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Chapter II
assembled all tbe chief priests and scribes of the people, be inquired of them where the Christ should be born. ®And they said to him: In Bethlehem of Judgea; for thus it is written by the prophet :
® And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Art by no means least among the princes of Judah For out of thee shall come forth a Governor,
Who shall rule my people Israel.
’Then Herod, ’having secretly called the wise men, inquired of them exactly the time of the appearing of the star. ® And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said : Go and inquire strictly concerning the child ; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and do him homage. ^ And they, having heard the king, departed ; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and did homage to him ; and opening their treasures, they presented to him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned by God in a dream, not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country by another way.
And when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring thee word ; for Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him. And he arose and took the child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt, ’^and was there until the death of Herod ; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying : Out of Egypt I called my son.
Then Herod, seeing that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly enraged; and he sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying :
MATTHEW.
A voice was heard in Eamah,
Weeping, and great mourning ;
Eachel weeping for her children.
And would not he comforted, because they are not.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel ; for they are dead who sought the child’s life. And he arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus reigned in J udaea instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither ; and being warned by Grod in a dream, he retired into the region of Galilee. came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth ;
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets : He shall be called a Nazarene.
mlN those days comes John the Immerser, preaching • in the wilderness of Judaea, ^ and saying : Eepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ^ For this is he that was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, saying :
The voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make straight his paths.
^ And he, John, had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
^ Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region about the Jordan ; ® and they were immersed by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them : Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath ? ® Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance ; ®and think not to say within yourselves. We have Abraham for our father ; for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And already the axe is
V. 18. In some ancient copies: lamentation and weeping 8
Chapter IV
laid to the root of the trees ; therefore every tree that brings not forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. I indeed immerse you in water unto repentance ; but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to bear ; he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire ; whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and will gather his wheat into the garner ; but the chaff he will burn up with fire unquenchable.
Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be immersed by him. ^^But John sought to hinder him, saying : I have need to be immersed by thee, and dost thou come to me ? And Jesus answering said to him : Suffer it now ; for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And having been immersed, Jesus went up immediately from the water ; and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending, as a dove, and coming upon him. And lo, a voice out of heaven, saying : This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilder- -L V • ness, to be tempted by the Devil. ^ And having fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterwards hungered. ^And coming to him, the tempter said : If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread. ^But he answering said : It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
^ Then the Devil takes him into the holy city, and sets him on the pinnacle of the temple, ® and says to him : If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down ; for it is written :
He will give his angels command concerning thee ;
And on their hands they will bear thee up.
Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.
’’'Jesus said to him: Again it is written. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
® Again the Devil takes him into an exceedingly high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world, and the 9
MATTHEW.
glory of them ; ^ and says to him : All these things I will give thee, if thon wilt fall down and worship me. ^®Then Jesus says to him : Get thee hence, Satan ; for it is written : Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the Devil leaves him ; and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
And hearing that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali ; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying :
The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
The people that sat in darkness, saw great light,
And to those sitting in the region and shadow of death light sprang up.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say : Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he says to them : Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they, immediately leaving the nets, followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets ; and he called them. And they, immediately leaving the ship and their father, followed him.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every infirmity among the people. 2^ And his fame went forth into all Syria ; and they brought to him all that were sick, taken with divers diseases and torments, and possessed with demons, and lunatic, and palsied ; and he healed them. 25 great multitudes followed him from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judaea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Chapter V
YAnd seeing tlie multitudes, lie went up into the mount- • ain ; and lie having sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying :
2 Happy the poor in spirit ; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
^ Happy they that mourn ; for they shall he comforted.
^ Happy the meek ; for they shall inherit the earth.
® Happy they that hunger and thirst after righteousness ; for they shall he filled.
Happy the merciful ; for they shall obtain mercy.
® Happy the pure in heart ; for they shall see God.
