42 willing, but the flesh is weak. A second time he withdrew, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if there be no exemption for me; if I must drink 43 this cup, thy will be done. Upon his return, he again found them 44 sleeping, (for their eyes were overpowered.) Again, leaving them, he 45 went and prayed the third time, using the same words. Then he came back to his disciples, and said to them, Do you sleep now, and take your rest? Behold the hour approaches, when the Son of Man must be de 46 livered into the hands bf sinners. Arise, let us be going; lo! he who betrays me is at hand.

47 Before he had done speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, appeared with a great multitude, armed with swords and clubs, and sent by the chief 48 priests and elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a 49 sign, saying, The man whom I shall kiss is he; secure him. And com50 ing directly to Jesus, he said, Hail, Rabbi, and kissed him. Jesus an

swered, Friend, for what purpose do you come? Then hey advanced, 51 and laying hands on Jesus, seized him. Upon this, one of Jesus' com

pany laying his hand upon his sword, drew it; and striking the servant 52 of the high priest, cut off his ear. Jesus said to him, Sheathe your

sword; for whoever has recourse to the sword shall fall by the sword. 53 Do you think, that I cannot presently invoke my Father, who would 54 send to my relief more than twelve legions of angels? But in that

case how should the Scriptures be accomplished, which declare that 56 these things must be? Then turning to the multitude, he said, Do you come with swords and clubs to apprehend me, like people in pursuit of a robber? I sat daily amongst you, teaching in the temple, and you did 56 not arrest me. But all this has happened, that the writings of the Prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.

67

SECTION XV.

The Crucifixion.

NOW they who had apprehended Jesus, brought him to Caiaphas the high priest, with whom the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, to the court of the high priest's house, and having gone in, sat with the officers to see the issue.

59

Meantime the chief priests, and the elders, and the whole Sanhedrim, sought out false evidence against Jesus, upon which they might condemn 60 him to die. But though many false witnesses appeared, they found it 61 not. At length two false witnesses came, who charged him with saying, 62 I can demolish the temple of God, and rebuild it in three days. Then the high priest rising, said to him, Do you answer nothing to what these 63 men testify against you? Jesus remaining silent, he added, On the part of the living God, I adjure you to tell us, whether you be the Messiah, 64 the son of God. Jesus answered him, It is as you say: nay, be assured, that hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of 66 the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest, rending his clothes, said, he has uttered blasphemy. What further need have we of witnesses, now that you have heard him blas66 pheme? What think you? They answered, He deserves to die. Then 67 they spit in his face. Some gave him blows on the head, and others struck 68 him on the cheeks, and said, Divine to us, Messiah, who it was that smote you.

69 Now Peter was sitting without in the court, and a maid servant came to 70 him, and said, You also were with Jesus, the Galilean. But he denied 71 before them all, saying, I know nothing of the matter. And as he went

out into the porch, another maid observing him, said to them, This man 72 too was there with Jesus, the Nazarene. Again he denied, swearing that 73 he knew him not. Soon after some of the bystanders said to Peter, You 74 are certainly one of them, for your speech discovers you. Upon which, 75 with execrations and oaths, he asserted that he did not know him; and

immediately the cock crew. Then Peter remembered the word, which Jesus had said to him, Before the cock crow, you will thrice disown me. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

XXVII-When it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of 2 the people having consulted against Jesus, how they might procure his death, conducted him bound to Pontius Pilate, the procurator, to whom they deliverd him up.

Then Judas, who had betrayed him, finding that he was condemned, repented; and returning the thirty shekels to the chief priests and the 4 elders, said, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent. They 5 answered, What is that to us? See you to that. After which, having thrown down the money in the temple, he went away, and strangled 6 himself. The chief priests taking the money, said, It is not lawful to 7 put it into the sacred treasury, because it is the price of blood. But, after deliberating, they bought with it the potter's field, to be a burying 8 place for s'rangers, for which reason that field, is to this day, called The 9 Field of Blood. Then was the word of Jeremiah the Prophet verified, "The thirty shekels, the price at which he was valued, I took, as the 10 Lord appointed me, from the sons of Israel, who gave them for the potter's field."

