He would have gladly eaten the [carob] pods that the pigs were eating [but they could not satisfy his hunger], and no one was giving anything to him.

But when he came to his senses, he said, What numbers of my father's servants have bread enough, and more, while I am near to death here through need of food!

I do not deserve to be called your son [anymore]. Consider me as [just] one of your hired servants.'

Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against [the God of] heaven and against you. I do not deserve to be called your son.'

And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and well: but he was angry, and would not go in.

And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

But, to make merry and rejoice, there was need, because, this thy brother - was, dead, and hath come to life again, and was lost, and is found.

and having called him, he said to him, What is this I hear about thee? render the account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest not any longer be steward.

And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed.

And he said, 'A hundred measures of olive oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your promissory note and sit down quickly [and] write fifty.'

Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your promissory note and write eighty.'

Therefore, I tell you, make friends for yourselves by using worldly wealth, so that when it fails [i.e., when you run out of money] they [i.e., the friends you made with its wise and benevolent use] may welcome you into the eternal [i.e., heavenly] dwelling places. [Note: The idea here seems to be that by your shrewd use of material possessions for the benefit of others, you are actually storing up treasures for yourself in heaven].

"The person who is trustworthy in regard to very small matters, [such as material possessions] is also [likely to be] trustworthy in regard to large matters, [such as spiritual values], and the person who does not do what is right in very small matters is also not [likely] to do what is right in large ones.

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

'No domestic is able to serve two lords, for either the one he will hate, and the other he will love; or one he will hold to, and of the other he will be heedless; ye are not able to serve God and mammon.'

'Child,' answered Abraham, 'remember that you in your lifetime received what you thought desirable, just as Lazarus received what was not desirable; but now he has his consolation here, while you are suffering agony.

And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us.

for I have five brothers, so that he may earnestly testify to them, that they also may not come to this place of torment.

But he said, Not so, Father Abraham; but if one should go to them from the dead, they would repent.

And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

And he said unto the disciples, 'It is impossible for the stumbling blocks not to come, but woe to him through whom they come;

It would be good [i.e., better] for him to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a huge, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle], rather than having him cause one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] to be led astray [from God].

And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

So you too, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.’”

And it happened as Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem that He passed along the border between Samaria and Galilee. [Note: These were the next two provinces north of Judea].

And as He entered a certain village, He was met by ten men with infectious skin diseases, who were standing some distance away [Note: Restrictions in the Jewish law prevented contact with persons having infectious diseases. See Lev. 13:45ff],

And he fell on his face at Jesus' feet and thanked Him. And he was a Samaritan. [Note: Samaritans were despised by the Jews and regarded as a 'half-breeds'].

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

And men will not say, See, it is here! or, There! for the kingdom of God is among you.

And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

There will be two women grinding grain together [Note: This was done with a hand-operated millstone where two persons sat across from each other and rotated a circular stone over kernels of grain]; one will be taken while the other one will be left. {{Some ancient manuscripts include verse

(Added verse not retained in Sawyer)

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

at any rate because this widow annoys me I will avenge her, that she may not by perpetually coming completely harass me.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I say to you, This man went back to his house with God's approval, and not the other: for everyone who makes himself high will be made low and whoever makes himself low will be made high.

Now some people were even bringing their infants to Jesus to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people not to do that.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

Then a certain ruler [Note: This man was young and rich. See Matt. 19:16-22] asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what should I do in order to inherit never ending life?"

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And Jesus, hearing it, said to him, One thing you still have need of; get money for your goods, and give it away to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven; and come after me.

But he said, Things which are not possible with man are possible with God.

and he said to them, 'Verily I say to you, that there is not one who left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, for the sake of the reign of God,

Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.

And it happened as Jesus was approaching Jericho [Note: This was a town about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem], that a certain blind man was [seen] sitting along side of the road, begging.

Saying, What wilt thou I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I:night see again.

And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

So, he ran on ahead [of the crowd] and climbed up a mulberry tree [Note: This was a tree that produced a fig-like fruit] in order to see Jesus, who was supposed to pass that way [soon].

And when Jesus came to the tree, He said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down [from that tree], for I need to stay at your house today."

So, He said, "A certain distinguished gentleman went to a distant country to receive a royal appointment [i.e., as king over a territory] and then return. [Note: This is the only parable of Jesus' that correlates with a known incident; that of Herod's son Archelaus going to Rome to receive from Caesar Augustus an appointment to rule over Judea, Samaria and Idumaea in

So, he called ten of his slaves and gave each of them a sum of money [Note: The amount of each sum was equivalent to one hundred days of a farm laborer's pay, or about $7,000 in 1994]. [Then] he said to them, 'Invest this money until I return.'

But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

And it came to pass, when he returned, having received the kingdom, that he bade be called unto him these servants, to whom he had given the silver, that he might take note, what business they had done.

For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

And he said to those standing by, Take from him the mina, and give it to him that has ten minas,??25 and they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas,??26 for I tell you, that to every one that has shall be given; but from him that has not, even what he has shall be taken away;

For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

And it happened when Jesus got close to Bethphage and Bethany [Note: These were two small towns about two miles east of Jerusalem], at a hill called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples,

And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

Saying, If you, even you, had knowledge today, of the things which give peace! but you are not able to see them.

And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.

And Jesus said, And I will not make clear to you by what authority I do these things.

Then Jesus began speaking to the people. [Note: And perhaps to the religious leaders as well. See Mark 11:18 with 12:1]. He told them this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, then leased it out to tenant farmers and went to another country for a long time.

And again he ceased not thereby but sent yet another servant. And they did beat him, and foul entreated him also, and sent him away empty.

He will come, and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.' And having heard, they said, 'Let it not be!'

But he, looking on them, said, Is it not in the Writings, The stone which the builders put on one side, the same has become the chief stone of the building?

And they asked him, saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest not the person of any , but of a truth teachest the way of God:

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

"Show me the coin [used for paying the taxes]. [Note: This coin was equivalent to one day of a farm laborer's pay, or about $60-$84 in 1994]. Whose image and inscription are on this coin?" And they answered Him, "Caesar's."

And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

And certain of the Sadducees came, those speaking against a resurrection, that it was not to be. And they asked Him,

[Now] there were these seven brothers; the first one got married, but when he died he did not leave any children behind.

and the third took her, and in like manner also the seven -- they left not children, and they died;

But as for those who shall have been deemed worthy to find a place in that other age and in the Resurrection from among the dead, the men do not marry and the women are not given in marriage.

for they are not even able to die any longer, because they are like the angels and are sons of God, [because they] are sons of the resurrection.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.

Then Jesus looked up [i.e., from his seated position at the entrance to the Temple], and saw people throwing their gifts [of money] into the treasury [Note: This was a large open-mouthed container used for receiving offerings for meeting expenses of Temple upkeep].

And He saw a certain poor widow throwing two small copper coins into it [Note: These two coins amounted to about ten minutes of a farm laborer's pay, or about one dollar in 1994].

for all these out of their abundance have cast into the gifts of God; but she out of her need has cast in all the living which she had.

As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.