ed with his disciples, and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 11 And the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with him; 12 and, in order to try him, desired of him a sign from heaven.

Whereupon with a deep sigh, he saith, Why doth this generation demand a sign? Verily I say to you, There shall be no 13 sign given to this generation. So, leaving them, he embarked 14 again, and went to the other side. Now his disciples had for

gotten to take in bread, and they had only one loaf with them 15 in the vessel. And he gave them a charge, saying, Take heed;

beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of He16 rod. Thereupon they reasoned among themselves, saying, It 17 is because we have not bread. Jesus, perceiving this, saith to

them, Why do you imagine that it is because you have not 18 bread? Are you yet so void of sense and understanding? Have you hearts still callous? Having eyes do you not see? And having ears do you not hear? And have you no memory? 19 When I brake the five loaves for the five thousand, how many 20 panniers full of fragments did you carry off? They say to him,

Twelve. And when I brake the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you carry off? 21 They said, Seven. Then he said to them, How is it that you do not understand?

22

Then he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring a blind man 23 to him, and intreat him to touch him. Thereupon taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes, he laid his hands on him, and asked him 24 if he seeth any thing? And he looking up, said, I see the men 25 like trees; walking about. Then he laid his hands on his eyes

again, and made him look up. And his sight was restored, and 26 he saw them all clearly. Then he sent him to his house, saying, Neither go to the village, nor tell any one in the village.

27

Then Jesus went forth, with his disciples, to the villages of 28 Cæsarea-philippi. And by the way he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist but some say, Elias; and others say, One of the pro29 phets. Then he saith to them, And who do you say that I am? 30 Peter answering, saith to him, Thou art the Christ. Then he

charged them to tell no one this concerning him, and began

31 to inform them that the son of man must suffer many things,

and be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, 32 and put to death, and after three days rise again. And he spake 33 this so plainly, that Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him. Whereupon, turning about and looking on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan! For thou hast thy mind bent, not on the things of God, but on the 34 things of men. Then, having called to him the multitude, with his disciples, he said to them, Whosoever hath a mind to come under my guidance, let him deny himself, and take up 35 his cross, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life,

shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for the sake of me, 36 and the glad tidings, he shall save it. For what will it profit a 37 man, if he should gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? 38 Or what will not a man give as a ransom for his life? For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the son of man will be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his father, with his holy angels. Then he said to them, Verily I say to you, There are some of those standing here, who shall not taste death till they see the reign of God come with power.

IX.

2

Six days after this, Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up, privately by themselves, to a high moun3 tain, and was transfigured in their presence. And his raiment became glittering white like snow, to such a degree as no ful4 ler on earth could whiten. And there appeared to them Elias 5 with Moses, who were conversing with Jesus. Whereupon Peter, addressing Jesus, said, Rabbi, It is well that we are here. Let us make three booths, one for thee, and one for Moses, and 6 one for Elias. For he did not know what to say; for they were 7 terrified. Then there came a cloud which overshadowed them,

and from the cloud came a voice, saying, This is my Son, the 8 Beloved; hearken to him. And instantly looking about, they 9 saw no one any more, but only Jesus with them. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he strictly charged them not to tell any one what they had seen, until the son of man 10 is risen from the dead. This expression they laid hold on, questioning among themselves what this rising from the dead could

11 mean. Then they asked him, saying, Why do the Scribes say 12 that Elias must first come? In reply to which, he said to them,

Elias indeed having come first, finisheth and beginneth all anew, in a manner conformable to what is written of the son of man, 13 that he may suffer many things,and be treated with contempt. But I say to you, that Elias hath actually come; and they have done to him what they pleased, as it is written of him.

14

And as he was coming to his disciples, he saw a great crowd 15 about them, and the Scribes disputing with them. And all the people when they saw him, were instantly struck with awe, 16 and ran to salute him. Then he asked the Scribes, About 17 what are you disputing with them? And one of the multitude

answering, said, O! Teacher, I brought to thee this my son, 18 who hath a dumb spirit. And whenever it seizeth him, it convulseth him; and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and is shrivelled up. I spoke indeed to thy disciples to cast it out, 19 but they could not. Thereupon Jesus, in reply to him, saith,

O faithless generation! How long shall I be with you? How long 20 am I to endure you! Bring him to me. So he was brought to him.

