The Life of Jesus

Verily I say to you, there hath not risen, among those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the reign of the heavens is greater than he.

`And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force,

for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy,

and if ye are willing to receive it , he is Elijah who was about to come;

he who is having ears to hear--let him hear.

`And to what shall I liken this generation? it is like little children in market-places, sitting and calling to their comrades,

and saying, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance, we lamented to you, and ye did not smite the breast.

`For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon;

the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners, and wisdom was justified of her children.'

Then began he to reproach the cities in which were done most of his mighty works, because they did not reform.

`Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! because, if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the mighty works that were done in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they had reformed;

but I say to you, to Tyre and Sidon it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than for you.

`And thou, Capernaum, which unto the heaven wast exalted, unto hades shalt be brought down, because if in Sodom had been done the mighty works that were done in thee, it had remained unto this day;

but I say to you, to the land of Sodom it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than to thee.'

At that time Jesus answering said, `I do confess to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal them to babes.

Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before Thee.

`All things were delivered to me by my Father, and none doth know the Son, except the Father, nor doth any know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him .

`Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest,

take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls,

for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'

At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat,

and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, `Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.'

And he said to them, `Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him--

how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone?

`Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless?