When the Apostles came back to Jesus, they told him all that they had done and all that they had taught.

When it grew late, his disciples came up to him, and said: "This is a lonely spot, and it is already late.

"How many loaves have you?" he asked; "Go, and see." When they had found out, they told him: "Five, and two fishes."

But, when they saw him walking on the water, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out;

For all of them saw him, and were terrified. But Jesus at once spoke to them. "Courage!" he said, "it is I; do not be afraid!"

So wherever he went--to villages, or towns, or farms--they would lay their sick in the market-places, begging him to let them touch only the tassel of his cloak; and all who touched were made well.

For while Moses said 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' and 'Let him who reviles his father or mother suffer death,'

Why, then you do not allow him to do anything further for his father or mother!

Then Jesus called the people to him again, and said: "Listen to me, all of you, and mark my words.

There is nothing external to a man, which by going into him can 'defile' him; but the things that come out from a man are the things that defile him."

When Jesus went indoors, away from the crowd, his disciples began questioning him about this saying.

"What, do even you understand so little?" exclaimed Jesus. "Do not you see that there is nothing external to a man, which by going into a man, can 'defile' him,

"It is what comes out from a man," he added, "that defiles him,

For a woman, whose little daughter had a foul spirit in her, heard of him immediately, and came and threw herself at his feet--

The woman was a foreigner, a native of Syrian Phoenicia--and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and almost dumb, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

Jesus took him aside from the crowd quietly, put his fingers into the man's ears, and touched his tongue with saliva.

About that time, when there was again a great crowd of people who had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him, and said:

Here the Pharisees came out, and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for some sign from the heavens, to test him.

They came to Bethsaida. There some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and begged him to touch him.

Taking the blind man's hand, Jesus led him to the outskirts of the village, and, when he had put saliva on the man's eyes, he placed his hands on him, and asked him: "Do you see anything?"

Jesus sent him to his home, and said: "Do not go even into the village."

On which Jesus charged them not to say this about him to anyone.

This statement he made openly. But Peter took Jesus aside, and began to rebuke him.

Calling the people and his disciples to him, Jesus said: "If any man wishes to walk in my steps, let him renounce self, take up his cross, and follow me.

Whoever is ashamed of me and of my teaching, in this unfaithful and wicked generation, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his Father's Glory with the holy angels."

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain alone by themselves. There his appearance was transformed before their eyes,

Then a cloud came down and enveloped them; and from the cloud there came a voice--"This is my Son, the Beloved; him you must hear."

But I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have treated him just as they pleased, as Scripture says of him."

But, as soon as they saw Jesus, all the people, in great astonishment, ran up and greeted him.

"Teacher," answered a man in the crowd, "I brought my son to see you, as he has a dumb spirit in him;

And, wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they failed."

They brought him to Jesus; but no sooner did the boy see him than the spirit threw him into convulsions; and he fell on the ground, and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

"From his childhood," he answered; "and it has often thrown him into fire and into water to put an end to his life; but, if you can possibly do anything, take pity on us, and help us!"

But, when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly collecting, he rebuked the foul spirit: "Deaf and dumb spirit, it is I who command you. Come out from him and never enter him again."

With a loud cry the spirit threw the boy into repeated convulsions, and then came out from him. The boy looked like a corpse, so that most of them said that he was dead.

But Jesus took his hand, and lifted him; and he stood up.

When Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately: "Why could not we drive it out?"

for he was instructing his disciples, and telling them-- "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of his fellow men, and they will put him to death, but, when he has been put to death, he will rise again after three days."

But the disciples did not understand his meaning and were afraid to question him.

"Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even a little child like this is welcoming me, and any one who welcomes me is welcoming not me, but him who sent me as his Messenger."

"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he did not follow us."

And, if any one puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be far better for him if he had been thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck.

On leaving that place, Jesus went into the district of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered about him again; and again, as usual, he began teaching them.

Presently some Pharisees came up and, to test him, asked: "Has a husband the right to divorce his wife?"

When they were indoors, the disciples asked him again about this,

Some of the people were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them; but the disciples found fault with those who had brought them.

And, as Jesus was resuming his journey, a man came running up to him, and threw himself on his knees before him. "Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to gain Immortal Life?"

Jesus looked at the man, and his heart went out to him, and he said: "There is still one thing wanting in you; go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall heave wealth in Heaven; then come and follow me."

