The Jefferson Bible

The Life and Morals of Jesus

CHAPTER 12.

ND when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
    2 Saying unto them, Go into the village which is before you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
    3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
    4 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
    5 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and he sat thereon.
    6 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way.
    7 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
    8 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
    9 Now there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
    10 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
    11 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and then Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
    12 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
    13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
    14 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
    15 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany,
    16 Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
    17 And would not suffer that any man should carry any goods through the temple.
    18 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
    19 And the chief priests and scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his teaching.
    20 And when even was come, they went out of the city.

And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
    22 And he said unto them, But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
    23 And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
    24 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
    25 Which of the twain did the will of his father? They answer, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

Hear another parable:
    27 A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
    28 And at the harvest season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
    29 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty- handed.
    30 And again he sent unto them another servant; and they wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
    31 And again he sent another; and him they killed; and many others, beating some, and killing some.
    32 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
    33 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's.
    34 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
    35 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
    36 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
    37 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
    39 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage feast for his son,
    40 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding feast: and they would not come.
    41 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage feast.
    42 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his business:
    43 And the remnant took his servants, and treated them shamefully and slew them.
    44 But the king was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
    45 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
    46 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast.
    47 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding hall was furnished with guests.

But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
    49 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
    50 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
    51 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
    53 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither deferrest thou to any man: for thou regardest not the station of men.
    54 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to pay taxes unto Caesar, or not?
    55 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why do ye test me, ye hypocrites?
    56 Shew me the tax money. And they brought unto him a denarius.
    57 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
    58 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
    59 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
    61 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
    62 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
    63 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
    64 And last of all the woman died also.
    65 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
    66 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
    67 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels in heaven.
    68 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
    69 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
    70 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
    72 And Jesus answered him, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
    73 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
    74 The second is thus: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
    75 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
    76 And the scribe said unto him, Thou speakest rightly, Master, in that thou hast said, God is one; and there is none other but he:
    77 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love thy neighbour as thyself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.