'These last,' they said, 'have done only one hour's work, and yet you have put them on the same footing with us, who have borne the brunt of the day's work, and the heat.'

When Jesus was on the point of going up to Jerusalem, he gathered the twelve disciples round him by themselves, and said to them as they were on their way:

"Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law, and they will condemn him to death,

"You do not know what you are asking," was Jesus' answer. "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink?" "Yes," they exclaimed, "we can."

As they were going out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.

"Master," they replied, "we want our eyes to be opened."

So Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight, and followed him.

When they had almost reached Jerusalem, having come as far as Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent on two disciples.

They led the ass and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself upon them.

But, when the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and the boys who were calling out in the Temple Courts "God save the Son of David!", they were indignant,

When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment: "How suddenly the fig tree withered up!"

It is about John's baptism. What was its origin? divine or human?" But they began arguing among themselves: "If we say 'divine,' he will say to us 'Why then did not you believe him?'

So the answer they gave Jesus was--"We do not know." "Then I," he said, "refuse to tell you what authority I have to do these things.

Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.

As a last resource he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.

"Miserable wretches!" they exclaimed, "he will put them to a miserable death, and he will let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will pay him his share of the produce at the proper times."

Yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a Prophet.

He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they were unwilling to come.

They, however, took no notice, but went off, one to his farm, another to his business;

The servants went out into the roads and collected all the people whom they found, whether bad or good; and the bridal-hall was filled with guests.

Then the Pharisees went away and conferred together as to how they might lay a snare for Jesus in the course of conversation.

They sent their disciples, with the Herodians, to say to him: "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man, and that you teach the way of God honestly, and are not afraid of any one; for you pay no regard to a man's position.

Show me the coin with which the tax is paid." And, when they had brought him a florin,

"The Emperor's," they answered: on which he said to them: "Then pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God."

They wondered at his answer, and left him alone and went away.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they collected together.

"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "David's," they said.

Therefore practice and lay to heart everything that they tell preach but do not practice.

While they make up heavy loads and pile them on other men's shoulder's they decline, themselves, to lift a finger to move them.

All their actions are done to attract attention. They widen their phylacteries, and increase the size of their tassels,

Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are filled with the results of greed and self-indulgence.

Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed look fair outside, while inside they are filled with dead men's bones and all kinds of filth.

When that time comes, they will give you up to persecution, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my Name.

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the heavens,' with power and great glory;

And he will send his angels, with a great trumpet, and they will gather his People round him from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

In those days before the flood they went on eating and drinking, marrying and being married, up to the very day on which Noah entered the ark,

As the bridegroom was late in coming, they all became drowsy, and slept.

But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom came; and the bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the banquet, and the door was shut.

Afterwards the other bridesmaids came. 'Sir, Sir,' they said, 'open the door to us!'

Then they, in their turn, will answer 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or ill, or in prison, and did not supply your wants?'

But they said: "Not during the Festival, for fear of causing a riot."

The disciples were indignant at seeing this. "What is this waste for?" they exclaimed.

And, while they were eating, he said: "I tell you that one of you will betray me."

In great grief they began to say to him, one by one: "Can it be I, Master?"

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the blessing, broke it and, as he gave it to his disciples, said: "Take it and eat it; this is my body."

They then sang a hymn, and went out to the Mount of Olives.

But they did not find any, although many came forward with false evidence. Later on, however, two men came forward and said:

What is your decision?" They answered: "He deserves death."

Then they spat in his face, and struck him, while others dealt blows at him, saying as they did so:

They put him in chains and led him away, and gave him up to the Roman Governor, Pilate.

"I did wrong in betraying a good man to his death," he said. "What has that to do with us?" they replied. "You must see to that yourself."

The Chief Priests took the pieces of silver, but they said: "We must not put them into the Temple treasury, because they are blood-money."

So, after consultation, they bought with them the 'Potter's Field' for a burial-ground for foreigners;

Then it was that these words spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled-- 'They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who was valued, whom some of the people of Israel valued,

Then Pilate said to him: "Do not you hear how many accusations they are making against you?"

Now, at the Feast, the Governor was accustomed to grant the people the release of any one prisoner whom they might choose.

At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

For he knew that it was out of jealousy that they had given Jesus up to him.

The Governor, however, said to them: "Which of these two do you wish me to release for you?" "Barabbas," they answered.

"What then," Pilate asked, "shall I do with Jesus who is called 'Christ'?" "Let him be crucified," they all replied.

"Why, what harm has he done?" he asked. But they kept shouting furiously: "Let him be crucified!"

They stripped him, and put on him a red military cloak,

And having twisted some thorns into a crown, put it on his head, and a rod in his right hand, and then, going down on their knees before him, they mocked him. "Long life to you, King of the Jews!" they said.

They spat at him and, taking the rod, kept striking him on the head;

And, when they had left off mocking him, they took off the military cloak, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to be crucified.

As they were on their way out, they came upon a man from Cyrene of the name of Simon; and they compelled him to go with them to carry the cross.

they gave him some wine to drink which had been mixed with gall; but after tasting it, Jesus refused to drink it.

When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among them by casting lots.

Then they sat down, and kept watch over him there.

Above his head they fixed the accusation against him written out--'THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.'

The passers-by railed at him, shaking their heads as they said:

And they, leaving their tombs, went, after the resurrection of Jesus, into the Holy City, and appeared to many people.

So they went made the tomb secure, by sealing the stone, in presence of the guard.

On this they left the tomb quickly, in awe and great joy, and ran to tell the news to the disciples.

"Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee, and they shall see me there."

While they were still on their way, some of the guard came into the city, and reported to the Chief Priests everything that had happened.

So they and the Councillors met and, after holding a consultation, gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

And told them to say that his disciples came in the night, and stole him while they were asleep;

"And should this matter come before the Governor," they added, "we will satisfy him, and see that you have nothing to fear."

So the soldiers took the money, and did as they were instructed. And this story has been current among the Jews from that day to this.

And, when they saw him, they bowed to the ground before him; although some felt doubtful.

The whole of Judea, as well as all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, went out to him; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

As Jesus was going along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the Sea, for they were fishermen.

They left their nets at once, and followed him.

Jesus at once called them, and they left their father Zebediah in the boat with the crew, and went after him.

And they walked into Capernaum. On the next Sabbath Jesus went into the Synagogue and began to teach.

And they were all so amazed that they kept asking: "What is this? Strange teaching indeed! He gives his commands with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!"

As soon as they had come out from the Synagogue, they went, with James and John, into the house of Simon and Andrew.

Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying ill with fever, and they at once told Jesus about her.

Jesus cured many who were ill with various diseases, and drove out many demons, and would not permit them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ.

and, when they found him, they exclaimed: "Every one is looking for you!"

Being, however, unable to get him near to Jesus, owing to the crowd, they removed the roofing below which Jesus was; and, when they had made an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.

Jesus, at once intuitively aware that they wee debating with themselves in this way, said to them: "Why are you debating in your minds about this?

The man got up, and immediately took up his mat, and went out before them all; at which they were amazed, and, as they praised God, they said: "We have never seen anything like this!"

When the Teachers of the Law belonging to the party of the Pharisees saw that he was eating in the company of such people, they said to his disciples: "He is eating in the company of tax- gatherers and outcasts!"

Jesus answered: "Can the bridegroom's friends fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be parted from them, and they will fast then--when that day comes.

One Sabbath, as Jesus was walking through the cornfields, his disciples began to pick the ears of wheat as they went along.

"Look!" the Pharisees said to him, "why are they doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath?"