he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it;

and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone.

You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel!

Afterwards He was on the Mount of Olives and was seated there when the disciples came to Him, apart from the others, and said, "Tell us when this will be; and what will be the sign of your Coming and of the Close of the Age?"

And before long you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. Do not be alarmed, for such things must be; but the End is not yet.

"At that time they will deliver you up to punishment and will put you to death; and you will be objects of hatred to all the nations because you are called by my name.

let him who is on the roof not go down to fetch what is in his house;

And alas for the women who at that time are with child or have infants!

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.

"If at that time any one should say to you, 'See, here is the Christ!' or 'Here!' give no credence to it.

For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, displaying wonderful signs and prodigies, so as to deceive, were it possible, even God's own People.

If therefore they should say to you, 'See, He is in the Desert!' do not go out there: or 'See, He is indoors in the room!' do not believe it.

And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet-blast, and they will bring together His own People to Him from north, south, east and west--from one extremity of the world to the other.

"Now learn from the fig-tree the lesson it teaches. As soon as its branches have now become soft and it is bursting into leaf, you all know that summer is near.

So you also, when you see all these signs, may be sure that He is near--at your very door.

Earth and sky will pass away, but it is certain that my words will not pass away.

For as it was in the time of Noah, so it will be at the Coming of the Son of Man.

At that time, before the Deluge, men were busy eating and drinking, taking wives or giving them, up to the very day when Noah entered the Ark,

nor did they realise any danger till the Deluge came and swept them all away; so will it be at the Coming of the Son of Man.

Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken away, and one left behind.

But of this be assured, that if the master of the house had known the hour at which the robber was coming, he would have kept awake, and not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore you also must be ready; for it is at a time when you do not expect Him that the Son of Man will come.

"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;

"Then will the Kingdom of the Heavens be found to be like ten bridesmaids who took their torches and went out to meet the bridegroom.

But at midnight there is a loud cry, "'The bridegroom! Go out and meet him!'

"'Give us some of your oil,' said the foolish ones to the wise, 'for our torches are going out.'

"Why, it is like a man who, when going on his travels, called his bondservants and entrusted his property to their care.

The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, and said, "'Sir, it was five talents that you entrusted to me: see, I have gained five more.'

"The second, who had received the two talents, came and said, "'Sir, it was two talents you entrusted to me: see, I have gained two more.'

"But, next, the man who had the one talent in his keeping came and said, "'Sir, I knew you to be a severe man, reaping where you had not sown and garnering what you had not winnowed.

So being afraid I went and buried your talent in the ground: there you have what belongs to you.'

"'You wicked and slothful servant,' replied his master, 'did you know that I reap where I have not sown, and garner what I have not winnowed?

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.)

But as for this worthless servant, put him out into the darkness outside: *there* will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.'

and will make the sheep stand at His right hand, and the goats at His left.

"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.

For when I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat; when thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink;

Now when Jesus was come to Bethany and was at the house of Simon the Leper,

a woman came to Him with a jar of very costly, sweet-scented ointment, which she poured over His head as He reclined at table.

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

At that time one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the High Priests

and said, "What are you willing to give me if I betray him to you?" So they weighed out to him thirty shekels,

and from that moment he was on the look out for an opportunity to betray Him.

On the first day of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus with the question, "Where shall we make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"

"Go into the city," He replied, "to a certain man, and tell him, 'The Teacher says, My time is close at hand. It is at your house that I shall keep the Passover with my disciples.'"

When evening came, He was at table with the twelve disciples,

Intensely grieved they began one after another to ask Him, "Can it be I, Master?"

The Son of Man is indeed going as is written concerning Him; but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been a happy thing for that man if he had never been born."

Then Judas, the disciple who was betraying Him, asked, "Can it be I, Rabbi?" "It is you," He replied.

During the meal Jesus took a Passover biscuit, blessed it and broke it. He then gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take this and eat it: it is my body."

