Section XXXIV.

Section XXXIV.

[1] ²³¹⁵Then went the Pharisees and considered how they might ensnare him in a word, [2] and deliver him into the power of the judge,²³¹⁶ and into the power of the ruler.  ²³¹⁷And they sent unto him their disciples, with the kinsfolk of Herod; and they said unto him, [Arabic, p. 129] Teacher, we know that thou speakest the truth, and teachest the way of God with equity,²³¹⁸ and art not lifted up²³¹⁹ by any man:  for thou actest not so as to [3] be seen of any man.  ²³²⁰Tell us now, What is thy opinion?  Is it lawful that we should [4] pay the tribute to Cæsar, or not? shall we give, or shall we not give?  ²³²¹But Jesus knew [5] their deceit, and said unto them, ²³²²Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?  Shew me the [6] penny of the tribute.  ²³²³So they brought unto him a penny.  Jesus said unto them, To whom belongeth this image and inscription?  They said unto him, To Cæsar.  [7, 8] ²³²⁴He said unto them, Give what is Cæsar’s to Cæsar, and what is God’s to God.  ²³²⁵And they could not make him slip in a single word before the people; and they marvelled at his word, and refrained.

[9] ²³²⁶And on that day came the Sadducees, and said unto him,²³²⁷ There is no life for [10] the dead.  ²³²⁸And they asked him, and said unto him, Teacher, Moses said unto us, If a man die, not having children, let his brother take his wife, and raise up seed [11] for his brother.  ²³²⁹Now there were with us seven brethren:  and the first took a wife, [12] and died without children; ²³³⁰and the second took his wife, and died without children; [13] ²³³¹and the third also took her; and in like manner the seven of them also, and they [14, 15] died without leaving children.  ²³³²And last of them all the woman died also.  ²³³³At the resurrection, then, which of these seven shall have this woman? for all of them took [16] her.  ²³³⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, Is it not for this that ye have erred, [17] because ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God?  ²³³⁵And the sons of this [18] world take wives, and the women become the men’s;^{2336 2337}but those that have become worthy of that world, and the resurrection from among the dead, do²³³⁸ not take [19] [Arabic, p. 130] wives, and the women also do²³³⁹ not become the men’s.  ²³⁴⁰Nor is it possible that they should die; but they²³⁴¹ are like the angels, and are the children of [20] God, because they have become the children of the resurrection.  ²³⁴²For in²³⁴³ the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read in the book of Moses, how from the bush God said unto him, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?  [21] ²³⁴⁴And God is not the God of the dead, but of the living:  for all of them are alive with him.  And ye have erred greatly.

[22, 23] ²³⁴⁵And when the multitudes heard, they were wondering at his teaching.  ²³⁴⁶And [24] some of the scribes answered and said unto him, Teacher, thou hast well said.  ²³⁴⁷But the rest of the Pharisees, when they saw his silencing the Sadducees on this point, gathered against him to contend with him.

[25] ²³⁴⁸And one of the scribes, of those that knew the law, when he saw the excellence [26] of his answer to them, desired to try him, and said unto him, ²³⁴⁹What shall I do to inherit eternal life? and, ²³⁵⁰Which of the commandments is greater, and has precedence [27] in the law?  ²³⁵¹Jesus said unto him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O [28] Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one:  ²³⁵²and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy thought, and with all thy [29, 30] strength.  ²³⁵³This is the great and preëminent²³⁵⁴ commandment.  ²³⁵⁵And the second, which is like it, is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  And another commandment [31] greater than these two there is not.  ²³⁵⁶On these two commandments, then, are hung the [32] [Arabic, p. 131] law and the prophets.  ²³⁵⁷That scribe said unto him, Excellent! my Master;²³⁵⁸ thou hast said truly that he is one, and there is no other outside of him:  [33] ²³⁵⁹and that a man should love him with all his heart, and with all his thought, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, and that he should love his neighbour as [34] himself, is better than all savours and sacrifices.  ²³⁶⁰And Jesus saw him that he had answered wisely; and he answered and said unto him, Thou art not far from the [35, 36] kingdom of God.  ²³⁶¹Thou hast spoken rightly:  do this, and thou shalt live.  ²³⁶²And he, as his desire was to justify himself, said unto him, And who is my neighbour?  [37] ²³⁶³Jesus said unto him, A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and the robbers fell upon him, and stripped²³⁶⁴ him, and beat him, his life remaining in him but little,²³⁶⁵ [38] and went away.  ²³⁶⁶And it happened that there came down a certain priest that way; [39] and he saw him, and passed by.  ²³⁶⁷And likewise a Levite also came and reached [40] that place, and saw him, and passed by.  ²³⁶⁸And a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, [41] came to²³⁶⁹ the place where he was, and saw him, and had compassion on him, ²³⁷⁰and came near, and bound up his strokes,²³⁷¹ and poured on them wine and oil; and he set²³⁷² him on the ass, and brought him to the inn, and expended his care upon him.  [42] ²³⁷³And on the morrow of that day he took out two pence, and gave them to the innkeeper, and said unto him, Care for him; and if thou spendest upon him more, [43] when I return, I shall give thee.  ²³⁷⁴Who of these three now, thinkest thou, is nearest [44] to him that fell among the robbers?  ²³⁷⁵And he said unto him, He that had compassion [45] [Arabic, p. 132] on him.  ²³⁷⁶Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou also likewise.  And no man dared afterwards to ask him anything.

[46] ²³⁷⁷And he was teaching every day in the temple.  But the chief priests and scribes and the elders of the people sought to destroy him:  ²³⁷⁸and they could²³⁷⁹ not find what [47] they should do with him; and all the people were hanging upon him to hear him.  [48] ²³⁸⁰And many of the multitude believed on him, and said, The Messiah, when he [49] cometh, can it be that he will do more than these signs that this man doeth?  ²³⁸¹And the Pharisees heard the multitudes say that of him; and the chief priests sent [50] officers²³⁸² to seize him.  ²³⁸³And Jesus said unto them, I am with you but a short time [51] yet, and I go to him that sent me.  ²³⁸⁴And ye shall seek me, and shall not find me:  [52] and where I shall be, ye shall not be able to come.  ²³⁸⁵The Jews said within themselves, Whither hath this man determined to go that we shall not be able²³⁸⁶ to find him? can it be that he is determined to go to the regions of the nations,²³⁸⁷ and teach [53] the heathen?  ²³⁸⁸What is this word that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me:  and where I am, ye cannot come?