But the Master said: "If your faith were only like a mustard- seed, you could say to this mulberry tree 'Be up-rooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Being once asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was to come, Jesus answered: "The Kingdom of God does not come in a way that admits of observation,

For, just as lightning will lighten and flare from one side of the heavens to the other, so will it be with the Son of Man.

But first he must undergo much suffering, and he must be rejected by the present generation.

As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be again in the days of the Son of Man.

It will be the same on the day on which the Son of Man reveals himself.

On that night, I tell you, of two men upon the same bed, one will be taken and the other left;

Of two women grinding together, one will be taken and the other left."

"Where will it be, Master?" interposed the disciples. "Where there is a body," said Jesus, "'there will the vultures flock.'"

This man, I tell you, went home pardoned, rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, while every one who humbles himself shall be exalted."

"Then who can be saved?" asked those who heard this.

Gathering the Twelve round him, Jesus said to them: "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there everything that is written in the Prophets will be done to the Son of Man.

For he will be given up to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted and spat upon;

As Jesus was getting near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road-side, begging.

Hearing a crowd going by, the man asked what was the matter;

Those who were in front kept telling him to be quiet, but he continued to call out the louder: "Son of David, take pity on me!"

Then Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. And, when he had come close up to him, Jesus asked him:

There was a man there, known by the name of Zacchaeus, who was a commissioner of taxes and a rich man.

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him: "Zacchaeus, be quick and come down, for I must stop at your house to-day."

As the people were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He did so because he was near Jerusalem, and because they thought that the Kingdom of God was going to be proclaimed at once.

On his return, after having been appointed King, he directed that the servants to whom he had given his money should be summoned, so that he might learn what amount of trade they had done.

Take away from him the ten pounds,' he said to those standing by, 'and give them to the one who has the hundred.'

'I tell you,' he answered, 'that, to him who has, more will be given, but, from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

Saying as he did so: "Scripture says--'My House shall be a House of Prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

On one of these days, when Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple Courts and telling the Good News, the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law, joined by the Councillors, confronted him,

Every one who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls--it will scatter him as dust."

Having watched their opportunity, they afterwards sent some spies, who pretended to be good men, to catch Jesus in the course of conversation, and so enable them to give him up to the Governor's jurisdiction and authority.

"The Emperor's," they said; and Jesus replied: "Well then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God."

"Teacher, Moses laid down for us in his writings that-- 'Should a man's married brother die, and should he be childless, the man should take the widow as his wife, and raise up a family for his brother.'

About the woman, then--at the resurrection, whose wife is she to be, all seven brothers having had her as their wife?"

But Jesus said to them: "How is it that people say that the Christ is to be David's son?

"Be on your guard against the Teachers of the Law, who delight to walk about in long robes, and like to be greeted in the streets with respect, and to have the best seats in the Synagogues, and places of honor at dinner.

These are the men who rob widows of their houses, and make a pretense of saying long prayers. Their sentence will be all the heavier."

"As for these things that you are looking at, a time is coming when not one stone will be left upon another here, which will not be thrown down."

So the disciples questioned Jesus: "But, Teacher, when will this be? and what sign will there be when this is near?"

And, when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified, for these things must occur first; but the end will not be at once."

And there will be great earthquakes, and plagues and famines in various places, and there will be terrible appearances and signs in the heavens.

Before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, and they will betray you to Synagogues and put you in prison, when you will be brought before kings and governors for the sake of my Name.

Then will be your opportunity of witnessing for me.

For I will myself give you words, and a wisdom which all your opponents together will be unable to resist or defy.

You will be betrayed even by your parents and brothers and relations and friends, and they will cause some of you to be put to death,

And you will be hated by every one on account of my Name.

Yet not a single hair of your heads shall be lost!

By your endurance you shall win yourselves Life.

As soon, however, as you see Jerusalem surrounded by armed camps, then you may know that the hour of her desecration is at hand.

For these are to be the Days of Vengeance, when all that Scripture says will be fulfilled.

Alas for the women that are with child, and for those that are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great suffering in the land, and anger against this people.

They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be taken prisoners to every land, and 'Jerusalem will be under the heel of the Gentiles,' until their day is over--as it shall be.

