Then the king said to the attendants 'Tie him hand and foot, and 'put him out into the darkness' outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.'

Tell us, then, what you think. Are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?"

"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.

"Teacher, Moses said--'Should a man die without children, the man's brother shall become the husband of the widow, and raise a family for his brother.'

At the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be out of the seven, all of them having had her?"

For at the resurrection there is no marrying or being married, but all who rise are as angels in Heaven.

"Teacher, what is the great commandment in the Law?"

The second, which is like it, is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.'

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

"How is it, then," Jesus replied, "that David, speaking under inspiration, calls him 'lord,' in the passage-

'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, Until I put thy enemies beneath thy feet"'?

and like to have the place of honor at dinner, and the best seats in the Synagogues,

But alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the Kingdom of Heaven in men's faces. For you do not go in yourselves, nor yet allow those who try to go in to do so.

Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You destroy widow's houses, even while pretending to make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation.

You say, too, 'If any one swears by the altar, his oath counts for nothing, but, if any one swears by the offering placed on it, his oath is binding on him'!

Therefore a man, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it,

and a man, swearing by the Temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it,

while a man, swearing by Heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it.

You blind guides, to strain out a gnat and to swallow a camel!

It is the same with you. Outwardly, and to others, you have the look of religious men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and sin.

So, while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came up to him privately 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 you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; take care not to be alarmed, for such things must occur; but the end is not yet here.

Yet the man that endures to the end shall be saved.

As soon, then, as you see 'the Foul Desecration,' mentioned by the Prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place," (the reader must consider what this means)

And, at that time, if any one should say to you 'Look! here is the Christ!' or 'Here he is!', do not believe it;

For false Christs and false Prophets will arise, and will display great signs and marvels, so that, were it possible, even God's People would be led astray.

Therefore, if people say to you 'He is in the Wilderness!', do not go out there; or 'He is in an inner room!', do not believe it;

For, just as lightning will start from the east and flash across to the west, so will it be with the Coming of the Son of Man.

Learn the lesson taught by the fig tree. As soon as its branches are full of sap, and it is bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.

And so may you, as soon as you see all these things, know that he is at your doors.

But about that Day and Hour, no one knows--not even the angels of Heaven, nor yet the Son--but only the Father himself.

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

Taking not notice till the flood came and swept them one and all away; and so will it be at the Coming of the Son of Man.

At that time, of two men on a farm one will be taken and one left;

Therefore watch; for you cannot be sure on what day your Master is coming.

But this you do know, that, had the owner of the house known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been on the watch, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore, do you also prepare, since it is just when you are least expecting him that the Son of Man will come.

Who, then is that trustworthy, careful servant, who has been placed by his master over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

And begin to beat his fellow-servants, and eat and drink with drunkards,

That servant's master will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour of which he is unaware,

Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

But at midnight a shout was raised--'The Bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!'

And the foolish said to the prudent 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

But the prudent ones answered 'No, for fear that there will not be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell it, and buy for yourselves.'

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.

For it is as though a man, going on his travels, called his servants, and gave his property into their charge.

He gave three thousand pounds to one, twelve hundred to another, and six hundred to a third, in proportion to the ability of each. Then he set out on his travels.

The man who had received the three thousand pounds went at once and traded with it, and made another three thousand.

And, in my fear, I went and hid your money in the ground; look, here is what belongs to you!'

'Therefore,' he continued, 'take away from him the six hundred pounds, and give it to the one who has the six thousand.

For, to him who has, more will be given, and he shall have abundance; but, as for him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away from him.

As for the useless servant, 'put him out into the darkness' outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.'

And the King will reply 'I tell you, as often as you did it to one of these my Brothers, however lowly, you did it to me.'

And then he will reply 'I tell you, as often as you failed to do it to one of these, however lowly, you failed to do it to me.'

a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume, and poured the perfume upon his head as he was at table.

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

"It could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to poor people."

"Why are you troubling the woman?" Jesus said, when he noticed it. "For this is a beautiful deed that she has done to me.

In pouring this perfume on my body, she has done it for my burying.

I tell you, wherever, in the whole world, this Good News is proclaimed, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her."

It was then that one of the Twelve, named Judas Iscariot, made his way to the Chief Priests,

And said "What are you willing to give me, if I betray Jesus to you?" The Priests 'weighed him out thirty pieces of silver' as payment.

On the first day of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, the disciples came up to Jesus, and said: "Where do you wish us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"

"Go into the city to a certain man," he answered, "and say to him 'The Teacher says--My time is near. I will keep the Passover with my disciples at your house.'"

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

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!'"

And Judas, who was betraying him, turned to him and said: "Can it be I, Rabbi?" "It is," answered Jesus.

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."

Then he took a cup, and, after saying the thanksgiving, gave it to them, with the words: "Drink from it, all of you;

For this is my Covenant blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

And I tell you that I shall never, after this, drink of this juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the Kingdom of my Father."

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

"I am sad at heart," he said, "sad even to death; wait here and watch with me."

Going on a little further, he threw himself on his face in prayer. "My Father," he said, "if it is possible, let me be spared this cup; only, not as I will, but as thou willest."

Then he came to his disciples, and found them asleep. "What!" he said to Peter, "could none of you watch with me for one hour?

Again, a second time, he went away, and prayed. "My Father," he said, "if I cannot be spared this cup, but must drink it, thy will be done!"

Then he came to the disciples, and said: "Sleep on now, and rest yourselves. Hark! my time is close at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of wicked men.

Up, and let us be going. Look! my betrayer is close at hand."

So he went up to Jesus at once, and exclaimed: "Welcome, Rabbi!" and kissed him;

On which Jesus said to him: "Friend, do what you have come for." Thereupon the men went up, seized Jesus, and arrested him.

Suddenly one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and striking the High Priest's servant, cut off his ear.

Do you think that I cannot ask my Father for help, when he would at once send to my aid more than twelve legions of angels?

Jesus at the same time said to the crowds: "Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs, to take me? I have sat teaching day after day in the Temple Courts, and yet you did not arrest me."

Peter followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the offices, to see the end.

"This man said 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

Then the High Priest stood up, and said to Jesus: "Have you no answer? What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?"

"It is true," Jesus answered; "Moreover I tell you all that hereafter you shall 'see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of the heavens.'"

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:

"Now play the Prophet for us, you Christ! Who was it that struck you?"

But Peter denied it before them all. "I do not know what you mean," he replied.

When he had gone out into the gateway, another maid saw him, and said to those who were there: "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth!"

Again he denied it with an oath: "I do not know the man!"

But soon afterwards those who were standing by came up and said to Peter: "You also are certainly one of them; why, your very way of speaking proves it!"

Then Peter began to swear, with most solemn imprecations: "I do not know the man." At that moment a cock crowed;

At daybreak all the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation consulted together against Jesus, to bring about his death.

Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that Jesus was condemned, repented of what he had done, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the Chief Priests and Councillors.

"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."

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,