And He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink from it, all of you;

for this is my blood which is to be poured out for many for the remission of sins--the blood which ratifies the Covenant.

So they sang the hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then said Jesus, "This night all of you will stumble and fail in your fidelity to me; for it is written, 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered in all directions.'

and He said to them, "My soul is crushed with anguish to the very point of death; wait here, and keep awake with me."

Going forward a short distance He fell on His face and prayed. "My Father," He said, "if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou willest."

Again a second time He went away and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is impossible for this cup to pass without my drinking it, Thy will be done."

Then He came to the disciples and said, "Sleep on and rest. See, the moment is close at hand when the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinful men.

Rouse yourselves. Let us be going. My betrayer is close at hand."

"Friend," said Jesus, "carry out your intention." Then they came and laid their hands on Jesus and seized Him firmly.

In that case how are the Scriptures to be fulfilled which declare that thus it must be?"

Then said Jesus to the crowds, "Have you come out as if to fight with a robber, with swords and bludgeons to apprehend me? Day after day I have been sitting teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest 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.

But the officers who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the High Priest, at whose house the Scribes and the Elders had assembled.

And Peter kept following Him at a distance, till he came even to the court of the High Priest's palace, where he entered and sat down among the officers to see the issue.

but they could find none, although many false witnesses came forward. At length there came two

Then the High Priest stood up and asked Him, "Have you no answer to make? What is it these men are saying in evidence against you?"

"I am He," replied Jesus. "But I tell you that, later on, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Omnipotence, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

Then the High Priest tore his robes and exclaimed, "Impious language! What further need have we of witnesses! See, you have now heard the impiety.

What is your verdict?" "He deserves to die," they replied.

while they taunted Him, saying, "Christ, prove yourself a Prophet by telling us who it was that struck you."

He denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean."

Soon afterwards he went out and stood in the gateway, when another girl saw him, and said, addressing the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."

Again he denied it with an oath. "I do not know the man," he said.

A short time afterwards the people standing there came and said to Peter, "Certainly you too are one of them, for your brogue shows it."

and Peter recollected the words of Jesus, how He had said, "Before the cock crows you will three times disown me." And he went out and wept aloud, bitterly.

and said, "I have sinned, in betraying to death one who is innocent." "What does that matter to us?" they replied; it is your business."

When the High Priests had gathered up the money they said, "It is illegal to put it into the Treasury, because it is the price of blood."

for which reason that piece of ground received the name, which it still bears, of 'the Field of Blood.'

"Do you not hear," asked Pilate, "what a mass of evidence they are bringing against you?"

"Now it was the Governor's custom at the Festival to release some one prisoner, whomsoever the populace desired;

and at this time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

For he knew that it was from envious hatred that Jesus had been brought before him.

"What then," said Pilate, "shall I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?" With one voice they shouted, "Let him be crucified!"

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

So when he saw that he could gain nothing, but that on the contrary there was a riot threatening, he called for water and washed his hands in sight of them all, saying, "I am not responsible for this murder: you must answer for it."

They twisted a wreath of thorny twigs and put it on His head, and they put a sceptre of cane in His right hand, and kneeling to Him they shouted in mockery, "Long live the King of the Jews!"

Then they spat upon Him, and taking the cane they repeatedly struck Him on the head with it.

At last, having finished their sport, they took off the cloak, clothed Him again in His own garments, and led Him away for crucifixion.

Going out they met a Cyrenaean named Simon; whom they compelled to carry His cross,

Here they gave Him a mixture of wine and gall to drink, but having tasted it He refused to drink it.

At the same time two robbers were crucified with Him, one at His right hand and the other at His left.

And the passers-by reviled Him. They shook their heads at Him

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?"

One of them ran forthwith, and filling a sponge with sour wine put it on the end of a cane and offered it Him to drink;

And coming out of their tombs after Christ's resurrection they entered the holy city and showed themselves to many.