9 Happy the peacemakers ; for they shall he called sons of God.
Happy they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake ; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are ye, when they shall revile and persecute you, and shall say all evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and exult ; because great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth ; hut if the salt become tasteless, wherewith shall it he salted ? It is thenceforth good for nothing, hut to he cast out, and to he trodden under foot by men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill can not he hid. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under the bushel, hut on the lamp-stand ; and it shines to all that are in the house. Thus let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Think not that I came to destroy the law, or the prophets ; I came not to destroy, hut to fulfill. verily I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all he fulfilled. Whoever therefore shall
V. 5. Or, the land
V. 11. Some ancient copies omit : falsely. 11
MATTHEW.
break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven ; but whoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say to you, that except your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Ye heard that it was said to those of old : Thou shalt not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the j udgment. 22 53^^ j y^^
that every one who is angry with his brother, without cause, shall be in danger of the judgment ; and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca ! shall be in danger of the council ; and whoever shall say. Thou fool ! shall be in danger of hell-fire. 23 Therefore if thou bringest thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has aught against thee ; 24 leave there thy gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him ; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the oflBcer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Yepi]y j ^o thee, thou shalt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
2^ Ye heard that it was said : Thou shalt not commit adultery. 28 I say to you, that every one who looks on a woman, to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 jf thy right eye causes thee to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. And if thy right hand causes thee to offend, cut it off and cast it from thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.
V. 21. Or, "by those j
V. 22. -without cause, is omitted in many ancient copies. Ib. Eaca, a term of angry reproach.
CHAPTER V.
And it was said: Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. But I say to you, that whoever shall put away his wife, save for the cause of fornication, makes her commit adultery; and whoever shall marry her when put away, commits adultery.
Again ye heard, that it was said to those of old : Thou shalt not swear falsely, but shalt perform to the Lord thine oaths. I say to you,
swear not at all ; neither by heaven, for it is God^s throne ; 23 nor by the earth, for it is his footstool ; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 26 ]^op shalt thou swear by thy head ; because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 2’ But let your word be. Yea, yea. Nay, nay ; for that which is more than these comes of evil.
22 Ye heard that it was said : An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 29 j ye resist not evil ; but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue
thee at the law, and take thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asks of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away.
^2 Ye heard that it was said : Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and shalt hate thine enemy. ^ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you ; that ye may be sons ^of your Father who is in heaven ; for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. ^2 For if ye love those who love you, what reward have ye ? Ho not also the publicans the same ? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye that excels? Do not also the heathen thus ? ^2 ]g0 ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
V. 33. Or, by those of old 13
MATTHEW.
Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before
Y X. men, to be seen by them ; otherwise ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. - Therefore when thou doest alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say to yod, they have in full their reward. ^ But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand does ; ^ that thine alms may be in secret ; and thy Father who sees in secret will himself reward thee.
® And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites ; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily I say to you, they have in full their reward. ® But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret ; and thy Father who sees in secret will reward thee.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do ; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. ® Be not ye therefore like to them ; for your Father knows what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. ® Do ye, therefore, pray after this manner ;
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come ; thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on the earth.
Give us this day opr daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors.
And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
^^For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you ; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
And when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad couny. 11. Or, our needful bread
V. 13. The words omitted are wanting in all the ancient copies.
Chapter VI
tenance ; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to fast. Verily I say to you, they have in full their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face ; that thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret ; and thy Father who sees in secret will reward thee.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body will be light ; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body will be dark. If therefore the light that is in thee is darkness, how great the darkness ! man can
serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. Ye can not serve Grod and Mammon.
25 For this cause I say to you, take not thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment ? ^6 Behold the birds of the air, that "they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into barns ; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they? 2"^ And which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? 28 take ye thought for raiment ? Con-
sider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, nor spin ; 29 and I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these, jf gQ clothes
the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more you, ye of little faith?
Take not thought therefore, saying. What shall we eat ? or. What shall we drink? or. Wherewith shall we be clothed?
these do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly
V. 27. Or, to his age B 15
MATTHEW.
Father knows that ye have need of all these. But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these shall he added to you. ^ Take not thought, therefore, for the morrow ; for the morrow will take thought for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.
Judge not, that ye he not judged. ^ For with what
» J—L. j udgment ye judge, ye shall he judged ; and with what measure ye mete, it shall he measured to you. ^ And why heholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, hut perceivest not the heam that is in thine own eye ? ^ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother : Let me cast out the mote from thine eye ; and behold, the heam is in thine own eye ? ^ Hypocrite ! first
cast out the beam out of thine own eye ; and then thou wilt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
® Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the swine ; lest they trample them with their feet, and turn and rend you.
