5:15. But the fame of him went abroad the more: and great mult.i.tudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

5:16. And he retired into the desert; and prayed.

5:17. And it came to pa.s.s on a certain day, as he sat teaching, that there were also Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, that were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was to heal them.

5:18. And behold, men brought in a bed a man who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before him.

5:19. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the mult.i.tude, they went up upon the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst before Jesus.

5:20. Whose faith when he saw, he said: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

5:21. And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but G.o.d alone?

5:22. And when Jesus knew their thoughts, answering he said to them: What is it you think in your hearts?

5:23. Which is easier to say: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise and walk?

5:24. But that you may know that the Son of man hath the power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy), I say to thee to: Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house.

5:25. And immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay: and he went away to his own house, glorifying G.o.d.

5:26. And all were astonished: and they glorified G.o.d. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful things to-day.

5:27. And after these things, he went forth and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him: Follow me.

5:28. And leaving all things, he rose up and followed him.

5:29. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: And there was a great company of publicans and of others that were at table with them.

5:30. But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

5:31. And Jesus answering, said to them: They that are whole need not the physician: but they that are sick.

5:32. I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.

5:33. And they said to him: Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees in like manner; but thine eat and drink?

5:34. To whom he said: Can you make the children of the bridegroom fast whilst the bridegroom is with them?

5:35. But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them: then shall they fast in those days.

5:36. And he spoke also a similitude to them: That no man putteth a piece from a new garment upon an old garment: otherwise he both rendeth the new, and the piece taken from the new agreeth not with the old.

5:37. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the new wine will break the bottles; and it will be spilled and the bottles will be lost.

5:38. But new wine must be put into new bottles: and both are preserved.

5:39. And no man drinking old hath presently a mind to new: for he saith: The old is better.

Luke Chapter 6

Christ excuses his disciples. He cures upon the sabbath day, chooses the twelve and makes a sermon to them.

6:1. And it came to pa.s.s on the second first sabbath that, as he went through the corn fields, his disciples plucked the ears and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

The second first sabbath... Some understand this of the sabbath of Pentecost, which was the second in course among the great feasts: others, of a sabbath day that immediately followed any solemn feast.

6:2. And some of the Pharisees said to them: Why do you that which is not lawful on the sabbath days?

6:3. And Jesus answering them, said: Have you not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was hungry and they that were with him:

6:4. How he went into the house of G.o.d and took and ate the bread of proposition and gave to them that were with him, which is not lawful to eat but only for the priests?

6:5. And he said to them: The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

6:6. And it came to pa.s.s also, on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered.

6:7. And the scribes and Pharisees watched if he would heal on the sabbath: that they might find an accusation against him.

6:8. But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand: Arise and stand forth in the midst. And rising he stood forth.

6:9. Then Jesus said to them: I ask you, if it be lawful on the sabbath days to do good or to do evil? To save life or to destroy?

6:10. And looking round about on them all, he said to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth. And his hand was restored.

6:11. And they were filled with madness: and they talked one with another, what they might do to Jesus.

6:12. And it came to pa.s.s in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray: and he pa.s.sed the whole night in the prayer of G.o.d.

6:13. And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples: and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles):

6:14. Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

6:15. Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes,

6:16. And Jude the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.

6:17. And coming down with them, he stood in a plain place: and the company of his disciples and a very great mult.i.tude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast, both of Tyre and Sidon,

6:18. Who were come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.

6:19. And all the mult.i.tude sought to touch him: for virtue went out from him and healed all.

6:20. And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of G.o.d.

6:21. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh.

6:22. Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.