Translated by Rev. Hope W. Hogg, B.D.
Text edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson and first published by T&T Clark in Edinburgh in 1867. Additional introductionary material and notes provided for the American edition by A. Cleveland Coxe, 1886.
1 The Text Translated.--What is offered to the reader is a translation into English of an Arabic text, published at Rome in 1888, in a volume entitled in Arabic Diatessaron, which Titianus Compiled from the Four Gospels, with the alternative Latin title, Tatiani Evangeliorum Harmoniæ, Arabice. The Roman volume consists of two parts--the text, covering a little over 209 very clearly printed Arabic pages, and a Latin half, comprising a scholarly introduction (pp. v.-xv.), a Latin translation (pp. 1-99), and a table showing the order in which the passages taken from the gospels occur in the text. The editor is P. Agostino Ciasca, a well known Orientalist, "scriptor" at the Vatican Library.
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3 The Present Translation.--The translation offered here is quite independent of either of these two. Ciasca's Latin was seldom consulted, except when it was thought the Arabic might perhaps be obscured by a misprint. After the translation was completed, Hill's English was compared with it to transfer Mr. Hill's valuable system of references to the margin of this work, and to lessen the risk of oversights passing the last revision unnoticed. In two or three cases this process led to the adoption of a different construction, and in a few of the more awkward passages a word was borrowed as being less harsh than that which had originally been written. Speaking generally, the present version appears to differ from Mr. Hill's in adhering more closely to the original. [17]
4 The Arabic Text.--Only two Arabic mss. are known to exist. Ciasca tells us (p. xiv.) that he took as the basis of his text that ms. which is more careful in its orthography, the Cod. Vat. Arab. No. 14. He, however, printed at the foot of the page the variants of the other ms., and supplied from it two lacunæ in the Cod. Vat., [18] substituted its readings for those of the Cod. Vat. where he thought them preferable, and followed its testimony in omitting two important passages. [19]Here and there Ciasca has emended the text, but he does not profess to have produced a critical edition. [20]
5 The Arabic mss.--Unfortunately, the present writer has not had an opportunity of examining these two mss.; but they have been described at some length by Ciasca; Codex XIV. in Pitra's Analecta Sacra, iv., 465 ff., and the other codex in the volume with which we are dealing, p. vi. ff. I. The former, which we shall call the Vatican ms. (in Ciasca's footnotes it is called A), was brought to the Vatican from the East by Joseph S. Assemani [21] about a.d. 1719. It was described by Stephen E. Assemani, [22] Rosenmüller, and Akerblad, [23] and then at length by Ciasca, to whose account the reader must be referred for the details. It consists of 123 folios, of which the first seven are somewhat spoiled, and of which two are missing, [24] and is supposed by Ciasca, from the character of the writing, and from the presence of certain Coptic letters [25] by the first hand, to have been written in Egypt. S. Assemani assigned it to the twelfth century, and Ciasca accepts his verdict, while Akerblad says the thirteenth or fourteenth century. The text of the ms. is pretty fully vocalised, but there are few diacritical points. There are marginal notes, some of them by a later hand, [26] which Ciasca classifies as (1) emendations, (2) restorations, (3) explanations. II. The second ms., which we shall call the Borgian (in Ciasca's footnotes it is called B), was brought to the Borgian Museum from Egypt in August, 1886. It has at the end the following inscription in Arabic: "A present from Halim Dos Ghali, the Copt, the Catholic, to the Apostolic See, in the year of Christ 1886." [27]Antonius Morcos, Visitor Apostolic of the Catholic Copts, when, in the beginning of 1886, he was shown and informed about the Vatican ms., told of this other one and was the means of its being sent to Rome. The Borgian ms., which Ciasca refers to the fourteenth century, consists of 355 folios. Folios 1-85 [28] contain an anonymous preface on the gospels, briefly described by Ciasca, who, however, does not say whether it appears to have been originally written in Arabic or to have been translated into that language. With folios 96b, 97a, which are reproduced in phototype in Ciasca's edition, begins the Introductory Note given in full at the beginning of the present translation. The text of the Diatessaron ends on folio 353a, but is followed by certain appendices, for which see below, §55, 17, note. This ms. is complete, and has, as we shall see, [29] in some respects a better text, though it is worse in its orthography than the Vatican ms.
6 Condition of the Arabic Text.--Ciasca's text does not profess to be critically determined, for which purpose a more careful study of each of the mss. and an estimate of their respective texts would be indispensable. Although the Borgian ms. is supposed by Ciasca to be a century or two later than the Vatican ms. it is clearly not a copy of the latter, for not only does it sometimes offer more original readings, but, as we shall see, its text in some points coincides more exactly in scope with the original work. The list of various readings supplied by Ciasca, [30] which is equal to about a fifth or a quarter of the text itself, ought to yield, on being analysed, some canons of criticism. The footnotes of the present edition are enough to show that a number of the peculiar features of Ciasca's text do not belong to the original Arabic ms.; and further study would dispose of still more. On the other hand, there are unfortunately some indications [31] that the common ancestor of both mss., though perhaps less than two centuries removed from the original, was not the original itself, and therefore emendation may be necessary even where both mss. agree. From first to last it has to be borne in mind that a great deal of work was done at Arabic versions of the gospels, [32] and the text of the copy from which our two mss. are descended may already have suffered from contact with other versions; while the special activity of the thirteenth century may have left its mark in some places on the text of the Borgian ms., supposing it to be chronologically the later.
7 Origin of the Arabic Text.--If some of the uncouthness of the Arabic text is due to corruption in the course of transmission, much is also due to its being not an original work, but a translation. That it is, in the main, a translation from Syriac is too obvious to need proof. [33]The Introductory Notice and Subscription to the Borgian ms., moreover, expressly state that the work was translated by one Abu'l Faraj `Abdulla ibn-at-Tayyib, [34] an "excellent and learned priest," and the inferiority of parts of the translation, [35] and entire absence of any confirmatory evidence, [36] hardly suffice to refute this assertion. Still, the Borgian ms. is a late witness, and although it most probably preserves a genuine tradition as to the author of our work, its statement need not therefore necessarily be correct in every point.
8 The Arabic Editor and his Method.--Ibn-at-Tayyib (d. 1043) is a well known man, a Nestorian monk and scholar, secretary to Elias I., Patriarch of Nisibis (for references to sources see, e.g., Ciasca's Introduction, p. xi. f. and Steinschneider's long note in his Polemische und apologetische Lit. in Arabische Sprache, pp. 52-55). As we are here concerned with him simply as a link in the chain connecting our present work with its original source, the only point of interest for us is the method he followed in producing it. Did he prepare an independent translation or did he make use of existing Arabic versions, his own or others'? Until this question which space forbids us to discuss here, has been more thoroughly investigated, [37] it must suffice to say that in view of the features in the present text that have not yet been shown to exist in any other Arabic version, it is still at least a tenable hypothesis that Ibn-at-Tayyib's ms. constituted to a considerable extent a real translation rather than a sort of Arabic parallel to the Codex Fuldensis (see below, 12).
9 The Syriac Text Translated--The eleventh century ms. of Ibn-at-Tayyib, could we reach it, would bring us face to face with the more interesting question of the nature of his Syriac original. The Subscription to the Borgian ms. states, probably copying the statement from its exemplar, that this was a. Syriac ms. in the handwriting of `Isa ibn-`Ali al Motatabbib, pupil of Honain ibn Ishak. This Honain was a famous Arabic physician and medical writer of Bagdad (d. 873), whose school produced quite a number of translations and translators, among whom Ibn-`Ali, supposed to be identical with the Syriac lexicographer of the same name, is known to have had a high place. The Syriac ms., therefore, that Ibn-at-Tayyib translated takes us back to about the year 900. But the Subscription to each of our mss. [38] states that the work ended is the gospel called Diatessaron, compiled from the four gospels by Titianus; while the Introductory Note to the Borgian ms. adds that this Titianus was a Greek. The next step, therefore, is to inquire whether any traces exist of such a Syriac work, or any statements by which we can check the account just given of it.
10 Other Traces of a Syriac Text.--No copy of a Syriac Diatessaron has yet been shown to have survived. [39]A number of quotations [40] from such a work have, however, been found in a Syriac commentary on the New Testament by Isho`dad of Merv (circ. 852), a contemporary of Honain, Ibn-`Ali's teacher. [41]The value of these extracts is apparent, for they take us back one generation earlier than Ibn-at-Tayyib's Syriac exemplar. More important still, they do not entirely agree with the text of our Arabic version. To solve the problem thus raised, we must examine some of the statements about the Diatessaron to be found in ecclesiastical writers.