And soon as he saw Jesus, the spirit threw him into convul21 sions; and, falling on the ground, he rolled about and foamed.

And Jesus asked his father, How long since this befel him? 22 And he said, From his childhood. And oft times it hath cast

him into fire, and into waters to destroy him. But if thou canst 23 do any thing, have compassion on us and help us. Thereupon Jesus said to him, With regard to this canst thou believe? All 24 things are possible for him who believeth. Upon which the fa

ther of the child immediately cried out, and with tears said, I 25 do believe: Help, O sir, my unbelief. And when Jesus saw that the people were crowding upon him, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee; Go out of him; and enter no more into him; and the de26 mon having screamed, and 'severely convulsed him, went out. 27 And he was like one dead. So that many said, He is dead. But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 And when he went into a house, his disciples asked him pri29 vately, Why could not we cast it out? And he said to them,

30

This kind [of power*] can go forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.†

Having left that place, they travelled through Galilee, and he did not desire that any should know; for he was teaching 31 his disciples. And he said to them, The son of man is about to 32 be delivered up into the hands of men, and they will put him to death. And being put to death, he will rise again on the third day. But they did not comprehend the meaning of this, and were afraid to ask him.

33

And when he came to Capernaum, and was in the house, he asked them. What was that, about which you were debat34 ing among yourselves on the road. And they were silent. For

on the road they had debated among themselves, Who should 35 be greatest. Then sitting down, he called the twelve, and saith

to them, If any one desireth to be first, let him be last of all, 36 and servant of all. Then having taken a child, he placed it in 37 the midst of them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them,

Whosoever shall receive one of such children on my account, receiveth me; and whoever shall receive me, receiveth him who sent me.

38 Then John addressed him, saying, Teacher, we saw one

who doth not accompany us, casting out demons in thy name, 39 and we forbade him, because he doth not accompany us.

Whereupon Jesus said, Forbid him not, for there is no one who will do a miracle in my name, and be readily able to speak 40 evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For who41 soever shall give you a cup of water to drink on my account,

because you belong to Christ, verily I say to you, He shall 42 not lose his reward. And whoever shall cause one of these lit

tle ones, who believe in me, to stumble, better were it for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast 43 into the sea. Therefore, if thy hand cause thee to fall, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter maimed into life, than having two hands, to go into hell, into the fire which is unextinguishable; 44 "Where their worm dieth not-and the fire is not extin

* I have added the words [of power] for the sake of perspicuity. See Matt. 17. 29. Luke 6. 19. + See ch. 5. 30.

45 guished!*" And if thy foot cause thee to fall, cut it off, it is better for thee to enter lame into life, than, having two feet, to 46 be cast into hell, into the fire which is unextinguishable; "where

their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished." And 47 if thine eye causeth thee to fall, pluck it out; it is better for

thee to enter one eyed into the kingdom of God, than having 48 two eyes, to be cast into the hell of that fire; "where their worm 49 dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished." For every one is

to be salted for fire, as every sacrifice is to be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good; but if the salt become saltless, with what can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and maintain peace with one another.

X.

Having departed thence, he cometh to the borders of Judea, through the plain of the Jordan. And multitudes again re2 sort to him, and he, as usual, again taught them. And the Pharisees came, and with a view to try him, asked him, Is it law3 ful for a man to put away his wife. Whereupon he, in reply, 4 said to them, What hath Moses commanded you? And they

said, Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce and to put 5 away. In answer to this, Jesus said to them, Because of your 6 intractable disposition, Moses wrote this precept for you. But

from the beginning of the creation God made them a male and 7 a female. For this cause a man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And they two shall be one flesh. 8 So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what 9 God hath conjoined, let not man separate. And when he was 10 in the house, his disciples asked him again concerning this 11 matter. Whereupon he saith to them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman put away her husband, and marry another, she committeth adultery.

13

Then children were brought to him, that he might touch 14 them; and his disciples rebuked those who brought them. But Jesus, observing this, expressed displeasure, and said to them, Suffer the children to come to me, and do not hinder them, 15 for of such is the kingdom of God. Verlily I say to you, Who

Esaias 66. 24.