowful, and to be vehemently agonized. And he said to them, "My soul is afflicted unto death; wait for me here, and watch with me." And he removed a little, and fell upon his face, praying, and saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as thou." Then he came to his disciples, and found them sleeping; and he said to Kepha, "How, could you not for one hour watch with me? Be watchful and pray, that you enter not into temptation. The spirit is ready, but the body is weak." Again he went the second time, and prayed, and said, "My Father, if it be not possible for this cup to pass, unless I drink it, be done thy will!" And he came again, and found them asleep; for their eyes had become heavy. And he left them, and went again, and prayed the third time, and said the same word. Then he came to the disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and be at rest; lo, the hour cometh, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let us go: behold, he cometh who betrayeth me." And while he was speaking, behold, Jihuda the traitor, one from the twelve, came, and a great multitude with him, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. And Jihuda the traitor had given to them a sign, and said, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he: take him." And immediately he approached Yeshu, and said, "Peace, my master!" and kissed him. But he, Yeshu, said to him, "Is it for that thou hast come, my companion?" Then they came on, and laid their hands upon Yeshu, and took him. And, behold, one from those who were with Yeshu stretched forth his hand, and unsheathed a sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and took off his ear. Then said Yeshu to him, "Return thy sword to his place; for every one of them who take swords, by swords shall die. Or thinkest thou that I cannot request from my Father, and he shall appoint to me now more than twelve legions of angels? But how, then, would the scripture be accomplished, that thus it ought to be?" In that hour Yeshu said to the multitudes, "As against a robber are you come out, with swords, and with clubs, to seize me? Every day with you in the temple I sat and taught, and you did not apprehend me. But this was done that what is written in the prophets might be fulfilled." Then the disciples all deserted him, and fled. And they who apprehended Yeshu led him unto Kaiapha, chief of the priests, where the jurists and elders were assembled. But Shemun Kepha went after him from afar unto the court of the chief of the priests, and entered and sat within with the attendants, that he might see the end. But the chief priests, and the elders, and the whole assembly, sought against Yeshu witnesses, that they might put him to death; but they found not any. And many witnesses of falsehood came. But, last, two came near, declaring, This said, "I can destroy the temple of Alaha, and in three days rebuild it." And the chief of the priests arose, and said to him, "Dost thou return no word? What are these witnessing against thee?" But Yeshu was silent. And the chief of the priests answered and said to him, "I swear thee, by Alaha the Living, that thou declare to us whether thou be the Meshikha, the Son of Alaha?" Yeshu saith to him, "Thou hast said: but I say to you, That hereafter ye shall see him, the Son of Man, sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the chief of the priests tore his robes, and said, "Behold, he hath blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now we have heard his blasphemy. What will you?" They answered saying, "He deserves death." Then did they spit in his face, and smote him; and others struck him, saying, "Prophesy to us, Meshikha! Who is he that smiteth thee?" But Kepha was sitting without, in the hall, and a certain female domestic servant approached him, saying to him, "Thou also wast with Yeshu Natsroia." But he denied before all, and said, "I know not what thou sayest." And when he had gone out into the vestibule, another saw him, and said to them, "This also was there with Yeshu Natsroia." And again he denied with oaths, "I know not the man." But, after a little while, they who were standing drew near, and said to Kepha, "Assuredly thou art of them; for thy speech also makes thee known." Then began he to imprecate and to swear, "I know not the man!" And in that hour the cock crowed. And Kepha remembered the word of Yeshu, who had said to him, "That before the cock shall crow, three times wilt thou have denied me." And he went without, and wept bitterly.

Chapter Twentyseven

But when it was morning, the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Yeshu, how they should put him to death. And they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him to Pilatos the governor. Then Jihuda the traitor, when he saw that Yeshu was condemned, repented him, and went hastily, and returned those thirty of silver unto the chief priests and elders, and said, "I have sinned, for I have betrayed the innocent blood." But they said to him, "What is that to us? Thou knowest,-thou!" And he cast down the silver in the temple, and departed away, and went and strangled himself. But the chief priests took up the silver, and said, "It is not lawful that we throw it into the place of offering, because it is the price of blood." And they took counsel, and bought with it the field of the potter, for the burial-place of strangers. Wherefore that field has been called, "The field of blood," until this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet, who said, "And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who was precious, whom the sons of Israel bargained for; and gave them for the field of the potter, as the Lord commanded me." But Yeshu himself stood before the governor. And the governor questioned him, and said to him, "Thou art the king of the Jihudoyee?" Yeshu said to him, "Thou hast said." And while the chief priests and elders were accusing him, he returned not a word. Then said Pilatos unto him, "Hearest thou not what they witness against thee?" But he gave him no answer, no, not in one word; and upon this Pilatos marvelled greatly. Now at every festival the governor was accustomed to release one of the bound unto the people, whomsoever they would. But there was then bound a notorious prisoner who was called Bar-aba. And when they were assembled, Pilatos said to them, "Whom will you that I release unto you, Bar-aba, or Yeshu who is called the Meshikha?" For Pilatos knew that from malice they had delivered him. But while the governor sat upon his tribunal, his wife sent to him saying, "Let there be nothing between thee and that Just One; for much have I suffered in a dream to-day on his account." But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that he should release to them Bar-aba, that they might destroy Yeshu. And the governor answered and said to them, "Whom will you that I shall release to you of these two?" Then they said, Bar-aba. Pilatos saith to them, "And to Yeshu who is called the Meshikha, what shall I do with him?" They all said, "Let him be crucified." Pilatos saith to them, "Why, what evil hath he done?" But they clamoured the more, and said, "Let him be crucified!" Then Pilatos, when he saw that nothing availed, but that the tumult became greater, took waters and washed his hands in the eyes of the assembly, and said, "I am expiated from the blood of this Just One. You shall know." And all the people answered and said, "His blood upon us, and upon our children!"

