20 seech thee have me excused.' And another said, 'I have 21 married a wife; and therefore I cannot come.' So [that]

servant came, and told his master these things. Then the master of the house was angry, and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and the 22 blind.' And the servant said, 'Sir, it is done as thou hast 23 commanded, and still there is room.' And the master said to the servant, Go out to the highways and hedges, and 24 compel men to come in; that my house may be filled. For that none of those men who were invited

25

*

6

I say unto you,
shall taste of my supper."

999

And great multitudes went with him; and he turned and 26 said unto them, "If any man come to me, and hate not † his

father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, and even his own life also, he cannot be my 27 disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come 28 after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intend

ing to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and computeth 29 the expense, whether he have sufficient to complete it? Lest perhaps, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to deride him, saying, 30 This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' Or 31 what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him who cometh against him with twenty 32 thousand? Else, while he is yet far off, he sendeth an em33 bassy, and asketh conditions of peace. In like manner, then, whosoever among you biddeth not farewel to all that he hath', he cannot be my disciple.

'all his substance, N.

✦ persuade, entreat, importune. The verse refers to sending the apostles, &c. to preach every where, N.

+ hate not: i. e. "be not ready to forsake, see ver. 33; and thus seem to neglect or hate. See Matt. x. 37." Newcome.

34

"Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its savour, with 35 what shall it be seasoned? It is not fit for the land, or for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

CH. XV. THEN all the publicans and sinners drew near unto 2 Jesus to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes

murmured, saying, "This man receiveth sinners, and eat3 eth with them." And he spake this parable unto them, 4 saying, "What man among you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the desert, and go after that which is lost, until he find 5 it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, 6 rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together

his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, 'Rejoice with 7 me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.' I say unto you that, in like manner, joy will be in heaven over one sinner who repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance.

8

"Or what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and 9 seek carefully until she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth together her friends and her neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I 10 had lost.' In like manner, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repenteth."

11

He said also*, "A certain man had two sons: and the 12 younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods which falleth to my share. And he di13 vided unto them his substance. And, not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and went into another country, and there wasted his substance by living dis

*This parable shows how graciously God receives sinners: ver. 2: and how great the displeasure of the Jews was at the reception of the sinful gentiles into the evangelical covenant. N.

14 solutely. And when he had spent all, a great famine arose 15 in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went

and joined himself to a citizen of that country; who sent 16 him into his fields to feed swine. And he desired to fill his

belly with the husks which the swine ate: and yet no man 17 gave him food. Then he came to himself, and said, 'How

many of my father's hired servants have abundance of food, 18 and I perish here' with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, ' Father, I have sinned against 19 heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be call20 ed thy son: make me as one of thine hired servants.' Then

he arose, and went to his father. But when he was yet far off, his father saw him, and had compassion on him, and ran, 21 and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy 22 sight; and am no more worthy to be called thy son*.' But

the father said to his servants, 'Bring forth the best robe, and clothe him with it: and put a ring on his hand, and 23 sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf, and kill it: 24 and let us eat and be joyful: for this my son was dead, and

is alive again; [and] was lost, and is found.' And they be25 gan to be joyful. Now his elder son was in the field; and

as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and 26 dancing. Then he called to him one of the servants, and 27 inquired what these things meant. And the servant said unto

him, 'Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the 28 fatted calf, because he hath received him in health.' And he was angry, and would not go in his father therefore 29 came out, and entreated him. And he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served thee, nor have I at any time transgressed thy commandment: and

I perish with hunger, R. T. 2 and I am, R. T. 3 Bring forth quickly, Vat. and Camb. and after them Newcome.

* Upon the authority of the Vatican, Cambridge, and other manuscripts, Newcome adds, "make me as one of thy hired servants," which he takes to be the true reading, as the repetition of ver. 19 is thus made complete.

N

yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might be joyful with 30 my friends: but when this thy son came, who hath devoured thy substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fat31 ted calf. And his father said unto him, 'Son, thou art al32 ways with me, and all that I have is thine. But it was

right that we should be joyful and glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and [was] lost, and is found.'"

CH. XVI. AND Jesus said also to his disciples, "There was a

certain rich man that had a steward; who was accused to 2 him that he wasted his substance. And he called the steward, and said to him, 'How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for thou canst be no 3 longer steward.' Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? for my master taketh away from me my 4 stewardship: I cannot dig, to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do; that, when I am put out of the steward5 ship, I may be received into their houses.' So he called to him every one of his master's debtors, and said to the first, 6 How much owest thou to my master?' And he said, 'An hundred vessels of oil.' And the steward said to him, 'Receive back thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, And how much owest thou?' And he said, An hundred measures of wheat.' And the steward saith to him, 'Receive back thy bill, and write 8 eighty.' And his master commended* the unjust steward, because he had done prudently: for the sons of this world are more prudent in their generation than the sons of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of unjust wealth'; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

'Or, uncertain, N. m. Gr. of the mammon of unrighteousness.
be received. See chap. xii. 20. N. n.

2 Or, ye may

He commended the prudence of the expedient; though he could not but condemn its dishonesty. N.

10

"He that is faithful in a very little, is faithful in much also: and he that is unjust in a very little, is unjust in much 11 also. If therefore ye have not been faithful in unjust wealth', 12 who will intrust you with true wealth? And if ye have not been faithful in that which will be another's, who will give you that which is your own?

13

14

"No servant3 can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will hold* to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and wealth".'

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all 15 these things; and they scoffed at him. And he said unto them, "Ye are they who justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is high in esteem among men is abomination in the sight of God.

1

16

"The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every one press17 eth into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than that one tittle of the law should fail.

18

19

"Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

"Now there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day : 20 and there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, that was 21 laid at his porch, full of sores; and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, 22 the dogs also came and licked his sores. And it came to

pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom *. The rich man also died, and was 23 buried. And in the unseen state he lifted up his eyes, be

Gr. unjust, or, uncertain mammon. Or, which passeth to another, N. m. 3 domestic, N. 4 Or, cleave, N. m. 5 Gr. God and mammon. Gr. splendidly.

* To recline there at a heavenly banquet. See John xiii. 25. The circum. stances mentioned in ver. 23, 24, are ornaments of the parable, which are not to be understood literally. N.