תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

Parable of the wicked Husbandmen. 223

yard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and they beat him also, and wounded him in the head, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out, and killed him. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. Then the lord of the vineyard, having yet one son, his wellbeloved, said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. He therefore sent him also last unto them. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance, and it shall be ours. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will come and

224 Parable of the Marriage Feast.

miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith, He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and the scribes and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them, and the same hour sought to lay hands on him; but they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have

Parable of the Marriage Feast. 225

prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen ".

5 Matt. xxi. 23-xxii. 14. Mark xi. 27-xii. 12. Luke xx. 1-19.

Q

The Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees question Christ. He questions them in

return.

THEN went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, certain of their disciples with the Herodians, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And when they were come, they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their wickedness, craftiness, and hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money, that I may see it. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they answered and said unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the

Christ confuteth the Sadducees.

227

things that are God's. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace, left him, and went their way.

The same day came to him certain of the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him; and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: and the second took her to wife, and he died childless: and the third took her likewise; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died and last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her to wife. Jesus answered and said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? The children of this world marry and are given in marriage, but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are

« הקודםהמשך »