Ask, and it shall he given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened to you. ® For every one that asks receives ; and he that seeks finds ; and to him that knocks it shall he opened. ^ Or what man is there of you, of whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone ? And if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him ? Therefore all things whatever ye would that men should do to you, so also do ye to them ; for this is the law and the prophets.
Enter in through the strait gate ; because wide is the gate, and broad the way, that leads to destruction, and many are they who go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow the way, that leads to life, and few are they who find it.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
Y. 14. in some ancient copies : How strait.
Chapter VIII
Ye shall know them from their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles ? So every good tree brings forth good fruit ; but the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit, nor a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. So then, from their fruits ye shall know theih.
Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day : Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in thy name, and in thy name cast out demons, and in thy name do many miracles ?
And then will I profess to them, I never knew you ; depart from me, ye who work iniquity.
Every one, therefore, who hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and fell upon that house ; and it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell ; and great was the fall of it.
And it came to pass, when Jesus ended these sayings, that the multitudes were astonished at his teaching. For he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.
VTTT come down from the mountain, great
Y XX.L. multitudes followed him. ^ ^j^d, behold, there came a leper and bowed down to him, saying : Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me. ^ And stretching forth his hand, he touched him, saying : I will ; be thou cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ^ And Jesus says to him : See ^ou tell no one ; but go, show thyself to the priest,
V. 24. In some ancient copies : my sayings IT
MATTHEW.
and offer tlie gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
^ And as he entered into Capernaum, there came to him a centurion, beseeching him, ® and saying : Lord, my servant lies at home palsied, grievously tormented. "^And Jesus says to him : I will come and heal him. ^ The centurion answered and said : Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come imder my roof ; but only say in a word, and my servant will be healed. ® For I am a man under authority, having soldiers imder me, and I say to this one. Go, and he goes ; and to another. Come, and he comes ; and to my servant. Do this, and he does it. ^<^And Jesus hearing it marveled, and said to those who followed : Verily I say to you, I foimd not so great faith, even in Israel. And I say to you, that many will come from the east and west, and will recline at table, with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven ; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness. There will be the weeping, and the gnashing of teeth 1 And Jesus said to the centurion : Go thy way ; and as thou didst believe, be it done to thee. And his servant was healed in that hour.
And Jesus, coming into the house of Peter, saw his mother-in-law lying, and sick with fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her ; and she arose, and ministered to him. i®When evening was come, they brought to him many that were possessed with demons ; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick ; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying : H i m s e 1 f took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses.
i®And Jesus, seeing great multitudes about him, commanded to depart to the other side. And a certain scribe came, and said to him : Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus says to him : The foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests ; but the Son of man has not where he may lay his head. And another of his disciples said to him : Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 225^^^03123 said to him ; Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.
Chapter IX
23 And when he had entered into the ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, so that the ship was covered by the waves ; but he was sleeping. And the disciples came and awoke him, saying : Lord, save us ; we perish. 26 And he says to them : Why are ye fearful, ye of little faith ? Then rising, he rebuked the winds and the sea ; and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying : What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him !
23 And when he had come to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two possessed with demons, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one was able to pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying : What have we to do with thee. Son of God ? Camest thou hither to torment us before the time ? And there was afar off from them a herd of many swine feeding. And the demons besought him, saying : If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine. ^2 And he said to them. Go. And they, coming out, went away into the swine ; and, behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep into the sea, and perished in the waters. And the herdsmen fled, and went away into the city, and told every thing, and what had befallen the possessed with demons. ^ And, behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus ; and seeing him, they besought that he would depart from their borders.
KAnd entering into the ship he passed over, and came • to his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him one that was palsied, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the palsied man : Child, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven. ^ And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves : This man blasphemes. ^ And Jesus knowing their thoughts said : Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts ? ° For which is easier, to say : Thy sins are forgiven ; or to say : Arise, and walk ? ^ But that ye may know that the
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