One day, when they were on their way, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in front of the Apostles, who were filled with misgivings; while those who were following behind were alarmed. Gathering the Twelve round him once more, Jesus began to tell them what was about to happen to him.

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

Who will mock him, spit upon him, and scourge him, and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again."

But Jesus called the ten to him, and said: "Those who are regarded as ruling among the Gentiles lord it over them, as you know, and their great men oppress them.

Many of the people kept telling him to be quiet; but the man continued to call out all the louder: "Son of David, take pity on me."

Then Jesus stopped. "Call him," he said. So they called the blind man. "Courage!" they exclaimed. "Get up; he is calling you."

"What do you want me to do for you?" said Jesus, addressing him. "Rabboni," the blind man answered, "I want to recover my sight."

And those who led the way, as well as those who followed, kept shouting: "'God save him! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'

Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David! 'God save him from on high!'"

Now the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law heard this and began to look for some way of putting Jesus to death; for they were afraid of him, since all the people were greatly impressed by his teaching.

They came to Jerusalem again. While Jesus was walking about in the Temple Courts, the Chief Priests, the Teachers of the Law, and the Councillors came up to him.

They began arguing together; "If we say 'divine,' he will say 'Why then did not you believe him?'

But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty- handed.

He sent another, but him they killed; and so with many others- -some they beat and some they killed.

He had still one son, who was very dear to him; and him he sent to them last of all. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

But those tenants said to one another 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and his inheritance will be ours.'

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

After this his enemies were eager to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed the parable. So they let him alone, and went away.

Afterwards they sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to set a trap for him in the course of conversation.

These men came to him and said: "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man, and are not afraid of any one, for you pay no regard to a man's position, but teach the Way of God honestly; are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?

And Jesus replied: "Pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God." And they wondered at him.

As to the dead, and the fact that they rise, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him thus--'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

Then came up one of the Teachers of the Law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question: "What is the first of all the commandments?"

"Wisely answered, Teacher!" exclaimed the Teacher of the Law. "It is true, as you say, that 'there is one God,' and that 'there is no other besides him';

And to 'love him with all one's heart, and with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength,' and to 'love one's neighbor as one loves oneself' is far beyond all 'burnt-offerings and sacrifices.'"

Seeing that he had answered with discernment, Jesus said to him: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." After that no one ventured to question him further.

David himself calls him 'lord,' how comes it, then, that he is to be his son?" The mass of the people listened to Jesus with delight.

On this, calling his disciples to him, Jesus said: "I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others who were putting money into the chests;

As Jesus was walking out of the Temple Courts, one of his disciples said to him: "Teacher, look what fine stones and buildings these are!"

When Jesus had sat down on the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew questioned him privately:

It was now two days before the Festival of the Passover and the Unleavened bread. The Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus by stealth, and to put him to death;

They were glad to hear what he said, and promised to pay him. So he looked for a way to betray Jesus opportunely.

Jesus sent forward two of his disciples and said to them: "Go into the city, and there a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him;

They were grieved at this, and began to say to him, one after another: "Can it be I?"

True, the Son of Man must go, as Scripture says of him, yet alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man 'it would be better never to have been born!'"

He took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to show signs of great dismay and deep distress of mind.

And coming back again he found them asleep, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to say to him.

And just then, while he was still speaking, Judas, who was one of the Twelve, came up; and with him a crowd of people, with swords and clubs, sent by the Chief Priests, the Teachers of the Law, and the Councillors.

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. "The man whom I kiss," he had said, "will be the one; arrest him and take him away safely."

As soon as Judas came, he went up to Jesus at once, and said: "Rabbi!" and kissed him.

Then the men seized Jesus, and arrested him.

And all the Apostles forsook him, and fled.

One young man did indeed follow him, wrapped only in a linen sheet. They tried to arrest him;

For, though there were many who gave false evidence against him, yet their evidence did not agree.

Presently some men stood up, and gave this false evidence against him--

"We ourselves heard him say 'I will destroy this Temple made with hands, and in three days build another made without hands.'"

But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer. A second time the High Priest questioned him. "Are you," he asked, "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

"You heard his blasphemy? What is your verdict?" They all condemned him, declaring that he deserved death.

Some of those present began to spit at him, and to blindfold his eyes, and strike him, saying, as they did so, "Now play the Prophet!" and even the police-officers received him with blows.

And, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him, and exclaimed: "Why, you were with Jesus, the Nazarene!"

And there the maidservant, on seeing him, began to say again to the by-standers: "This is one of them!"