There will be signs, too, in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth despair among the nations, in their dismay at the roar of the sea and the surge.

Men's hearts will fail them through dread of what is coming upon the world; for 'the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.'

Then will be seen the 'Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.

And, when these things begin to occur, look upwards and lift your heads, for your deliverance will be at hand."

Be on your guard lest your minds should ever be dulled by debauches or drunkenness or the anxieties of life, and lest 'That Day' should come suddenly upon you, like a snare.

Be on the watch at all times, and pray that you may have strength to escape all that is destined to happen, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

They were glad of this, and agreed to pay him.

When the day of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lambs had to be killed,

Then Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the thanksgiving, broke it and gave to them, with the words: "This is my body, [which is now to be given on your behalf. Do this in memory of me."

And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying: "This cup is the New Covenant made by my blood which is being poured out on your behalf.]

True, the Son of Man is passing, by the way ordained for him, yet alas for that man by whom he is being betrayed!"

Then they began questioning one another which of them it could be that was going to do this.

And a dispute arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.

But with you it must not be so. No, let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who leads like him who serves.

You are the men who have stood by me in my trials;

So that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and be seated upon twelve thrones as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.

"Now, however," he said, "he who has a purse must take it and his bag as well; and he who has not must sell his cloak and buy a sword.

For, I tell you, that passage of Scripture must be fulfilled in me, which says--'He was counted among the godless'; indeed all that refers to me is finding its fulfillment."

Jesus then went out, and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, followed by his disciples.

"Father," he said, "if it is thy pleasure, spare me this cup; only, not my will but thine be done."

While he was still speaking, a crowd appeared in sight, led by the man called Judas, who was one of the Twelve. Judas approached Jesus, to kiss him;

On which Jesus said to him: "Judas, is it by a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?"

But from this hour 'the Son of Man will be seated on the right hand of God Almighty.'"

But they insisted: "He is stirring up the people by his teaching all through Judea; he began with Galilee and has now come here."

When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly pleased, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, having heard a great deal about him; and he was hoping to see some sign given by him.

Meanwhile the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law stood by and vehemently accused him.

And Herod, with his soldiers, treated Jesus with scorn; he mocked him by throwing a gorgeous robe round him, and then sent him back to Pilate.

"Why, what harm has this man done?" Pilate said to them for the third time. "I have found nothing in him for which he could be condemned to death. So I will have him scourged, and then release him."

Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

He released the man who had been put in prison for riot and murder, as they demanded, and gave Jesus up to be dealt with as they pleased.

A time, I tell you, is coming, when it will be said--'Happy are the women who are barren, and those who have never borne children or nursed them!'

There were two others also, criminals, led out to be executed with Jesus.

[Then Jesus said: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing."] His clothes they divided among them by casting lots.

And Jesus answered: "I tell you, this very day you shall be with me in Paradise."

And then went home, and prepared spices and perfumes. During the Sabbath they rested, as directed by the commandment

How he said that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of wicked men, and be crucified, and rise again on the third day."

And then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, said to Jesus: "Are you staying by yourself at Jerusalem, that you have not heard of the things that have happened there within the last few days?"

And how the Chief Priests and our leading men gave him up to be sentenced to death, and afterwards crucified him.

When they got near the village to which they were walking, Jesus appeared to be going further;

While they were still talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, [and said "Peace be with you."]

"This is what I told you," he said, "when I was still with you--that everything that had been written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, must be fulfilled."

And that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed on his authority to all the nations--beginning at Jerusalem.

You yourselves are to be witnesses to all this.

I myself did not know him, but, that he may be made known to Israel, I have come, baptizing with water."

Then he brought him to Jesus. Fixing his eyes on him, Jesus said: "You are Simon, the son of John; you shall be called Kephas" (which means 'Peter,' or 'Rock').

This, the first sign of his mission, Jesus gave at Cana in Galilee, and by it revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: "Rabbi, we know that you are a Teacher come from God; for no one could give such signs as you are giving, unless God were with him."

"How can a man," asked Nicodemus, "be born when he is old? Can he be born a second time?"

Do not wonder at my telling you that you all need to be reborn.

"How can that be?" asked Nicodemus.

And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that every one who believes in him may not be lost, but have Immortal Life.