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¹ And when great multitudes were assembled by myriads, so that they trod one upon another, Jesus began to say to his disciples: First of all, beware for yourselves of that leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.² For there is nothing hidden, which will not be revealed; nor concealed, that will not be known.³ For whatever ye speak in the dark, will be heard in the light; and what in secret chambers, ye whisper in the ear, will be proclaimed on the house-tops.⁴ And to you, my friends, I say: Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and afterwards have nothing more they can do.⁵ But I will show you, of whom to be afraid: of him who, after he hath killed, hath authority to cast into hell. Yea, say I to you: be afraid of him.⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two assarii? and not one of them is forgotten before God.⁷ And as for you, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; for ye are superior to many sparrows.⁸ And I say to you, that every one that shall confess me before men, the Son of man will also confess him before the angels of God.⁹ But he that shall deny me before men, shall himself be denied before the angels of God.¹⁰ And every one that shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall reproach the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.¹¹ And when they shall bring you into the synagogues, before chiefs and men in authority, be not anxious how ye shall make defence, or what ye shall say;¹² for the Holy Spirit will, in that hour, instruct you what to say.

¹³ And one of the assembly said to him: Teacher, tell my brother, to divide the inheritance with me.¹⁴ But Jesus said to him: Man, who established me a judge and distributor over you?¹⁵ And he said to his disciples: Beware of all avarice, for life consisteth not in abundance of riches.¹⁶ And he spoke to them a similitude: The land of a certain rich man brought forth produce in abundance.¹⁷ And he considered with himself, and said: What shall I do; for I have not where I can store up my produce?¹⁸ And he said: This will I do; I will pull down my storehouses, and build them larger; and there will I store up all my corn and my good things:¹⁹ and I will say to my soul: My soul, thou hast good things in abundance, which are stored up for many years; take thy ease; eat, drink, and live in pleasure.²⁰ But God said to him: Thou void of reason! This night, thy soul will be required of thee; and to whom will belong these things provided by thee?²¹ Such is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich in God.

²² And he said to his disciples: Therefore I tell you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor for your body, what ye shall put on.²³ For the life is more important than food, and the body than raiment.²⁴ Consider the ravens, which sow not, nor reap, nor have cellars and storehouses; yet God provideth them food. How much more important now are ye, than the birds!²⁵ And which of you, by taking pains, can add one cubit to his stature?²⁶ And if ye are impotent for that which is least, why are ye anxious about the rest?²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, nor do they spin. Yet I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory, was clothed like one of these.²⁸ And if God so clothe the herb, which to-day exists in the field, and to-morrow falls into the oven, how much more you, ye little in faith?²⁹ And inquire not, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor let your mind wander upon these things.³⁰ For all these things the people of the world seek after; and your father knoweth that, for you also, these things are needful.³¹ But seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.³² Fear not, little flock; for your Father is disposed to give you the kingdom³³ Sell your property, and give alms: make for yourselves bags that do not become old, and a treasure that is not transient, in the heavens; where no thief approacheth, and no moth eateth.³⁴ For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.³⁵ Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning.³⁶ And be ye like persons who are waiting for their lord, when he shall return from the house of feasting, that, when he shall come and knock, they may open to him immediately.³⁷ Happy are those servants, whom their lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say to you: He will gird his loins, and make them recline, and will pass around and serve them.³⁸ And if in the second watch, or in the third, he shall come and so find [fn] , happy are those servants. ³⁹ And this know ye, that if the lord of the house had known at what watch the thief would come, he would have been awake and would not have suffered his house to be broken into.⁴⁰ Therefore be ye also ready; for at an hour that ye think not, the Son of man cometh.

⁴¹ Simon Cephas saith to him: Our Lord, speakest thou this similitude to us, or also to all men?⁴² Jesus said to him: Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will place over all his domestics, to give them their portion in due time?⁴³ Happy is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.⁴⁴ Verily I say to you: He will place him over all his possessions.⁴⁵ But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite the servants and the maidens of his lord; and shall begin to eat and to drink and be drunk;⁴⁶ the lord of that servant will come in a day he thinketh not, and in an hour he knoweth not, and will cut him in two; and will assign him his portion with them that are unfaithful.⁴⁷ And the servant that knew his lord's pleasure, and did not prepare for him according to his pleasure, shall be beaten with many [fn] . ⁴⁸ But he that knew not, yet did that which deserved stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomsoever much is given, from him will much be required; and to whom much is committed, the more will be required at his hand.⁴⁹ I have come to cast fire on the earth; and I would, that it already burned.⁵⁰ And I have a baptism to be baptized with; and I am much pressed until it be accomplished.⁵¹ Suppose ye, that I have come to produce tranquillity on the earth? I tell you, No: but division.⁵² For from this time, there will be five [fn] in one house, who will be divided, three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ For a father will be divided against his son, and a son against his father; a mother against her daughter, and a daughter against her mother; a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

⁵⁴ And he said to the multitudes: When you see a cloud rising out of the west, ye at once say: Rain is coming; and it is so.⁵⁵ And when a south wind bloweth, ye say: It will be hot: and it is so.⁵⁶ Ye hypocrites, ye know how to distinguish the aspect of the heavens and the earth; and why can ye not distinguish the present time?⁵⁷ And why do ye not, of yourselves, judge correctly?⁵⁸ And when thou goest with thy adversary to the ruler, while on the way, make effort to be released by him; lest he bring thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the exactor, and the exactor cast thee into prison.⁵⁹ For verily I say to thee: Thou wilt not come out thence, until thou pay the last mite.