But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

The people who were dwelling in darkness have seen a brilliant light; and on those who were dwelling in the region of the shadow of death, on them light has dawned."

"*You* are the salt of the earth; but if salt has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown away and trodden on by the passers by.

Solemnly I tell you that until Heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the Law until all has taken place.

If therefore when you are offering your gift upon the altar, you remember that your brother has a grievance against you,

But I tell you that whoever looks at a woman and cherishes lustful thoughts has already in his heart become guilty with regard to her.

For it is always he who asks that receives, he who seeks that finds, and he who knocks that has the door opened to him.

"Foxes have holes," replied Jesus, "and birds have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

They cried aloud, "What hast Thou to do with us, Thou Son of God? Hast Thou come here to torment us before the time?"

But, to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to pardon sins" --He then says to the paralytic, "Rise, and take up your bed and go home."

"Can the bridegroom's party mourn," He replied, "as long as the bridegroom is with them? But other days will come (when the Bridegroom has been taken from them)

And Jesus turned and saw her, and said, "Take courage, daughter; your faith has cured you." And the woman was restored to health from that moment.

"I solemnly tell you that among all of woman born no greater has ever been raised up than John the Baptist; yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of the Heavens is greater than he.

But from the time of John the Baptist till now, the Kingdom of the Heavens has been suffering violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

Listen, every one who has ears!

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

About that time Jesus exclaimed, "I heartily praise Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from sages and men of discernment, and hast unveiled them to babes.

Yes, Father, for such has been Thy gracious will.

"Which of you is there," He replied, "who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

A crushed reed He will not utterly break, nor will He quench the still smouldering wick, until He has led on Justice to victory.

Knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Every kingdom in which civil war has raged suffers desolation; and every city or house in which there is internal strife will be brought low.

And if Satan is expelling Satan, he has begun to make war on himself: how therefore shall his kingdom last?

But if it is by the power of the Spirit of God that I expel the demons, it is evident that the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

"No sooner however has the foul spirit gone out of the man, then he roams about in places where there is no water, seeking rest but finding none.

Some falls on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly shows itself above ground, because it has no depth of earth;

Listen, every one who has ears!"

For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away.

For this people's mind is stupefied, their hearing has become dull, and their eyes they have closed; to prevent their ever seeing with their eyes, or hearing with their ears, or understanding with their minds, and turning back, so that I might heal them.'

When a man hears the Message concerning the Kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who has received the seed by the road-side.

He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy.

It has struck no root, however, within him. He continues for a time, but when suffering comes, or persecution, because of the Message, he at once stumbles and falls.

He who has received the seed among the thorns is the man who hears the Message, but the cares of the present age and the delusions of riches quite stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

But he who has received the seed on good ground is he who hears and understands. Such hearers give a return, and yield one a hundred for one, another sixty, another thirty.")

Another parable He put before them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a man who has sown good seed in his field,

"'Some enemy has done this,' he said. "'Shall we go, and collect it?' the men inquire.

Another parable He spoke to them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like yeast which a woman takes and buries in a bushel of flour, for it to work there till the whole mass has risen."

Then will the righteous shine out like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Listen, every one who has ears!

"The Kingdom of the Heavens is like treasure buried in the open country, which a man finds, but buries again, and, in his joy about it, goes and sells all he has and buys that piece of ground.

He finds one most costly pearl; he goes away; and though it costs all he has, he buys it.

and he said to his courtiers, "This is John the Baptist: he has come back to life--and that is why these miraculous Powers are working in him."

"Every plant," He replied, "which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jonah," said Jesus; "for mere human nature has not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven.

As they were descending the mountain, Jesus laid a command upon them. "Tell no one," He said, "of the sight you have seen till the Son of Man has risen from among the dead."

But I tell you that he has already come, and they did not recognize him, but dealt with him as they chose. And before long the Son of Man will be treated by them in a similar way."

Then came some of the Pharisees to Him to put Him to the proof by the question, "Has a man a right to divorce his wife whenever he chooses?"

Thus they are no longer two, but 'one'! What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

"Moses," He replied, "in consideration of the hardness of your nature permitted you to put away your wives, but it has not been so from the beginning.

"It is not every man," He replied, "who can receive this teaching, but only those on whom the grace has been bestowed.

