Matt. xii, 22—35. Mark iii, 22—30. Luke xi, 14–23.

'Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb and he healed him, 'casting out a devil, and it was dumb, 'insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not 5 this the Son of David? 3But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 1But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem 10 said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

1And Jesus knew their thoughts, and he called them unto him, and knowing their thoughts, said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? Every kingdom divided against itself is brought 15 to desolation, that kingdom cannot stand; and every city or house divided against itself shall not, cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and also be divided against himself, 'and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? he cannot stand, but hath an end. Because ye say that I cast 20 out devils through Beelzebub. 'And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children, 'your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, 3if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt 'then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

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1Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods? No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, 30 and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 'He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

'Wherefore, verily I say unto you, 'All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, unto the sons of men, and blasphemies 35 wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 'but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men, he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the 40 Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 2Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. 1Either make the tree. good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 1O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? 45 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an

Matt. xii, 35-50; xiii, 1. Mark iii, 31-35; iv, 1. Luke xi, 24-32; viii, 19—21; viïï, 4.

1evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

'But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 1Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, 5 Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the 10 Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; 15 and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of 'this generation, and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 1When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through 20 dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. 25 Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.

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'While he yet talked to the people, behold, there came then his brethren and his mother, and could not come at him for the press, and, 1his mother and his brethren, standing without, sent unto him, calling him, 'desiring to speak with him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, 'then one said unto him, 2Behold, thy mother 35 and thy brethren without seek for thee, 'desiring to see thee, to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, 'and he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! My mother 40 and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it, 2for whosoever shall do the will of God, 'my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

'The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side, and he began again to teach by the sea side, and when much 45 people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered

Matt. xiii, 2-19. Mark iv, 1-15. Luke viii, 5-11,

*into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land, 'and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

5

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow 3his seed: 2and it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side; 3and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, 'upon a rock, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: but when the sun was up, and as soon as it was sprung up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns 10 sprang up with it, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 'But other fell into good ground, and sprang up, 'and brought forth, and bare fruit, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred fold. And 15 when he had said these things, he said, 'he cried unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was alone, 'the disciples came, and they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable, 1and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? And his disciples asked 20 him, saying, What might this parable be? 'He answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, 'the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given, to others, unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall 25 have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because 2that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And in them is fulfilled the 30 prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their 35 heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 'Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown. 'When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh, 'and catcheth away that the word 'which

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Matt. xiii, 19-30. Mark iv, 16–29. Luke viii, 12—18.

1was sown in 'their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 'This is he which received seed by the way side. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground, on the rock. 'He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it, 'immediately receive it with gladness; 5 1yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when 2affliction 'tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, for the word's sake, immediately, 'by and by he is offended, 3for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, 10 and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful, 3when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, 'and understandeth it, and 3in 15 an honest and good heart receive it, 3keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience, 'some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

*And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a 20 bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. "If any man have 25 ears to hear, let him hear.

2And he said unto them, 'Take heed therefore how ye hear, 'take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even 30 that which he hath, even that which he seemeth to have.

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full 35 corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

'Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, 40 and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that 45 we go and gather them up? but he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together

Matt. xiii, 30-50. Mark iv, 30-34.

'until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn.

'Another parable put he forth unto them, and he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we 5 compare it? The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustardseed, which a man took, and sowed in his field, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: but when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, 'and becometh a tree, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls, 10 'the birds of the air come and lodge 'under the shadow of it, 1in the branches thereof.

'Another parable spake he unto them, The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

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'All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables, and with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: 'that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept 20 secret from the foundation of the world. And when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

'Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth 25 the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of 30 this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him 35 hear.

1Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking 40 goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

1Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: : which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the 45 bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them