11 Statements about the Diatessaron.--One of the most widely known is that of Isho`dad himself, who, in his Preface to the Gospel of Mark, says: "Tatian, disciple of Justin, the philosopher and martyr, selected from the four gospels, and combined and composed a gospel, and called it Diatessaron, i.e., the Combined,...and upon this gospel Mar Ephraem commented." [42]Dionysius Bar Salibi (twelfth century) repeats each of these phrases, adding, "Its commencement was, `In the beginning was the Word.'" [43]These statements identify the author of the Diatessaron with a man otherwise known, and tell us that the great Syrian father Ephraem (d. 373) wrote a commentary on it. Unfortunately, no Syriac ms. of Ephraem's work is known to have survived; [44] but quotations from it, or allusions to it, are being found in other Syriac writers. One further reference will suffice for the present. Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus, four hundred years before Isho`dad, wrote thus in his book on Heresies (written in 453): "Tatian the Syrian....This [writer] also composed the gospel which is called Diatessaron, cutting out the genealogies and whatever other passages show that the Lord was born of the seed of David according to the flesh." [45]Before examining the testimonials we have now adduced, we must notice certain more remote sources of information.
12 Non-Syriac Texts of the Diatessaron.--Although Ephraem's Syriac commentary on the Diatessaron is for the present lost, there is an Armenian version of it [46] extant in two mss. dating from about the time of Bar Salibi and our Vat. ms. [47]A Latin translation of this work, published in 1876 by Moesinger, [48] formed the main basis of Zahn's attempt [49] to reconstruct the Diatessaron. Appendix X in Hill's Diatessaron (pp. 334-377) contains an English translation of the texts commented on by Ephraem, made from Moesinger's Latin, but collated with the Armenian by Professor J. Armitage Robinson, of Cambridge. A comparison of this document with our Arabic text shows a remarkable agreement in the order and contents, but just as remarkable a lack of agreement in the kind of text presented. The same phenomenon is met with when we compare our Arabic text with a document that carries us back three hundred years before the time of Isho`dad, and therefore more than six hundred years before the Armenian mss.--the Codex Fuldensis of the Vulgate. [50]This ms. contains an arrangement of the gospel matter that its discoverer and publisher, Bishop Victor of Capua (d. 554), rightly concluded must represent the Diatessaron of Tatian, but for the text of which was apparently substituted that of the Vulgate. [51]We are now ready to weigh the testimony we have gathered. [52]
13 Accretions to the Diatessaron.--The statements we are to consider are: (1) Bar Salibi's, that Tatian's Diatessaron began with "In the beginning was the Word"; [53] (2) Theodoret's, that Tatian cut out the genealogies; and (3) the same writer's, that Tatian also cut out "whatever other passages show that the Lord was born of the seed of David according to the flesh." Of these statements 1 conflicts with the Arabic text, which begins with Mark, and the Codex Fuldensis, which begins with Luke, but agrees with the Ephraem source; the same is true of 2; while 3 conflicts with all three texts. Our limits do not admit of our discussing these points in detail. It must suffice to say (1) that, although a more careful examination at firsthand of the introductory notices in the two Arabic mss. seems needed before one can venture to propound a complete theory, a comparison of the two texts, and a consideration of the descriptions given by Ciasca and Lagarde, [54] make it almost certain that the genuine Arabic text of Ibn-at-Tayyib began with John i. 1. Similarly the first four verses of Luke (on which see also below, § 1. 6, note) were probably not in the original text of the ms. that Victor found, for they are not mentioned in the (old) table of contents. We seem thus to detect a process of gradual accretion of material drawn from the ordinary gospel text. (2) The genealogies illustrate the same process. In the Vatican ms. they form part of the text. [55]But in the Borgian ms., although they precede the Subscription, and therefore may have been already in the ninth century Syriac ms. used by Ibn-at-Tayyib, they are still placed by themselves, after a blank space, at the end of the volume, with a title of their own. [56]Here, therefore, we actually see stages of the process of accretion. (3) It is therefore possible that the same account must also be given of 3, although in this case we have no direct proof.
14 Passages Lost from the Diatessaron.--If the Diatessaron has thus been growing so as to represent the ordinary text of the canonical gospels more completely, we have also evidence that suggests that it has been at some time or times purged of certain features that are lacking in these canonical gospels. For one case of this kind see below, §4, 36, note.
15 Presentation of the Text of the Diatessaron.--We have observed already that the Latin, Armenian, and Arabic Diatessarons correspond pretty closely in subject matter and arrangement, but differ markedly in text. The Codex Fuldensis is really a ms. of the Vulgate, although the text that Victor found was probably somewhat different. The Armenian text differs materially from the ordinary Syriac version of the New Testament (the Peshitta), showing a marked connection with another type of Syriac text represented now by the Curetonian and Sinaitic (Lewis) mss. The Arabic text, on the other hand, almost systematically represents the Peshitta. The explanation of the condition of text in the Codex Fuldensis is obvious. On the other hand, the relationship of the Armenian and Arabic texts to the original Diatessaron must be determined by weighing very multifarious evidence that cannot be even cited here (see above 6 ff.). The two texts depend, as we have seen, on late mss. but all the earlier references and quotations go to show that the Armenian text [57] stands much more closely related to the original than does the Arabic.
16 Checkered History of the Diatessaron.--What use the Arabic edition of Ibn-at-Tayyib was put to when made we do not know. `Abd Isho` (d. 1318) speaks in the highest terms of Tatian's work, saying, "...With all diligence he attended to the utmost degree to the right order of those things which were said and done by the Saviour; of his own he did not add a single saying." [58]But the leaders of the Syrian church had not always thought so. Theodoret (loc. cit.) some nine hundred years earlier had written thus: "...Even those that follow the apostolic doctrines, not perceiving the mischief of the composition," used "the book too simply as an abridgment." A few years earlier Rabbula, Bishop of Edessa (d. 435), had said: [59] "Let the presbyters and deacons give heed that in all the churches there be provided and read a copy of the Distinct Gospel," i.e., not the harmonized or mixed gospel. But obviously these men were trying to suppress traditional practice due to very different views. Theodoret (loc. cit.) found more than two hundred copies of the work "held in respect in the churches"; and the Doctrine of Addai (Edessa, third to fourth century) seems simply to identify the Diatessaron and the New Testament. [60]Outside of the Syriac speaking churches we find no signs of any such use of the Diatessaron. It would seem, therefore, that at a quite early stage the Diatessaron was very widely if not universally read in the Syriac churches, and commented on by scholars as the gospel; that in time it fell under the condemnation of some at least of the church leaders, who made violent efforts to suppress it; that it could not be suppressed; that a commentary on it was (perhaps in the fifth century [61] ) translated into Armenian; that it was still discussed by commentators, and new Syriac mss. of it made in the ninth century, and thought worth the labor of reproduction in Arabic in the beginning of the eleventh century; that mss. of the Armenian volume continued to be made down to the very end of the twelfth century, and of the Arabic edition down to the fourteenth century; but that this long life was secured at the expense of a more or less rapid assimilation of the text to that of the great Syriac Bible which from the fourth century onwards became more and more exclusively used--the Peshitta.
17 The Author of the Diatessaron.--The Diatessaron is such an impersonal work that we do not need to know very much about its compiler. [62]It will suffice here to say that he tells us himself that he was born "in the land of the Assyrians," and brought up a heathen. After travelling in search of knowledge, he settled at Rome, where he became a pupil of Justin Martyr, professed Christianity, and wrote in Greek his Address to the Greeks, [63] translated in vol. iii. of the Ante-Nicene Christian Library. He was too independent in his attitude to maintain a permanent popularity, and after Justin's death left Rome and returned to Mesopotamia. It was probably here that he issued in Syriac his most important work, the Diatessaron, which won such a warm place in the heart of the Syrian church. Among the Greek scholars, however, he became more and more regarded as a heretic, Encratite (ascetic), and Gnostic.
