Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Mark Part 4

011:008 Then many spread their outer garments to carpet the road, and others leafy branches which they had cut down in the fields; 011:009 while those who led the way and those who followed kept shouting "G.o.d save Him!" Blessed be He who comes in the Lord's name.

011:010 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our forefather David! G.o.d in the highest Heavens save Him!"

011:011 So He came into Jerusalem and into the Temple; and after looking round upon everything there, the hour being now late He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

011:012 The next day, after they had left Bethany, He was hungry.

011:013 But in the distance He saw a fig-tree in full leaf, and went to see whether perhaps He could find some figs on it.

When however He came to it, He found nothing but leaves (for it was not fig time); 011:014 and He said to the tree, "Let no one ever again eat fruit from thee!"

And His disciples heard this.

011:015 They reached Jerusalem, and entering the Temple He began to drive out the buyers and sellers, and upset the money-changers'

tables and the stools of the pigeon-dealers, 011:016 and would not allow any one to carry anything through the Temple.

011:017 And He remonstrated with them. "Is it not written," He said, "'My House shall be called The House of Prayer for all the nations?'

But you have made it what it now is--a robbers' cave."

011:018 This the High Priests and Scribes heard, and they began to devise means to destroy Him. For they were afraid of Him, because of the deep impression produced on all the people by His teaching.

011:019 When evening came on, Jesus and His disciples used to leave the city.

011:020 In the early morning, as they pa.s.sed by, they saw the fig-tree withered to the roots; 011:021 and Peter, recollecting, said to Him, "Look, Rabbi, the fig-tree which you cursed is withered up."

011:022 Jesus said to them, "Have faith in G.o.d.

011:023 In solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall say to this mountain, 'Remove, and hurl thyself into the sea,'

and has no doubt about it in his heart, but stedfastly believes that what he says will happen, it shall be granted him.

011:024 That is why I tell you, as to whatever you pray and make request for, if you believe that you have received it it shall be yours.

011:025 But whenever you stand praying, if you have a grievance against any one, forgive it, so that your Father in Heaven may also forgive you your offences."

011:026 []

011:027 They came again to Jerusalem; and as He was walking in the Temple, the High Priests, Scribes and Elders came to Him 011:028 and asked, "By what authority are you doing these things?

and who gave you authority to do them?"

011:029 "And I will put a question to you," replied Jesus; "answer me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

011:030 John's Baptism--was it of Heavenly or of human origin?

Answer me."

011:031 So they debated the matter with one another.

"Suppose we say, 'Heavenly,'" they argued, "he will ask, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

011:032 Or should we say, 'human?'" They were afraid of the people; for all agreed in holding John to have been really a Prophet.

011:033 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." "Nor do I tell you,"

said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

012:001 Then He began to speak to them in figurative language.

"There was once a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, fenced it round, dug a pit for the wine-tank, and built a strong lodge. Then he let the place to vine-dressers and went abroad.

012:002 At vintage-time he sent one of his servants to receive from the vine-dressers a share of the grapes.

012:003 But they seized him, beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.

012:004 Again he sent to them another servant: and as for him, they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully.

012:005 Yet a third he sent, and him they killed. And he sent many besides, and them also they ill-treated, beating some and killing others.

012:006 He had still one left whom he could send, a dearly-loved son: him last of all he sent, saying, "'They will treat my son with respect.'

012:007 "But those men--the vine-dressers--said to one another, "'Here is the heir: come, let us kill him, and then the property will one day be ours.'

012:008 "So they took him and killed him, and flung his body outside the vineyard.

012:009 What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do?"

"He will come and put the vine-dressers to death," they said; "and will give the vineyard to others."

012:010 "Have you not read even this pa.s.sage," He added, "'The stone which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone: 012:011 this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful in our esteem?'"

012:012 And they kept looking out for an opportunity to seize Him, but were afraid of the people; for they saw that in this parable He had referred to *them*. So they left Him and went away.

012:013 Their next step was to send to Him some of the Pharisees and of Herod's partisans to entrap Him in conversation.

012:014 So they came to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you are a truthful man and you do not fear any one; for you do not recognize human distinctions, but teach G.o.d's way truly.

Is it allowable to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

012:015 Shall we pay, or shall we refuse to pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, replied, "Why try to ensnare me?

Bring me a shilling for me to look at."

012:016 They brought one; and He asked them, "Whose is this likeness and this inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied.

012:017 "What is Caesar's," replied Jesus, "pay to Caesar--and what is G.o.d's, pay to G.o.d." And they wondered exceedingly at Him.

012:018 Then came to Him a party of Sadducees, a sect which denies that there is any Resurrection; and they proceeded to question Him.

