part from them. And he said to them, I must pub- 43 lish the good news of the kingdom of God to other cities also; because for this I was sent forth. And 44 he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

45

V. AND it came to pass, as the multitude pressed 1 upon him to hear the word of God, and he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, that he saw two 2 ships standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing the nets. And 3 entering into one of the ships, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And sitting down, he taught the multitudes out of the ship.

And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Si- 4 mon: Put out into the deep; and do ye let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering 5 said to him: Master, we have toiled all night and taken nothing; but at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they in- 6 closed a great multitude of fishes; and their net began to break. And they beckoned to their partners 7 in the other ship, to come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. And Simon Peter, seeing it, fell down at 8 the knees of Jesus, saying: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For astonishment had 9 seized him, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken; and like- 10

wise also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said to Simon : Fear not; from hence11 forth thou shalt catch men. And having brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

12

And it came to pass, when he was in one of the cities, that there was a man full of leprosy. And seeing Jesus he fell on his face, and besought him, say13 ing: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me. And stretching forth his hand he touched him, saying: I will; be thou cleansed. And immediately the lep

14 rosy departed from him.

15

And he charged him to tell no one; but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.

But all the more went abroad the report concerning him; and great multitudes came together to 16 hear, and to be healed of their infirmities. And he was wont to retire into the solitary places, and pray.

17

And it came to pass, on a certain day, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem; and there 18 was power of the Lord for healing them. And, be

hold, men brought on a bed a man who was palsied; and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him be19 fore him. And not finding by what way they might

bring him in, because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the

A

tiling with the couch into the midst before Jesus. And seeing their faith he said: Man, thy sins are 20 forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees 21 began to reason, saying: Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered and 22 said to them: What reason ye in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; 23 or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know 24 that the Son of man has power on the earth to forgive sins, (he said to the palsied man,) I say to thee, Arise, and taking up thy couch go to thy house. And immediately standing up before them, he took 25 up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed; and 26 they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying: We have seen strange things to-day.

And after these things he went forth, and saw a 27 publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he said to him, Follow me. And leav- 28 ing all, he arose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his own 29 house; and there was a great company of publicans and of others that reclined at table with them. And 30 the Pharisees, and their scribes, murmured against his disciples, saying: Why do ye eat and driuk with the publicans and sinners? And Jesus answer- 31

V. 30. or, the scribes and Pharisees among them

ing said to them: They that are well need not a 32 physician, but they that are sick. I have not come to call righteous men, but sinners to repentance.

33

And they said to him: Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink? 34 And he said to them: Can ye make the sons of the

bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with 35 them? But days will come, when the bridegroom

shall be taken away from them; then shall they 36 fast in those days. And he spake also a parable to them: No one rends a piece from a new garment, and puts it on an old garment; else both the new will make a rent, and the piece from the new agrees 37 not with the old. And no one puts new wine into

old skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and will itself be poured out, and the skins will 38 perish. But new wine must be put into new skins, 39 and both are preserved together. And no one hav

1

ing drunk old wine straightway desires new; for he says, The old is better.

VI. AND it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he was going through grain

V. 34. or, the bridemen

V. 38. Some ancient copies omit, and both are preserved together

V. 39. In the oldest copies, is good (or, is mild)

V. 1. or, on the second-first sabbath (omitled in some ancient copies).

3

fields; and his disciples plucked and ate the ears of grain, rubbing them with their hands. And some 2 of the Pharisees said: Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath? And Jesus answering them said: And have ye not read this, what David did when he hungered, himself and they that were with him; how he went into the house of 4 God, and took and ate the shewbread, and gave to them that were with him, which it is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone? And he said to 5 them: The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

And it came to pass also on another sabbath, 6 that he entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees were watching, 7 whether he would heal on the sabbath; that they might find an accusation against him. But he 8 knew their thoughts, and said to the man having the withered hand: Arise, and stand forth in the midst. And he rose up, and stood. Then said 9 Jesus to them: I will ask you what is lawful on the sabbath, to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round on them all, 10 he said to him, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored. And they were 11 filled with madness, and conferred one with another, as to what they should do to Jesus.

V. 9. In some ancient copies, whether it is lawful