Victorian King James Version of the New Testament: A “Selection” for Lovers of Elizabethan and Victorian Literature

By Dave Armstrong

Many revisions of the King James (Authorized) Bible of 1611 exist; even revisions of revisions have been done (ASV to NASB / RV to RSV / KJV to NKJV, etc.). The present work is a similar “hybrid”. I don't know Greek, and am therefore not qualified in the slightest to actually translate (and did not translate a single word). But I know English (as a professional author) and know the Bible (as a longtime Christian apologist) very well. This work, accordingly, isn't technically a new translation at all, but rather a “selection” or collection of what I personally felt were the best renderings that maintained the KJV style as much as possible without the archaisms. When I updated the olde English language, I sought to maintain a "high" Victorian 18th-19th century style of (British) English. This NT "selects" from the following six translations (all in the public domain): 1) KJV (1611; rev. 1769), 2) Rheims (1582; rev. 1750), 3) Young's Literal (1887), 4) Weymouth (1903), 5) 20th Century (1904), 6) Moffatt (1922).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312361096

Book preview

Matthew

The Gospel According to

MATTHEW

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Aram,

4 Aram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of king David. David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the period of the Babylonian captivity.

12 After the Babylonian captivity, Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud,

15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 There are therefore, in all, fourteen generations from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon; and fourteen from the exile to Babylon to the Christ.

18 The birth of Jesus Christ took place as follows: his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but, before the marriage took place, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.

19 As Joseph her husband was a just man but unwilling to disgrace her, he resolved to divorce her secretly;

20 But while he was contemplating these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel [Is 7:14; 9:6], which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 On waking from sleep Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him; he took his wife home,

25 And he knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

CHAPTER 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

2 Where is he who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ [i.e., the Messiah] was to be born.

5 And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a ruler, that shall rule my people Israel. [Mic 5:2]

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men in secret and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with intense joy.

11 And having come to the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country by a different road.

13 And when they departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word: for Herod is going to search for the child, to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,

15 where he stayed until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Out of Egypt have I called my son. [Hos 11:1]

16 Then Herod, when he saw the wise men had trifled with him, was furiously angry; he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the neighbourhood who were two years old or under, calculating by the time he had ascertained from the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

18 A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more. [Jer 31:15]

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,

20 Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.

21 And he arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But on hearing that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, withdrew to the region of Galilee.

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophets: He shall be called a Nazarene. [Is 11:1(?); cf. Jn 1:45]

CHAPTER 3

1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

2 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. [Is 40:3]

4 This John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather girdle round his loins; his food was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance,

9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

10 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree that does not yield good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I; his sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire:

12 His winnowing-shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, his wheat he will gather into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.

14 But John tried to prevent him. He said, It is I who need to be baptized by you; why then do you come to me?

15 Jesus replied, Let it be so on this occasion, for so we ought to fulfill every religious duty. Then he consented.

16 And Jesus was baptized, and immediately went up from the water. At that moment the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him,

17 and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

CHAPTER 4

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2 And he fasted forty days and forty nights and afterwards felt hungry.

3 And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. [Dt 8:3]

5 Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple,

6 and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. [Ps 91:11–12]

7 Jesus said to him, It is also written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [Dt 6:16]

8 Again the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,

9 and said to him, I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.

10 Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [Dt 6:13; 10:20]

11 Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

13 and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, beside the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali:

14 in order that these words, spoken through the Prophet Isaiah, might be fulfilled:

15 The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphthali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; [Is 9:1]

16 The people who were dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and, for those who were dwelling in the shadow of death, light has dawned. [Is 9:2]

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishermen.

19 And he saith to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21 Going further on, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

24 And his fame spread throughout all Syria, and people brought him all their sick, those who suffered from various diseases and pains: demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.

25 And he was followed by great multitudes of people from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

CHAPTER 5

1 On seeing the crowds of people, Jesus went up the mountain; and, when he had taken his seat, his disciples came to him;

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are the mourners: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be satisfied.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.

13 You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men.

14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under a bushel, but on a stand; and it gives light to all in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 Think not that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets: I have not come to do away with them, but to complete them.