"I solemnly tell you," replied Jesus, "that in the New Creation, when the Son of Man has taken His seat on His glorious throne, all of you who have followed me shall also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

And whoever has forsaken houses, or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children or lands, for my sake, shall receive many times as much and shall have as his inheritance the Life of the Ages.

"'Because no one has hired us,' they replied. "'You also, go into the vineyard,' he said.

"You shall drink out of my cup," He said, "but a seat at my right hand or at my left it is not for me to allot, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

"Do you hear," they asked Him, "what these children are saying?" "Yes," He replied; "have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and of babes at the breast Thou hast brought forth the praise which is due'?"

When the disciples saw it they exclaimed in astonishment, "How instantaneously the fig-tree has withered away!"

"Have you never read in the Scriptures," said Jesus, "'The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the Cornerstone: this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes'?

"Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?

for it will be a time of great suffering, such as never has been from the beginning of the world till now, and assuredly never will be again.

"Who therefore is the loyal and intelligent servant to whom his master has entrusted the control of his household to give them their rations at the appointed time?

the master of that servant will arrive on a day when he is not expecting him and at an hour of which he has not been informed;

So take away the talent from him, and give it to the man who has the ten.'

(For to every one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has nothing, even what he has shall be taken away.)

"Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.

"Then will He say to those at His left, "'Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.

But Jesus heard it, and said to them, "Why are you vexing her? For she has done a most gracious act towards me.

"The one who has dipped his fingers in the bowl with me," He answered, "is the man who will betray me.

But all this has taken place in order that the writings of the Prophets may be fulfilled." At this point the disciples all left Him and fled.

"Why, what crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they kept on furiously shouting, "Let him be crucified!"

but about three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is to say, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

So give orders for the sepulchre to be securely guarded till the third day, for fear his disciples should come by night and steal the body, and then tell the people that he has come back to life; and so the last imposture will be more serious than the first."

He is not here: He has come back to life, as He foretold. Come and see the place where He lay.

And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going before you into Galilee: there you shall see Him. Remember, I have told you."

Jesus however came near and said to them, "All power in Heaven and over the earth has been given to me.

"The time has fully come," He said, "and the Kingdom of God is close at hand: repent, and believe this Good News.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to pardon sins" --He turned to the paralytic, and said,

The Scribes, too, who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zebul in him; and it is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he expels the demons."

So if Satan has risen in arms and has made war upon himself, stand he cannot, but meets his end.

"Here are my mother and my brothers. For wherever there is one who has been obedient to God, there is my brother--my sister--and my mother."

Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil;

"Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"

"To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;

Why, there is nothing hidden except with a view to its being ultimately disclosed, nor has anything been made a secret but that it may at last come to light.

Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."

crying out in a loud voice, "What hast Thou to do with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? In God's name I implore Thee not to torment me."

But He would not allow it. "Go home to your family," He said, "and report to them all that the Lord has done for you, and the mercy He has shown you."

"Daughter," He said, "your faith has cured you: go in peace, and be free from your complaint."

To this their reply is a scornful laugh. He, however, puts them all out, takes the child's father and mother and those He has brought with Him, and enters the room where the child lies.

On the Sabbath He proceeded to teach in the synagogue; and many, as they heard Him, were astonished. "Where did he acquire all this?" they asked. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what are these marvellous miracles which his hands perform?

But when Herod heard of Him, he said, "The John, whom I beheaded, has come back to life."

"For those words of yours, go home," He replied; "the demon has gone out of your daughter."

Every one, however, who has been ashamed of me and of my teachings in this faithless and sinful age, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."

As they were coming down from the mountain, He very strictly forbad them to tell any one what they had seen "until after the Son of Man has risen from among the dead."

Yet I tell you that not only has Elijah come, but they have also done to him whatever they chose, as the Scriptures say about him."

"Rabbi," answered one of the crowd, "I have brought you my son. He has a dumb spirit in him;

Then Jesus asked the father, "How long has he been like this?" "From early childhood," he said;

"and often it has thrown him into the fire or into pools of water to destroy him. But, if you possibly can, have pity on us and help us."

What, therefore, God has joined together let not man separate."

"In solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has forsaken house or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,

"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has cured you." Instantly he regained his sight, and followed Him along the road.

"Go," He said, "to the village facing you, and immediately on entering it you will find an ass's foal tied up which no one has ever yet ridden: untie him and bring him here.