18 Now in the morning, as he returned into 19 the city, he was hungry. And when he saw a

fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig-tree withered 20 away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree 21 withered away? Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be 22 done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

23

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority dost thou these things? and who 24 gave thee this authority ?* And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will will tell you by what authority I do these 25 things. The baptism of John whence was it? from heaven or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, from heaven; he will say unto us, why did ye not 26 then believe him? But if we shall say, Of

* Why did they not ingenuously confess with Nicodemus, that Christ could not have done such mighty works except God were with him? There was no way to account for the miracles he performed, but by admitting that he had divine power and authority.

men; we fear the people: for all consider 27 John a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

28

But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go 29 work to-day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repent30 ed,* and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise: And he answered and said, 31 I will; yet went not. Whether of the two did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first, Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots 32 precede you into the kingdom of God. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not but the publicans and the harlots believed him, and ye, when ye had seen, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33

Hear another parable: There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to hus34 bandmen, and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and 36 killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants of more dignity than the

37 first

and they did unto them likewise. But last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying, 38 They will respect my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come let us kill him, 39 and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, 40 and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto 41 those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will cause those wicked men to perish miserably, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits 42 in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: This the Lord has done, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore I say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a 44 nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.* And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will 45 grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, 46 they perceived that he spake of them. But though they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude since they esteemed him as a prophet.

*It appears that many of these parables had reference to the rejection of the Jewish nation for their unbelief and wickedness, and to the calling of the Gentiles.

CHAP. XXII.

1 AND Jesus answered, and 2 again by parables, and said, heaven is like unto a certain 3 a marriage feast for his son.

:

come.

his servants to call them who were invited to the wedding and they would not 4 Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come to 5 the marriage feast. But they, slighting the invitation, went away one to his farm, another 6 to his merchandise: And the remnant took

spake unto them The kingdom of king, who made And sent forth

his servants, and treated them cruelly, and slew 7 them. But when the king heard it, he was

wroth and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their 8 city. Then saith he to his servants, The marriage feast is ready, but they which were 9 invited were not worthy. Go ye therefore

into the high-ways, and as many as ye shall 10 find, invite to the marriage feast. So those servants went out into the high-ways, and-gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good; and the marriage feast was 11 furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man 12 who had not on a wedding garment : And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? 13 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 14 teeth. For many are called, but few

are

chosen.

15

114

Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might ensnare him in his discourse. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples, with the Herodians,* saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for Tell 17 thou regardest not the person of men:

us therefore, what seemeth fit to thee? Is it 18 lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said, Why 19 tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute-money. And they brought unto him a 20 penny.† And he saith unto them, Whose image 21 and inscription is this? Then they say unto

him, Cæsar's. Then said he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar, the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God, the things which are 22 God's. When they had heard this reply, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there 24 is no resurrection, came to him, and asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses said, if a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, 25 and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren and the first,

* The Herodians were particular friends of Herod, the king. They were mere politicians, unprincipled, irreligious men.

A Roman coin, of the value of about seven-pence.