Rejoice, and leap for joy; for great is your reward in heaven: for so did they persecute the prophets who were before you.

wherefore if thy hand or thy foot occasions thee to relapse, lop them off, and cast them away: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.

abundance of people spread their garments upon the ground; others lop'd down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way:

As they were leaving [i.e., probably the city of Jerusalem], they met a man from Cyrene [Note: This was a city in the northern African country of Libya]. His name was Simon and they forced him to go with them so he could carry Jesus' cross [i.e., probably only the cross-beam portion].