- And he went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And there said one unto him, Lord, are there few only that be saved? And he answered him and said, Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for I say unto you, many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able, for the Lord shall not always strive with man. Therefore, when once the Lord of the kingdom is risen up and has shut the door of the kingdom, then you shall stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord open unto us. But the Lord shall answer and say unto you, I will not receive you, for you know not from where you are. Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, you know not from where you are; depart from me, all workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth among you when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you are thrust out. And truly I say unto you, They shall come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last and shall be saved therein.
- And as he was thus teaching, there came to him certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get out and depart from here, for Herod will kill you. And he said unto them, Go and tell Herod: Behold, I cast out devils and do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the third day, for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. This he spoke signifying of his death.
- And in this very hour, he began to weep over Jerusalem, saying, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone them who are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen her brood under her wings, and you would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. And truly I say unto you, you shall not know me until you have received from the hand of the Lord a just recompense for all your sins, until the time come when you shall say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
- And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, that they watched him. And behold, there was a certain man before him who had edema. And Jesus spoke unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took the man and healed him, and let him go, and spoke unto them again, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit and will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they could not answer him to these things.
- And he put forth a parable unto them concerning those who were bid to a wedding, for he knew how they chose out the chief rooms and exalted themselves one above another. Wherefore, he spoke unto them, saying, When you are bid of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more distinguished man than you should be bid of him, and he who bid you, with him who is more distinguished, come and say to you, Give this man place, and you begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when you are bid, go and sit down in the lowest room, that when he who bid you comes, he may say unto you, Friend, go up higher. Then shall you have honor of God in the presence of them who sit at a meal with you. For whoever exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
- Then said he also concerning him who bid to the wedding, When you make a dinner or a supper, call not your friends nor your brethren, neither your kinsmen nor rich neighbors, lest they also bid you again and a recompense be made to you. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you shall be blessed, for they cannot recompense you, for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
- And when one of them who sat at a meal with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper and bid many, and sent his servants at supper time to say to them who were bid, Come, for all things are now ready. And they all, with one consent, began to make excuses. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground and I must go and see it; I ask that you have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them; I ask that you have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, therefore I cannot come. So that servant came and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servants, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring here the poor and the maimed, the lame and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you have commanded, and yet there is room. The lord said unto his servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel men to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you that none of those men who were bid shall taste of my supper.
- And when he had finished these sayings, he departed from there, and there went great multitudes with him. And he turned and said unto them, If anyone come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, or husband, yea, and their own life also — or in other words, is afraid to lay down their life for my sake, cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Wherefore, settle this in your hearts: that you will do the things which I shall teach and command you. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first and counts the cost, whether he has money to finish his work? Lest unhappily, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish his work, all who behold begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish?
- And this he said signifying there should not any man follow him unless he was able to continue, saying, Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first and consults whether he be able, with ten thousand, to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an ambassage and desires conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.
- Then certain of them came to him, saying, Good Master, we have Moses and the prophets; and whoever shall live by them, shall he not have life? And Jesus answered, saying, You know not Moses, neither the prophets, for if you had known them, you would have believed on me; for, to this intent they were written. For I am sent that you might have life. Therefore, I will liken it unto salt which is good; but if the salt has lost its savor, with what shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor yet for the dunghill; men cast it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. These things he said signifying that which was written truly must all be fulfilled.
- Then drew near unto him many of the publicans and sinners in order to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. And he spoke this parable unto them, saying, What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine and go into the wilderness after that which is lost until he find it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you that likewise, joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety-nine just people who need no repentance.
- Either, what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? And when she has found it, she calls friends and neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
- And he said, A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods which falls to me. And he divided unto him his possessions. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in lack. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you, and am no more worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants.
- And he arose and came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son. But the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put on him, and put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet, and bring here the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.
- Now his elder son was in the field and, as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him safe and sound. And he was angry and would not go in. Therefore came his father out and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Behold, these many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at any time your commandment, and you never gave me a kid that I might make merry with my friends; but as soon as this your son had come, who has devoured your possessions with harlots, you have killed for him the fattened calf. And he said unto him, Son, you are ever with me, and all I have is yours. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found.
- And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you may be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? For my lord takes away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig; to beg, I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord’s debtors, and said unto the first, How much do you owe unto my lord? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take your bill and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much do you owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take your bill and write eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.
- And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He who is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in the least is also unjust in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give unto you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
- And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things and they derided him. And he said unto them, You are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. And they said unto him, We have the law and the prophets, but as for this man, we will not receive him to be our ruler, for he makes himself to be a judge over us.
- Then said Jesus unto them, The law and the prophets testify of me, yea, and all the prophets who have written, even until John, have foretold of these days. Since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man who seeks truth presses into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one tittle of the law to fail. And why do you teach the law, and deny that which is written, and condemn him whom the Father has sent to fulfill the law, that you might all be redeemed? O fools, for you have said in your hearts, There is no God. And you pervert the right way, and the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence of you, and you persecute the meek, and in your violence you seek to destroy the kingdom, and you take the children of the kingdom by force. Woe unto you, you adulterers. And they reviled him again, being angry for the saying that they were adulterers. But he continued, saying, Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
- Truly I say unto you, I will liken you unto the rich man. For there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus who was laid at his gate, full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried of the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise, Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they who would pass from here to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from there. Then he said, I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one should rise from the dead.
- Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offenses will come, but woe to him through whom they come. It would be better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn to you again, saying, I repent — you shall forgive him.
- And the apostles said unto him, Lord, increase our faith. And the Lord said, If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say unto this sycamore tree, Be plucked up by the roots and be planted in the sea — and it should obey you.
- But who of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him when he has come from the field, Go and sit down to a meal? Will he not rather say unto him, Make ready that which I may eat, and gird yourself, and serve me until I have eaten and drunk, and afterward, eventually, you shall eat and drink? Does he thank that servant because he does the things which were commanded him? I say unto you, nay. So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was no more than our duty to do.
Chapter 9