18 For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these commandments, even the least of them, and teaches others to do so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever keeps them, and teaches others to do so, shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

21 You have heard how the men of old were told, Thou shalt not murder [Ex 20:13]; and whosoever shall murder shall be liable to judgment.

22 But I say to you, that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever pours contempt upon his brother, shall be in danger of the council, but whoever calls down curses upon him shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if you remember, even when offering your gift at the altar, that your brother has any grievance against you,

24 leave your gift before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come back and offer your gift.

25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you and he are on the way to court, lest the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you are thrown into prison.

26 Verily I say unto you, you will never get out till you pay the last halfpenny of your debt.

27 You have heard how it used to be said, Thou shalt not commit adultery. [Ex 20:14]

28 But I say to you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 And if your right eye is a hindrance to you, pluck it out and throw it away: for it is better for you to lose one of your members than that your whole body should be thrown into hell.

30 And if your right hand is a hindrance to you, cut it off and throw it away: for it is better for you to lose one of your members than that your whole body should be thrown into hell.

31 And it has been said, Whosoever divorces his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce. [Dt 24:1, 3]

32 But I say to you, that whosoever divorces his wife for any reason except for the matter of whoredom, causes her to commit adultery: and whosoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 Again, you have heard how the men of old were told, You must not swear falsely, but you shall discharge your vows to the Lord. [Lev 19:12; Num 30:2; Dt 23:21, 23]

34 But I say to you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

35 nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. [Ps 48:2]

36 Neither shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.

37 Let what you say be simply Yes or No; whatever exceeds that springs from evil.

38 You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. [Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Dt 19:21]

39 But I tell you not to resist evil, but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.

40 Whoever wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him.

42 Give to the man who begs from you, and turn not away from him who wants to borrow.

43 You have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [Lev 19:18; Dt 23:3–6]

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love only those who love you, what reward do you get for that? Do not the very tax-gatherers do as much?

47 And if you only salute your friends, what is special about that? Do not even the Gentiles do as much?

48 Be therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

CHAPTER 6

1 Take care not to practice your charity before men in order to be noticed; otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 Therefore when you give alms, make no flourish of trumpets like the hypocrites in the synagogues and the streets, so as to win applause from men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

3 But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so as to keep your alms secret; then your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.

5 And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

6 When you pray, go into your room and shut the door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.

7 But when praying, do not use needless repetitions like pagans, for they suppose they will be heard the more they say;

8 you must not be like them; for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask him.

9 After this manner therefore, pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 Moreover when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to let men see they are fasting. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 so that your fast may be seen not by men but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye is perfect, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

26 Behold the birds of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much greater value than they?

27 Which of you by being anxious can add a single foot to his height?

28 And why be anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 and yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?

31 Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, How shall we be clothed?

32 For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; but your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.

34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own anxieties. Every day has trouble enough of its own.

CHAPTER 7

1 Judge not, that you may not be judged yourselves;

2 for as you judge so you will be judged, and the measure you deal out to others will be dealt out to you again.

3 And why do you note the splinter in your brother’s eye and fail to see the beam in your own eye?

4 How can you say to your brother, Let me take out the splinter from your eye, when there lies the beam in your own eye?

5 You hypocrite! Take the beam out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.

6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and then turn and attack you.

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you:

8 For every one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened.

9 Or which of you, when asked by his son for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?

11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

12 Therefore whatever you would like men to do to you, do just the same to them: for this is the meaning of the law and the prophets.

13 Enter by the narrow gate: for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Any tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

21 Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and done many mighty works in your name?

23 And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you who are working iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever hears these words of mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock:

25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; but it did not fall: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not act upon them shall be likened to a fool who builds his house upon the sand.

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and its fall was great.

28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished speaking, the people were astonished at his teaching:

29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

CHAPTER 8

1 When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

2 And, behold, a leper came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if only you are willing, you can make me clean.

3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him, Be careful to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded as evidence of your cure.

5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came up to him, beseeching him,

6 saying, Lord, my servant is lying ill at home with paralysis, in terrible agony.

7 And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him.

8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.

10 When Jesus heard that, he marveled; he said to his followers, Verily I say unto you, I have not found faith as great as this anywhere in Israel.

11 And I say to you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13 And Jesus said to the centurion, Go your way; it shall be as you have believed. And his servant was healed at that very hour.

