For the heart of his people is made fat, Their ears are dull of hearing; Their eyes, too, have they closed, Lest some day their eyes should perceive, And their ears should hear, And their heart should understand and turn, And I should heal them.

"Just so it is not the will of my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"But he would not; on the contrary he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt.

"Then in hot anger his master handed him over to the torturers, until he should pay him all his debt.

"If at that time any one should say to you, 'See, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' believe him not.

But if, because he is a bad slave, he should say to himself, 'My Master is a long time in coming,'

Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my property with interest.

"If this should reach the Governor's ears," they said, "we will satisfy him and screen you from punishment."