18 The Diatessaron as a Harmony.--Not very much need be said on this subject, as every reader can collect the facts for himself. In its present form the Harmony draws from all the four canonical gospels, and from very little else. Opinions differ as to whether it originally indicated the gospel from which any given piece was drawn, and some uncertainty must remain in special cases as to what gospel actually has been drawn upon. Professor G. F. Moore, in a very interesting article on the Diatessaron, [64] having counted the references in the Arabic mss., states that the Arabic text contains 50 percent of Mark, 66 percent of Luke, 76.5 percent of Matthew, and 96 percent of John. The summation of his figures gives the following result: out of a total of 3780 verses in the four gospels, the Diatessaron quotes 2769 and omits 1011. As to the order in which the whole is arranged, Moore thinks that Matthew has chiefly been followed; while Zahn regards the Fourth Gospel as normative. For a specimen of the way in which words and phrases from the different gospels are woven together, we may refer to § 52, 35 ff., and the notes thereon. In the Arabic mss., and probably in the Syriac exemplar, the work is divided into fifty-four almost equal chapters, followed by one short one--a feature that agrees well with what we have learned of the work as being of old the lectionary of the Syrian church.
19 Problems Connected with the Diatessaron.--The Diatessaron opens up a very wide field of study. A few points may be here enumerated (see also above, 8, and note there). In what language was it written? On the view favoured by an increasing majority of scholars, that it was written in Syriac, was it a translation or simply a compilation? What precisely is its relation to the Syriac versions and the "Western" text generally? Then there is its bearing on the date and formation of the canonical gospels; the phenomenon of its so long supplying the place of those gospels; the analogy it presents to the Pentateuch, according to the critical view of the origin of the latter. These and other issues make the Diatessaron an important and interesting study.
20 The Present Translation.--The work of translation has been found much more tedious than was anticipated, notwithstanding the fact that considerably more than half of it is the work of my wife, which I have simply revised with special attention to the many obscurities dealt with in the footnotes. We have, however, worked so much together that it is very doubtful whether any one could assign the various parts to their respective sources. My wife also verified the Arabic references to the gospels printed on the margin to the right of the text, [65] and prepared the Index to these references--an extremely laborious and perplexing piece of work. This Index is inserted merely for the practical purpose of enabling the reader to find any given gospel piece in the Diatessaron. When a verse is not found in the Index, an equivalent passage from some of the other gospels should be looked for. On the margin to the left of the text are indicated the pages of the Arabic text and the sections and verses in Hill's version. [66]
The aim has been to make a literal translation. As two freer translations already exist, it seemed best to incline to the side of being overliteral. If, however, features due simply to Arabic idiom have been preserved, this is an oversight. Uniformity could only have been secured by devoting a much longer time to the work than the editor was able to allow. The difficulties are due to the corrupt state of the Arabic text, [67] and to the awkward reproduction [68] or actual misunderstanding [69] of the Syriac original by the author or authors of the Arabic translation. It has been impossible to maintain consistency in dealing with these phenomena. If any rendering seem strange, it will be well to consult the Syriac versions before deciding that it is wrong. A good deal of attention, too, has to be paid to the usage of the Arabic text, which, though it has many points of contact with other Arabic versions of the gospels, e.g., the ms. described by Gildemeister (De evangg. in arab. e simp. Syr., 1865), is as yet for us (see above, 8) a distinct version, possessed of an individuality of its own, one pronounced feature being its very close adherence to its Syriac original. Another revision of the present translation, in the light of a fuller study of these features, would doubtless lead to changes both in the text and in the footnotes. The latter aim at preventing misunderstanding and giving some examples of the peculiarities of the text, and of the differences between the mss. To have dealt systematically with the text and various readings would have required much more time and space than was available. The consequence of this incompleteness has been some uncertainty at times what text to translate. As already stated (paragraphs 4 and 6), Ciasca's printed text neither represents any one ms. nor professes to be based in its eclecticism on any systematic critical principles. On the whole Ciasca has here been followed somewhat mechanically in deciding what to exhibit in the text and what to relegate to the footnotes. As a rule conjectural emendations have not been admitted into the text except where the ms. readings would hardly bear translation. Italics in the text denote words supplied for the sake of English idiom; in the footnotes, quotations from the mss. It is to be noted that many linguistic usages said, for shortness, in the footnotes to be characteristic of the present work, i.e., as compared with ordinary Arabic, are common in Arabic versions. "Syriac versions" means the three (Pesh., Cur., Sin.), or as many of them as contain the passage in question; if the Peshitta alone is quoted, it may be assumed that Cur. and Sin. are missing or diverge.
In conclusion we may say that an effort has been made to preserve even the order of words; but it must be emphasized that it is very doubtful whether it is wise for any one to use the Arabic Diatessaron for critical purposes who is not acquainted with Arabic and Syriac. The tenses, e.g., are much vaguer in Arabic than in Greek and English, and are, moreover, in this work often accommodated to Syriac idiom. The Greek and the Revised Version have been used to determine in almost every case how the vague Arabic tenses and conjunctions should be rendered. It is therefore only where it differs from these that our translation can be quoted without investigation as giving positive evidence.
This is not a final translation. Few books have had a more remarkable literary history than the Diatessaron, and that history is by no means done. Much careful argument will yet be devoted to it, and perhaps discoveries as important as any hitherto made are yet to shed light on the problems that encircle it. If our work can help any one to take a step in advance, we shall not regret the toil.
Oxford, 21st December, 1895.
In the name of the one God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to him be the glory forever. We shall begin, with the help of God most high, the writing of the pure gospel, the blooming garden, called Diatessaron (a word meaning "fourfold"), the work compiled by Titianus the Greek out of the four evangelists--Matthew the elect, whose symbol is M, Mark the chosen, whose symbol is R, Luke the approved, whose symbol is K, and John the beloved, whose symbol is H. The work was translated from Syriac into Arabic by the excellent and learned priest Abu'l Faraj `Abdulla ibn-at-Tayyib, [70] may God grant him his favour. He began with the first of [71] And he said: The Beginning [72] of the Gospel of Jesus the Son of the living God. John: [73]In the beginning, etc.
2. In the Vatican ms.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, giver of life, the God that is one in substance in his essence, and three in persons in his attributes. The first of his Gospel is He began the first of his Gospel with Mark. And he said: The Beginning [74] of the Gospel of Jesus the Son of the living God. John: In the beginning, etc.
[6] [80] [81] There was in the days of Herod the king a priest whose name was Zacharias, of the family of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [7] was Elizabeth. [82] And they were both righteous before God, walking in all his commands, [8] and in the uprightness of God without reproach. [83] And they had no son, for [9] Elizabeth was barren, and they had both advanced in age. [84] And while he discharged [10] [Arabic, p. 2] the duties of priest in the order of his service before God, [85] according to the custom of the priesthood it was his turn to burn incense; so he entered the [11] temple of the Lord. [86] And the whole gathering of the people were praying without at the [12] time of the incense. [87] And there appeared unto Zacharias the angel of the Lord, standing [13] at the right of the altar of incense; [88] and Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, [14] and fear fell upon him. [89] But the angel said unto him, Be not agitated, [90] Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt [15] call his name John; [91] and thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice [16] at his birth. [92] And he shall be great before the Lord, and shall not drink wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit [93] while he is in his mother's [17] womb. [94] And he shall turn back many of the children of Israel to the Lord their [18] God. [95] And he shall go before him in the spirit, and in the power of Elijah the prophet, to turn back the heart of the fathers to the sons, and those that obey not to the knowledge [96] of the righteous; and to prepare for the Lord a perfect people. [19] [97] And Zacharias said unto the angel, How shall I know this, since I am an old man [20] and my wife is advanced in years? [98] And the angel answered and said unto him, I am Gabriel, that standeth before God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and give [21] thee tidings of this. [99] Henceforth thou shalt be speechless, and shalt not be able to speak until the day in which this shall come to pass, because thou didst not trust [22] this my word, which shall be accomplished in its time. [100] And the people were standing [Arabic, p. 3] awaiting Zacharias, and they were perplexed at his delaying in the temple. [23] [101] And when Zacharias went out, he was not able to speak unto them: so they knew that he had seen in the temple a vision; and he made signs unto them, and [24] continued dumb. [102] And when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his dwelling.
[25] [103] And after those days Elizabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five [26] months, and said, [104] This hath the Lord done unto me in the days when he looked upon me, to remove my reproach from among men.
