The Jefferson Bible

The Life and Morals of Jesus

CHAPTER 5.

HERE were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
    2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?
    3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
    4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
    5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
    6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
    7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
    8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
    9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
    11 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
    12 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
    13 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
    14 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
    15 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
    16 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
    17 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
    18 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
    19 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
    20 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
    21 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
    22 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
    24 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
    25 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
    26 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
    27 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
    28 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
    29 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
    30 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
    31 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
    32 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
    34 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
    35 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
    36 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
    37 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
    38 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
    40 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
    41 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
    43 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
    44 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
    45 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
    46 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
    47 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
    48 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
    50 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
    51 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
    52 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
    53 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
    54 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and all them which do iniquity;
    55 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
    56 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
    58 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
    59 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
    61 Which, when it was full, they drew it to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
    62 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
    63 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
    64 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
    65 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
    66 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
    67 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
    68 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
    69 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
    71 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
    72 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
    73 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
    74 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.