 CHAPTER XVII. About six days afterwards, Jesus took Peter, James and John, his brother, and went with them up a high mountain privately, and he was transfigured in their presence, and his face shone like the sun, while his garments became white like light, and there appeared Moses and Elijah conversing with him. Then Peter, addressing Jesus, said, Master, how delightful it is for us to be here! If you wish, we will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, a shining cloud suddenly floated around them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my son, my beloved, in whom I delight, listen to him. And the disciples hearing it fell upon their faces and were terrified. Jesus, coming, however, touched them and said, Arise, and be not in terror. Then looking up, they saw no one except Jesus alone, and coming down from the mountain, Jesus enjoined them to report that vision to no person until after the Son of Man is risen from the dead. His disciples then asked him, Why do the professors then say that Elijah must come first? Elijah indeed will come first and reform all, he answered. But I tell you that Elijah has already been and they did not recognize him. On the contrary, they did with him what they pleased, and in the same way the Son of Man will be treated by them. The disciples then fully comprehended that he spoke to them about John the Baptizer. And when they came near to the crowd, a man approached him kneeling to him and saying, Pastor, have pity upon my son, for he is epileptic and suffers terribly. He frequently falls into the fire and often into the water also. And I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to cure him. Then Jesus said in reply, What an unbelieving and perverted race. How long must I remain with you? How long must I support you? Bring him here to me. And Jesus reproved him, and the demon departed from him, and the boy was cured from that hour. The disciples afterwards approached Jesus privately and asked, What was the reason why we could not cast that one out? The reason was, Jesus answered them, Your want of faith, for I assure you if you possessed faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, Be removed from here to there, and it would be removed, and to you nothing shall be impossible. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. And as they were travelling in Galilee, Jesus remarked to them, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will murder him. But he will be raised up the third day. And they were deeply grieved. Then when they entered into Capernaum, the tax collectors came to Peter and said, Does not your teacher pay the temple tax? Yes, he answered. And when he entered the house, Jesus said to him before he spoke, What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tax or toll? From their own children or from other people? From other people, said Peter. The sons are therefore free, said Jesus to him. But so that we may not aggravate them. Go and cast a fishing line into the sea, take the fish that first comes up and on opening its mouth you will find a stator coin. Taking that, give it to them for you and me. CHAPTER XVIII About that time the disciples approached Jesus, inquiring, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus, calling a child to him, placed him in the midst of them and said, I tell you indeed, that if you do not turn back and become like those children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever therefore may humble himself like this child, he is the most exalted in the kingdom of heaven. And if any accept one such child for my namesake, he accepts me. But if he caused to sin one of the least of such who believe in me, it would be better for him that a great millstone should be hung around his neck and be sunk into the depth of the sea. Woe to the whole world, because of stumbling blocks. It is necessary for stumbling blocks to come, but woe to the man by means of whom they are set up. If even your hand or foot leads you to stumble, cut it off and fling it from you. For it is far better for you to enter into life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet to be thrown into the enduring fire. And if your eye tempts you to sin, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with but one eye than having two eyes to be hurled into the fire of Gehenna. See that you do not slight one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always gaze upon the face of my father who is in heaven. What do you think? If it should happen that a man possessed a hundred sheep and one of them strayed, would he not leave the ninety-nine upon the hill and go in search of the wanderer? And if he finds it, I tell you indeed that he rejoices over that one more than over the ninety-nine which did not go astray. In the same way it is the wish of my father who is in heaven that not one of these little ones should be destroyed. If your brother ever wrongs you, go and remonstrate with him while you are by yourselves. If he should listen to you, you will have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that by the evidence of two or three witnesses the whole affair may be settled. Then if he will not listen to them, report it to the assembly. And if he also refuses to listen to the assembly, let him be to you just as a heathen and a tax farmer. I tell you indeed that whatever you may settle upon earth shall be settled in heaven. And if you forgive upon earth, it will be forgiven in heaven. I tell you further that if two of you agree together upon the earth concerning anything for which you ask, it will come to you from my father who is in heaven. For where two or three gather together for the sake of my name, I am there in the midst of them. Then Peter approached him and asked, How often must my brother wrong me, and I forgive him, for seven times? I tell you not seven times merely, Jesus answered him. But on the contrary, until seventy times seven. Because of this the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a particular king who decided to settle accounts with his officials. And on his beginning to balance one was brought to him who was indebted to the extent of ten thousand talents, and as he possessed nothing with which to refund it his master ordered him to be sold along with his wife and children and everything he had so that a liquidation might be affected. The official therefore falling down implored him, saying, Master, be patient with me and I will repay you all. The master of that official then took pity upon him, released him, and overlooked the debt. That self-same official, however, on going out met one of his fellow officials who owed him five pounds, and he seized him by the throat, exclaiming, Pay me all you owe. Therefore his companion falling at his feet implored him, saying, Wait a little while and I will repay you. He would not, however, but sent the debtor to prison until he should repay the amount due. Then his fellow officials, seeing what had taken place, were greatly grieved, and going to their master they related the whole of the particulars. Then the master, calling him forward, said to him, You contemptible scoundrel, I remitted to you the whole of that debt when you asked me, Would it not have been little enough for you to have pitied your fellow official? His infuriated master accordingly handed him over to the jailers until he should refund the whole of his debt. In like manner my father, the heavenly one, will do to you if you do not every one from your hearts pardon your brothers. CHAPTER XIX Then it occurred that when Jesus had finished these discourses he removed from Galilee and went into the borders of Judea across the Jordan, and great crowds following him he cured them there, and the Pharisees came to put him to the test, and they asked him, Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any fault? In reply to them he asked, Have you not read that the one who made them made them from the beginning male and female, and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cling to his wife, and they too shall become as one person? They are therefore no longer two, but a single body. What then God has united, let it not be separated by man. Why then, they asked, Did Moses order the giving of a decree of divorce in separation? Moses, he answered them, having regard to the grossness of your natures, allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not so from the beginning. I therefore tell you that if anyone dismisses his wife, unless for fornication, and marries another, he commits adultery. His own disciples then remarked, If this is the condition of the husband and wife, marriage would not be bearable. Proceeding however, he told them, All cannot accept this doctrine, indeed none but those to whom it is granted. Still there are single bedders who were born so from their mothers, and there are single bedders who have been made so by men, while there are others who keep themselves single for the kingdom of heaven's sake. The one who can avail himself of it, let him do so. Then children were brought to him in order that he might lay his hands upon them and pray, but the disciples forbade them. Jesus however said, Allow the little ones, and do not prevent their coming to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And having laid his hands upon them, he went away. Now it happened that one approached him and said, Teacher, what beneficent act shall I do in order that I may secure everlasting life? Why, he said and replied to him, Have you asked me about beneficence? Beneficence is single, there is but one alone who is beneficent. But if you would enter into life, keep the commands. How many, he asked. Jesus replied, Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not commit perjury, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as your own self. All these, said the young man and replied to him, I have observed from my childhood. What more do I need? If you wish to be perfect, Jesus then said to him, Go away, sell all your possessions, and hand over to the poor, and you will secure a treasure in heaven, and then become a follower of mine. Having heard that advice, however, the young man departed greatly grieved, for he was the owner of vast possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you indeed that the wealthy will enter into the kingdom of heaven with difficulty. I can tell you more, it is easier for a camel to pass through a narrow doorway than for a wealthy man to gain admittance to the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this, they were profoundly astonished, exclaiming, Who then can be saved? Jesus, however, fixing his eyes upon them, replied, By human power this is impossible, but by divine power all is possible. Why? remarked Peter in reply, We have left all and followed you. What then will be for us? I tell you indeed, said Jesus to them, that you who followed me in the new birth when the Son of man will sit upon the throne of his majesty shall then sit upon twelve thrones reigning over the twelve tribes of Israel, and all who forsake houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands on account of my name will receive a hundred times more and shall inherit everlasting life, but many of the first will be last and the last first. CHAPTER XX For the kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who went out in the early morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day he sent them into the vineyard. Then going out again at nine o'clock he found other standing idle in the market place, and he said to them, You go also into my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right. They accordingly went. Afterwards going out about noon and at three o'clock he did the same. Then going out about five o'clock and finding other standing he asked them, Why do you stand here idle all the day? Because no one has hired us, as their reply. He said to them, Then you also go into the vineyard, and whatever may be right I will pay. When the evening arrived the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning from the last onward to the first. And those engaged about five o'clock received each one a denarius. Then when the earliest hired hands came up they concluded that they would receive more, but they only received each one a denarius, but on taking it they grumbled against their employer, exclaiming, Why these last comers have only worked one hour, yet you have made them equal to us who have borne the weight of the day, and the scorching heat. My good fellow, he answered one of them, I do not wrong you. Did you not bargain with me for a denarius? Take your wages and go. I intend to give this last comer the same as yourself. Am I not allowed to do what I like with my own, or is your eye malicious because I am good-natured? In the same way the last may be first, and the first last. Then Jesus going up towards Jerusalem took the twelve disciples privately aside on the way, and said to them, We are now going up to Jerusalem, and the son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and professors who will condemn him to death, and deliver him over to the heathen to be insulted and flogged and crucified. But the third day he will rise again. