Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



We feel like the blind for the wall, Yea, as without eyes we feel, We have stumbled at noon as at twilight, In desolate places as the dead.

but if thine eye may be evil, all thy body shall be dark; if, therefore, the light that is in thee is darkness -- the darkness, how great!


Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift?




for he with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins;

and he who is hating his brother, in the darkness he is, and in the darkness he doth walk, and he hath not known whither he doth go, because the darkness did blind his eyes.


Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest. Blind are his watchmen -- all of them, They have not known, All of them are dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber. And the dogs are strong of desire, They have not known sufficiency, And they are shepherds! They have not known understanding, All of them to their own way they did turn, Each to his dishonest gain from his quarter: read more.
Come ye, I take wine, And we drink, quaff strong drink, And as this day hath been to-morrow, Great -- exceeding abundant!'

Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.'

Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the sanctuary, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the sanctuary -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold? And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor! read more.
Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift? 'He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it; and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it; and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect. 'Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean.



Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.'





Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem -- scribes and Pharisees -- saying, 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.' And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? read more.
for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.' And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand: not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.' Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.' And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.' And Jesus said, 'Are ye also yet without understanding? do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth? but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man; for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings: these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'

and having seen certain of his disciples with defiled hands -- that is, unwashed -- eating bread, they found fault; for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, if they do not wash the hands to the wrist, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders, and, coming from the market-place, if they do not baptize themselves, they do not eat; and many other things there are that they received to hold, baptisms of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches. read more.
Then question him do the Pharisees and the scribes, 'Wherefore do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but with unwashed hands do eat the bread?' and he answering said to them -- 'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites, as it hath been written, This people with the lips doth honour Me, and their heart is far from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men; for, having put away the command of God, ye hold the tradition of men, baptisms of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do.' And he said to them, 'Well do ye put away the command of God that your tradition ye may keep; for Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; and ye say, If a man may say to father or to mother, Korban (that is, a gift), is whatever thou mayest be profited out of mine, and no more do ye suffer him to do anything for his father or for his mother, setting aside the word of God for your tradition that ye delivered; and many such like things ye do.' And having called near all the multitude, he said to them, 'Hearken to me, ye all, and understand; there is nothing from without the man entering into him that is able to defile him, but the things coming out from him, those are the things defiling the man. If any hath ears to hear -- let him hear.' And when he entered into a house from the multitude, his disciples were questioning him about the simile, and he saith to them, 'So also ye are without understanding! Do ye not perceive that nothing from without entering into the man is able to defile him? because it doth not enter into his heart, but into the belly, and into the drain it doth go out, purifying all the meats.' And he said -- 'That which is coming out from the man, that doth defile the man; for from within, out of the heart of men, the evil reasonings do come forth, adulteries, whoredoms, murders, thefts, covetous desires, wickedness, deceit, arrogance, an evil eye, evil speaking, pride, foolishness; all these evils do come forth from within, and they defile the man.'


Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest. Blind are his watchmen -- all of them, They have not known, All of them are dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber. And the dogs are strong of desire, They have not known sufficiency, And they are shepherds! They have not known understanding, All of them to their own way they did turn, Each to his dishonest gain from his quarter: read more.
Come ye, I take wine, And we drink, quaff strong drink, And as this day hath been to-morrow, Great -- exceeding abundant!'

Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.'

Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the sanctuary, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the sanctuary -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold? And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor! read more.
Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift? 'He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it; and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it; and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect. 'Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean.




For though they nourish their sons, I have made them childless -- without man, Surely also, woe to them, when I turn aside from them.


With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek Jehovah, and do not find, He hath withdrawn from them.



Because of this did God give them up to dishonourable affections, for even their females did change the natural use into that against nature;

and he said unto the vine-dresser, Lo, three years I come seeking fruit in this fig-tree, and do not find, cut it off, why also the ground doth it render useless?


Cut off thy crown, and cast it away, And lift up on high places lamentation, For Jehovah hath rejected, And He leaveth the generation of His wrath.

How doth one pursue a thousand, And two cause a myriad to flee! If not -- that their rock hath sold them, And Jehovah hath shut them up?

Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending, And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired. I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh, read more.
When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress. Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.

Joined to idols is Ephraim, let him alone. Sour is their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.


Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem -- scribes and Pharisees -- saying, 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.' And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? read more.
for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.' And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand: not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.' Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.' And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.' And Jesus said, 'Are ye also yet without understanding? do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth? but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man; for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings: these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'

And gathered together unto him are the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, having come from Jerusalem, and having seen certain of his disciples with defiled hands -- that is, unwashed -- eating bread, they found fault; for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, if they do not wash the hands to the wrist, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders, read more.
and, coming from the market-place, if they do not baptize themselves, they do not eat; and many other things there are that they received to hold, baptisms of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches. Then question him do the Pharisees and the scribes, 'Wherefore do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but with unwashed hands do eat the bread?' and he answering said to them -- 'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites, as it hath been written, This people with the lips doth honour Me, and their heart is far from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men; for, having put away the command of God, ye hold the tradition of men, baptisms of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do.' And he said to them, 'Well do ye put away the command of God that your tradition ye may keep; for Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; and ye say, If a man may say to father or to mother, Korban (that is, a gift), is whatever thou mayest be profited out of mine, and no more do ye suffer him to do anything for his father or for his mother, setting aside the word of God for your tradition that ye delivered; and many such like things ye do.' And having called near all the multitude, he said to them, 'Hearken to me, ye all, and understand; there is nothing from without the man entering into him that is able to defile him, but the things coming out from him, those are the things defiling the man. If any hath ears to hear -- let him hear.' And when he entered into a house from the multitude, his disciples were questioning him about the simile, and he saith to them, 'So also ye are without understanding! Do ye not perceive that nothing from without entering into the man is able to defile him? because it doth not enter into his heart, but into the belly, and into the drain it doth go out, purifying all the meats.' And he said -- 'That which is coming out from the man, that doth defile the man; for from within, out of the heart of men, the evil reasonings do come forth, adulteries, whoredoms, murders, thefts, covetous desires, wickedness, deceit, arrogance, an evil eye, evil speaking, pride, foolishness; all these evils do come forth from within, and they defile the man.'



And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' and there is no peace.


And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand: not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.' Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' read more.
And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.' And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.'


We feel like the blind for the wall, Yea, as without eyes we feel, We have stumbled at noon as at twilight, In desolate places as the dead.

but if thine eye may be evil, all thy body shall be dark; if, therefore, the light that is in thee is darkness -- the darkness, how great!


Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift?




for he with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins;

and he who is hating his brother, in the darkness he is, and in the darkness he doth walk, and he hath not known whither he doth go, because the darkness did blind his eyes.



'When there ariseth in your midst a prophet, or a dreamer of a dream, and he hath given unto thee a sign or wonder, and the sign and the wonder hath come which he hath spoken of unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (which thou hast not known), and serve them, thou dost not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of the dream, for Jehovah your God is trying you, to know whether ye are loving Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul;

Whoever therefore may loose one of these commands -- the least -- and may teach men so, least he shall be called in the reign of the heavens, but whoever may do and may teach them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.

saying, 'On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees; all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not, for they say, and do not; for they bind together burdens heavy and grievous to be borne, and lay upon the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them. read more.
'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ. And the greater of you shall be your ministrant, and whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the sanctuary, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the sanctuary -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold? And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift? 'He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it; and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it; and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect. 'Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness; so also ye outwardly indeed do appear to men righteous, and within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. So that ye testify to yourselves, that ye are sons of them who did murder the prophets; and ye -- ye fill up the measure of your fathers. 'Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?

'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.' And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; read more.
but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.' And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand: not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.' Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.' And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.' And Jesus said, 'Are ye also yet without understanding? do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth? but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man; for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings: these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'

and the Pharisee having seen, did wonder that he did not first baptize himself before the dinner. And the Lord said unto him, 'Now do ye, the Pharisees, the outside of the cup and of the plate make clean, but your inward part is full of rapine and wickedness; unthinking! did not He who made the outside also the inside make? read more.
But what ye have give ye as alms, and, lo, all things are clean to you. 'But woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and every herb, and ye pass by the judgment, and the love of God; these things it behoveth to do, and those not to be neglecting. 'Woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye are as the unseen tombs, and the men walking above have not known.' And one of the lawyers answering, saith to him, 'Teacher, these things saying, us also thou dost insult;' and he said, 'And to you, the lawyers, woe! because ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves with one of your fingers do not touch the burdens. 'Woe to you, because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Then do ye testify, and are well pleased with the works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and ye do build their tombs; because of this also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets, and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute, that the blood of all the prophets, that is being poured forth from the foundation of the world, may be required from this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yes, I say to you, It shall be required from this generation. 'Woe to you, the lawyers, because ye took away the key of the knowledge; yourselves ye did not enter; and those coming in, ye did hinder.'


nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that cause questions rather than the building up of God that is in faith: --


And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- read more.
and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.' And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand: not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.' Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.' And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.' And Jesus said, 'Are ye also yet without understanding? do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth? but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man; for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings: these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'



And I have sent distress to men, And they have walked as the blind, For against Jehovah they have sinned, And poured out is their blood as dust, And their flesh is as dung.



And I have sent distress to men, And they have walked as the blind, For against Jehovah they have sinned, And poured out is their blood as dust, And their flesh is as dung.