¹ MEANTIME myriads of people collecting, so that they trod on one another, he began to speak to his disciples, Take heed principally of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

² For there is nothing concealed, that shall not be laid open; nor hid, which shall not be known.

³ Wherefore whatsoever things ye have spoken in darkness, they shall be reported in the light; and what ye have whispered into the ear in the closets, shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.

⁴ But I say to you my friends, Be not afraid of those who may kill the body, but after that, have nothing farther which they can do.

⁵ But I will point out to you, whom ye should fear: Fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him!

⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, yet not one of them is forgotten before God?

⁷ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered: fear not then, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

⁸ But I tell you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him will the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

⁹ but he that disowns me before men, shall be disowned before the angels of God.

¹⁰ And every one who shall utter a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but for him who hath blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, there shall be no forgiveness.

¹¹ And when they shall bring you before the synagogues, and magistrates, and the ruling powers, be under no anxiety how or what defence ye shall make, or what ye shall say:

¹² for the Holy Ghost will teach you at that very hour what ye ought to say.

¹³ Then spake one of the multitude to him, Master, order my brother to divide the inheritance with me.

¹⁴ But he said to him, Man, who made me a judge and a divider among you?

¹⁵ Then said he to them, Beware, and be on your guard against covetousness; for a man’s life doth not depend on the abundance of his possessions.

¹⁶ And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The estate of a certain rich man bore plentifully:

¹⁷ and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? for I have not room where I may house my crops.

¹⁸ And he said, I will do this; I will take down my barns, and build them larger, and collect there all my crops, and my good things!

¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast a multitude of good things in store for many years, be at ease, eat, drink, and be merry!

²⁰ But God said to him, Thou fool! this night shall they demand thy life from thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?

²¹ Just such is every one who heapeth up treasure for self, and is not rich towards God.

²² Then said he to his disciples, For this reason I tell you, Be under no anxiety about your life, what ye shall eat, nor for your body, how ye shall be clothed.

²³ The life is more than food, and the body than raiment.

²⁴ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn; yet God feedeth them: how much are ye more excellent than the birds?

²⁵ Which of you, with all his anxiety, can add one moment to his life?

²⁶ If therefore ye are unable to do the least thing, why are ye anxious about the others?

²⁷ Observe the lillies how they grow up, they toil not, nor spin; but I tell you, that Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁸ If God then so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is thrown into the furnace; how much more you, O ye of little faith?

²⁹ So then be not ye inquisitive what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor be agitated with restless anxiety.

³⁰ For after all these things are the nations of the world seeking; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

³¹ But seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be given you over.

³² Fear not, little flock! for your Father takes delight in giving you the kingdom.

³³ Sell all your possessions, and give in charity; make yourselves purses that wax not old, a treasure never failing in the heavens, where no thief approaches, nor doth the moth destroy.

³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

³⁵ Let your loins be firmly girded round, and your lamps burning:

³⁶ and ye like men, expecting their master, when he shall return from the marriage; that when he comes and knocks, they may instantly open the door for him.

³⁷ Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, when he cometh, shall find watchful: verily I say unto you, that he will gird up himself, and make them sit down at table, and come and wait upon them.

³⁸ And if he come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find them so watchful, blessed are those servants.

³⁹ Now this be assured of, that if the master of the family had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through.

⁴⁰ Therefore be ye also ready, for at an hour that ye think not of, the Son of man cometh.

⁴¹ Then said Peter unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable to us, or also for all?

⁴² And the Lord said, Who indeed is a faithful steward, and prudent, whom the lord will place over his household, to give them their proportion of provision at the proper season?

⁴³ Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so employed.

⁴⁴ Verily I say unto you, that he will place him over all his property.

⁴⁵ But if that servant say in his heart, My master will be a long while ere he comes; and shall begin to beat the men and maid-servants, and to eat and to drink, and to get drunk;

⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come in a day when he doth not expect him, and at an hour which he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and give him his portion with the unfaithful.

⁴⁷ And that servant, who knew his master’s will, and made no preparation for him, nor did according to his pleasure, shall be beaten with many stripes.

⁴⁸ But he that knew it not, yet did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For of every one to whom much is given, much shall be required from him: and to whom men commit much, they will of him demand abundantly more.

⁴⁹ I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what is my wish? that it may be now kindled.

⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how am I distressed in spirit till it is finished!

⁵¹ Think ye that I came to bring peace upon earth? No, I tell you; but rather division:

⁵² for henceforth five shall be in one house, divided, three against two, and two against three.

⁵³ The father shall take part against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the step-mother against her daughter-in-law, and the son’s wife against her mother-in-law.

⁵⁴ Then said he to the multitudes, When ye see a cloud rising from the west, ye say immediately, There cometh a shower; and it is so.

⁵⁵ And when the south wind gently blows, ye say, It will be sultry hot; and so it is.

⁵⁶ Ye hypocrites! ye know how to discern by experience from the appearance of the earth and of the sky; but how is it that ye do not discern this particular time?

⁵⁷ And why even of yourselves do ye not decide what is just?