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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 38
Rulers try to use Herod Antipas to kill Yeshua – Making bread for the poor – Sabbath
made for man – A deaf and dumb child healed – The cost of discipleship – On true
cleanliness – On doing charity – Parable: Dives and Lazarus
1 And the chief priests and scribes from that day forth kept watch over the Nazarene daily, sending unto the Lord many spies which, for a pretense, would seem just men;
2 For they desired to take hold of his words to turn against him, that thereby they might deliver him unto the power and authority of them which ruled.
3 For they which were of the temple, being privy to the intrigues of the High Priest, would not that they should appear before the people to kill the Lord, lest all Israel rise against them;
4 For this cause did they desire to bring the Lord unto Herod Antipas that perchance he might kill him even as he killed John; and if he would not, then would they deliver the Lord unto Pilate.
5 But these things did they conspire to do privily, desiring to be seen of men as innocent, being held blameless in the death of the Holy One of Israel.
6 Now when the first Sabbath of the month of Kislev was come, there came certain scribes which beheld the disciples of the Lord making bread whereby they might feed the poor and the hungry.
7 And they spoke unto the Lord, saying: “Why will you permit that your disciples should make bread on the Sabbath day; for behold, the law has forbidden it?”
8 But the Lord answered them, saying: “Have you not read what David did when both he and all his men were hungry and filled with want?
9 For he did go into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did take the shewbread which is not permitted for any man to eat but the priests only, and did give unto them which were with him, that they might eat and not perish.
10 Consider also the birds of the air, how that your Heavenly Father, on the Sabbath day, feedeth them; and you yourselves on Sabbath feed both the ox and the ass that they suffer not.
11 If, therefore, God should feed the birds of the air, and you yourselves should feed both the ox and the ass; how much more then should I feed them which are the sons and daughters of Abraham?
12 By this shall you know that the Son of Man is Lord also over the Sabbath; for the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.”
13 And when he had finished speaking, there came unto the Lord both his mother, Miriam, and Mary the sister of Martha also; and they brought unto the Lord a child which was both deaf and dumb.
14 And the father and the mother of the child prayed that the Lord might lay his hand upon the child to heal him; and taking the child in his arms, the Lord blew gently into his ear, and placing his finger on the child’s tongue, he said:
15 “Be you opened and loosed.” And immediately his ears were opened and his tongue loosed, and the child could both hear and speak plainly.
16 And certain of the scribes, being astonished beyond measure at seeing this thing, spoke, saying: “This man has done all things well: for he has made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.”
17 Now when the father and mother received again their child, being healed of affliction, they fell down before the Lord and desired to be numbered among his disciples.
18 And turning to the multitudes gathered there, he spoke unto them, saying:
19 “If any man would come after me, and forsake not his father and mother, or his wife and children, or again his brothers and sisters, or even his own life also, the same cannot be my disciple.
20 For whosoever will not forsake all things to follow after me, the same cannot be my disciple.
21 Which of you, intending to build a house, will not sit down first to count the cost; that you may know whether you have sufficient enough to finish it?
22 Lest haply, after you have laid the foundation, you have not sufficient to finish the whole house, and all which come passing by shall mock you, saying: ‘This man began to build, but was not able to finish.’
23 Or what king, going forth to war against another king, will not sit down first and determine whether he be able with his ten thousand, to meet him which comes against him with twenty thousand?
24 For if he have not enough, he will send forth his ambassador while yet the other is far off, desiring conditions of peace, that his kingdom perish not.
25 So likewise, whosoever among you would follow after me, let him first count the cost; for whosoever among you shall not forsake all that he has, the same cannot be my disciple.
26 And every one that shall forsake houses, or lands, or father, or mother, or brothers, or sisters, or wife, or children, for my name’s sake, even that one shall receive of God a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life in the kingdom of my Father.
27 For you have but one which is your Father and he is God, and you have but one which would bear you up, even as a Mother, even the Holy Spirit which descends upon you.
28 And all they which would follow after me, even they are become as your brothers, or sisters, or children, or husband, or wife, or houses, or lands; evensomuch that you shall not have room enough to receive them.”
29 When, therefore, the Lord had finished speaking, one which was a Pharisee entreated that Yeshua come on the morrow to dine with him; and when the morrow was come, the Lord went unto his house to eat.
30 But when others which were of the Pharisees saw how that the Lord washed not his hands before the meal, they marveled at the meaning thereof.
31 And the Lord spoke unto them, saying: “Behold, how you make clean the outside of both cup and platter, but inwardly you are filled with all manner of deceit and corruption.
32 Why will you marvel at these things? Did not he which made the outward part, make also the inward part altogether?
33 If, therefore, you would be as clean within, give then of your substance unto the poor and the hungry; then shall all things become as clean unto you.”
34 The Pharisees said to him: “Will you have us to believe but your word only concerning these things? By what means would you make us responsible for those which are poor? Have we not performed charities enough already?”
35 Yeshua answered them, saying: “Of charities you have wearied the poor overmuch, but in mercy, and kindness, and love exceeding, you have given but little.”
36 And Yeshua taught them this parable, saying: “There was a certain rich man whose name was Dives; the same was clothed in fine purple linen, having upon its borders a golden hem filled with precious stones; and he fared sumptuously every day.
37 And there was also nearby a certain beggar whose name was Lazarus, which sat every day at the rich man’s gate, being blind and full of sores.
38 Now it came about that the beggar died and was carried by the angels unto Abraham’s bosom.
39 And the rich man also died, and was buried amidst great pomp and ceremony; and for the rich man did many weep, and for the poor man did no man shed a tear.
40 And in desolation the rich man lifted up his eyes unto Heaven, and seeing Abraham afar off, he beheld Lazarus dwelling peacefully in Abraham’s bosom.
41 And the rich man cried aloud, saying: ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he might comfort me.’
42 But Abraham answered him, saying: ‘Son, will you not remember how that in your lifetime you received all manner of goodly things;
43 While this Lazarus you disdainfully scorned, and would not so much as give him the crumbs from off your table? But now is he comforted of God, while you are left desolate and alone.
44 For whosoever shall receive of this world a goodly abundance, and while yet seeing another in need, he closes against him the doors of mercy; how then shall the love of God dwell in him, seeing that he is without compassion towards the poor?
45 For this cause is there established between you and Heaven a great chasm, being exceedingly wide and deep; evensomuch that they which would pass from here unto you cannot, neither can you pass over unto us.’
46 When the rich man heard this he wept, and he cried aloud unto Abraham, saying: ‘I pray father Abraham, send unto my father’s house this same Lazarus, for I have five brethren.
47 Send, therefore, this Lazarus that he might testify unto them lest they likewise perish and be left desolate and forsaken.’
48 But Abraham answered him, saying: ‘Have they not the works of Moses and the prophets to teach them? Let them hear them.’
49 And the rich man, weeping, cried: ‘Not so, father Abraham, for Moses and the prophets they will not hear, for these have all gone away unto God.
50 But if you would send unto them one which was dead, then would they give heed and repent.’
51 Abraham answered him, saying: ‘If they then will hear neither Moses nor the prophets through whom the word of God came, neither will they be persuaded, even though one should rise from the dead to save them.’”
52 And many which heard were offended against the Lord because of this saying: yet did others of the Pharisees believe to follow after him.
YESHUA 38