14 And when Jesus went into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law prostrated with fever.

15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she rose and began to wait upon him.

16 When evening came, they brought to him many who were possessed by demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick:

17 in order that this prediction of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases. [Is 53:4]

18 When Jesus saw great multitudes round him he gave orders for crossing to the other side.

19 And a certain scribe came, and said to him, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.

20 And Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

21 And another of his disciples said to him, Lord, let me first go and bury my father.

22 But Jesus said to him, Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.

23 And when he entered into the boat his disciples followed him.

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, so that the boat was buried under the waves: but he was asleep.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we are perishing.

26 And he said to them, Why are you fearful, O men of little faith? Then he rose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27 And the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

28 When he reached the opposite side, the country of the Gadarenes, he was met by two demoniacs who ran out of the tombs; they were so violent that nobody could pass along the road there.

29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, Son of God, what have you to do with us? Have you come here to torture us before it is time?

30 Now, some distance away, there was a large herd of many swine feeding,

31 so the demons begged him saying, If you are going to cast us out, send us into that herd of swine.

32 And he said to them, Go. The spirits came out, and entered the swine, and lo, the whole herd of the swine rushed down the steep slope into the sea, and perished in the waters.

33 The herdsmen fled; they went off to the city and reported the whole affair of the demoniacs.

34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

CHAPTER 9

1 And he entered into a boat and crossed over to his own city.

2 And, behold, a paralytic was brought to him, lying on a bed; and when Jesus saw the faith of the bearers he said to the paralytic, Be of good courage, my son; your sins are forgiven.

3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said to themselves: This man is blaspheming!

4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5 For which is easier to say: Your sins are forgiven; or to say, Rise and walk?

6 But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins (he then said to the paralytic), Rise, take up your bed, and go home.

7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God for giving such power to men.

9 As Jesus passed along from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-office; he said to him, Follow me; and he rose and followed him.

10 And it came to pass, as Jesus was reclining at table in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax-gatherers and sinners?

12 When Jesus heard it he said, Those who are in good health have no need of a doctor, but those who are sick.

13 But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice [Hos 6:6]. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

14 Then the disciples of John came up to him and said, Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?

15 And Jesus said to them, Can the bridegroom’s party mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

16 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch breaks away from it, and the tear is made worse.

17 Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.

18 While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hand upon her, and she shall live.

19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.

20 And behold, a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the hem of his garment:

21 for she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be healed.

22 Then Jesus turned round, and when he saw her he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

23 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd loudly wailing,

24 he said, Go out of the room; the little girl is not dead, but is asleep. And they laughed at him.

25 But after the crowd had been put out, he went in and took her hand, and the girl rose up.

26 The report of this went all over that country.

27 As Jesus departed from there, he was followed by two blind men, crying out and saying, O Son of David, have mercy on us.

28 When he went indoors the blind men came up to him, and Jesus asked them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to him, Yes, Lord.

29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it done unto you.

30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus sternly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

31 But they went out and spread the news of him all over that country.

32 As they went out, a dumb man was brought to him, who was possessed by a demon,

33 and when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke. Then the crowd marveled, saying, Such a thing has never been seen in Israel.

34 But the Pharisees said, He casts out demons through the prince of the demons.

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they were distressed and harassed, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is abundant, but the labourers are few;

38 therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

CHAPTER 10

1 And summoning his twelve disciples he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out and also to heal every sickness and disease.

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Do not go to the Gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan city,

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons: freely have you received, freely give.

9 You are not to take gold or silver or copper in your pockets,

10 nor a wallet for your journey, nor two shirts, nor sandals, nor a staff: for the workman is worthy of his nourishment.

11 Whatever city or village you go into, inquire who in it is worthy and stay with him till you leave.

12 And when you come into a house, salute it.

13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14 And whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you depart out of that house or city.

15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.

17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

18 And you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.

19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought about how to speak or what to say: for it shall be given you in that same hour what you are to say.

20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

22 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake: but he who endures to the end shall be saved.

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee into another: for verily I say to you, You shall not have completed the cities of Israel, till the Son of man comes.

24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they slander his household?

