8 sending them to Bethlehem, he said, Go and make exact in quiry about the child. And when you have found him bring 9 me word, that I also may go and pay him homage: So in obedience to the king they departed; and lo! the star which they had seen at its rise moved on before them, till it came and 10 stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly: and having entered the house 11 they found the child with Mary his mother. Whereupon, pros12 trating themselves, they did him homage. Then opening their treasures they presented him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 13 they went to their own country by another way. And when they were gone, behold an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there till I order thee; for He14 rod will seek the child to destroy him. Accordingly he arose and took the child and his mother by night and went to Egypt, 15 where he continued till the death of Herod, so that there was a fulfilment of what the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying, “Out 16 of Egypt I called my son.*" When Herod saw that he was treated with contempt by the magians, he was highly incensed, and he sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and all the territory belonging thereto, from those who had entered the second year year and under, according to the time, of which he had 17 gotexact information from the magians. Then was fulfilled what 18 was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying, "A cry was 19 heard at Rama-lamentation and weeping and great mourning; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted, because they are no more.t" Now when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord 20 appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for 21 they who sought the child's life, are dead. Accordingly he arose and took the child and his mother and came to the land 22 of Israel: but hearing that Archelaus reigned over Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. And be *Hos. 11. 1. Jer. 31. 15. ing warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; so that what was spoken by the prophets was fulfilled: that he should be called a Nazarene. III. In those days cometh John the baptist, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Reform; for the reign of the 2 heavens is at hand." For this is the person spoken of by the 3 prophet Esaias, saying, "A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord: make the roads for him 4 straight.*" Now John had his raiment made of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his waist: and his food was locusts 5 and wild honey: then went out to him Jerusalem and all Ju6 dea and all the country along the Jordan, and by him they were 7 baptized in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! who hath prompted you to flee 8 from the impending wrath. Produce therefore fruits worthy of 9 this reformation, and presume not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father! For I say to you, God is 10 able out of these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Now the axe is at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore which doth not produce good fruit is to be cut down and cast 11 into the fire. I indeed baptize you in water for a reformation; but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in a holy 12 spirit and fire. His winnowing instrument is in his hand. He will thoroughly clean his floor, and gather his wheat for the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee, along the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him: but John earnestly opposed him, say14 ing, "I have need to be baptized by thee. And thou comest to 15 me!" And Jesus in reply said to him, "Permit this at present: for thus it becometh us to confirm all righteousness." Then 16 John permitteth him; and Jesust being baptized was just coming up from the water, when lo! the heavens were opened for * Es. 40. 3, 4, 5. + I have for the sake of perspicuity written John and Jesus: in the text it is he and him. him, and John saw the spirit of God descending like a dove 17 and coming upon Jesus; and lo! a voice from heaven said, "This is my son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased." IV. Then Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness 2 to be tempted by the devil. And having fasted forty days and 3 forty nights, he was at last hungry. Whereupon the tempt4 er coming to him, said, If thou art Son of God, command these stones to become loaves. In reply to which, Jesus said, It is written, "Man can live not by bread only, but by any 5 thing which God is pleased to appoint.*" Then the devil taketh him along to the holy city and placeth him on the battlement 6 of the temple, and saith to him, If thou art Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written, "He will give his angels a charge concerning thee, and with their hands they will bear thee up shouldst thou perchance strike thy foot against a 7 stone." Jesus said to him, It is also written, "Thou shalt not 8 try the Lord thy God." Again the devil taketh him along with him to a very high mountain and pointeth out to him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and saith to 9 him, All these I will give thee if thou wilt prostrate thyself and 10 worship me. Whereupon Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan: for it is written, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and 11 serve him alone." Then the devil leaveth him, and lo! angels came and ministered to him. 12 Now when Jesus heard that John was committed to prison 13 he withdrew into Galilee; and having left Nazareth he went and dwelt at Capernaum, a sea port at the confines of Zabu14 lon and Nephthaleim; so that there was an accomplishment of 15 what was spoken by the prophet Esaias saying, "The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthaleim, the sea coast, the banks of the Jordan, Galilee of the nations-the people who 16 sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them who sat in the 17 region and shadow of death, light is sprung up." From that time Jesus began to make proclamation and say, "Reform; for the reign of the heavens is at hand." *Deut. 8. 3. Ps. 91. 11, 13. Deut. 6. 16. Deut. 6. 13. Es. 9. 1. 18 -Now as Jesus was walking along the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a drag net into the sea; for they were fishermen; and 19 he said to them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of 20 men. Thereupon they immediately left their nets and followed 21 him. And passing on he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the vessel with their 22 father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Whereupon they immediately left the vessel and their father, and followed him. 23 Then Jesus went through all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the reign and curing every disease, and every malady among the people. 24 And the fame of him spread through all Syria; and they brought to him all their sick, seized and tormented with va rious distempers-demoniacs, and lunatics and paralytics, and 25 he cured them. And great multitudes followed him from Galilee, and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea, and from the banks of the Jordan. V. On seeing these multitudes he went up to the mount and sat down, and his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, 3 4, 5 6 Happy the poor in spirit; for the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. ཏི Happy they who mourn; for they shall be comforted. Happy they who hunger and thirst for righteousness; for they shall be satisfied. 7 Happy the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. 8 :: Happy the pure in heart; for they shall see God. 9 Happy the peace makers; for they shall be called children of God. 10 11 Happy they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. Happy are ye when men will revile and persecute you, and accuse you falsely of every evil thing on my account. 12 Rejoice and exult triumphantly; for great will be your reward in heaven: for thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 You are the salt of the earth. Now if the salt become in sipid, with what can it be made salt? It is no longer fit for any thing, but to be thrown out of doors, and trampled under foot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city situate on a moun 15 tain cannot be hid. A lamp is not lighted and put under the corn measure, but on the stand, that it may give light to all 16 the family. Thus let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven. 17: Do not imagine that I am come to annul the law and the 18 prophets. I am not come to annul, but to confirm them. For verily I say to you, Until that heaven and this earth shall have passed away, not one jot nor a tittle of the law shall be 19 annulled till all be accomplished. Therefore whosoever shall weaken the force of one of the commandments, were it even the least, and teach men accordingly, he shall be the least esteemed in the reign of the heavens; but whoever' shall practise and teach them, he shall be highly esteemed in the reign of 20 the heavens. For I say to you, Unless your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you can in no wise enter the kingdom of the heavens. 21 You have heard that it was said to them of old, "Thou shalt not commit murder." And, "Whosoever shall commit 22 murder shall be liable to the sentence of the judges." But I say to you, Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause, shall be liable to the sentence of the judges: and who, ever shall say to his brother, Raca, [a contemptuous word] shall be liable to the sentence of the Sanhedrim; and whoever shall say, Moreh, [a reproachful word] shall be liable (to be 23 sentenced) to the vale of fire.* If therefore thou bring thy gift to the altar and recollect there that thy brother hath ground of complaint against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar and 24 go away. First of all be reconciled with thy brother, and then *Literally, to the Gehenna of fire. Gehenna, or the valley of Hinnom, was a place near Jerusalem, where children were formerly sacrificed by fire to Moloch, and where a fire was kept continually burning to consume the filth of the city. |