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons, and kneeling asked him to grant her a favor. What do you wish, he asked her. Promise, she said to him, that these might two sons may sit, one upon your right and the other upon your left in your kingdom. You know not what you ask, said Jesus in reply. Are you able to drink the cup which I am about to drink, and to be baptized with a baptism I shall be baptized with? We are able, was their reply. Then he said to them, You shall certainly drink of my cup and be baptized with a baptism I am baptized with. But to sit upon my right and upon my left is not mine to grant, except to those for whom it is prepared by my father. When the ten heard this, they were indignant about the two brothers. But Jesus calling them to him said, You know that the rulers of the heathen lorded over them, and their strong ones oppressed them. But it must not be so among you. On the contrary, whoever desires to be promoted among you, let him be your attendant. And whoever may desire to take rank among you, let him be your servant. Just as the son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give up his own life as a ransom for many. When they were leaving Jericho, a great crowd followed him, and two blind men who were sitting by the roadside learning that Jesus was passing by called out, exclaiming, Have mercy upon us, master, son of David. And the crowd ordered them to be silent, but they merely called out the louder exclaiming, pity us, master, son of David. Then Jesus standing still spoke to them and asked, What do you wish me to do for you? Master, was their reply, that our eyes may be reopened. Jesus full of pity, accordingly touched their eyes, and at once they saw again, and they followed him. The end of chapters 17 through 20, recording by Mark Penfold, chapters 21 through 24 of the Gospel according to Matthew, from the New Testament in modern English, translated by Farrar Fenton. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, recording by Mark Penfold, chapter 21. Now when they were nearing Jerusalem, and had come to Beth Fage at the foot of the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent forward two of his disciples, saying to them, Go into the village before you, and you will find an ass tied ready and a colt along with her, loosen and bring them to me. And should anyone speak to you about it, say in reply, The master has need of them, and at once he will send them. And all this occurred in order that the statement might be verified which was delivered through the prophet, saying, Say to the daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you humbly and sitting upon an ass with a colt, a foal of a beast of burden. His disciples then went and did just as Jesus had ordered them, leading the ass and the colt upon which they placed their cloaks, and he seated himself upon them. And the mass of the people spread their own cloaks along the road, while others plucked branches from the trees and scattered them upon the path. And the crowd going on before and following in the rear called out, exclaiming, Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna from the highest. And when he had entered Jerusalem, all the city became excited, asking, Who is he? To this the crowd made reply, He is Jesus the prophet who comes from Nazareth of Galilee. Then Jesus entered the temple of God and sent out of the temple all the buyers and sellers and overturned the tables of the money brokers and the stands of the pigeon dealers and told them, It is recorded, my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves. They also brought blind and lame people into the temple, and he cured them. But the chief priests and professors observing the miracles which he performed and hearing the young men cheering and exclaiming in the temple, Hosanna to the son of David, they became mad with indignation and asked him, Do you hear what these are saying? Yes, said Jesus in reply to them. Have you never read that out of the mouths of children and sucklings I have obtained praise? Then leaving them he went out of the city into Bethany and their lodged for the night. Now in the early dawn while returning to the city he became hungry and seeing a fig tree by the roadside he went to it but found nothing upon it except leaves. He accordingly said, Never from now let more fruit grow upon you. And at once the fig tree began to wither and the disciples seeing it wondered exclaiming, How quickly that fig tree has dried up. I tell you truly, Jesus answered them, If you possessed faith and never doubted you could do not only what has been done to the fig tree but more were you to say to this hill remove and be flung into the sea it would be done and all that you ask believingly in prayer you shall receive. Now on his entering the temple the chief priests and elders of the people approached him while he was teaching demanding by what authority do you act in this way and who gave you that authority? Jesus replying to them said, I also will ask you just one question which if you can answer me I in return will tell you under whose authority I am working the baptism of John whence was it from heaven or from men they accordingly consulted among themselves apart saying if we should reply from heaven he will ask us why then did you not believe him but if we should say from men we must reckon with the public for all regard John as a prophet returning then to Jesus they said we do not know neither will I said Jesus in reply to them tell you by whose authority I am acting but what do you think a man had two sons and coming to the elder one he said son go and work today in my vineyard I will not was his answer but he afterwards repented and went then going to his second son he said the same I go father was his reply but he did not go which of these two did the will of his father the first they replied Jesus continuing said to them I tell you indeed that the extortioners and harlots will precede you into the kingdom of God for John came to you on a mission of righteousness and you put no faith in him but the extortioners and the harlots believed in him while you looking on did not repent after all to believe him listen to another illustration a particular land owner planted a vineyard fenced it round about and in it dug a wine vat and erected a watchtower then he let it out to tenants and went off upon a journey but when the season arrived for the fruit to be ripe he sent his servants to the cultivators for the rents the tenants seeing the servants maltreated one of them murdered another and stoned a third he sent again on a larger number than on the first occasion but they were treated in the same way afterwards he sent his own son to them saying they will respect my son the tenants seeing him however said among themselves this is the air come on let us murder him and seize his estate laying hold of him they accordingly kicked him out of the vineyard and murdered him therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those tenants they answered him in their wickedness he will end them according to their desserts and will let out his vineyard to other tenants who will pay him at the appointed time that which is his do Jesus then said to them have you never read in the scriptures a stone which the builders rejected that has been fitted as the chief keystone it came from the Lord and it is wonderful in our eyes I therefore tell you that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and will be given to a nation that produces its fruits and whoever falls upon this stone shall be broken but upon whoever it falls it will crush him to dust and when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables they perceived that he spoke about themselves but when they desired to apprehend him they dreaded the public who held that he was a prophet chapter 22 Jesus addressing them again and speaking in parables said the kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son and he sent his officers to collect those who were invited to the marriage but they declined the invitation then he again sent other officers commanding say to the invited consider that I have prepared my banquet my bullocks and fat calves are killed and everything is ready come then to the marriage but treating the matter with contempt they went off one to his own farm and another to his shop while the others seizing the officers maltreated and murdered them the king on learning this became furious and sending his troops he destroyed those murderers and pillaged their city he then said to his officers the marriage is ready but those invited were unworthy of it go out therefore to the main roads and as many as you can find bring them into the marriage those officers going out into the main roads accordingly collected all they could find both bad and good and the wedding was filled with guests but the king entering to look at the guests he observed a man who was not wearing a marriage robe and he said to him how my good fellow did you get in here without a wedding robe he however remained silent the king then said to his attendants tie him hand and foot take him and fling him into the darkness without there will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few chosen the Pharisees then went and held a consultation among themselves how they might ensnare him in a discussion and they sent to him some of their own pupils along with the Herodians who said teacher we see that you are true and that you teach the way of God in truth caring nothing about anyone because you do not look at human position therefore tell us what do you think is it right to pay tribute to Caesar or not Jesus however perceiving their wickedness said you imposters why do you try to entrap me show me the tribute coin they accordingly produced a denarius he then asked them whose portrait and inscription has it Caesar's was their reply return he then told them Caesar's own to Caesar and God's dues to God and hearing this they were astonished and leaving him they went away during that same day the Sadducees who say there is no resurrection approached him asking teacher Moses said if a man dies childless his brother shall marry his widow and