[27] [105] And [106] in the sixth month Gabriel the angel was sent from God to Galilee [107] to a [28] city called Nazareth, [108] to a virgin given in marriage to a man named Joseph, of the [29] house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. [109] And the angel entered unto her and said unto her, Peace be unto thee, thou who art filled with grace. Our Lord [30] is with thee, thou blessed amongst women. [110] And she, when she beheld, was agitated [31] at his word, and pondered what this salutation could be. [111] And the angel said unto [32] her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. [112] Thou shalt now conceive, [33] and bear a son, and call his name Jesus. [113] This shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of [34] David his father: and he shall rule over the house of Jacob for ever; [114] and to his [35] kingdom there shall be no end. [115] Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be to [36] me when no man hath known me? [116] The angel answered and said unto her, The [Arabic, p. 4] Holy Spirit will come, and the power of the Most High shall rest upon thee, and therefore shall he that is born of thee be pure, and shall be called the Son [37] of God. [117] And lo, Elizabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old [38] age; and this is the sixth month with her, her that is called barren. [118] For nothing is [39] difficult for God. [119] Mary said, Lo, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according unto thy word. And the angel departed from her.
[40] [120] And then Mary arose in those days and went in haste into the hill country, [121] to a [122] [41] city of Judah; [123] and entered into the house of Zacharias, and asked for the health of [42] Elizabeth. [124] And when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in [43] her womb. [125] And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; and cried with a loud voice and said unto Mary, Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the [44] fruit that is in thy womb. [126] Whence have I this privilege, that the mother of my [45] Lord should come unto me? [127] When the sound of thy salutation reached my ears, [46] with great joy rejoiced the babe in my womb. [128] And blessed is she who believed [47] that what was spoken to her from the Lord would be fulfilled. [129] And Mary said,
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
[48] [130] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour,
[49] [131] Who hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaiden:
Lo, henceforth, all generations [132] shall pronounce blessing on me.
[50] [133] For [134] he hath done great things for me, who is mighty,
And holy is his name.
[51] [135] And his mercy embraceth them who fear him,
Throughout the ages and the times.
[52] [Arabic, p. 5] [136] He wrought the victory with his arm,
And scattered them that prided themselves in their opinions.
[53] [137] He overthrew them that acted haughtily from their thrones,
And raised the lowly.
[54] [138] He satisfied with good things the hungry,
And left the rich without anything.
[55] [139] He helped Israel his servant,
And remembered his mercy
[56] [140] (According as he spake with our fathers)
Unto Abraham and unto his seed for ever.
[57] [141] And Mary abode with Elizabeth about three months, and returned unto her house.
[58, 59] [142] And Elizabeth's time of delivery was come; and she brought forth a son. [143] And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that God had multiplied his mercy towards her; [60] and they rejoiced with her. [144] And when [145] it was the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and called him Zacharias, calling him by the name of his father. [61] [146] And his mother answered and said unto them, Not so; but he shall be called John. [62] [147] And they said unto her, There is no man of thy kindred that is called by this name. [63, 64] [148] And they made signs to his father, saying, How dost thou wish to name him? [149] And he asked for a tablet, and wrote and said, His name is John. And every one wondered. [65] [150] And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue, and he spake and [66] praised God. [151] And fear fell on all their neighbours: and this was spoken of [152] in all [67] the mountains of Judah. [153] And all who heard pondered in their hearts and said, What shall this child be? And the hand of the Lord was with him.
[68] [154] And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied and said,
[69] [155] Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,
Who hath cared for his people, and wrought for it salvation;
[70] [156] And hath raised for us the horn of salvation
[Arabic, p. 6] In the house of David his servant
[71] [157] (As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets from eternity),
[72] [158] That he might save us from our enemies,
And from the hand of all them that hate us.
[73] [159] And he hath performed his mercy towards our fathers,
And remembered his holy covenants,
[74] [160] And the oath which he sware unto Abraham our father,
[75] [161] That he would give us deliverance from the hand of our enemies,
And without fear we shall [162] serve before him
[76] [163] All our days with equity and righteousness.
[77] [164] And as for thee, O child, prophet of the Most High shalt thou be called.
Thou shalt go forth before the face of the Lord to prepare his way,
[78] [165] To give the knowledge of salvation [166] unto his people,
For the forgiveness of their sins,
[79] [167] Through the mercy of [168] the compassion of our God,
With which he careth for [169] us, to appear [170] from on high
[80] [171] To give light to them that sit in darkness and under the shadow of death,
And to set straight our feet in the way of peace.
[81] [172] And the child grew and became strong in the spirit, and abode in the desert until the time of his appearing unto the children of Israel.
[6] [181] Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
And they shall call his name Immanuel,
[7] which is, being interpreted, With us is our God. [182] And when Joseph arose from his [8] sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife; [183] and knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn son.
[9] [184] And in those days there went forth a decree from Augustus Cæsar that all the [10] people of his dominion [185] should be enrolled. [186] This first enrolment was [187] while Quirinius [11, 12] was governor of Syria. [188] And every man went to be enrolled in his city. [189] And Joseph went up also from Nazareth, a city of Galilee, to Judæa, to the city of David [13] which is called Bethlehem (for he was of the house of David and of his tribe), [190] with [14] [Arabic, p. 8] Mary his betrothed, she being with child, to be enrolled there. [191] And while [15] she was there the days for her being delivered were accomplished. [192] And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them where they were staying.
[16] [193] And there were in that region shepherds abiding, keeping their flock in the watch [17] of the night. [194] And behold, the angel of God came unto them, and the glory of the [18] Lord shone upon them; and they were greatly terrified. [195] And the angel said unto them, Be not terrified; for I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to the [19] whole world; [196] there is born to you this day a Saviour, which is the Lord the Messiah, [20] in the city of David. [197] And this is a sign for you: ye shall find a babe wrapped [21] in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. [198] And there appeared with the angels suddenly many heavenly forces praising [199] God and saying,
[22] [200] Praise be to God in the highest,
And on the earth peace, and good hope to men.
[23] [201] And when the angels departed from them to heaven, the shepherds spake to one another and said, We will go to Bethlehem and see this word which hath been, as [24] the Lord made known unto us. [202] And they came with haste, and found Mary and [25] Joseph, and the babe laid in a manger. [203] And when they saw, they reported the word [26] which was spoken to them about the child. [204] And all that heard wondered at the [27] description which the shepherds described [205] to them. [206] But Mary kept these [207] sayings [28] and discriminated [208] them in her heart. [209] And those shepherds returned, magnifying and praising God for all that they had seen and heard, according as it was described unto them.
[29] [Arabic, p. 9] [210] And when eight days were fulfilled that the child should be circumcised, his name was called Jesus, being that by which he was called by the angel before his conception in the womb.
[30] [211] And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were [31] completed, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him before the Lord [212] (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male opening the womb shall be called the [32] holy thing of the Lord), [213] and to give a sacrificial victim as it is said in the law of [33] the Lord, A pair of doves or two young pigeons. [214] And there was in Jerusalem a man whose name was Simeon; and this man was upright and pious, and expecting [34] the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. [215] And it had been said unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death till he had seen with [35] his eyes the Messiah [216] of the Lord. [217] And this man came by the Spirit to the temple; and at the time when his parents brought in the child Jesus, that they might [36] present for him a sacrifice, as it is written in the law, [218] he bare him in his arms and praised God and said,
[37] [219] Now loosest thou the bonds of thy servant, O Lord, in peace, [220]
According to thy saying;
[38] [221] For mine eye hath witnessed thy mercy,
[39] [222] Which thou hast made ready because of the whole world;
[40] [223] A light for the unveiling [224] of the nations,
And a glory to thy people Israel.
[41] [225] And Joseph and his mother were marvelling at the things which were being said [42] concerning him. [226] And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, he is set for the overthrow and rising of many in Israel; and for a sign of contention; [43] [227] and a spear [228] shall pierce [229] through thine own soul; that the thoughts of the [44] [Arabic, p. 10] hearts of many may be revealed. [230] And Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, was also advanced in years (and she dwelt [45] with her husband seven years from her virginity, [231] and she remained a widow about eighty-four years); and she left not the temple, and served night and day with [46] fasting and prayer. [232] And she also rose in that hour and thanked the Lord, and she [47] spake of him with every one who was expecting the deliverance of Jerusalem. [233] And when they had accomplished everything according to what is in the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to Nazareth their city.
[6] [241] Thou also, Bethlehem of Judah,
Art not contemptible among the kings of Judah:
From thee shall go forth a king,
And he shall be a shepherd to my people Israel.