Then he released to them Bar-aba; and scourged Yeshu with thongs, and delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Yeshu to the Praetorium, and the whole cohort gathered against him. And they stripped him, and dressed him with a cloak of crimson. And they interwove a crown of thorns, and set it upon his head, and a cane in his right hand: and they kneeled upon their knees before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, king of the Jihudoyee!" And they did spit in his face, and took the cane, and struck him upon his head. And when they had derided him, they stripped him of the cloak, and clothed him with his own garments, and led him away to be crucified. And when they had gone forth, they found a Kurinean man whose name was Shemun: this man they compel to carry his cross. And they came to a place which is called Gogultho, which is, by translation, "The skull." And they gave him to drink vinegar mingled with gall: and he tasted, but was not willing to drink. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments by lot: that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, "They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots." And they sat down and watched him there. And they placed over his head the occasion of his death, in the writing, "This is Yeshu, the King of the Jihudoyee."

And they crucified with him two thieves, one on his right hand, and one on his left. But they who passed by railed against him, moving their heads, and saying, "Destroyer of the temple, and builder of it in three days! Deliver thyself, if thou art the Son of Alaha, and come down from the cross." Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders and Pharishee, saying, "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now descend from the cross, that we may see and believe in him. He trusted upon Alaha; let him liberate him now, if he delighteth in him; for he said, "I am the Son of Alaha." Likewise also the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him. But from the sixth hour there was darkness upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jeshu cried with a high voice, "Alaha! Alaha! Why hast thou forsaken me? (IL ! IL ! lamono shabakthóni). But certain of them who stood there, when they heard, said, "This man hath cried unto Ilia (Elijah)." And forthwith ran one from them, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and set it upon a cane, and gave him to drink. But the rest said, Let him alone, we will see whether Ilio will come to deliver him. But he, Yeshu, again cried with a high voice, and dismissed his spirit. And at once the veil of the temple was rent in twain from above to beneath; and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were riven. And the house of the buried was opened; and the bodies of many of the saints who had been asleep arose, and came forth, and after his resurrection went into the holy city, and were seen by many. But the centurion and those with him, who guarded Yeshu, when they saw the commotion and those portents which took place, feared greatly, and said, "Assuredly this was the Son of Alaha." And many women were there, beholding from afar; those who had come after Jeshu from Galila, and had ministered unto him. One of them was Mariam Magdalitha, and Mariam the mother of Jakub and of Josi, and the mother of the sons of Zabdai.

But when it was evening, there came a rich man from Rametha, whose name was Jauseph, who himself also was a disciple of Yeshu. This went unto Pilatos, and begged the body of Yeshu. And Pilatos commanded that the body should be given to him. And Jauseph took the body, and wound it round in a cloth of pure linen, and laid it in a new house of burial of his own, which was hewn out in the rock. And they rolled a great stone, and heaved it against the door of the sepulchre, and went. Now there were there Mariam Magdalitha and the other Mariam, who were sitting over against the sepulchre. But the day which was next after the preparation, the chief priests and Pharishee came together unto Pilatos, saying to him, "Our lord, we remember that that impostor said while alive, That after three days I will arise. Command therefore that they watch the sepulchre till after the third of the days; lest his disciples come, and steal him away by night, and tell the people that from the house of the dead he has risen, and the last delusion be worse than the first." Pilatos saith to them, "Ye have guards; go, watch diligently, as ye know how." So they went, and set a watch about the sepulchre, and sealed the stone along with the guards.

Chapter Twenty-eight

From the end of the sabbath, when the first day in the week was lightening, Mariam Magdalitha and the other Mariam came to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and drew near, rolled the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His aspect was like lightning, and his raiment was white as the snow. And with fear of him they who were watching were shaken, and became as the dead. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Fear not ye; for I know that for Yeshu who was crucified you are seeking. He is not here: for he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place in which our Lord was laid: and go with speed, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the house of the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galila. There shall you see him. Lo, I have told you." And they went quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and with great joy, and ran that they might tell his disciples. And, behold, Jeshu met them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" And they approached Him, held him by the feet, and adored him. Then said Yeshu to them, "Fear not; but go tell my brethren, that I will go into Galila, and there they shall see me." But while they went, there came certain from those guards into the city, and told the chief priests every thing that had been done. And they assembled with the elders, and took counsel; and they gave money not a little to the guards, telling them, Say you that his disciples came and stole him away in the night, while we slept. And if this be heard before the governor, we will persuade him, and make you without care. But they, when they had received the money, did as they had instructed them; and that saying went forth among the Jihudoyee until today. But the eleven disciples went into Galila, unto the mountain where Yeshu had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but from them some had doubted. And Yeshu drew near, and discoursed with them, and said to them, "There is given unto me all power in heaven and in earth. As the Father sent me, so also I send you. Go therefore, disciple all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Spirit of Holiness. And teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days, until the consummation of the world. Amen."