shall raise up seed for his brother there were in our part seven brothers and the first after marrying died childless and left the woman to his brother and the second in turn to the third up to the seventh and after them all the woman also died in the resurrection therefore to which of the seven will she be wife for all of them had her you are in error said Jesus in reply to them through not comprehending the scriptures nor yet the power of God for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as angels of God in heaven respecting the resurrection of the dead however have you not read the statement from God to you which says I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living and the crowd hearing this were filled with admiration at his teaching when the Pharisees learned that he had silenced the Sadducees they collected at once and one from among them a lawyer in order to test him asked him the question teacher which commandment of the law is most important Jesus answered him love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your intellect that command is first and most important but the second is equal to it love your neighbor as yourself in these two commands are comprised the whole law and the prophets now while the Pharisees were assembled Jesus questioned them saying what do you think about the Messiah whose son is he David's was their reply how then asked he could David under the influence of the spirit call him Lord saying the Lord said to my Lord be seated at my right hand until I make your enemies a stool for your feet if therefore David calls him Lord how can he be his son and none were able to answer him a word neither dare anyone from that time debate further with him Chapter 23 Jesus then addressing the people and his own disciples said the professors and the Pharisees have usurped the place of Moses all therefore that they tell you to observe observe and do but do not imitate their doings for they do not practice what they preach on the contrary they pack up heavy and unendurable loads upon men's shoulders but they take care not to touch them with their own fingers all their actions are done merely for the sake of being seen by men they widen their phylacteries and extend the fringes of their cloaks they delight to secure the places of honor at banquets the principal seats in the synagogues the salutations in the markets and to be addressed by men as my Lord my Lord you however must not be called teacher because I alone am your teacher and you are all brothers and upon earth call none your father for one is your father he who is in heaven neither select leaders for one is your leader the Messiah but the greatest among you shall become an attendant and whoever sets himself up shall be brought low and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted woe to you play acting professors and Pharisees because you lock up the kingdom of heaven in the face of mankind while you yourselves neither enter nor allow those arriving to go in alas for you play acting professors and Pharisees because you devour the property of the widows by the pretense of long prayers for which you will receive a heavier punishment woe to you play acting professors and Pharisees who scour the sea and the desert in order to secure one convert and finding one you make him a son of the pit twice as much as yourselves woe to you blind guides who say if one swears by the temple it is nothing but if a man swears by the gold in the temple that oath must be kept fools and blind which is the greater the gold or the temple which sanctifies the gold you say if one swears by the altar it is nothing but if a man swears by the gift upon it that oath must be kept fools and blind which is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift a man however who swears by the altar swears by all that is upon it and whoever swears by the temple swears by the one who inhabits it and whoever swears by the heaven swears by the throne of god and the one who sits upon it woe to you canting professors and Pharisees because you pay tithes on mint dill and coming ignoring the more important statutes of the law humanity sympathy faith these you ought to have observed and not to have cast the others aside blind guides who strain out a net and gulp down a camel woe to you hypocritical professors and Pharisees because you washed the outside of the cup and the plate but fill the inside with extortion and injustice blind Pharisee cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate so that their outside may also become clean woe to you shamming professors and Pharisees you are just like whitewashed tombs pretty enough outside but inside full of dead men's bones and every kind of corruption so you too outwardly appear to men to be religious but inwardly you are crammed with false pretense and every form of lawlessness woe to you professors and Pharisees you hypocrites because you erect monuments to the prophets decorate the tombs of the martyrs and say if we had lived in the days of our forefathers we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets thus then you give evidence against yourselves that you are the sons of the murderers of the prophets ha fill up then the measures of your fathers serpents spawn of vipers how can you escape the fury of hell lo i will therefore send you prophets and thinkers and scholars and some of them you will murder and crucify while others you will flog in your synagogues and drive from town to town in such a way that all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the just able down to the blood of Zachariah son of Barakiah whom you assassinated between the entrance of the temple and the altar may rest upon you indeed i tell you that all these shall come upon the present generation Jerusalem Jerusalem who massacred the prophets and stoned those sent to her how often what i have gathered your children together like the bird that collects her nestlings under her wings and you would not now see your house left to yourselves yes i tell you that after this you shall not see me again until you say bless him who comes in the name of the lord chapter 24 then jesus leaving the temple was proceeding on his way when his disciples came up to point out the buildings of the temple jesus then said to them do you not see all these i tell you indeed that a stone will not here be left upon a stone otherwise then in ruins afterwards when he was resting upon the mount of olives his disciples approached him privately asking tell us when this will be and what is the signal of your presence and the completion of this age take care said jesus in reply to them that none may deceive you for many will come in my name asserting i am the messiah and will lead many astray then you will hear of wars and rumors of wars attend and fear not for all must come but the end is not yet for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be famines and plagues and frequent earthquakes all these however only begin the agonies then they will deliver you up to tribulation and will murder you and you will be hated by all the heathen through my name and then many will abandon it and will betray one another and hate one another and many false prophets will make their appearance and multitudes will be misled and through the abounding lawlessness sympathy for the many will be chilled but whoever holds out to the end will be saved the good news of the kingdom however shall be proclaimed throughout the whole empire as a witness to all nations and then the end will come when therefore you shall see the desolating beast foretold through the prophet daniel take up his position on holy ground let the reader comprehend then let those in judia fly to the hills and he who is upon his balcony not descend to take anything from his house and the man in the field not turn back to take up his cloak but alas for those with child and those who nurse in those days pray however that your flight may not come during the winter nor upon a rest day for there shall then be widespread affliction such as has not been known since the beginning of the world until now no nor will ever be known again and if those times were not cut short not a man would be saved but for the sake of the chosen ones those times will be cut short then if any should say to you look the messiah is here or there do not believe it for false messiahs and false prophets will make their appearance and will give out great and terrible omens so as to mislead if possible even the chosen however i have forewarned you therefore if they tell you to look he is in the desert go not out come into the private apartments do not believe it for as the lightning bursts out with a flash from east to west in like manner will the presence of the son of man be where the corpses are there the vultures will assemble but immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened the moon will fail to give her light the stars will fall from the sky the powers of the heavens will be shaken and then will appear the signal of the son of man in the sky and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn when they see the son of man coming upon the clouds of the heaven with power and full rectification and he will send out his messengers with a loud and powerful bugle and they will collect all his chosen from the four winds from end to end of the heavens now learn from the fig tree its lesson when its branches become soft and the leaves sprout you recognize that the summer is near in the same way you also when you see all these know that this is near i close to the gates i tell you indeed that this present generation shall not pass away until all these arrive the heaven and the earth may fade away but my declarations will never pass away about the exact time however and the hour none knows not even the messengers of heaven but my father alone and as in the days of Noah so will also be the appearance of the son of man for as they were in the days before the flood eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day arrived for Noah to enter the ark and they would not understand until the flood came and carried all away so also will be the appearing of the son of man then two men may be in the field one is taken and one is left two women may be grinding in the mill one is taken and one is left keep guard therefore for you know not what our your lord may come but recognize this that if the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come he would have kept awake and not permitted his house to be dug through on account of this be ready because it may be that the son of man will appear at a time you do not expect who then is the faithful and prudent servant whom his master can place over his household to give them their provision with promptitude happy will be that servant if his master shall find him thus engaged upon his arrival I tell you indeed that he will appoint him over all his possessions but if some unfaithful servant should say in his heart my master delays his arrival and should begin to ill use his fellow servants and eat and carouse with the drunkards a master of that servant will come upon a day he did not expect and at an hour he is not thinking of and will dismiss him and send him about his business to associate with the vagabonds then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth the end of chapters 21 through 24 recording by Mark Penfold chapters 25 through 28 of the Gospel according to Matthew from the New Testament in modern English translated by Ferrar Fenton this LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Mark Penfold chapter 25 then the kingdom of heaven may be likened to 10 bridesmaids who having received their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and