Part 8 (1/2)

019:012 So He said to them, ”A man of n.o.ble family travelled to a distant country to obtain the rank of king, and to return.

019:013 And he called ten of his servants and gave each of them a pound, instructing them to trade with the money during his absence.

019:014 ”Now his countrymen hated him, and sent a deputation after him to say, 'We are not willing that he should become our king.'

019:015 And upon his return, after he had obtained the sovereignty, he ordered those servants to whom he had given the money to be summoned before him, that he might learn their success in trading.

019:016 ”So the first came and said, ”'Sir, your pound has produced ten pounds more.'

019:017 ”'Well done, good servant,' he replied; 'because you have been faithful in a very small matter, be in authority over ten towns.'

019:018 ”The second came, and said, ”'Your pound, Sir, has produced five pounds.'

019:019 ”So he said to this one also, ”'And you, be the governor of five towns.'

019:020 ”The next came. ”'Sir,' he said, 'here is your pound, which I have kept wrapt up in a cloth.

019:021 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'

019:022 ”'By your own words,' he replied, 'I will judge you, you bad servant.

You knew me to be a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow: 019:023 why then did you not put my money into a bank, that when I came I might have received it back with interest?

019:024 ”And he said to those who stood by, ”'Take the pound from him and give it to him who has the ten pounds.'

019:025 (”They said to him, ”'Sir, he already has ten pounds.') 019:026 ”'I tell you that to every one who has anything, more shall be given; and from him who has not anything, even what he has shall be taken away.

019:027 But as for those enemies of mine who were unwilling that I should become their king, bring them here, and cut them to pieces in my presence.'”

019:028 After thus speaking, He journeyed onward, proceeding up to Jerusalem.

019:029 And when he was come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount called the Oliveyard, He sent two of the disciples on in front, 019:030 saying to them, ”Go into the village facing you. On entering it you will find an a.s.s's foal tied up which no one has ever yet ridden: untie it, and bring it here.

019:031 And if any one asks you, 'Why are you untying the colt?'

simply say, 'The Master needs it.'”

019:032 So those who were sent went and found things as He had told them.

019:033 And while they were untying the colt the owners called out, ”Why are you untying the colt?”

019:034 and they replied, ”The Master needs it.”

019:035 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their outer garments on the colt they placed Jesus on it.

019:036 So He rode on, while they carpeted the road with their garments.

019:037 And when He was now getting near Jerusalem, and descending the Mount of Olives, the whole mult.i.tude of the disciples began in their joy to praise G.o.d in loud voices for all the mighty deeds they had witnessed.

019:038 ”Blessed is the King,” they cried, ”who comes in the name of the Lord: in Heaven peace, and glory in the highest realms.”

019:039 Thereupon some of the Pharisees in the crowd appealed to Him, saying, ”Rabbi, reprove your disciples.”

019:040 ”I tell you,” He replied, ”that if *they* became silent, the very stones would cry out.”

019:041 When He came into full view of the city, He wept aloud over it, and exclaimed, 019:042 ”O that at this time thou hadst known--yes even thou-- what makes peace possible! But now it is hid from thine eyes.

019:043 For the time is coming upon thee when thy foes will throw up around thee earthworks and a wall, investing thee and hemming thee in on every side.

019:044 And they will dash thee to the ground and thy children within thee, and will not leave one stone upon another within thee; because thou hast not recognized the time of thy visitation.”

019:045 Then Jesus entered the Temple and proceeded to drive out the dealers.

019:046 ”It is written,” He said, ”'And My house shall be the House of Prayer,' but you have made it a robbers' cave.”

019:047 And day after day He taught in the Temple, while the High Priests and the Scribes were devising some means of destroying Him, as were also the leading men of the people.

019:048 But they could not find any way of doing it, for the people all hung upon His lips.

020:001 On one of those days while He was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the Good News, the High Priests came upon Him, and the Scribes, 020:002 together with the Elders, and they asked Him, ”Tell us, By what authority are you doing these things? And who is it that gave you this authority?”

020:003 ”I also will put a question to you, ”He said; 020:004 ”was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?”

020:005 So they debated the matter with one another. ”If we say 'Heavenly,'”

they argued, ”he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

020:006 And if we say, 'human,' the people will all stone us; for they are thoroughly convinced that John was a Prophet.”

020:007 And they answered that they did not know the origin of it.

020:008 ”Nor will I tell you,” said Jesus, ”by what authority I do these things.”

020:009 Then He proceeded to speak a parable to the people.

”There was a man,” He said, ”who planted a vineyard, let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad for a considerable time.

020:010 At vintage-time he sent a servant to the vine-dressers, for them to give him a share of the crop; but the vine-dressers beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.

020:011 Then he sent a second servant; and him too they beat and ill treated and sent away empty-handed.

020:012 Then again he sent a third; and this one also they wounded and drove away.

020:013 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ”'What am I to do?

I will send my son--my dearly-loved son: they will probably respect him.'

020:014 ”But when the vine-dressers saw him, they discussed the matter with one another, and said, ”'This is the heir: let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

020:015 ”So they turned him out of the vineyard and murdered him.