012:019 "Rabbi," they said, "Moses made it a law for us: 'If a man's brother should die and leave a wife, but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.'

012:020 There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife, but at his death left no family.

012:021 The second married her, and died, leaving no family; and the third did the same.

012:022 And so did the rest of the seven, all dying childless.

Finally the woman also died.

012:023 At the Resurrection whose wife will she be? For they all seven married her."

012:024 "Is not this the cause of your error," replied Jesus--"your ignorance alike of the Scriptures and of the power of G.o.d?

012:025 For when they have risen from among the dead, men do not marry and women are not given in marriage, but they are as angels are in Heaven.

012:026 But as to the dead, that they rise to life, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the pa.s.sage about the Bush, how G.o.d said to him, 'I am the G.o.d of Abraham, the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob?'

012:027 He is not the G.o.d of dead, but of living men.

You are in grave error."

012:028 Then one of the Scribes, who had heard them disputing and well knew that Jesus had given them an answer to the point, and a forcible one, came forward and asked Him, "Which is the chief of all the Commandments?"

012:029 "The chief Commandment," replied Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our G.o.d is one Lord; 012:030 and thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole strength.'

012:031 "The second is this: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as thou lovest thyself.' "Other Commandment greater than these there is none."

012:032 So the Scribe said to Him, "Rightly, in very truth, Rabbi, have you said that He stands alone, and there is none but He; 012:033 and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices."

012:034 Perceiving that the Scribe had answered wisely Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of G.o.d."

No one from that time forward ventured to put any question to Him.

012:035 But, while teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it the Scribes say that the Christ is a son of David?

012:036 David himself said, taught by the Holy Spirit, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I have made thy foes a footstool under thy feet.'

012:037 "David himself calls Him 'Lord:' how then can He be his son?"

And the ma.s.s of people found pleasure in listening to Jesus.

012:038 Moreover in the course of His teaching He said, "Be on your guard against the Scribes who like to walk about in long robes and to be bowed to in places of public resort, 012:039 and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues and at dinner parties, 012:040 and who swallow up the property of widows and then mask their wickedness by making long prayers: these men will receive far heavier punishment."

012:041 Having taken a seat opposite the Treasury, He observed how the people were dropping money into the Treasury, and that many of the wealthy threw in large sums.

012:042 But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny.

012:043 So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more than all the other contributors to the Treasury; 012:044 for they have all contributed out of what they could well spare, but she out of her need has thrown in all she possessed-- all she had to live on."

013:001 As He was leaving the Temple, one of His disciples exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi, what wonderful stones! what wonderful buildings!"

013:002 "You see all these great buildings?" Jesus replied; "not one stone will be left here upon another--not thrown down."

013:003 He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him, 013:004 "Tell us, When will these things be? and what will be the sign when all these predictions are on the point of being fulfilled?"

013:005 So Jesus began to say to them: "Take care that no one misleads you.

013:006 Many will come a.s.suming my name and saying, 'I am He;'

and they will mislead many.

013:007 But when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed: come they must, but the End is not yet.

013:008 For nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These miseries are but like the early pains of childbirth.

013:009 "You yourselves must be on your guard. They will deliver you up to Sanhedrins; you will be brought into synagogues and cruelly beaten; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to be witnesses to them for me.

013:010 But the proclamation of the Good News must be carried to all the Gentiles before the End comes.

013:011 When however they are marching you along under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but speak what is given you when the time comes; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

013:012 "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

013:013 You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.

013:014 "As soon, however, as you see the Abomination of Desolation standing where he ought not"--let the reader observe these words--"then let those in Judaea escape to the hills; 013:015 let him who is on the roof not come down and enter the house to fetch anything out of it; 013:016 and let not him who is in the field turn back to pick up his outer garment.

013:017 And alas for the women who at that time are with child or have infants!

013:018 "But pray that it may not come in the winter.

013:019 For those will be times of suffering the like of which has never been from the first creation of G.o.d's world until now, and a.s.suredly never will be again; 013:020 and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days, no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days.

013:021 "At that time if any one says to you, 'See, here is the Christ!'

or 'See, He is there!' do not believe it.

013:022 For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, displaying signs and prodigies with a view to lead astray-- if indeed that were possible--even G.o.d's own People.

013:023 But as for yourselves, be on your guard: I have forewarned you of everything.

013:024 "At that time, however, after that distress, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shed her light; 013:025 the stars will be seen falling from the firmament, and the forces which are in the heavens will be disordered and disturbed.

013:026 And then will they see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

013:027 Then He will send forth the angels and gather together His chosen People from north, south, east and west, from the remotest parts of the earth and the sky.