26 Fear them not: nothing is veiled that shall not be revealed, or hidden that shall not be known.

27 What I tell you in the dark, you must utter in the open, what you hear in a whisper you must proclaim upon the housetops.

28 Have no fear of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul: rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unless your Father wills it.

30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows.

32 Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.

33 But whoever shall deny me before men I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

34 Think not that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

35 For I have come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. [Mic 7:6]

36 And a man’s foes will be those of his own household. [Mic 7:6]

37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

39 He who finds his life shall lose it: and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it.

40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.

41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

CHAPTER 11

1 After finishing these instructions to his twelve disciples, Jesus departed to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 Now when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3 to inquire, Are you he who is coming, or are we to look for another?

4 Jesus answered them, Go and report to John what you hear and see:

5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he who does not stumble in me.

7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

8 What did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

9 Why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.

10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. [Mal 3:1]

11 Verily I say unto you, no one has arisen among the sons of women who is greater than John the Baptist, and yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16 But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplace, who call to their playmates,

17 We have played the flute for you, but you have not danced; We have wailed, but you have not mourned.

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.

19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners. But wisdom is justified by her actions.

20 Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been performed, because they would not repent.

21 Woe unto you, Chorazin! Woe unto you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22 But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment, than for you.

23 And you, Capernaum, shall you be exalted up to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades: for if the mighty works, which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24 But I say to you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.

25 At that time Jesus spoke and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes.

26 Yes, Father, for such has been your gracious will.

27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father: and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and humble in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

CHAPTER 12

1 At that time Jesus went through the cornfields on the sabbath day; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the ears of corn and eat them.

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Behold, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.

3 But he said to them, Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry,

4 how he went into the house of God, and ate the bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have you not read in the law, how on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

6 But I say to you, One is here who is greater than the temple.

7 But if you had known what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice [Hos 6:6], you would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath.

9 And when he departed from there, he went into their synagogue:

10 And, behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, that they might accuse him, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?

11 But Jesus said to them, Which of you, if he had one sheep, and that sheep fell into a pit on the sabbath, would not lay hold of it and pull it out?

12 Is not a man far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.

13 Then he said to the man, Stretch out your hand. He stretched it out, and it was quite restored, whole like the other.

14 So the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, to destroy him;

15 But Jesus knowing it, withdrew himself: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

16 charging them strictly not to make him known:

17 that it might be fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. [Is 42:1]

19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. [Is 42:2]

20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. [Is 42:3]

21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. [Is 42:3–4]

22 Then a blind and dumb demoniac was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw.

23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Can this be the son of David?

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?

27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 Or how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house.

30 He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.

31 Therefore, I say to you, men will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy; but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in the present age, or in the age to come.

33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.

34 You brood of vipers, how can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good: and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

36 But I say to you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every careless word they utter.

37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, Teacher, we would like to see a sign from you.

39 But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah;

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah here.

42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

43 When an unclean spirit leaves a man, it roams through dry places seeking rest and finds none.

44 Then it says, I will go back to the house I left, and when it comes it finds the house empty, swept, and all in order.

45 Then it goes, and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also with this wicked generation.

46 He was still speaking to the crowds when his mother and brothers came and stood outside, desiring to speak with him.

47 Then a man said to him, Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to speak with you.

48 But he answered and said to the man who told him this, Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?

49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brothers!

50 For whoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.

CHAPTER 13

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside;

2 but, as great multitudes gathered to him, he entered a boat and sat down, while the whole multitude stood on the beach.

3 And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them:

5 some fell upon stony soil, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no depth of soil;

6 and when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.

8 Other seeds fell on good soil and bore a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.

9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables?

11 He answered and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For he who has, to him shall more be given and richly given, but whoever has not, from him shall be taken even what he has.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because for all their seeing they do not see and for all their hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: [Is 6:9]

15 For this people’s mind is stupefied, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. [Is 6:10; Ps 119:70; Zech 7:11]

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear;

17 for verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men longed to see that which you see, and did not see it, and to hear that which you hear, and they did not hear it.

18 Hear therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; that is the man who is sown by the wayside.

20 As for him who is sown on stony soil, that is the man who hears the word and receives it at once with enthusiasm;

21 he has no root in himself, he does not last, but when the word brings trouble or persecution, he falls away at once.

22 As for him who