11

Now Jesus appeared before the procurator, who questioned him, say 12 ing, You are the King of the Jews? He answered, You say right. But when he was arraigned by the chief priests and the elders, he made no 13 reply. Then Pilate said to him. Do you not hear of how many crimes 14 they accuse you? But he answered not one word, which surprised the procurator exceedingly.

15

Now the procurator was accustomed to release, at the festival, any 16 one of the prisoners, whom the multitude demanded. And they had 17 then a famous prisoner named Rarabbas. Therefore, when they were assembled, Pilate said to them, Whom shall I release to you? Barabb's, 18 or Jesus, who is called Messiah? (For he perceived that through envy 19 they had delivered him up; besides, while he was sitting on the tribunal,

his wife sent him this message, Have you nothing to do with that innocent person; for, to-day, I have suffered much in a dream, on his ac20 count.) But the chief priests and the elders instigated the populace to 21 demand Barabbas, and cause Jesus to be executed. Therefore, when the procurator asked, which of the two he should release, they all an 22 swered, Barabbas. Pilate replied, What then shall I do with Jesus, whom they call Messiah? They all answered, Let him be crucified. 23 The procurator said, Why? What evil has he done? But they cried 24 the louder, saying, Let him be crucified. Pilate perceiving that he was so far from prevailing, that they grew more tumultuous, took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am guiltless of the 25 blood of this innocent person. See you to it. And all the people an 26 swering, said, His blood be upon us, and upon our children. Then he released Barabbas to them, and having caused Jesus to be scourged, de livered him up to be crucified.

27

After this the procurator's soldiers took Jesus into the pretorium, 28 where they gathered around him all the band. And having stripped 29 him, they robed him in a scarlet cloak, and crowned him with a wreath

of thorns, and put a rod in his right hand, and kneeling before him in 30 mockery, cried, Hail, King of the Jews! And spitting upon him, they 31 took the rod, and struck him with it on the head. When they had mocked him, they disrobed him again, and having put his own raiment on him, led him away to crucify hin..

32

As they went out of the city, they met one Simon, a Cyrenian, whom 33 they constrained to carry the cross; and being arrived at a place called 34 Golgotha, which signifies a Place of Skulls, they gave him to drink,

vinegar mixed with wormwood, which, having tasted he would not 35 drink. After they had nailed him to the cross, they parted his garments

36 by lot. And having sat down there, they guarded him. And over his head they placed this inscription, denoting the cause of his death: 38 THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers also were crucified with him, one at his right hand, and the other at his left. 39 Meanwhile the passengers reviled him, shaking their heads, and say. 40 ing, You who could demolish the temple, and rebuild it in three days; 41 if you be God's Son, come down from the cross. The chief priests also, 42 with the scribes and elders, deriding him, said, He saved others: can he

not save himself? If he be King of Israel, let him now descend from 43 the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God. Let God de44 liver him now, if he regard him; for he called himself God's Son. The robbers too, his fellow-sufferers, upbraided him in the same manner. 45 Now from the sixth hour to the ninth, the whole land was in darkness. 46 About the ninth hour. Jesus cried aloud, saying El, Eli, lama sabactha47 ni? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of the 46 bystanders hearing this, said, He calls Elijah. Instantly one of them

ran, brought a sponge and soaked it in vinegar, and having fastened it 49 to a stick, presented it to him to drink. The rest said, Forbear, we 50 shall see whether Elijah will come to save him. Jesus having again ered with a loud voice, resigned his spirit.

51 And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bot 52 tom, the earth trembled, and the rocks split. Graves also burst open;

and after his resurrection, the bodies of several saints who slept were 53 raised, came out of the graves, went into the holy city, and were seen by 54 many. Now the centurion, and they who, with him, guarded Jesus, observing the earthquake, and what passed, were exceedingly terrified, and said, This was certainly the son of a God.

55

Several women also were there, looking on at a distance, who had fol56 lowed Jesus from Galilee, assisting him with their service. Among them were Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

SECTION XVI.

