The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Part 5

[36] Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

[37] And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

[38] And it came to pa.s.s, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

[39] And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

[40] Give us day by day our daily bread.

[41] And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

[42] And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; [43] For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

[44] And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

[45] I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

[46] And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

[47] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

[48] If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

[49] Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

[50] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

CHAPTER 9.

[1] And it came to pa.s.s, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

[2] And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

[3] And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

[4] And they held their peace.

[5] And he saith unto them, Which of you shall have an a.s.s or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

[6] And they could not answer him again to these things.

[7] And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them.

[8] When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; [9] And he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

[10] But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

[11] For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

[12] Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.

[13] But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: [14] And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

[15] Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: [16] And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

[17] And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

[18] And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

[19] And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

[20] So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

[21] And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

[22] And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

[23] For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

[24] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

[25] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [26] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

[27] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

[28] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an amba.s.sage, and desireth conditions of peace.

[29] Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

[30] And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

[31] And he spake this parable unto them, saying, [32] What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

[33] And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

[34] And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

[35] I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

[36] Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

[37] And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

[38] Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of G.o.d over one sinner that repenteth.

[39] And he said, A certain man had two sons: [40] And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

[41] 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.

[42] And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

[43] And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

[44] And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

[45] 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!

[46] I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, [47] And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

[48] And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compa.s.sion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

[49] And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

[50] But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: [51] And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: [52] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

[53] Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

[54] And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

[55] And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

[56] And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

[57] And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: [58] But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

[59] And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

[60] It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

CHAPTER 10.

[1] And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

[2] And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

[3] Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

[4] I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

[5] So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

[6] And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

[7] Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

[8] And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

[9] And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

[10] He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

[11] If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

[12] And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

[13] 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. Ye cannot serve G.o.d and mammon.

[14] And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

[15] And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but G.o.d knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of G.o.d.

[16] Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

[17] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [18] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [19] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

[20] And it came to pa.s.s, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [21] And in h.e.l.l he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

[22] 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.

[23] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

[24] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pa.s.s from hence to you cannot; neither can they pa.s.s to us, that would come from thence.

[25] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: [26] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

[27] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

[28] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

[29] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

[30] Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!