[7] [242] Then Herod called the Magi secretly, and inquired of them the time at which [8] the star appeared to them. [243] And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said unto them, Go and search about the child diligently; and when ye have found him, come and [9] make known to me, that I also may go and worship him. [244] And they, when they [Arabic, p. 11] heard the king, departed; and lo, the star which they had seen in the east went before them, until it came and stood above the place where the child [10, 11] was. [245] And when they beheld the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. [246] And they entered the house and beheld the child with Mary his mother, and fell down worshipping him, and opened their saddle-bags and offered to him offerings, gold and [12] myrrh and frankincense. [247] And they saw in a dream [248] that they should not return to Herod, and they travelled by another way in going to their country.
[13] [249] And when they had departed, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, and said unto him, Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I speak to thee; for Herod is determined to seek the child [14] to slay him. [250] And Joseph arose and took the child and his mother in the night, and [15] fled into Egypt, [251] and remained in it until the time of the death of Herod: that that might be fulfilled which was said by the Lord in the prophet, which said, From [16] Egypt did I call my son. [252] And Herod then, when he saw that he was mocked of the Magi, was very angry, and sent and killed all the male children which were in Bethlehem and all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time [17] which he had inquired from the Magi. [253] Then was fulfilled the saying in Jeremiah the prophet, which said,
[18] [254] A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and much lamentation;
Rachel weeping [255] for her children,
And not willing to be consoled for their loss.
[19] [256] But when Herod the king died, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to [20] Joseph in Egypt, [257] and said unto him, Rise and take the child and his mother, and [Arabic, p. 12] go into the land of Israel; for they have died who sought the child's life. [21] [258] And Joseph rose and took the child and his mother, and came to the land [22] of Israel. [259] But when he heard that Archelaus had become king over Judæa instead of Herod his father, he feared to go thither; and he saw in a dream that he should [23] go into the land of Galilee, [260] and that he should abide in a city called Nazareth: that the saying in the prophet might be fulfilled, that he should be called a Nazarene.
[24] [261] And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, becoming filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.
[25] [262] And his kinsfolk [263] used to go every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover. [26] [264] And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to their custom, [27] to the feast. [265] And when the days were accomplished, they returned; and the child [28] Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother knew not: [266] and they supposed that he was with the children of their company. And when they had gone one day's journey, they sought him beside their people and those who knew them, [29] and they found him not; [267] so they returned to Jerusalem and sought him again. [30] [268] And after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, [31] hearing them and asking them questions; [269] and all who heard him wondered at [32] his wisdom and his words. [270] And when they saw him they wondered, and his mother said unto him, My son, why hast thou dealt with us thus? behold, I and thy father [33] have been seeking for thee with much anxiety. [271] And he said unto them, Why were [34] ye seeking me? know [272] ye not that I must be in the house of my Father? [273] And they [35] understood not the word which he spake unto them. [274] And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and he was obedient to them: and his mother used to keep all these sayings in her heart.
[36] [Arabic, p. 13] [275] And Jesus grew in his stature and wisdom, and in grace with God and men.
[37] [276] And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, when Pontius Pilate was governor in Judæa, and one of the four rulers, Herod, in Galilee; and Philip his brother, one of the four rulers, in Ituræa and in the district of Trachonitis; and [38] Lysanias, one of the four rulers, in Abilene; [277] in the chief-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the command [278] of God went forth to John the son of Zacharias in the [39] desert. [279] And he came into all the region which is about Jordan, proclaiming the [40] baptism of repentance unto [280] the forgiveness of sins. [281] And he was preaching in the [41] wilderness of Judæa, and saying, [282] Repent ye; the kingdom of heaven is come near. [42] [283] This is he that was spoken of in Isaiah the prophet,
The voice which crieth in the desert,
[43] [284] Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
And make straight in the plain, paths for our God.
[44] [285] All the valleys shall become filled,
And all the mountains and hills shall become low;
And the rough shall become plain, And the difficult place, easy;
[45] [286] And all flesh shall see the salvation [287] of God.
[46] [288] This man came to bear witness, that he might bear witness to the light, that [47] every man might believe through his mediation. [289] He was not the light, but that he [48] might bear witness to the light, [290] which was the light of truth, that giveth light to [49] every man coming into the world. [291] He was in the world, and the world was made [50] by him, and the world knew [51] him not. [292] He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [293] And those who received him, to them gave he the power [294] that they might [52] be sons of God,--those which believe in his name: [295] which were born, not of blood, [53] nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. [296] And the Word became flesh, and took up his abode among us; and we saw his glory as the glory [54] of the only Son from the Father, which is full of grace and equity. [297][298] John bare witness [Arabic, p. 14] of him, and cried, and said, This is he that I said cometh after me and [55] was before me, because he was before me. [299][300] And of his fullness received [56] we all grace for grace. [301] For the law was given through the mediation of Moses, but truth and grace were [302] through Jesus Christ.
[2] [305] And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent to him from Jerusalem priests [3] and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? [306] And he acknowledged, and denied not; [4] and he confessed that he was not the Messiah. [307] And they asked him again, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he said, I am not he. Art thou a prophet? He [5] said, No. [308] They said unto him, Then who art thou? that we may answer them that [6] sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? [309] And he said, I am the voice that crieth in [7] the desert, Repair ye the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. [310] And they [8] that were sent were from [311] the Pharisees. [312] And they asked him and said unto him, Why baptizest thou now, when thou art not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a prophet? [9] [313] John answered and said unto them, I baptize with [314] water: among you is standing [10] one whom ye know not: [315] this is he who I said cometh after me and was before [11] me, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. [316] And that was in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
[12] [317] Now John's raiment was camel's hair, and he was girded with skins, and his food [13] [Arabic, p. 15] was of locusts and honey of the wilderness. [318] [319] Then went out unto him the people of Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region which is about the [14, 15] Jordan; [320] and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. [321] But when he saw many of the Pharisees [322] and Sadducees [323] coming to be baptized, he said unto them, Ye children of vipers, who hath led you to flee from the wrath to come? [16, 17] [324] Do now the fruits which are worthy of repentance; [325] and think and say not within yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, that God is able to [18] raise up of these stones children unto Abraham. [326] Behold, the axe hath been laid at the roots of the trees, and so every tree that beareth not good fruit shall be taken and [19] cast into the fire. [327] And the multitudes were asking him and saying, What shall we do? [20] [328] He answered and said unto them, He that hath two tunics shall [329] give to him that [21] hath not; and he that hath food shall [330] do likewise. [331] And the publicans also came [22] to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what shall we do? [332] He said unto [23] them, Seek not more than what ye are commanded to seek. [333] And the servants [334] of the guard asked him and said, And we also, what shall we do? He said unto them, Do not violence to any man, nor wrong him; and let your allowances satisfy you.
[24] [335] And when the people were conjecturing about John, and all of them thinking [25] in their hearts whether he were haply [336] the Messiah, [337] John answered and said unto them, I baptize you with water; there cometh one after me who is stronger than I, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; he will baptize you with the [26] Holy Spirit and fire: [338] who taketh the fan in his hand to cleanse his threshing-floors, [Arabic, p. 16] and the wheat he gathereth into his garners, while the straw he shall burn in fire which can [339] not be put out.
[27] [340] And other things he taught and preached among the people.
[28] [341] Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized of him. [29] [342] And Jesus was about thirty years old, and it was supposed that he was the son of [30] Joseph. [343][344] And John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, This is the Lamb of [31] God, that taketh on itself the burden of the sins of the world! [345] This is he concerning whom I said, There cometh after me a man who was before me, because he was [32] before me. [346][347] And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, [33] for this cause came I to baptize with water. [348] And John was hindering him and [34] saying, I have need of being baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? [349] Jesus answered him and said, Suffer this now: thus it is our duty to fulfill all righteousness. [35] Then he suffered him. [350] And when all the people were baptized, Jesus also [36] was baptized. [351] And immediately he went up out of the water, and heaven opened [37] [Arabic, p. 17] to him, [352] [353] and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the similitude of the [38] body of a dove; [354] and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved [39] Son, in whom I am well pleased. [355] And John bare witness and said, I beheld the [40] Spirit descend from heaven like a dove; and it abode upon him. [356] But I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt behold the Spirit descending and lighting upon him, the same is he that [41] baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. [357] And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.
