said, Rabbi, we know that thou art sincere, and faithfully teachest the way of God without any partiality, for thou re17 spectest not the person of men: Tell us, therefore, thy opinion, 18 Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not? Jesus perceiving their malice, said, Dissemblers, why would ye entangle me? 19 Show me the tribute money. And they reached him a dena20 rius.* He asked them, Whose image and inscription is this? 21 They answered, Cæsar's. He replied, Render then to Cæsar 22 that which is Cæsar's, and to God that which is God's. And, admiring his answer, they left him and went away. 23 Lu. 20, 27. The same day came Sadducees to him, who say that there Mar. 12, 18. 24 is no future life, and thus addressed him, Rabbi, Moses hath Acts 23, 8. said, "If one die, and have no children, his brother shall Deut. 25, 5 25 marry his widow, and raise issue to the deceased." Now there lived among us seven brothers; the eldest married, and 26 died without issue, leaving his wife to his brother. Thus 27 also the second, and the third, and so to the seventh. Last 28 of all the woman died also. Now, at the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven; for they all married her? 29 Jesus answering, said unto them, Ye err, not knowing the 30 Scriptures, nor the power of God; for in that state they Lu. 10, 25 neither marry, nor give in marriage; they resemble God's 31 heavenly messengers. But as to the revival of the dead, have 32 ye not read what God declared to you, saying, "I am the Ex. 3, 6· God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?" God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. 33 Now the people who heard this were amazed at his doctrine. 34 Meantime, the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Mar. 12, 28: 35 Sadducees, flocked about him. Then one of them, a lawyer, 36 trying him, proposed this question, Rabbi, which is the great37 est commandment in the law? Jesus answered, "Thou shalt Deut. 6, 5. love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 38 soul, and with all thy mind." This is the first and greatest 39 commandment. The second is like it, "Thou shalt love thy 40 neighbour as thyself." On these two commandments the Lev. 19, 18. whole Law and the Prophets depend. Lu. 20, 41. 41 While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them, say- Mar. 12 42 ing, What think ye of the Messiah? Whose Son should he 43 be? They answered, David's. He replied, How then doth 44 David, speaking by inspiration, call him his Lord? "The Ps. 110, 1. Lord," saith he, "said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 45 until I make thy foes thy footstool." If the Messiah were 46 David's son, would David call him his Lord? To this none of them could answer; and from that day nobody presumed to try him with questions. XXIII. Then Jesus addressed the people and his disciples, say2 ing, The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' chair; there• A Roman coin, value sevenpence halfpenny. t Jehovah. Lu. 11, 46. Mar. 12, 38. Lu. 11, 43. & 20, 46. Lu. 14, 11. & 18, 14. Lu. 11, 52. fore observe and do whatsoever they enjoin you; nevertheless 4 follow not their example; for they say, and do not. Heavy and intolerable burdens they prepare for other men's shoulders, burdens which they themselves will not put a finger to. 5 But whatever they do, they do to be observed by men. For this they wear broader phylacteries than others, and larger 6 tufts on their mantles; and affect the uppermost places at entertainments, and the principal seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be saluted in public places; and to hear men address8 ing them, cry, Rabbi, Rabbi. But as for you, assume not the title of Rabbi; for ye have only one teacher, the Messiah: 9 and style no man upon the earth your father, for he alone is your Father who is in heaven; and all ye are brethren. 10 Neither assume the title of leaders, for ye have only one 11 leader, the Messiah. The greatest of you, on the contrary, shall be your servant; for whosoever will exalt himself, shall 12 be humbled; and whosoever will humble himself, shall be exalted. 13 Lu. 20, 47. 14 Lu. 11, 42. 15 16 But woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; and will neither enter yourselves, nor permit others that would, to enter. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye devour the families of widows; nay, and use long prayers for a disguise. This will but aggravate your punishment. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye traverse sea and land to make one proselyte; † and when he is gained, ye make him a son of hell doubly more than yourselves. Woe unto you, blind guides, who say, 'To swear by the temple bindeth not, but to swear by the gold of the temple is 17 binding.' Foolish and blind! which is more sacred, the 18 gold, or the temple that consecrateth the gold? and, To swear by the altar bindeth not; but to swear by the offering 19 that is upon it is binding.' Foolish and blind! which is more sacred, the offering, or the altar that consecrateth the 20 offering? Whoever, therefore, sweareth by the altar, sweareth 21 by it, and by every thing thereon. And whoever sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by Him who dwelleth 22 therein: and whoever sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him who sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye pay the tithe of mint, dill, and cummin, and omit the more important articles of the law, justice, humanity, and fidelity. These ye ought to have practised, without omitting those. 24 Blind guides! who strain your liquor to avoid swallowing a gnat; yet swallow a camel. * Scrips of parchment, containing sentences of the law. † A convert to Judaism. 25 Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because Lu. 11, 39. ye cleanse the outside of those cups and platters, which with26 in are laden with rapine and iniquity. Blind Pharisee, begin with cleansing the inside of the cup and of the platter, if ye would make even the outside clean. 27 Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye resemble whitened sepulchres, which without indeed are beautiful, but within are full of corruption, and of dead men's 28 bones. Thus ye also outwardly appear righteous to men; but are inwardly fraught with subtilty and injustice. 29 Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because Lu. 11, 47ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monu30 ments of the righteous, and say, Had we lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their accomplices in 31 the slaughter of the prophets.' Thus ye testify against yourselves, that ye are the sons of those who murdered the pro32 phets. Fill ye up, then, the measure of your fathers. Ah! serpents! offspring of vipers! How can ye escape the punishment of hell? 34. Therefore, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes. Lu. 11, 49Some of them ye will kill and crucify; others ye will scourge 35 in your synagogues, and banish from city to city; so that all the innocent blood shed upon the earth shall be charged upon you, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood Gen. 4, 8. of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the 2 Cor. 24, 20 36 altar and the sanctuary. Verily I say unto you, all shall be charged upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! that killest the prophets, and Lu. 13, 34stonest them whom God sendeth to thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen 38 chickens under her wings! but ye would not. 39 your habitation be transformed into a desert: ye shall not henceforth see me, until ye say, who cometh in the name of the Lord.”* gathereth her Quickly shall for know that "Blessed be he Ps. 118, 26. SECTION XIII.-THE PROPHECY ON MOUNT OLIVET. Lu. 21, 5. XXIV. AS Jesus walked out of the temple, his disciples came Mar. 13, 12 and made him observe the buildings of it. Jesus said to them, Lu. 19, 44. All this ye see; verily I say unto you, one stone shall not be left here upon another. All shall be razed. 3 Lu. 21, 7 As he sat upon the Mount of Olives, his disciples accosted Mar. 13, 3 him privately, saying, Tell us, when will this happen? and what will be the sign of thy coming, and of the conclusion 4 of this state? Jesus answering, said to them, Take heed that 5 no man seduce you: for many will assume my character, 6 saying, I am the Messiah,' and will seduce many. Nay, * Jehovah. Mar. 13, 8- ch. 10, 17. Mar. 13, 14 Lu. 21, 20 7 ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars; but take care that ye be not alarmed: for all these things must happen; but the end is not yet. For nation will arise against nation; and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and pestilences and 8 earthquakes in sundry places. Yet these are but the prelude 9 of woes. For they will consign you to torments and to death, 10 and ye shall be hated by all nations on my account. Then many will be insnared and will betray their fellows, and hate 11 them. And many false prophets will arise, who will seduce 12 many. And because vice will abound, the love of the greater 13 number will cool. But the man who persevereth to the end 14 shall be saved. And this good tidings of the reign shall be published through all the world, for the information of all nations. And then shall come the end. 15 When, therefore, ye shall see, on holy ground, the desoDan. 