The Resurrection,

57 IN the evening a rich Arimathean named Joseph, who was himself a 58 disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Pilate 69 having given orders to deliver it to Joseph, he took the body, wrapped 60 it in clean linen, and deposited it in his own tomb, which he had newly

caused to be hewn in the rock; and having rolled a great stone to the 61 entrance, he went away. Now Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary were there, sitting over against the sepulchre.

62 On the morrow, being the day after the preparation, the chief priests 63 and the Pharisees repaired in a body to Pilate, and said, My lord, we remember that this impostor, when alive, said, Within three days I shall 64 be raised. Command, therefore, that the sepulchre be guarded till the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him, and say to the people, He is raised from the dead; for this last imposture would prove worse 65 than the first. Pilate answered, You have a guard; make the sepulchre 66 as secure as you can. Accordingly they went and secured it, sealing the stone, and posting guards.

XXVIII.Sabbath being over, and the first day of the week beginning to dawn, Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the se2 pulchre. Now there had been a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven, who, having rolled the stone from 3 the entrance, sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his 4 apparel white as snow. Seeing him, the guards quaked with terror, and 5 became as dead men. But the angel said to the women, Fear not; 6 for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he is 7 risen, as he foretold. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And

go quickly, say to his disciples, He is risen from the dead; behold he goes before you to Galilee, where you shall see him. Take notice: I have told you.

8 Instantly they went from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to 9 inform his disciples. When they were gone, Jesus himself met them, saying, Rejoice. Upon which they prostrated themselves before him, 10 and embraced his feet. Then Jesus said to them, Be not afraid: go, telĺ my brethren to repair to Galilee, and there they shall see me.

11

They were no sooner gone, than some of the guard went into the city, 12 and informed the chief priests of all that had happened. These, after meeting and consulting with the elders, gave a large sum to the soldiers, 13 with this injunction; Say, his disciples came by night, and stole him 14 while we were asleep. And if this come to the procurator's ears, we 15 will appease him, and indemnify you. So they took the money, and acted agreeably to their instructions. Accordingly this report is current among the Jews to this day.

16

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain whither 17 Jesus had appointed them to repair. When they saw him, they threw 18 themselves prostrate before him; yet some doubted. Jesus came near,

and said to them, All authority is given to me in heaven and upon the 19 earth; go, couvert all the nations, immersing them into the name of the 20 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching thein to observ all the things which I have commanded you: and behold! I am with you always, even to the conclusion of this state.

THE

TESTIMONY

OF

JOHN MARK,

THE EVANGELIST.

[FIRST PUBLISHED IN ROME, A. D. 64.]

MARK'S PREFACE:

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God.

SECTION I.

The Entrance on the Ministry.

2 AS it is written in Isaiah the Prophet, "Behold I send my messenger 3 before thee, who shall prepare thy way:" "The voice of one proclaim ing in the wilderness, Prepare a way for the Lord, make for him a straight 4 passage:" thus came John immersing in the wilderness, and publishing 5 the immersion of reformation for the remission of sins. And all the

country of Judea, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem resorted to him, and 6 were immersed by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John's clothing was of camel's hair, tied round his waist with a leather 7 girdle: and he lived upon locusts and wild honey. And he proclaimed, saying, One mightier than I comes after me, whose shoe-latchet I am un8 worthy to stoop down and untie. I, indeed, have immersed you in wa. ter; but be will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee to the Jordan, and IG was immersed by John. As soon as he arose out of the water, he saw 11 the sky part asunder, and the Spirit descend upon him like a dove. And a voice was heard from heaven, which said, Thou art my Son, the beloved, in whom I delight.

12

Immediately after this, the Spirit conveyed him into the wilderness: 13 and he continued in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan; and was among the wild beasts; and the heavenly messengers ministered to him. 14 But after John's imprisonment, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the 15 good tidings of the Reign of God. The time, said he, is accomplished, the Reign of God approaches; reform, and believe the good tidings. 16 Then walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a drag net into the sea, for they were fishers. 17 Jesus said to them, Come with me, and I will cause you to be fishers of 18 men. Immediately they left their nets, and followed him. Passing on

a little, and seeing James, son of Zebedee, with John his brother, who 20 were mending their nets in a bark; he immediately called them: and leaving their father Zebedee in the bark with the hired servants, they accompanied him.

113