[42, 43] [358] And Jesus returned from the Jordan, filled with the Holy Spirit. [359] And immediately the Spirit took him out into the wilderness, to be tried of the devil; [360] [361] and he [44] was with the beasts. [362] And he fasted forty days and forty nights. [363] And he ate nothing [45] in those days, and at the end of them he hungered. [364] And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, speak, and these stones shall become [46] bread. [365] He answered and said, It is written, Not by bread alone shall man live, but [47] by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. [366] Then the devil [367] brought [48] him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, [368] and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:
And they shall take thee on their arms,
So that thy foot shall not stumble against a stone.
[49] [369] Jesus said unto him, And [370] it is written also, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy [50] God. [371] And the devil [372] took him up to a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms [51] [Arabic, p. 18] of the earth, and their glory, in the least time; [373] and the devil [374] said unto him, To thee will I give all this dominion, and its glory, which is delivered to [52] me that I may give it to whomsoever I will. [375] If then thou wilt worship before me, all of it shall be thine.
[4, 5] [380] And next day John was standing, and two of his disciples; [381] and he saw Jesus as [6] he was walking, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God! [382] And his two disciples heard [7] him saying this, [383] and they followed Jesus. [384] And Jesus turned and saw them coming after him, and said unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Our master, [8] where art thou staying? [385] And he said unto them, Come and see. And they came and saw his place, and abode with him that day: and it was about the tenth hour. [9] [386] One of the two which heard from [387] John, and followed Jesus, was Andrew the [10] brother of Simon. [388] And he saw first Simon his brother, and said unto him, We have [11] found the Messiah. [389] And he brought him unto Jesus. And Jesus looked upon him and said, Thou art Simon, son of Jonah: thou shalt be called Cephas. [390]
[12] [391] And on the next day Jesus desired to go forth to Galilee, and he found Philip, [13] [Arabic, p. 19] and said unto him, Follow me. [392] Now Philip was of Bethsaida, of the city [14] of Andrew and Simon. [393] And Philip found Nathanael, and said unto him, He of whom Moses did write in the law and in the prophets, we have found that [15] he is Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth. [394] Nathanael said unto him, Is it possible that there can be any good thing from Nazareth? Philip said unto him, Come and [16] see. [395] And Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, This is indeed a [396] [17] son of Israel in whom is no guile. [397] And Nathanael said unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus said unto him, Before Philip called thee, while thou wast under the [18] fig tree, I saw thee. [398] Nathanael answered and said unto him, My Master, thou art [19] the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. [399] Jesus said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, hast thou believed? thou shalt see what is [20] greater than this. [400] And he said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
[21] [401] And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.
[22] [402] And on the third day there was a feast in Cana, [403] a [404] city of Galilee; and the [23] mother of Jesus was there: [405] and Jesus also and his disciples were invited to the [24] feast. [406] And they lacked wine: and his mother said unto Jesus, They have no wine. [25] [407] And Jesus said unto her, What have I to do with thee, woman? hath not mine [26] hour come? [408][409] And his mother said unto the servants, What he saith unto you, do. [27] [410] And there were there six vessels of stone, placed for the Jews' purification, such as [28] [Arabic, p. 20] would contain two or three jars. [411] And Jesus said unto them, Fill the vessels [29] with water. And they filled them to the top. [412] He said unto them, Draw [30] out now, and present to the ruler of the feast. And they did so. [413] And when the ruler of the company tasted that water which had become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants knew, because they filled up the water), the ruler of the company called [31] the bridegroom, [414] and said unto him, Every man presenteth first the good wine, and on intoxication he bringeth what is poor; but thou hast kept the good wine until [32] now. [415] And this is the first sign [416] which Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested [33] his glory; and his disciples believed on him. [417] And his fame spread in all the country [34] which was around them. [418] And he taught in their synagogues, and was glorified [35] by [419] every man. [420] And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and entered, according to his custom, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood [36] up to read. [421] And he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. And Jesus opened the book and found the place where it was written,
[37] [422] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
And for this anointed he me, to preach good tidings to the poor;
And he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
And to proclaim forgiveness to the evil-doers, [423] and sight to the blind,
And to bring the broken into forgiveness, [424]
[38] [425] And to proclaim an acceptable year of the Lord.
[39] [426] And he rolled up the book and gave it to the servant, and went and sat down: [40] and the eyes of all that were in the synagogue were observing him. [427] And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled which ye have heard with [41] your ears. [428] And they all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which were proceeding from his mouth.
[42] [Arabic, p. 21] [429] And from that time began Jesus to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom [43] of God, and to say, Repent ye, and believe in the gospel. [430] The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of heaven hath come near.
[44] [431] And while he was walking on the shore of the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who was called Cephas, and Andrew his brother, casting their nets into [45] the sea; for they were fishers. [432] And Jesus said unto them, Follow me, and I will [46] make you fishers of men. [433] And they immediately left their nets there and followed [47] him. [434] And when he went on from thence, he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending [48] their nets; and Jesus called them. [435] And they immediately forsook the ship and their father Zebedee, and followed him.
[49] [436] And when the multitude gathered unto him to hear the word of God, while he [50] was standing on the shore of the sea of Gennesaret, [437] he saw two boats standing beside the sea, while [438] the two fishers which were gone out of them were washing their [51] nets. [439] And one of them belonged to Simon Cephas. And Jesus went up and sat down in it, and commanded that they should move away a little from the land into [52] the water. And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. [440] And when he had left off his speaking, he said unto Simon, Put out into the deep, and cast your [53] net for a draught. [441] And Simon answered and said unto him, My Master, we toiled [54] all night and caught nothing; now [442] at thy word I will cast the net. [443] And when they did this, there were enclosed [444] a great many fishes; and their net was on the [55] point of breaking. [445] And they beckoned to their comrades that were in the other boat, to come and help them. And when they came, they filled both boats, so that they were on the point of sinking.
[5] [451] And after that came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and he went [6] about there with them, and baptized. [452] And John also was baptizing in Ænon, which is beside Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. [7, 8] [453] And John was not yet come into prison. [454] And there was an inquiry between [9] one of John's disciples and one of the Jews about purifying. [455] And they [456] came unto John, and said unto him, Our master, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom [10] thou hast borne witness, behold, he also baptizeth, and many come to him. [457] John answered and said unto them, [458] A man can receive nothing of himself, except it be [11] given him [459] from heaven. [460] Ye are they that bear witness unto me that I said, I am [12] not the Messiah, but I am one sent [461] before him. [462] And he that hath a bride is a bridegroom: and the friend of the bridegroom is he that standeth and listeneth to him, and rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Lo now, [463] behold, [13, 14] [Arabic, p. 23] my joy becometh complete. [464][465] And he must increase and I decrease. [466] For [467] he that is come from above is higher than everything; and he that is of the earth, of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaketh; and he that came down from heaven is [15] higher than all. [468] And he beareth witness of what he hath seen and heard: and no man [16] receiveth his witness. [469] And he that hath received his witness hath asserted [470] that he is [17] truly God. [471][472] And he whom God hath sent speaketh the words [473] of God: God gave [18] not the Spirit by measure. [474] The Father loveth the Son, and hath put everything in [19] his hands. [475] Whosoever believeth in the Son hath eternal [476] life; but whosoever obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God cometh [477] upon him.
[20] [478] And Jesus learned [479] that the Pharisees had heard that he had received many disciples, [21] and that he was baptizing more than John [480] (not that Jesus was himself baptizing, [22] but his disciples); [481] and so he left Judæa.
[23] [482] And Herod the governor, because he used to be rebuked by John because of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, and for all the sins which he was committing, [24] added to all that also this, [483] that he shut up John in prison.
[25] [484] And when Jesus heard that John was delivered up, he went away to Galilee. [26] [485] And he entered again into Cana, where he had made the water wine. And there [27] was at Capernaum a king's servant, whose son was sick. [486] And this man heard that Jesus was come from Judæa to Galilee; and he went to him, and besought of him that he would come down and heal his son; for he had come near unto death. [28, 29] [487] Jesus said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye do [488] not believe. [489] The [Arabic, p. 24] king's servant said unto him, My Lord, come down, that the child die not. [30] [490] Jesus said unto him, Go; for thy son is alive. And that man believed the [31] word which Jesus spake, and went. [491] And when he went down, his servants met him [32] and told him, and [492] said unto him, Thy son is alive. [493] And he asked them at what time he recovered. They said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left [33] him. [494] And his father knew that that was at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, [34] Thy son is alive. [495] And he believed, he and the whole people of his house. And this [35] is the second sign [496] which Jesus did when he returned from Judæa to Galilee. [497] And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
[36] [498] And he left Nazareth, and came and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea shore, in the [37] borders of Zebulun and Naphtali: [499] that it might be fulfilled which was said in Isaiah the prophet, who said,
[38] [500] The land of Zebulun, the land of Naphtali,
The way of the sea, the passage of the Jordan,
Galilee of the nations:
[39] [501] The people sitting in darkness
Saw a great light,
And those sitting in the region and in the shadow of death,
There appeared to them a light.
