The Life of Jesus

and having seen a certain fig-tree on the way, he came to it, and found nothing in it except leaves only, and he saith to it, `No more from thee may fruit be--to the age;' and forthwith the fig-tree withered.

And the disciples having seen, did wonder, saying, `How did the fig-tree forthwith wither?'

And Jesus answering said to them, `Verily I say to you, If ye may have faith, and may not doubt, not only this of the fig-tree shall ye do, but even if to this mount ye may say, Be lifted up and be cast into the sea, it shall come to pass;

and all--as much as ye may ask in the prayer, believing, ye shall receive.'

And he having come to the temple, there came to him when teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people, saying, `By what authority dost thou do these things? and who gave thee this authority?'

And Jesus answering said to them, `I will ask you--I also--one word, which if ye may tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things;

the baptism of John, whence was it? --from heaven, or from men?' And they were reasoning with themselves, saying, `If we should say, From heaven; he will say to us, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him?

and if we should say, From men, we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.'

And answering Jesus they said, `We have not known.' He said to them--he also--`Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

`And what think ye? A man had two children, and having come to the first, he said, Child, go, to-day be working in my vineyard.'

And he answering said, `I will not,' but at last, having repented, he went.

`And having come to the second, he said in the same manner, and he answering said, I go , sir, and went not;

which of the two did the will of the father?' They say to him, `The first.' Jesus saith to them, `Verily I say to you, that the tax-gatherers and the harlots do go before you into the reign of God,

for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him, and the tax-gatherers and the harlots did believe him, and ye, having seen, repented not at last--to believe him.

`Hear ye another simile: There was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and did put a hedge round it, and digged in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and gave it out to husbandmen, and went abroad.

`And when the season of the fruits came nigh, he sent his servants unto the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it,

and the husbandmen having taken his servants, one they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned.

`Again he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them in the same manner.

`And at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son;

and the husbandmen having seen the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come, we may kill him, and may possess his inheritance;

and having taken him, they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him;

whenever therefore the lord of the vineyard may come, what will he do to these husbandmen?'

They say to him, `Evil men--he will evilly destroy them, and the vineyard will give out to other husbandmen, who will give back to him the fruits in their seasons.'

Jesus saith to them, `Did ye never read in the Writings, A stone that the builders disallowed, it became head of a corner; from the Lord hath this come to pass, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

`Because of this I say to you, that the reign of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth its fruit;