saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and went forth before them all, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, which had given such power unto men; and were filled with fear, saying, We never saw it on this fashion! - we have seen strange things to day!

Matt. ix. 9.

And after these things he went forth again to1 the sea; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and Mar. ii. 13-17. he taught them. And as he passed by, he Lk. v. 27-32. saw a publican, named Levi (Matthew), the son of Alphæus sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all. rose up, and

followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his own house:

1 by the sea side.

CALL OF LEVI AND HIS FEAST.

47

and there was a great company of publicans and sinners and of others that sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. But the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice:a for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting:2 and they come and say unto him, Matt. ix. 14-17. Why do the disciples of John and the dis- Mar. ii 18-22. ciples of the Pharisees fast often, and make prayers, but thy disciples fast not?

3

Lk. v. 33-39.

And Jesus

said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

And he spake also a parable unto them; No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the And no man putteth

old, and the rent is made worse.

new wine into old bottles: else the new wine will burst

1 But their scribes and Pharisees

2 of John and of the Pharisees used to fast

3 omit the disciples

4 have the bridegroom with them

a Hos. vi. 6. For I desired mercy; and not sacrifice. Cf. Matt. xii. 7.

the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine1 desireth new for he saith, the old is good.2

1 straightway desireth

2 the old is better

CHAPTER IX.

OUR LORD'S SECOND PASSOVER, AND EVENTS UNTIL

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

Jno. v. 1-47.

AFTER this there was the1 feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a2 multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered. And a certain man was there, which had his infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It

1 a feast

2 a great multitude

3 halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

4 an infirmity

5 And immediately the man

2

is the Sabbath day, and it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. They asked him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up, and walk? And he that was sick wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus find

4

eth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold! thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, because he did these things on the Sabbath day.

But he answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth : and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up and quickeneth the dead, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no

1 omit and

3 Take up thy bed, and walk

2 Then asked they him

4 he that was healed

5 persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, 6 he had done these things 7 But Jesus answered

8 omit own