[40] [502] And he taught them on the sabbaths. [503] And they wondered because of his doctrine: [504][41] for his word was as if it were authoritative. [505] And there was in the synagogue [42] a man with an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, and said, [506] Let me alone; what have I to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come for our [43] destruction? I know thee who thou art, thou Holy One of God. [507] And Jesus rebuked him, and said, Stop up thy mouth, and come out of him. And the demon threw him [44] in the midst and came out of him, having done him no harm. [508] And great amazement [Arabic, p. 25] took hold upon every man. And they talked one with another, and said, What is this word that orders the unclean spirits with power and [45] authority, and they come out? [509] And the news of him spread abroad in all the region which was around them.
[46] [510] And when Jesus went out of the synagogue, [511] he saw a man sitting among the publicans, [512] named Matthew: and he said unto him, Come after me. And he rose, and followed him.
[47, 48] [513] And Jesus came to the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. [514] And Simon's wife's mother was oppressed with a great fever, and they besought him for [49] her. [515] And he stood over her and rebuked her fever, and it left her, and immediately [50] she rose and ministered to them. [516] And at even they brought to him many that had [51] demons: and he cast out their devils with the [517] word. [518] And all that had sick, their diseases being divers and malignant, brought them unt7o him. And he laid his hand [52] on them one by one [519] and healed them: [520] that that might be fulfilled which was said [53] in the prophet Isaiah, who said, He taketh our pains and beareth our diseases. [521] And [54] all the city was gathered together unto the door of Jesus. [522] And he cast out devils also from many, as they were crying out and saying, Thou art the Messiah, the Son of God; and he rebuked them. And he suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew him that he was the Lord the Messiah.
[11, 12] [538] And after some days Jesus entered into Capernaum again. [539] And when they heard that he was in the house, [540] many gathered, so that it could not hold them, even about [13] [Arabic, p. 27] the door; and he made known to them the word of God. [541] And there were there some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, sitting, come from all the villages of Galilee, and Judæa, and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was [14] present to heal them. [542] And some men brought a bed with a man on it who was paralytic. [15] And they sought to bring him in and lay him before him. [543] And when they found no way to bring him in because of the multitude of people, they went up to the roof, and let him down with his bed from the roofing, [544] into the midst before Jesus. [16] [545] And when Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the paralytic, My son, thy sins are forgiven [17] thee. [546] And the scribes and Pharisees began to think within their hearts, Why doth this man blaspheme? [547]Who is it that is able to forgive sins, but God alone? [18] [548] And Jesus knew by the spirit that they were thinking this within themselves, and he [19] said unto them, Why do ye think this within your heart? [549] Which is better, [550] that it should be said to the paralytic, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or that it should be said [20] to him, Arise, and take thy bed, and walk? [551] That ye may know that the Son of man [21] is empowered on earth to forgive sins (and he said to the paralytic), [552] I say unto thee, [22] Arise, take thy bed, and go to thine house. [553] And he rose forthwith, and took his bed, and went out in the presence of all. [554] And he went to his house praising God. [23] [555] And when those multitudes saw, they feared; [556] and amazement took possession of [24] them, [557] and they praised God, who had given such power to men. [558] And they said, We have seen marvellous things to-day, [559] of which we have never before seen the like.
[25] [Arabic, p. 28] [560] And after that, Jesus went out, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting [26] among the publicans: [561]and he said unto him, Follow me. [562] And he left [27] everything, and rose, and followed him. [563] And Levi made him a great feast in his house. And there was a great multitude of the publicans and others sitting with him. [28] [564] And the scribes and Pharisees murmured, and said unto his disciples, Why do ye eat [29] and drink with the publicans and sinners? [565] Jesus answered and said unto them, The physician seeketh not those who are well, but those that are afflicted with grievous [30, 31] sickness. [566][567] I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners, to repentance. [568] And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast always, and pray, and the [32] Pharisees also, but thy disciples eat and drink? [569] He said unto them, Ye cannot make [33] the sons of the marriage feast [570] fast, while the bridegroom is with them. [571] Days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them; then will they fast in those [34] days. [572] And he spake unto them a parable: [573] No man inserteth a new patch and seweth it in a worn garment, lest the newness of the new take from the worn, and [35] there occur a great rent. [574] And no man putteth fresh wine into old skins, lest the wine burst the skins, and the skins be destroyed, and the wine spilled; but they put [36] the fresh wine in the new skins, and both are preserved. [575] And no man drinketh old wine and straightway desireth fresh; for he saith, The old is better.
[37] [576] And while Jesus was walking on the sabbath day among the sown fields, his disciples [Arabic, p. 29] hungered. And they were rubbing the ears with their hands, and [38] eating. [577] But some of the Pharisees, when they saw them, [578] said unto him, See, [39] why [579] do thy disciples on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? [580] But Jesus said unto them, Have ye not read in olden time what David did, when he had need and [40] hungered, he and those that were with him? [581] how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the table of the Lord, which it was not lawful that any should eat, save the priests, and gave to them that were with him also? [41] [582] And he said unto them, The sabbath was created because of man, and man was not [42] created because of the sabbath. [583] Or have ye not read in the law, that the priests in [43] the temple profane the sabbath, and yet they are blameless? [584] I say unto you now, [44] that here is what [585] is greater than the temple. [586] If ye had known this: [587]I love mercy, [45] not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned [588] those on whom is no blame. [589] The [46] Lord of the sabbath is the Son of man. [590] And his relatives heard, and went out to take him, and said, He hath gone out of his mind.
[47] [591] And on the next [592] sabbath day he entered [593] into the synagogue and was teaching. [48] [594] And there was there a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees were watching him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day, [49] that they might find the means of accusing him. [595] But he knew their thoughts, and said unto the man whose hand was withered, Rise and come near into the midst of [50] the synagogue. [596] And when he came and stood, Jesus said unto them, I ask you, which is lawful to be done on the sabbath day, good or evil? shall lives be saved or [51] [Arabic, p. 30] destroyed? [597] But they were silent. [598] Regarding [599] them with anger, being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts. And he said unto the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand became straight. [52] [600] Then he said unto them, What man of you shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a [53] well on the sabbath day, will not take it and lift it out? [601] And how much is man better than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful on the sabbath to do good.
[5] [607] Behold, my servant [608] with whom I am pleased;
My beloved in whom my soul hath delighted: [609]
My spirit have I put upon him,
And he shall proclaim to the nations judgement.
[6] [610] He shall not dispute, nor cry out;
And no man shall hear his voice in the marketplace.
[7] [611] And a bruised reed shall he not break,
And a smoking lamp [612] shall he not extinguish,
Until he shall bring forth judgement unto victory.
[8] [613] And the nations shall rejoice in his name. [614]
[9] [615] And in those days Jesus went out to the mountain that he might pray, and he [10] spent the night [616] there in prayer to God. [617] And when the morning was come, he called the disciples. [618] And he went towards the sea: and there followed him much people [11] from Galilee that he might pray, [619] [620] and from Judæa, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumæa, and from beyond Jordan, and from Tyre, and from Sidon, and from Decapolis; [12] and great multitudes came unto him, which had heard what he did. [621] And he spake to his disciples to bring him the boat because of the multitudes, that they [13] might not throng him. [622] And he healed many, so that they were almost falling on [Arabic, p. 31] him [623] on account of their seeking to get near him. And [624] those that had [14] plagues and unclean spirits, [625] as soon as they beheld him, would fall, and [15] cry out, and say, Thou art the Son of God. [626] And he rebuked them much, that they [16] should not make him known. [627] And those that were under the constraint of [628] unclean [17] spirits were healed. [629] And all of the crowd were seeking to come near [630] him; because power went out from him, and he healed them all.