five of them were wise and five were foolish those who were foolish taking their lamps took no oil with them but the prudent ones took oil in their flasks along with their lamps while however the bridegroom delayed they all slumbered and slept but at midnight a shout was raised now the bridegroom comes go out to meet him all those maidens thereupon got up and trimmed their lamps the foolish then said to the prudent give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out but the prudent made reply lest there is not enough for us and for you run rather to the shops and buy for yourselves while however they went to buy the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding and the door was shut the other maidens afterwards came calling out sir sir open the door for us but his answer to them was no indeed i tell you that i do not know you therefore keep awake because you know neither the day nor the hour when the son of man will come for it is like a man leaving his home who called together his confidential servants and entrusted them with his effects to one he gave five talents to another two to another one to each in proportion to his abilities and took his departure then the man who had received the five talents went and traded with them and increased them into five talents more and the receiver of the two likewise increased his into two more but the man who had been entrusted with one went and dug a hole in the ground and there hid his master's money now after a long time the master of those servants returned and went through their accounts and the one who had the five talents came bringing five talents beside saying sir you entrusted me with five talents but look i have increased them to five talents more well done you good and faithful servant exclaimed the master in reply you have been faithful over a little so i will entrust you with much share in your master's success then the one who had accepted the two talents said sir you deposited two talents with me but see i have gained with them two talents more very good you useful and trusty servant said his master in reply you have been faithful with a few i will place you over many share in your master's success then the man who had accepted the single talent said knowing you sir to be an avaricious man reaping where you had not sown and raking up where you had not scattered being afraid i went and hid your talent in the ground see here is your own you ungrateful idler said his master in reply to him granted that you knew i reaped where i had not sown and raked up where i had not scattered you ought then to have paid my money into the bankers and on my return i could have got my own with interest now take from him that talent and give it to the man who has the ten talents for to the man who possesses much shall be given and he shall have super abundance but from him who possesses not even what he has shall be taken from him and he flung the good for nothing fellow into the darkness without where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth but when the son of man appears in his majesty and all his angels with him then he will take his seat upon the throne of his majesty and collect all nations before himself and will separate them from one another as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats and the sheep he will place upon his right hand and the goats upon his left the king will then say to those upon his right hand come you approved of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for i was hungry and you gave me food i was thirsty and you gave me a drink i was a stranger and you entertained me naked and you clothed me i was exhausted and you attended me i was in prison and you visited me then the righteous will answer him saying one master did we see you starving and fed you or thirsty and gave you a drink when did we see you a stranger and entertained you or naked and clothed you when did we see you sick or in prison and came to you and their king will reply to them i tell you indeed that whenever you did it to one of these my poorest friends you even did it to me then he will say to those upon the left be gone from me you accursed into enduring fire which is prepared for the devil and for his angels for i was starving and you gave me nothing to eat i was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink i was a stranger and you did not entertain me naked and you did not clothe me i was sick and in prison and you did not visit me then they too will answer saying when master did we see you hungry or thirsty or for lawn or naked or sick or in prison and did not help you in reply to them he will then say i tell you indeed that since you never did it to one of the least of these you never did it to me and these he will dismiss into a long correction but the well doers to an enduring life chapter 26 now it occurred that when jesus had finished all these discourses he remarked to his disciples do you know that after two days the Passover is to be celebrated and that the son of man is now being betrayed to be crucified after this the chief priests the professors and the elders of the people assembled in the court of the high priest who was named k.i of us and consulted among themselves as to whether they could arrest jesus by means of a trick and assassinate him but they said not during the festival for fear a riot should break out among the people when jesus was in Bethany at the house of simon the leper a woman who had an alabaster jar of very valuable perfume came and poured it upon his head as he reclined but the disciples on seeing her became indignant saying to what purpose is all this waste for this might have been sold for a good deal and given to the poor jesus perceiving it however said to them why do you trouble the woman seeing that she has acted nobly towards me besides you have the poor always with you but me you have not always for she having poured this perfume upon my body has done it preparatory to my burial i tell you indeed that wherever these glad tidings shall be proclaimed throughout the whole world what she has done will be told as a memorial of her then one of the twelve named judas iskariot having gone to the chief priests asked them what are you willing to give me and i will deliver him to you they accordingly weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver and from that time he sought a fitting opportunity to betray him at the first day of the unfermented bread the disciples came to jesus asking him where do you wish us to make preparation for you to eat the Passover go into the city he said to such and one and say to him our teacher says my time is near i wish to observe the Passover at your house with my disciples the disciples accordingly did as jesus instructed them and they made ready for the Passover when the evening arrived he reclined along with the twelve and while they were eating he said i tell you indeed that one from among you will betray me and they were deeply grieved and each of them began to say i am not the one am i master and in reply he said one who has dipped his hand with me into the basin he will betray me the son of man will indeed depart as it was written about him but woe to that man by means of whom he is betrayed well what it have been for him if he had never been born judas the traitor then answering said it is not i is it master you have said it was his reply then as they were eating jesus took a loaf and having offered a blessing broke it and distributed it to his disciples saying take it eat it this is my body and taking the cup and offering a blessing he gave it to them saying all of you drink of it for this is my blood that of the new settlement which is shed for the removal of many sins i tell you however that at present i will not drink of this produce of the vine until that day when i shall drink it with you knew in the kingdom of my father then singing a hymn they went out to the mount of olives where jesus said to them all of you will be ashamed of me tonight for it is written i will strike the shepherd and the sheep of his flock will be scattered but after my resurrection i will go before you into galilee peter however replying to him said if all are ashamed of you i will never be ashamed i tell you indeed said jesus and reply to him that in this very night before a bugle sounds you will thrice deny me even if it should be necessary for me to die with you peter declared to him i will never deny you and in this way spoke all the disciples jesus afterwards accompanied them into a garden called gethsemane and said to the disciples sit you here while i go yonder to pray and taking peter and two of the sons of zebedee along with him he began to be distressed and overwhelmed he then said to them my soul is very full of grief even to death stay here and watch with me then going forward a little he fell upon his face praying and said my father if it is possible take this cup from me yet not according to my desire but according to yours then returning to the disciples he found them sleeping and remarked to peter so it seems you are not strong enough to keep awake a single hour with me watch and pray so that you may not fall into temptation your spirit indeed is willing but the body weak again for a second time going away he prayed saying my father if it is not possible this cup to pass by me without my drinking it let your will be done on returning he found them again asleep for their eyes were heavy so leaving them and going away again he prayed for the third time making use of the self same words he then came to his disciples and said to them sleep on now to the end and refresh yourselves the hour is near when the son of man will be betrayed into the hands of sinners arise let us go forward for my betrayer is now at hand and while he was still speaking judas one of the twelve came along with a great crowd armed with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the people now his betrayer had given them a sign saying the man I shall kiss that is he arrest him and at once approaching Jesus he said I hope you are well master and fervently kissed him Jesus answered him friend against whom have you come then rushing on they seized hold of Jesus and arrested him thereupon one of those who were with Jesus stretching out his hand drew his sword and struck the officer of the high priest cutting off his ear Jesus however said to him return your sword into its place for those who take the sword will fall by means of the sword or do you imagine that I am not able to call upon my father and he would even now provide me with more than 12 armies of angels how then could the scriptures be fulfilled that it must come about in this way Jesus at the same time addressing the crowd asked have you come out against me with swords and staves to arrest me like a robber day after day I've been sitting teaching you in the temple and you did not arrest me but all this has occurred in order that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled all the disciples then leaving him fled then those who had arrested Jesus took him away to Caiaphas the high priest where the professors and elders were collected Peter also followed at a distance as far as the court of the high priest and entering he sat down along with the officers to see the end now the chief priests and the whole senate sought out false witnesses against Jesus so that they might kill him but they could not procure them although many liars came forward at last however two liars came up asserting this fellow said I am able to demolish the temple of God and rebuild it in three days time then the high priest jumping up and addressing him exclaimed have you no reply what do