Then he consented. And after Jesus was baptized, as soon as he rose out of the water, lo! the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him,

"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the avenues, in order that men may see them. In solemn truth I tell you that they have their reward in full.

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"When you fast, do not look downcast like the hypocrites; for they disfigure their faces so that it may be apparent to men that they are fasting. In solemn truth I tell you, they already have received their reward.

"But I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was robed like one of these.

"Every one who hears my words and does them I will liken to a wise man who built his house upon the rock.

"And every one who hears these words of mine and does them not, I will liken to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

As Jesus listened to this reply he was astonished, and said to those who followed him. "In solemn truth I tell you that I have found faith like this in any Israelite.

And when he saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were distressed and fainting, like sheep without a shepherd.

"Behold, it is I who am sending you forth like sheep among wolves. Be then as serpents and as guileless as doves.

"It is enough for the pupil to fare like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more, the members of his household.

"To what shall I compare this generation? It is like little children sitting in the market-place, who call to the other children,

The man stretched it out, and it had become sound like the other. But when the Pharisees came out, they consulted together how they might destroy him.

He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven," he said, "is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

He set forth to them another parable, saying. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard-seed which a man took and planted in his field.

He told them another parable. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole was leavened."

"And then shall the just shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears to hear, listen!

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in the ground, which a man finds but buries again, and then in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that land.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of beautiful pearls.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.

"Then," said he, "every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his storehouse new things and old."

"In a lonely place like this," asked the disciple. "where can we get bread enough to satisfy such a crowd?"

Here he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.

"In solemn truth I tell you that unless you turn and become like little children, you will not even enter the kingdom of heaven.

"Whoever therefore will humble himself like this little child, is greatest in the kingdom of heaven;

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out at dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard.

"For in the resurrection men do not marry, nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven.

"The second, which is like it, is this, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like white-washed sepulchers. They look beautiful without, but within they are filled with dead men's bones and all rottenness.

"For it is like a man going into another country, who summoned his slaves, and committed his property to their care.

In like manner the chief priests, too, with the Scribes and elders, kept taunting him.

His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.

The guards trembled for fear of him, and became like dead men.