9, 26 16 lating abomination foretold by the Prophet Daniel, (Reader, 17 attend!) then let those in Judea flee to the mountains: let not him who shall be upon the house-top, come down to 18 carry things out of his house; and let not him who shall 19 be in the field, return to take his mantle. But woe unto the women with child, and unto them that give suck in 20 those days. Pray therefore that your flight happen not in 21 the winter, nor on the Sabbath; because there shall be then so great tribulation, as hath not been since the beginning of 22 the world until now, nor shall be ever after. For if the time were protracted, no soul could survive; but, for the sake of the elect, the time shall be short. Mar. 13, 21. 23 If any shall to you then, Lo! the Messiah is here, 24 or he is there,' believe it not; for false Messiahs and false Lu. 17, 23' Lu. 17, 37. prophets will arise, who will perform great wonders and prodigies, so as to seduce, if possible, the elect themselves. 25. Remember I have warned you. Wherefore, if they cry, 'He is in the desert,' go not out; He is in the closet,' be27 lieve it not. For the coming of the Son of Man shall be like the lightning, which, breaking forth from the east, shin28 eth even unto the west. For wheresoever the carcass is, the eagles will be gathered together. Mar. 13, 24. 29 Immediately after those days of affliction, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall withhold her light; and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the heavenly powers shall Isa. 13, 10 30 be shaken. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man Ezek. 32, '7' Joel 2, 31. in heaven and all the tribes of the land shall mourn, when they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of hea31 ven with great majesty and power. And he will send his messengers with a loud-sounding trumpet, who shall assemble his elect from the four quarters of the earth, from one extremity of the world to the other. 32 Learn now a similitude from the fig-tree. When its Mar. 13, 28 branches become tender, and put forth leaves, ye know that Lu. 21, 2933 summer is nigh. In like manner, when ye shall see all these 34 things; know that he is near, even at the door. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass until all these things 35 happen. Heaven and earth shall fail; but my words shall 36 never fail. But of that day and that hour knoweth none but my Father, no not the heavenly messsengers. 37 Now that which happened in Noah's time, will also hap- Lu. 17. 2638 pen at the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, even to that day that Noah entered the 39 ark, they were eating and drinking and marrying, and suspected nothing, until the flood came and swept them all away; so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and one Lu. 17, 3541 shall escape. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall escape. Lu. 12, 39 42 Watch, therefore, since ye know not at what hour your Mar. 13, 3243 Master will come. Ye are sure that if the householder knew ch. 25, 13. at what time of the night the thief would come, he would 1 Th. 5, 2. 44 watch and not suffer him to break into his house. Be ye Rev. 3, 3. therefore always prepared; because the Son of Man will & 16, 15. come at an hour when ye are not expecting him. 45 Who now is the discreet and faithful servant, whom his master hath set over his household, to dispense to them re46 gularly their allowance? Happy that servant, if his master, 47 at his return, shall find him so employed. Verily I say unto you, he will entrust him with the management of all his 48 estate. But as to the vicious servant, who shall say within 49 himself, My master deferreth his return,' and shall beat his 50 fellow-servants, and feast and carouse with drunkards; the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not 51 expecting him, and at an hour he is not apprized of, and having discarded him, will assign him his portion with the perfidious. Weeping and gnashing of teeth shall be there. XXV. Then may the kingdom of heaven be compared to ten virgins, who went out with their lamps to meet the bride2 groom. Of these, five were prudent, and five foolish. The 4 foolish took their lamps, but carried no oil with them. But the prudent beside their lamps, carried oil in their vessels. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all became drowsy and 6 fell asleep. And at midnight a cry was raised, The bride7 groom is coming, go out and meet him.' Then all the vir8 gins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil: for our lamps are go9 ing out.' But the prudent answered, saying, 'Lest there be not enough for us and you, go rather to them who sell, and 10 buy for yourselves.' While they went to buy, the bride |