these men witness against you but Jesus kept silent the high priest thereupon said to him I put you upon your oath before the god of life so that you must answer us are you the messiah the son of that god you have stated the fact Jesus made answer I tell you more in the future you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of that power and advancing upon the clouds of the heaven he blasphemes exclaimed the high priest as he tore his robes what need have we have further evidence why now you have heard his blasphemy what do you decide he is liable to be put to death was their reply they then spat in his face and beat him upon the head while others struck him with their staves saying tell us master messiah who are those who assault you now Peter was still sitting outside in the court and a girl coming to him said why you are also with Jesus the Galilean he denied it however before them all declaring I do not know what you are talking about then going out into the vestibule another saw him and said to those there this fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene with an oath he again denied it saying I know nothing about the man after a little while however the bystanders approached and said to Peter you are most certainly one of them for your dialect proves it plainly he then began to curse and swear declaring I do not even know the man and immediately the bugle sounded Peter then remembered the words of Jesus addressed to himself before a bugle sounds he will thrice deny me and rushing out he wept bitterly chapter 27 when the dawn arrived the chief priests and leaders consulted together against Jesus so that they might affect his death and having manacled him they led him away and delivered him over to Pontius Pilate the governor when Judas who betrayed him saw that he was condemned he was horrified and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and leaders exclaiming I have sinned in betraying innocent blood what is that to us was their reply look out for yourself he accordingly flung down the silver in the temple ran away and departing he hanged himself and the chief priests picking up the money said it is not allowable to add it to the sacred gifts seeing that it is the price of blood then having consulted respecting it they bought with it the potters field for the purpose of burying foreigners that field has consequently been called the blood field down to the present time thus was fulfilled the statement delivered through Zechariah the prophet which says and I took the thirty pieces of silver the amount of the valuation at which I was valued by the children of Israel and gave them for the potters field as the Lord directed me when Jesus was brought before the governor the governor questioned him asking are you the king of the Jews you say so Jesus made answer when however he was accused by the chief priests and the elders he answered nothing Pilate then said to him do you not hear how many things they charge against you however he never offered to say a single word by way of defense so that the governor was very much surprised at festival time it was customary for the governor to liberate one prisoner for the people whom so ever they desired and they had then a notorious prisoner named Bar Abbas Pilate addressing them therefore asked whom do you wish me to discharge Bar Abbas or Jesus whom they called the Messiah for he saw clearly that it was merely on account of malice that they had delivered him and while he was sitting in the court of justice his own wife sent a message to him saying have nothing to do with this just man for I have endured much in a dream this morning on account of him the chief priests and elders however incited the mob to demand Bar Abbas and execute Jesus but the governor addressing them asked which of the two shall I sit free for you Bar Abbas was their reply what then asked Pilate shall I do with Jesus whom they call the Messiah let him be crucified was their unanimous reply why he asked what crime has he committed in reply they yelled out more savagely than ever let him be crucified Pilate then seeing that he gained nothing by it but on the contrary that the riot increased took water and washed his hands in the presence of the mob saying see I am innocent of the blood of this just man look to it yourselves then in reply to him the whole mass of the people shouted out let his blood be upon us and upon our children he then discharged Bar Abbas for them and after flogging Jesus he delivered him over to be crucified the governor's soldiers then taking Jesus into the praetorium mustered all the troops and dressing him up they robed him in a scarlet cloak and plaiting a crown of thorns they placed it upon his head and put a cane in his right hand then kneeling before him they shouted out in ridicule ha long live the king of the Jews they also spat upon him and taking the cane they struck him with it upon the head then when they had scorned him they took the cloak from off him and clothed him in his own garments and led him away to be crucified when they were going out they met a sirenian Simon by name whom they forced into their service in order that he might carry his cross on arriving at a place known by the name of Golgotha which means Skoll field they offered him sour wine to drink mixed with gall but tasting it he would not drink then having crucified him they cast lots for the division of his garments among themselves and sitting down they kept guard over him there and over his head they placed his written indictment thus this is Jesus the king of the Judeans they also crucified two robbers along with him placing one on the right hand and the other on the left the passers-by also insulted him wagging their heads and calling out you demolisher of the temple and rebuilder of it in three days now save yourself if you can if you are a son of a god come down from the cross in the same way the chief priests with the professors and elders derided him saying he saved others he cannot save himself if he is the king of israel let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him he trusted upon god let him now rescue him if he wants him for he asserted i am a son of god and even the robbers who were crucified along with him reproached him in the same way then from midday until three o'clock in the afternoon darkness spread over all the land and about three o'clock jesus called out with a loud voice exclaiming that is oh my god my god to what have you forsaken me and some of the bystanders on hearing that remarked he seems to call for Elijah and at once one from among them ran and taking a sponge filled it with sour wine and placing it upon a cane gave him a drink but the others called out let him alone let us see whether Elijah will come and save him but another taking a spear pierced his side when blood and water came out jesus however having again called out with a loud voice resigned his spirit and then the veil of the temple was torn into two from the top to the bottom while the earth was shaken and the rocks were split the tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saintly sleepers were raised and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered the holy city and were seen by many then the captain and those who were along with him guarding jesus perceiving the earthquake and these other events became dreadfully frightened exclaiming in very truth this was a son of a god and many women who had followed jesus from Galilee attending to him were looking on from a distance among these were Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and jesus as well as the mother of the sons of Zebedee when the evening arrived there came from Arimathea a rich man named joseph who had himself also been taught by jesus going to Pilate he asked for the body of jesus then Pilate ordered the body to be given up joseph accordingly taking the corpse wrapped it in a fine linen shroud and placed it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out in the rock and having rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb he went away Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary however kept sitting opposite the tomb now on the morning following the preparation for the festival the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate stating sir we remember that this imposter said when he was alive after three days i shall rise again ordered therefore the tomb to be secured until the third day for fear his disciples coming should steal him and say to the mob he arose from the dead thus the last imposter will be worse than the first take a guard exclaimed Pilate and reply go away secure it as you like they accordingly went and secured the tomb sealing the stone in company with the guard chapter 28 after the Sabbaths towards the dawn of the day following the Sabbaths Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary came to examine the tomb and a violent earthquake was then felt for an angel from the lord descending from heaven approaching the stone rolled it from the door and sat upon it his aspect resembled lightning and his garments were white like snow and in dread of him the guards trembled and became as dead the messenger addressing the women however said you need fear nothing i know that you are looking for jesus the crucified he is not here he has risen just as he told you come look at the place where the lord lay then go quickly tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and at once he will precede you into Galilee you will see him there as i have told you in fear mingled with intense delight they accordingly took their departure with all speed from the tomb and ran on to report to the disciples but jesus suddenly met them saying good day to you and they approaching him seized his feet and paid him homage fear not said jesus to them go on and acquaint my friends so that they may return to Galilee where they shall see me now while they proceeded some of the guards at the same time going into the city reported all these events to the chief priests they accordingly assembled with the elders and after consultation together they gave the soldiers a large sum of money instructing them to say that his disciples came at night and stole him while we were asleep and if this tale should be heard by the governor we will make it right with him and set you at your ease they accordingly took the money and did as they were directed and that tale is current among the Judeans until the present time the 11 disciples however went to Galilee to the mountain where jesus had directed them and seeing him they paid him homage but some doubted then jesus approaching them spoke saying every power has been given to me in heaven and upon earth go you out therefore and instruct all the nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and then I am with you through all time even until the completion of the age amen the end of chapters 25 through 28 and the end of the gospel according to matthew from the new testament in modern english translated by ferrar fenton recording by mark penfold chapters 1 through 4 of the gospel according to mark from the new testament in modern english translated by ferrar fenton this libra vox recording is in the public domain recording by mark penfold chapter 1 the beginning of the gospel of jesus christ son of god as isaia the prophet wrote low now i will send my messenger before your face who shall prepare the road before you a voice proclaiming in the desert make ready the road for the lord make his paths smooth john baptizing in the desert was the one who came and proclaimed a baptism of conversion for freedom from sins and all the people of the district about judia and jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized under him in the river jordan confessing their sins john was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and he lived upon locusts and wild honey and he preached saying there comes after me a mightier than i whose shoelace i am not even worthy to stoop down and untie i certainly baptize you in water but he will baptize you in holy spirit it was in those days that jesus came from nazareth of gallilee and was baptized by john in the jordan and immediately upon ascending from the water he saw the heavens part asunder and the spirit in the lightness of a dove descended upon him while a voice from the heavens said you are my son my beloved in whom i delight then at once the spirit drove him to the desert to be tried by satan for 40 days and he was in company with the wild beasts but the angels ministered to him after the betrayal of john jesus came into gallilee proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of god and saying because the time is completed and the kingdom of god is near be converted and believed in the good news when walking along the shore of the lake of gallilee he saw simon and andrew his brother throwing a casting net into the lake for they were fishermen and jesus said to them come be my followers and i will make you fishers of men and leaving their nets they immediately followed him then proceeding a little further he saw james the son of zebedee and his brother john they were also in the vessel mending their nets and immediately he hailed them then leaving their father zebedee in the vessel with the sailors they went after him he then proceeded to cappernium and entering the synagogue on the sabbath he taught and they were astonished at his teaching for his manner was like one possessed of authority and not like that of the professors there was also in the synagogue a man in possession of a fowl spirit and he called out exclaiming ah what is there in common between us and you jesus of nazareff have you come to destroy us i know what you are the holy f god jesus then commanded him exclaiming silence and go out of him and the foul spirit convulsing him and shouting with a loud voice left him then they were all astonished so that they questioned one another saying who is this what is this new teaching why he even commands the foul spirits authoritatively and they obey him and the report concerning him rapidly spread throughout the whole region of galilee then immediately quitting the synagogue he entered the house of simon and andrew together with james and john now the mother-in-law of simon lay prostrate there with a fever and they at once told him about her so approaching and taking hold of her hand he raised her and the fever instantly left her she then attended to them afterwards when evening arrived they brought to him all those suffering from sickness as well as the demoniacs and the whole town was collected about the door he accordingly cured many of those suffering from sickness and various mental diseases and expelled many demons but he did not allow the demons to speak because they recognized him rising up very early in the morning before daybreak he departed into a desert place and their parade simon and the others who were with him however followed in search of him and having found him they said to him all are in search of you let us go to the neighboring villages he answered them so that i may also preach there for this is the purpose for which i was sent and throughout galilee he preached in their synagogues and cast out demons then a leper came to him pleading kneeling and saying to him if only you will you are able to cure me then jesus full of pity stretched out his hand touched him and said i will be cured and while he spoke the leprosy left him and he was cured then at once dismissing him he sternly enjoined him to take care and say nothing to anyone but go present yourself to the priests and as an evidence to them offer for your purification what moses commanded taking his departure however he began to proclaim all and to report the matter broadcast so that he was not again able to openly enter the city but kept outside in desert places where they came to him from every quarter chapter two he entered capernaum again however after some days and it was reported that he was in a house a crowd accordingly collected at once so that there was no room left not even near the door and he expounded to them the message and they brought to him a paralytic carried by four men but being unable to approach him because of the crowd they removed the roofing where he was and affecting an entrance they lowered the rug upon which the paralytic lay then jesus observing their faith said to the paralytic child your sins are removed from you some of the professors who were sitting there however began debating in their hearts who is it that blasphemes in this way who can forgive sins except god alone jesus at once perceiving in his spirit that they thus debated within themselves asked them why are you debating in your hearts in this way which is easier to say to the paralytic your sins are forgiven or to say arise take your rug and walk but in order that you may see that the son of man possesses power upon earth to remove sins he now said to the paralytic arise i tell you take your rug and go to your house and rising up at once and lifting his rug he went out in the presence of them all so that all were in ecstasy and praised god exclaiming we have never seen anything like this he afterwards went out again by the lake and all the crowd coming to him he taught them and as he was passing along he noticed levi son of alpheus sitting at the custom house and he said to him follow me so starting up he followed him and it transpired that when he reclined in his house many tax farmers and sinners reclined with jesus and his disciples for they were many who followed him but the professors and Pharisees seeing him eating with the tax farmers and reprobates said to his disciples why does he eat and drink in this way with tax farmers and black guards jesus on hearing this answered them the healthy have no need of a physician but those who are sick i have not come to call the righteous but the sinners and when the disciples of john and the Pharisees were fasting they came and asked him what is the reason why the disciples of john and those of the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them asked jesus in reply during the time they have the bridegroom with them they must not fast but a time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then they can fast in those days no one patches an old cloak with a piece of new felt but should this be done the new patch would tear itself from the old and make a worse rent and nobody pours new wine into old wineskins but if done the new wine would burst the skins and both the wine and the skins would be wasted on the contrary new wine must be put into new skins once as he was proceeding through the cornfields on the Sabbath day his disciples while walking along began plucking the ears of corn look exclaimed the Pharisees to him how they are doing on the Sabbath what is not allowable did you never read replied he what david did when he had kneaded and was hungry he as well as those who were with him how during the time that abbey author was high priest he entered the house of god and ate the shoe bread which was permitted to be eaten by none but the priests giving also to those who accompanied him the day of rest he added came for the sake of man not man for the purpose of the Sabbath so that the son of man is also master of the Sabbath Chapter 3 he entered the synagogue on another occasion and there was a man who had his hand paralyzed they accordingly watched him to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath day in order that they might inform against him he then told the man who had the withered hand to stand up and of them he inquired is it allowable to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm to save life or to take it but they kept silent then looking round upon them with indignation being grieved at the stupidity of their hearts he said to the man extend your hand he accordingly extended it and his hand was restored to its natural condition the Pharisees then went out and at once held a consultation with the Herodians against him as to how they could destroy him Jesus however withdrew with his disciples to the lake and a great crowd followed him from Galilee and others from Judea from Jerusalem from Ijumea and from the other side of the Jordan as well as from the neighborhood of Tyre in Sidon an immense crowd came to him having heard all that he had done and on account of the crowd he asked his disciples to get a little boat ready for him so as to be clear of the crush for he cured many and as many as were sufferers threw themselves upon him in their endeavor to touch him and the foul spirits whenever they saw him fell before him and yelled exclaiming because you are the son of God but he sternly enjoined them that they should not make him known he then ascended the hill and calling those whom he had chosen they went towards him and he appointed 12 in order that they might be with him and that he might send them to preach and to have authority to cure diseases and cast out demons namely Simon whom he named Peter James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James these he named Boanerjes that is Sons of Thunder Andrew Philip Bartholomew Matthew Thomas James the son of Alphaeus Thadeus Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot who was his betrayer they then returned home where the crowd again collected so that they were unable even to eat bread and his relatives on hearing it went out to secure him for they said he is mad and the professors who came down from Jerusalem asserted he is possessed by Beelzebul and he casts out demons by means of the prince of the demons then calling them and addressing them in parables he said how is Satan able to expel Satan for if a kingdom is divided against itself that kingdom cannot exist and if a house is divided against itself that house cannot hold together and if Satan goes to war against himself and remains his own enemy he cannot reign but be deposed no one can enter the house of the strong one and plunder his furniture unless he first overpowers his strength and then he may loot his house I tell you indeed that all the sins of the sons of men will be pardoned as well as the blasphemies with which they may blaspheme but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no release in the present age but is guilty of a perpetual sin because they said he is possessed of a foul spirit his mother and his brothers came and while waiting outside they sent him an invitation and some in the crowd seated round about him said see your mother and brothers outside are asking for you who he asked in reply to them are my mother or my brothers and looking over those who sat round about him he exclaimed here are my mother and my brothers for whoever may do the will of god the same is my brother my sister and mother chapter 4 at another time he again began to teach by the lakeside and a great crowd collected to him so that entering the boat he took his seat there upon the lake while all the crowd were upon the shore and he taught them much in parables saying to them in the course of his teaching listen the sewer went out to sew and it happened that while sewing some seed fell by the roadside and the birds came and devoured it another part fell upon a stony spot where the soil was shallow and it at once sprouted because there was no depth of soil but as soon as the sun had risen it was scorched and because it had no root it