reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, from heaven; he will say, Why then 32 did ye not believe him? But if we shall say,

Of men; they feared the people for they 33 all considered John to be a prophet. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering, saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.*

CHAP. XII.

1 AND he began to speak unto them by parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a wine-fat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, 2 and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen. 3 of the fruit of the vineyard. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another servant : and him they stoned, and wounded in the head, 5 and sent away shamefully abused. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some and killing some. 6 Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They

* Jesus was not obliged to tell the Jews that he was sent of God, his miracles were sufficient to convince themafterwards, however, he did acknowledge himself to be the Messiah; but they were the more enraged, and accused him of blasphemy.

7 will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said amongst themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall 8 be ours. And they took him, and killed him, and 9 cast him out of the vineyard. What shall therefore the Lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the 10 vineyard unto others. And have ye not read this scripture? The stone which the builders rejected, is become the head of the corner. 11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvel12 lous in our eyes. And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people; for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them; and they left him, and went their way.

13

.

And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees, and of the Herodians, to catch him 14 in his words.* And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth; Is it lawful to give 15 tribute to Cæsar, or not? shall we give, or shall we not give? But he knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16 And they brought it: and he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And 17 they said unto him, Cæsar's. And Jesus

* The object of all these enemies of Christ was probably to find some occasion for accusing him as an enemy to the Roman emperor, and a seditious person, that they might procure his death.

answering, said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's; and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they asked 19 him, saying, Master, Moses directed us, if a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto 20 his brother. Now there were seven brethren : and the first took a wife, and dying, left no 21 offspring. And the second took her, and

died, neither left he any; and the third like22 wise. And the seven had her, and left no

children: last of all, the woman died also. 23 Now in the resurrection when they shall rise,

whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven 24 had her to wife. And Jesus answering, said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power 25 of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage: but are as the angels which are in 26 heaven. And as touching the dead, that they rise; have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying I am the God of Abraham, and the God of 27 Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

28

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him,

29 Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our 30 God is one Lord: And, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is 31 the first commandment: And the second is like, namely, this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: there is none other command32 ment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth for there is one God; and there is none 33 other but he. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all 34 whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.* And no man after that durst interrogate him.

35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that 36 Christ is the son of David?† For David

himself said by the Holy Spirit, the LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I 37 make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and

* Such a man was almost a Christian. He placed religion not in ceremony, but in love to God and man. †This was one of the titles given by the Jews to the Messiah.

whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, who love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market39 places, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 40 and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Who devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater dam

41

nation.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury; and many that were rich cast in 42 much. And there came a certain poor widow,

and she threw in two mites, which make a 43 farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury. 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance: but she of her poverty did cast in all she had, even all her living.

1

CHAP. XIII.

AND as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones, and what buildings are here. 2 And Jesus answering, said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be 3 thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, Peter, and