SECT. XCII. THE PHARISEES TRY TO ENTRAP JESUS BY A
QUESTION ON DIVORCE.

Then the Pharisees came unto him tempting him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

And he

On the borders of Judea.

answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this precept. Have ye not read that from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.

And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and he that shall marry her that is put away committeth adultery.

And again in the house his disciples asked him about the same thing. And he saith to them, Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if the wife shall put away her husband and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Then his disciples said, If the case of the man with his wife be so, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men receive not this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs that were born so from their mother's womb; and

there are eunuchs that were made so by man; and there are eunuchs that have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can receive it let him receive it.

SECT. XCIII. LITTLE CHILDREN ARE BROUGHT TO JESUS. HE LAYS HIS HANDS ON THEM AND BLESSES THEM.

On the bor

Then young children were brought unto Jesus, that he should put his hands on them and ders of Judea. pray. And the disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Amen I say to you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

SECT. XCIV. JESUS BIDS THE RICH YOUNG RULER GIVE UP HIS POSSESSIONS, AND FOLLOW HIM. THE DISCOURSE ON RICHES.

And when he was gone forth into the way, a certain ruler ran up, and kneeling before him On the bor- asked him, Good master, what good thing ders of Judea. shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

Jesus said, Why callest thou me good? None is good but one, that is God. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus saith, Thou knowest the commandments: Do not commit adultery; Do not kill; Do not steal; Do not bear false witness; Do no fraud; Honour thy father and thy mother; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

But he said, Master, all these things have I observed from my youth. What is yet wanting to me? And Jesus looking on him loved him, and said unto him, One thing is wanting to thee; if thou wilt be

perfect, go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and take up thy cross and follow me. And the young man was sad at that saying, and went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And when Jesus saw that he was sorrowful, he looked about, and said to his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And his disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus again said to them, Children, how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! And again I say to you, that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And when the disciples heard this they were much astonished, and said among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them said, With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

SECT. XCV. JESUS SPEAKS OF THE REWARD OF THOSE THAT LEAVE ALL FOR HIS SAKE. THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.

ders of Judea.

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have left all and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said On the borunto them, Amen I say to you, that ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come life everlasting.

But many that are first shall be last, and the last first. For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour,* he saw others standing in the marketplace idle; and he said to them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just. And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner. But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them, Why stand you here all the day idle? They say to him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them, Go ye also into my vineyard.

And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward, Call the labourers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first. When therefore they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more; and they also received every man a penny. And as they received it they murmured against the master of the house, saying, These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats. But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take what is thine, and go thy way; I will also give to this last even as to thee. Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? is thine eye evil because I am good? So shall the last be first, and first last. For many are called, but few chosen.

* About 9 o'clock. The day here alluded to was the Jews' day of twelve hours, which began at 6 in the morning and ended at 6 in the evening. See also St. Mark xv. 25, 33; Acts ii. 15, iii. 1, x. 9.

SECT. XCVI. JESUS, ON THE WAY TO JERUSALEM, AGAIN FORETELLS HIS PASSION, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION. THE AMBITIOUS REQUEST OF THE MOTHER OF JAMES AND JOHN.

And they were in the way going up to Journey from Jerusalem. And Jesus went before them ; Perea towards and they were astonished; and as they Jerusalem. followed, they were afraid.

And Jesus took the twelve disciples apart, and began to tell them what should happen to him, saying, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished; for he shall be betrayed to the chief priests and to the Scribes and ancients, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles; and they shall mock him, and spit on him, and scourge him, and crucify him; and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hidden from them, and they understood not the things that were spoken.

Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee and her sons, adoring and asking something of him; and she said, Master, we desire that whatsoever we shall ask thou wouldst do it for us. And he said to them, What would ye that I should do for you? and they said, Grant to us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. And Jesus said to them, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink of the chalice that I drink of, or be baptised with the baptism wherewith I am baptised? They said to him, We can. And Jesus saith to them, Ye shall indeed drink of the chalice that I drink of, and with the baptism wherewith I am baptised ye shall be baptised; but to sit on my right hand or on my left is not mine to give you, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.