And it came to pa.s.s, when he was in a certain city, behold, there came a man full of leprosy to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, worshipped him, and fell on _his_ face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compa.s.sion, put forth _his_ hand, and touched him, and saith unto him,

I will; be thou clean.

And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. And he straightly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; and saith unto him,

See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

But he went out, and began to publish _it_ much, and to blaze abroad the matter. And great mult.i.tudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. And they came to him from every quarter. And again he entered into Capernaum after _some_ days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive _them_, no not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

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

And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy; which was borne of four. And they sought _means_ to bring him in, and to lay _him_ before him. And when they could not find by what _way_ they might bring him in, nigh unto him, because of the mult.i.tude, they went upon the housetop, and uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken _it_ up, they let him down through the tiling with _his_ couch wherein the sick of the palsy lay, into the midst before Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy,

Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, in their hearts, Why doth this _man_ thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but G.o.d only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them,

Why reason ye these things? Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, _Thy_ sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying G.o.d.

But when the mult.i.tudes saw _it_, they marvelled, and glorified G.o.d, which had given such power unto men; and were filled with fear, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. We have seen strange things to day.

And after these things he went forth again by the sea side; and all the mult.i.tude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as Jesus pa.s.sed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, (a publican named Levi) the _son_ of Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said unto him,

Follow me.

And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: And it came to pa.s.s, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they murmured against his disciples, saying, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard _it_, he saith unto them,

They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, often, and make prayers, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them,

Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

And he spake also a parable unto them;

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse, and the piece that was _taken_ out of the new agreeth not with the old.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old _wine_ straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

CHAPTER XIII.

HEALING AT THE POOL--RESURRECTION FORETOLD.

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep _market_ a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great mult.i.tude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time _in that case_, he saith unto him,

Wilt thou be made whole?

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him,

Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It it the Sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry _thy_ bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a mult.i.tude being in _that_ place. Afterwards Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him,

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them,

My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that G.o.d was his Father, making himself equal with G.o.d. Then answered Jesus and said unto them,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickeneth _them_; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all _men_ should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is pa.s.sed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of G.o.d: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of d.a.m.nation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

But I have greater witness than _that_ of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of G.o.d in you.

I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that _cometh_ from G.o.d only?

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is _one_ that accuseth you, _even_ Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

CHAPTER XIV.

DISCIPLES IN THE CORN FIELD--WITHERED HAND.