[18, 19] [631] And when Jesus saw the multitudes, he went up to the mountain. [632] And he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve; and they are those whom he named [20] apostles: [633] Simon, whom he named Cephas, and Andrew his brother, and James and [21] John, and Philip and Bartholomew, [634] and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son [22] of Alphæus, and Simon which was called the Zealot, [635] and Judas the son of James, [23] and Judas the Iscariot, being he that had betrayed him. [636][637] And Jesus went down with them and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and the great [24] multitude of people. [638] And these twelve he chose to be with him, and that he might [25] send them to preach, and to have power to heal the sick and to cast out devils.
[26] [639] Then he lifted up his eyes unto them, and opened his mouth, [640] and taught them, and said,
[27] [641] Blessed are the poor in spirit: for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
[28] [642] Blessed are the sorrowful: for they shall be comforted.
[29] [643] Blessed are the humble: for they shall inherit the earth.
[30] [644] Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be satisfied.
[31] [645] Blessed are the merciful: for on them shall be mercy.
[32] [Arabic, p. 32] [646] Blessed are the pure in their hearts: for they shall see God.
[33] [647] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the sons of God.
[34] [648] Blessed are they that were persecuted [649] for righteousness' sake: for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
[35] [650] Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and separate you from them, and persecute you, and reproach you, [651] and shall speak against you with all evil talk, for my [36] sake, falsely. [652] Then rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets before you.
[37] [653] But woe unto you rich! for ye have received your consolation.
[38] [654] Woe unto you that are satisfied! ye shall hunger.
Woe unto you that laugh now! ye shall weep and be sad.
[39] [655] Woe unto you when men praise you! for so did their fathers use to do to the false prophets.
[40] [656] Unto you do I say, ye which hear, [657] Ye are the salt of the earth: if then the salt become tasteless, wherewith shall it be salted? For any purpose it is of no use, but [41] is thrown outside, and men tread upon it. [658] Ye are the light of the world. It is [42] impossible that a city built on a mountain should be hid. [659] Neither do they light a lamp and place it under a bushel, but on the lamp-stand, and it giveth light to all [43] who are in the house. [660] So shall [661] your light shine before men, that they may see [44] your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. [662] There is nothing [45] secret that shall not be revealed, or hidden that shall not be known. [663] Whoever hath ears that hear, let him hear.
[46] [664] Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets; I came not to destroy, [47] but to complete. [665] Verily I say unto you, Until heaven and earth shall pass, there [Arabic, p. 33] shall not pass one point or one letter of the law, until all of it shall be [48] accomplished. [666] Every one who shall violate now one of these small commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called lacking in the kingdom of heaven: every one that shall do and teach shall [667] be called great in the kingdom [49] of heaven. [668] I say unto you now, unless your righteousness abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
[50] [669] Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Do not kill; and every one that [51] killeth is worthy of the judgement. [670] But I say unto you that every one who is angry with his brother without a cause is worthy of the judgement; and every one that saith to his brother, Thou foul one, is condemned [671] by the synagogue; and whosoever [52] saith to him, Thou fool, is worthy of the fire of Gehenna. [672] If thou art now offering thy gift at the altar, and rememberest there that thy brother hath conceived [53] against thee any grudge, [673] leave thy gift at the altar, and go first and satisfy thy [54] brother, and then return and offer thy gift. [674] Join [675] thine adversary quickly, [676] and while thou art still with him in the way, give a ransom and free thyself from him; [55] lest thine adversary deliver thee to the judge, [677] and the judge deliver thee to the tax-collector, [56] and thou fall into prison. [678] And verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt not go out thence until thou payest the last farthing.
[57, 58] [679] Ye have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery: [680] but I now say unto you, that every one that looketh at a woman lusting after her hath forthwith already [59] [Arabic, p. 34] committed adultery with her in his heart. [681] If thy right eye injure thee, put it out and cast it from thee; for it is preferable for thee that one of thy [60] members should perish, and not thy whole body go into the fire of hell. [682] And if thy right hand injure thee, cut it off and cast it from thee; and it is better for thee that [61] one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body fall into Gehenna. [683] It was said that he that putteth away his wife should give her a writing of divorcement: [62] [684] but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, except for the cause of adultery, hath made it lawful for [685] her to commit adultery: and whosoever taketh one that is put away committeth adultery.
[6, 7] [692] Ye have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth: [693] but I say unto you, Stand not in opposition to the evil; [694] but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right [8] cheek, [695] turn to him also the other. [696] And he that would sue thee, and take thy tunic, [9] leave to him also thy wrapper. [697] And whosoever compelleth thee one mile, go with [10] [Arabic, p. 35] him twain. [698] And he that asketh thee, give unto him: [699] and he that would borrow of thee, prevent him not. And prosecute [700] not him that taketh thy [11] substance. [701] And as ye desire that men should do to you, so do ye also to them.
[12, 13] [702] Ye have heard that it was said, Love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy: [703] but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for those that curse you, and deal well with those that hate you, and pray for those who take you with violence and persecute you; [14] [704] that ye may be sons of your heavenly Father, who maketh his sun to rise on the good and the evil, and sendeth down his rain on the righteous and the [15] unrighteous. [705] If ye love them that love you, what reward shall ye have? [706] for the publicans [16] and sinners also love those that love them. [707] And if ye do a kindness to those [17] who treat you well, where is your superiority? for sinners also do likewise. [708] And if ye lend to him of whom ye hope for a reward, [709] where is your superiority? for the [18] sinners also lend to sinners, seeking recompense from [710] them. [711] But love your enemies, and do good to them, and lend, and cut not off the hope of any man; that your reward may be great, and ye may be the children of the Highest: for he is lenient [19] towards the wicked and the ungrateful. [712] Be ye merciful, even as your Father also is [20] merciful. [713] And if ye inquire for the good of your brethren only, what more have [21] ye done than others? is not this the conduct of the publicans also? [714] Be ye now [715] perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
[22] [716] Consider your alms; do them not before men to let them see you: and if it be not [23] so, [717] ye have no reward before your Father which is in the heavens. [718] When then thou givest an alms now, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as do the people of hypocrisy, [Arabic, p. 36] in the synagogues and the marketplaces, that men may praise them. And [24] verily say I unto you, They have received their reward. [719] But thou, when [25] thou doest alms, let thy left hand not know what thy right hand doeth; [720] that thine alms may be concealed: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
[26] [721] And whenever thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites, who love to stand in the synagogues and in the corners of the marketplaces for prayers, that men may behold [27] them. [722] And verily say I unto you, They have received their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and fasten thy door, and pray to thy Father in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. [28] [723] And whenever ye pray, be not babblers, as the heathen; for they think that by the [29] abundance of their words they shall be heard. [724] Then be not ye now like unto them: [30] for your Father knoweth your request before ye ask him. [725] One of his disciples said [31] unto him, Our Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. [726] Jesus said unto [32] them, Thus now pray ye now: [727][728] Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy [33, 34] name. [729] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, [730] as in heaven, so on earth. [731] Give us the [35] food of to-day. [732] And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgave those that trespassed [36] against us. [733] And bring us not into temptations, but deliver us from the evil one. For [37] thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. [734][735] If ye forgive [Arabic, p. 37] men their wrong-doing, [736] your Father which is in heaven will forgive you. [38] [737] But if ye forgive not men, neither will your Father pardon your wrong-doing.
[39] [738] When ye fast, do not frown, as the hypocrites; for they make their faces austere, that they may be seen of [739] men that they are fasting. Verily I say unto you, They [40] have received their reward. [740] But when thou fastest, wash thy face and anoint thy [41] head; [741] that thou make not an appearance to men of fasting, but to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee.
[42] [742] Be not agitated, little flock; for your Father hath delighted to give you the kingdom. [43] [743] Sell your possessions, and give in alms; take to yourselves purses that wax [44] not old. [744] Lay not up treasure on earth, where moth and worm corrupt, and where [45] thieves break through and steal: [745] but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where [46] moth and worm do not corrupt, nor thieves break through nor steal: [746] for where your [47] treasure is, there also will your heart be. [747] The lamp of the body is the eye: if then [748] [48] thine eye now be sound, thy whole body also shall be light. [749] But if thine eye be evil, all thy body shall be dark. And if the light which is in thee is darkness, how [49] great is [750] thy darkness! [751] Be watchful that the light which is in thee be not darkness. [50] [752] Because that, if thy whole body is light, and have no part dark, it shall all be light, as the lamp giveth light to thee with its flame.