withered and some again fell among thistles and the thistles grew up and choked it and it produced no grain some however fell upon good soil and springing up it produced grain and increased yielding 130 160 and one a hundredfold he then exclaimed whoever has ears to hear let him listen when he was in private those who attended him and the twelve asked him about the parable it is given to you he answered them to become acquainted with the hidden meanings of the kingdom of god but to those outside all is in parables that seeing they may see and will not perceive and hearing they may hear and will not comprehend otherwise they would turn back when their sins would be forgiven them do you not understand this parable he asked them then how will you understand all the parables the sewer sows the message and these by the roadside are those in whom the message has been implanted but when they receive it satan immediately comes and snatches up the message which is scattered in their hearts and so likewise that which fell upon stony places are those who receiving the message at once accepted with delight yet possessing no root in themselves they are temporary then when trouble or persecution comes by reason of the message they immediately fall again these sewn among the thistles are those who accept the message but the anxieties of this age the seductions of wealth and the admission of other inordinate desires choke the message and it becomes unfruitful on the other hand these sewn upon good soil are those who receive the message and clinging to it yield fruit some 30 some 60 and some 100 fold why is a lamp brought he proceeded to ask them is it to be placed under the corn measure or under the bed is it not rather in order that it may be placed upon the lampstand for there is nothing hidden that cannot be revealed nor so concealed that it may not come into view whoever has ears to hear let him listen he also said to them be careful what you listen to with the self same measure with which you measure it will be measured to you and applied to yourselves for gifts will be given to whoever possesses and from those having nothing whatever they have will be taken away he further said to them the kingdom of god is thus it is like a man who throws seed upon the ground and sleeps and rises night and day the seed sprouts and grows up yet he knows not how the earth by its own action yields grain first the blade then the ear then the full grain in the ear but when the grain is ripe he immediately sends the reapers because the harvest is ready continuing he said to what shall I compare the kingdom of god or in what allegory shall I represent it just by a grain of mustard seed which when sewn upon the ground is the smallest of all the seeds which they sew upon the land but when it grows up it is the largest of all garden herbs and produces great branches so that the birds of the sky can take shelter under its shadow and by many such allegories he often spoke to them the message as they were able to listen to it indeed he spoke nothing to them without an allegory but in private he explained everything to his disciples when the evening of that day arrived he said to them let us go over to the other side then leaving the crowd they took him away as he was in the vessel although other boats were with him and a very heavy gale began to blow and the waves rushed into the boat so that it was rapidly filling and he himself was at the stern lying asleep upon a cushion they accordingly aroused him exclaiming teacher do you not care if we perish and having woke up he restrained the wind and said to the sea silence be still the wind then lulled and there was perfect calm why he asked them do you doubt in this way how is it that you cannot yet have faith but they became terrified and said to one another what can he be for even the wind and the sea obey him the end of chapters one through four recording by mark penfold chapters five through eight of the gospel according to mark from the new testament in modern english translated by ferrar fenton this libra vox recording is in the public domain recording by mark penfold chapter five arriving at the other side of the lake they landed in the district of the gatorines and disembarking from the boat a man possessed by a foul spirit who had his dwelling among the tombs at once ran to him from the tombs and none could restrain him not even by binding for they had often bound him with chains and shackles and he had torn us under the chains and smashed the shackles and no man had the strength to tame him continually night and day he was among the tombs and mountains shrieking and bruising himself with stones but seeing jesus from a distance he ran and knelt to him and calling with a loud voice he said what is there between me and you jesus son of the highest god i put you on oath before that god that you will not torment me for he had said to him be gone foul spirit out of the man and he asked him what is your name my name is legion was his reply for we are many and they urgently pleaded that he might not send them out of the district now there was feeding on the side of the hill a great herd of swine and they pleaded with him saying send us to the herd of swine so that we may enter into them jesus accordingly gave them permission and departing the foul spirits entered the swine then the herd numbering about two thousand rushed madly down the precipice into the sea and were drowned in the deep the feeders consequently took to flight and having reported it in the town and in the country the people came out to see what had occurred and approaching jesus they found him who had been possessed now seated clothed and quite sane even the one who had the legion and they were terrified those who had witnessed it explained what had happened to the demoniac and also concerning the swine they then began to urge him to quit their shores and when he was embarking on the vessel the one who had been possessed begged that he might accompany him jesus however would not allow it but told him go back to your home to your relatives and tell them what the lord has done for you and has pitied you so taking his departure he began to report in decapolis what jesus had done for him and all were filled with astonishment now when jesus had again crossed over in the boat to the other side a great crowd collected to him and he was near the lake and one of the chiefs of the synagogue jairus by name came and seeing him fell at his feet and earnestly appealed to him saying my little daughter is dying come now place your hands upon her so that she may be saved and live he accordingly went along with him and a great crowd accompanied and pressed upon him a woman also who had suffered from hemorrhage for 12 years and had been greatly tortured under many physicians and had spent all she possessed without relief but was rather getting worse having heard about jesus came into the crowd behind him and touched his robe for she thought if i could but touch his robe i shall be made well and at once the discharge of blood was stopped and she felt in herself that she was cured of that disease jesus immediately perceiving that power had left him turning round to the crowd asked who has touched my garments you see the crowd pressing around you the disciples answered him and you ask who touched me he looked round however to discover who had done it then the woman trembling in terror and conscious of what had happened to her came and bowed to him and told him the whole truth daughter your faith has saved you he said to her go in peace and you shall be relieved from your disease while he was speaking someone came to the chief of the synagogue saying your daughter is dead why should you further trouble the teacher jesus overhearing the message however said to the chief of the synagogue fear not only believe and he allowed none to accompany him but peter james and john the brother of james on arriving at the house of the chief of the synagogue he saw a confusion and lamenting and much wailing and entering he said to them why do you shriek and weep the child is not dead but only fainting but they laughed at him in ridicule then dismissing them all he took the father and mother of the child with his companions and entered the chamber where the child was laid and having taken the hand of the child he said to her talitha kumi which when translated means girl i tell you rise up and the girl at once stood up and walked for she was twelve years old and they were greatly amazed and overcome with gladness he then enjoined them to let no one know it and ordered them to give her some food chapter six he then went from there and came to his own country and his disciples followed him and when the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue when many who heard were struck with admiration exclaiming where has he obtained this and what is the wisdom given to him and how can such results come from his hands is not this fellow the carpenter the son of mary and only the brother of james josie's juda and simon and are his sisters not here among us and they were scandalized because of him but jesus said to them a prophet is not dishonored except in his own country among his relatives and in his own house and he was there unable to do any powerful work except that he cured a few sick people by laying his hands upon them and he wondered at their disbelief but he traversed the surrounding villages teaching he then called to him the twelve and began to send them out by two and two and he gave them authority over foul spirits he also instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick alone no bag no bread no money in their purse but only to be shot with sandals and not wear two cloaks and he instructed them wherever you may enter a house remain there until you leave the place and whoever will neither accept you nor listen to you when you depart from there shake off the dust from under your feet as an evidence against them i tell you indeed that it will be more durable for sodom and gemora in the day of judgment than for that town then departing they preached that they should change their minds and they cast out many demons and applied oil to many sick people and they were cured king harrod also heard of it for his name had become public and he said it must be john the baptizer risen from the dead and therefore the powers work through his hands others said it is a lyjah while others again said he is a prophet or like one of the prophets harrod however hearing it said john whom i beheaded has himself been raised from the dead for harrod had sent to arrest john and confined him in prison on account of harodia the wife of his brother philip for he had married her although john had said to harrod it is not allowable for you to take your brother's wife harodia herself consequently bore him a grudge and longed to murder him but was not able for harrod respected john knowing him to be a just and holy man and had befriended him and gladly listened to him and did many things willingly when he heard him but upon the arrival of a suitable day when harrod gave a dinner to his nobles generals and the gentry of galilee harodia's own daughter entered and danced greatly pleasing harrod and his guests the king said to the girl ask of me whatever you like and i will give it you and he swore to her whatever you ask of me i will give it you even to the half of my kingdom then running out she said to her mother what shall i ask the head of john the baptizer was her reply rushing back to the king she demanded saying i wish you would give it once on a dish the head of john the baptizer the king was horrified yet because of his oath and his guests he did not like to refuse her so the