Section XXIX.

Section XXIX.

[1] ¹⁹⁹⁶Verily I say unto you, It is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of [2] heaven.  ¹⁹⁹⁷And I say unto you also, that it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of [3] a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.  ¹⁹⁹⁸And the disciples were wondering at these sayings.  And Jesus answered and said unto them again, My children, how hard it is for those that rely on their possessions to enter the [4] kingdom of God!  ¹⁹⁹⁹And those that were listening wondered more, and said amongst [5] themselves, being agitated,²⁰⁰⁰ Who, thinkest thou, can be saved?  ²⁰⁰¹And Jesus looked at them intently, and said unto them, With men this is not possible, but with God it is:  [6] [Arabic, p. 111] it is possible for God to do everything.  ²⁰⁰²Simon Cephas said unto him, Lo, we have left everything, and followed thee; what is it, thinkest thou, that we [7] shall have?  ²⁰⁰³Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, Ye that have followed me, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also [8] shall sit on twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel.  ²⁰⁰⁴Verily I say unto you, No man leaveth houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or kinsfolk, or lands, because of the kingdom of God, or for [9] my sake, and the sake of my gospel, ²⁰⁰⁵who shall not obtain²⁰⁰⁶ many times as much in this [10] time, and in the world to come inherit eternal life:  ²⁰⁰⁷and now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecution; [11] and in the world to come everlasting life.  ²⁰⁰⁸Many that are first shall be last,²⁰⁰⁹ and that are last shall be first.

[12] ²⁰¹⁰And when the Pharisees heard all this, because of their love for wealth they [13] scoffed at him.  ²⁰¹¹And Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves before men; while God knows your hearts:  the thing that is lofty with men is base before God.

[14] ²⁰¹²And he began to say, A certain man was rich, and wore silk and purple, and enjoyed [15] himself every day in splendour:  ²⁰¹³and there was a poor man named Lazarus, and [16] he was cast down at the door of the rich man, ²⁰¹⁴afflicted with sores, and he longed to fill [Arabic, p. 112] his belly with the crumbs that fell from the table of that rich man; yea, [17] even²⁰¹⁵ the dogs used to come and lick his sores.  ²⁰¹⁶And it happened that that poor man died, and the angels conveyed him into the bosom of Abraham:  and the [18] rich man also died, and was buried.  ²⁰¹⁷And while he was being tormented in Hades, [19] he lifted up his eyes from afar, and saw Abraham with²⁰¹⁸ Lazarus in his bosom.  ²⁰¹⁹And he called with a loud voice, and said, My father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to wet the tip of his finger with water, and moisten my tongue [20] for me; for, behold, I am burned in this flame.  ²⁰²⁰Abraham said unto him, My son, remember that thou receivedst thy good things in thy life, and Lazarus his afflictions:  [21] but now, behold, he is at rest here, and thou art tormented.  ²⁰²¹And in addition to all this, there is between us and you a great abyss placed, so that they that would cross unto you from hence cannot, nor yet from thence do they cross unto [22] us.  ²⁰²²He said unto him, Then I beseech thee, my father, to send him to my father’s [23] house; ²⁰²³for I have five brethren; let him go, that they also sin not,²⁰²⁴ and come to [24] the abode of this torment.^{2025  2026}Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the [25] prophets; let them hear them.  ²⁰²⁷He said unto him, Nay,²⁰²⁸ my father Abraham:  but [26] let a man from the dead go unto them, and they will repent.  ²⁰²⁹Abraham said unto him, If they listen neither to Moses nor to the prophets, neither if a man from the dead rose would they believe him.

[27] ²⁰³⁰The kingdom of heaven is like a man that is a householder, which went out early [28] in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard.  ²⁰³¹And he agreed with the labourers on [29] one penny a day for each labourer, and he sent them into his vineyard.  ²⁰³²And he went [30] [Arabic, p. 113] out in three hours, and saw others standing in the market idle.  ²⁰³³He said unto them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and what is right I will pay you.  [31] ²⁰³⁴And they went.  And he went out also at the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise, [32] and sent them.  ²⁰³⁵And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle.  He said unto them, Why are ye standing the whole day idle?  [33] ²⁰³⁶They said unto him, Because no one hath hired us.  He said unto them, Go ye [34] also into the vineyard, and what is right ye shall receive.  ²⁰³⁷So when evening came, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the labourers, and pay them [35] their wages; and begin with the later ones, and end with the former ones.  ²⁰³⁸And [36] those of eleven hours²⁰³⁹ came, and received each a penny.  ²⁰⁴⁰When therefore the first came, they supposed that they should receive something more; and they also [37] received each a penny.  ²⁰⁴¹And when they received it, they spake angrily against the [38] householder, and said, ²⁰⁴²These last worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal [39] with us, who have suffered the heat of the day, and its burden.  ²⁰⁴³He answered and said unto one of them, My friend, I do thee no wrong:  was it not for a penny that [40] thou didst bargain with me?  ²⁰⁴⁴Take what is thine, and go thy way; for I wish to [41] give this last as I have given thee.  ²⁰⁴⁵Or am I not entitled to do with what is mine²⁰⁴⁶ [42] what I choose?  ²⁰⁴⁷Or is thine eye perchance evil, because I am good?  Thus shall the last ones be first, and the first last.  The called are many, and the chosen are few.

[43] ²⁰⁴⁸And when Jesus entered into the house of one of the chiefs of the Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, and they were watching him to see what he would [44, 45] do, ²⁰⁴⁹and there was before him a man which had the dropsy, ²⁰⁵⁰Jesus answered and [46] said unto the scribes and the Pharisees, Is it lawful on the sabbath to heal?  ²⁰⁵¹But [Arabic, p. 114] they were silent.  So he took him, and healed him, and sent him away.  [47] ²⁰⁵²And he said unto them, Which of you shall have his son or his ox fall on the sabbath day into a well, and not lift him up straightway, and draw water for [48] him?  ²⁰⁵³And they were not able to answer him a word to that.