Page images
PDF
EPUB

earth: and immediately they sprang up, because they had 6 not depth of earth: but when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and, because they had not root, they withered. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and 8 choked them. But others fell on good ground, and yielded fruit, some an hundred-fold, and some sixty, and some thirty. 9 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

10

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

And the disciples came near, and said unto him, Why 11 speakest thou to them in parables?" And he answered and said unto them, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; but unto them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath much, to him shall be given, and he shall abound: but whosoever hath little', from him shall 13 be taken away even that which he hath. I therefore speak to them in parables, because seeing they see not; and hear14 ing they hear not, nor understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye will hear, and will not understand; and seeing ye will see, and? 15 will not perceive. For the heart of this people is become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; so that they see not with their eyes3, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart, nor are 16 converted, that I should heal them.' But happy are your 17 eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye behold, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

18

"Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any 19 one heareth the word concerning my kingdom, and considereth it not, the evil one cometh, and snatcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed 20 by the way-side. And he who received seed on rocky places, Gr. hath not. S. 125. N. m. ? Or, yet. Sn. 3 Gr. lest they should see, &c. N. m. See on Mark iv. 15. Sn.

is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it 21 with joy; yet hath not root in himself, but endureth a short time and when affliction or persecution ariseth because of 22 the word, he immediately offendeth'. And he who received seed among thorns, is he that heareth the word; and the anxious care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, 23 choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground, is he that heareth the word, and considereth it; who likewise beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred fold, and some sixty, and some thirty."

24 He put forth to them another parable, saying, "The

kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in 25 his field but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed 26 tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the blade sprang up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares 27 also. So the servants of the householder came near, and

said unto him, 'Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy 28 field?-whence then hath it tares?' And he said unto them, 'An enemy hath done this.' Then the servants said unto him, 'Wilt thou therefore that we go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No; lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye 30 root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until

the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 'Gather up first the tares, and bind them [in] bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."" 31 He put forth to them another parable, saying, "The king

dom of heaven is like a grain of mustard-seed, which a man 32 took and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all

seeds: but, when it is grown, it is the greatest of herbs, and becometh a tree; so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."

33 He spake to them another parable: "The kingdom of

1 Gr. is caused to offend. N. m. The word is equivalent to agramas, I apostatize. Luke viii. 13. N. note.

heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and mixed' with. three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

34 All these things spake Jesus to the multitudes in parables; 35 and without a parable he spake not unto them: so that it was

36

fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

Then [Jesus] sent away the multitude, and went into an house: and his disciples came near to him, saying, "Explain 37 to us the parable of the tares of the field." And he answered and said unto them, "He who soweth the good seed is the 38 Son of man: and the field is the world: and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom: and the tares are the sons of 39 the evil one: and the enemy who sowed them is the devil*: and the harvest is the end of the age2: and the reapers are 40 the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered up, and 41 burnt in the fire; so will it be in the end of this age: the

Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who cause offences, and those who 42 commit iniquity; and will cast them into a furnace of fire: 43 there will be weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Then will the righteous shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

44

45

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field; which when a man hath found, he keepeth it secret', and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant, seek46 ing goodly pearls: and having found one very costly pearl, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

1 Gr. hid in, N. m.

world, N. so v. 40, 49. 3 Or, messengers. Sn. 4 hideth it, N. 5 who when he had found, R. T. and N.

the principle of evil personified. "Sons of the evil one" are wicked men. Such in, the Old Testament are called sons of Belial, or worthlessness: i. e. worthless men. 1 Sam. ii. 12; 1 Kings xxi. 10. See 2 Cor. vi. 15. Mark iv. 15, note, Sn.

47

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the 48 sea, and gathering together fishes of every kind: which, when it was filled, men drew to shore, and sat down, and 49 gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So will it be in the end of the age: the angels' will come forth, and will separate the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will cast them into a furnace of fire: there will be weep51 ing and gnashing of teeth." [Jesus saith unto them,]" Un

derstand ye all these things?" They say unto him, "Yes, 52 Master." Then said he unto them, "Therefore every scribe, instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like an householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure-house things new and old."

53 And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these para54 bles, that he departed thence. And when he was come to Nazareth, his own country, he taught them in their synagogue; so that they were amazed, and said, "Whence hath 55 this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the son of the carpenter? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 and are not all his sisters with us? Whence therefore hath 57 this man all these things?" And he was to them a cause of

offending. But Jesus said unto them, "A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country3, and in his own 58 house." And he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

CH. XIV. Ar that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of 2 Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works 3 are wrought by him." (For Herod had apprehended John, and bound him, and put him in prison, because of Hero4 dias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had said unto 5 him, "It is not lawful for thee to have her." And when 1 Or messengers, Sn. 2 made a disciple to, N. and R. T. John iv. 44. Sn. 4 Gr. And they were scandalized at him.

D

3 Or town. See N. m.

Herod would have put him to death, he feared the multi6 tude, because they accounted John as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced 7 before them, and pleased Herod. Upon which he promised 8 with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask. And she, having been before instructed' by her mother, saith, "Give me here the head of John the Baptist in a basin.” 9 And the king was grieved; yet because of his oaths, and of his 10 guests, he commanded it to be given her; and sent and be11 headed John in the prison. And his head was brought in a

basin, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her 12 mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and 13 buried it: and went and told Jesus). And when Jesus heard of it, he withdrew thence by ship into a desert place privately: and when the people heard of it they followed him by land from the cities.

14

And [Jesus] went out, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and cured their sick. 15 And when it was evening his disciples came to him, saying,

"This is a desert place, and the day is now advanced; send the multitudes away, that they may go to the towns, and buy 16 themselves food." But Jesus said unto them, "They need 17 not go give ye them food to eat." And they say unto him, 18 "We have here but five loaves, and two fishes." And he 19 said, "Bring them hither to me." And when he had commanded the multitudes to place themselves on the grass, he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples; and the disciples gave them to the multitudes. 20 And they all ate, and were filled: and the disciples took up 21 the remainder of the fragments, twelve panniers full. And those that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

1 urged on, or set on, N. m. 2 went out of the ship, N. m. or lie down, N. m.

3 Gr. to recline,

« PreviousContinue »