king at once sent one of his bodyguards with instructions to take off his head he accordingly went and beheaded john in the prison and brought his head upon a dish and gave it to the girl and the girl gave it to her mother then his disciples hearing of it came and took possession of his body and placed it in a tomb when the apostles returned to jesus they reported to him everything that they had done and all that they had taught he then said to them come and retire privately by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a little for many were coming and going so that they had no leisure not even to eat they accordingly retired privately by boat to a quiet place many however observed their departure and recognizing him they ran by land from all the towns and arrived first so upon disembarking he observed a great crowd and he had pity upon them because they were as scattered sheep who had no shepherd but he then began to teach them many things and when many hours had passed his disciples approached him and said seeing that this is a desert place and it is now late dismiss them in order that they may go into the surrounding fields and villages and buy bread for themselves for they have nothing to eat here give them something yourselves to eat he said to them in reply and they asked him shall we go and purchase 20 pounds worth of loaves and give it to them to eat how many loaves have you he asked go and see and on ascertaining they replied five and two fishes he then ordered them all to recline in parties upon the green grass they accordingly took their seats in groups here a hundred there fifty and taking the five loaves and the two fishes he looked up to heaven blessing them and breaking up the loaves he handed to his disciples to distribute among the crowd while he divided the two fishes among them all and they all partook and were satisfied they then picked up 12 bags full of the broken pieces and of the fishes and those who had eaten of the bread numbered about 5000 men immediately after he urged his disciples to embark in the vessel and proceed to the other shore towards Bethsaida while he dismissed the crowd and having bitten them farewell he withdrew to the mountain to pray then when the evening arrived the boat was in the middle of the lake and he alone upon the land seeing them struggling with the oars for the wind was against them at about three o'clock in the morning he made towards them walking upon the water and he came alongside of them but they seeing him walking upon the water concluded that it must be a phantom and shrieked out in their terror for they all saw him but addressing them at once he said take courage I am do not be afraid and when he got up to them in the boat the wind lulled and they were much astonished in themselves for they did not reflect upon the loaves because of their degenerate hearts so when they had crossed over they arrived in the land of Gennesarat and moored to the shore then when they had disembarked from the boat the people at once recognized him and ran through the whole neighborhood bringing on mattresses those who were sick carrying them about to wherever they heard he was and wherever he entered a village town or field they placed the sick in the open places and begged him that they might but touch the fringe of his robe and as many as touched him were restored. The Pharisees and some of the professors from Jerusalem then collected about him and noticed some of the disciples eating bread with polluted or unwashed hands for the Pharisees and all the Judeans do not eat unless they scrupulously wash their hands in accordance with the rule of their forefathers and returning from the public places if they do not wash they will not eat and many other observances had been handed down to them such as the washing of dishes cups plates and lounges the Pharisees and professors therefore asked him why do your disciples not conduct themselves according to the rules of our ancestors but on the contrary eat their bread with unwashed hands in reply to them he said huh admirably did Isaiah prophesy about you play actors when he wrote these people honor me with the lips but their heart runs from me but in vain do they pay me homage teaching the precepts of men for doctrines abandoning the command of God you cling to the order of men in washing cups and dishes and you attend to many other observances of that kind and he further said to them you very finally throw aside the command of God so that you may stick to your own regulation for Moses said honor your father and your mother and who neglects his father or his mother let him end in death but you say if a man should say to his father or to his mother all that I possess with which I might help you is Corban a gift to God then you will never again allow him to do anything for his father or his mother thus distorting the word of God by your regulation which you have handed down and many similar things you do then calling to him again the whole crowd he said to them all of you listen to me and understand nothing that enters the man from without can pollute him but on the contrary that which comes out of the man that is what pollutes him if anyone has ears to hear let him listen now when he had entered the house away from the crowd his disciples asked him about the parable and he said to them are you also still ignorant do you not perceive that what enters into the man from without cannot pollute him because it does not reach the intellect but passes into the bowels which eliminate all foods what comes out from the man he added that pollutes the man for from within from the intellect of the man proceed vile thoughts adultery fornication murder theft avarice wickedness deceit profligacy a wicked eye blasphemy arrogance and recklessness all these corrupt things come out of and pollute the man starting from there he proceeded to the borderland of tire and siden and going to a house he wished no one to know it but he could not be hid for it once a woman whose daughter was possessed by a foul spirit having heard about him came and fell at his feet the woman was a greek a syrophoenician by race and she begged him that he would cast out the demon from her daughter but jesus answered her let me first satisfy my children for it is not fair to take the bread of my children and fling it to the welps yes sir she said in reply to him yet even the welps under the table eat of the crumbs of the children because of this expression he answered her you may go the demon has left your daughter and returning to her home she found the demon god and her daughter resting upon a couch then departing again from the districts of tire and siden he came towards the sea of galilee through the middle of the district of decapolis they then brought him a deaf stammerer and desired him to place his hands upon him so taking him aside from the crowd he placed his fingers in his ears and having spit he touched his tongue then looking up to heaven he sighed and said to him f fatha which is be opened and his hearing was immediately restored the defects of his tongue were remedied and he spoke quite plainly he then enjoined them to tell no one but the more he urged them the more persistently they proclaimed it and their astonishment was so intense that they kept exclaiming how admirably he does everything he makes both the deaf to hear and the speechless to speak chapter eight about this time a very great crowd collected and having nothing to eat jesus called his disciples to him saying to them i am grieved for the crowd because they have remained with me three days and they have nothing that they can eat if i therefore dismiss them to their homes they will faint by the way for some of them have come from a distance his disciples accordingly asked him in reply from where are we able here in this desert to satisfy all these with bread how many loves have you he asked them seven was their reply he then instructed the crowd to be seated upon the ground and taking the seven loves having offered a blessing he broke up and gave to his disciples for distribution and they handed round to the crowd besides they had a few small fishes and having blessed he ordered these also to be distributed and they ate and were satisfied and of the broken pieces that remained over they gathered up seven hampers full the eaters numbered about four thousand he then dismissed them he immediately afterwards embarked in the boat together with his disciples and came to the neighborhood of da manufa there the Pharisees approached and began to argue with him asking him for a sign from heaven testing him but signed deeply in his spirit he said why does this race hunt after a sign i tell you indeed that no sign shall be given to this race and leaving them he again took the boat and returned to the other shore they had forgotten however to provide themselves with bread and they had with them but one loaf in the boat and he warned them saying take care beware of the ferment of the Pharisees and of the ferment of hered they then consulted with one another remarking it is because we have no bread but jesus perceiving it sent to them why do you consult because you have no bread will you never reflect nor comprehend is your intellect dull having eyes do you not see having ears do you not hear and do you not remember when i broke those five loaves among the five thousand how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up twelve was their reply and of those seven among the four thousand how many hampers full of broken pieces did you gather up seven they replied then how he went on to ask them do you not yet understand then when he arrived at Bethsaida they brought to him a blind man pleading that he would touch him so taking the blind man by the hand he led him out of the village and having spit into his eyes he placed his hands upon him asking him if he saw anything and looking up he said I see men I see them like walking trees then he again placed his hands over his eyes and made him look up and he was restored and saw everything quite distinctly jesus then sent him away to his home saying do not enter even the village nor tell it to anyone in the village jesus and his disciples afterwards proceeded to the villages of Caesarea Philippi and on the road he questioned his disciples asking whom do men say that I am in reply they told him John the baptizer others Elijah and others again one of the prophets but whom do you say that I am he asked them again you are the Messiah exclaimed Peter in reply he enjoined them however to tell no one about him he then began to teach them that the son of man had much to endure and to be rejected at the hands of the elders chief priests and professors I even to be murdered to rise again however after three days and he made the statement quite openly then Peter seizing hold of him began to reproach him but turning around and looking at his disciples he repelled Peter exclaiming get behind me satan because you do not reflect upon the thoughts of God but merely those of men then calling the crowd to him along with the disciples he said to them whoever wishes to come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me for whoever desires to preserve his life will sacrifice it but if anyone sacrifices his life for the sake of me and for the good news he will preserve it for what will it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and forfeit his life or what shall a man give in exchange for his life if anyone however is ashamed of me and of my teachings in this adulterous and wicked race then will the son of man be ashamed of him when he comes with the holy angels in the majesty of his father the end of chapters five through eight recording by mark penfold