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[1] 1996 Verily I say unto you, It is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of [2] heaven. 1997 And I say unto you also, that it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of [3] a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. 1998 And the disciples were wondering at these sayings. And Jesus answered and said unto them again, My children, how hard it is for those that rely on their possessions to enter the [4] kingdom of God! 1999 And those that were listening wondered more, and said amongst [5] themselves, being agitated, 2000 Who, thinkest thou, can be saved? 2001 And Jesus looked at p. 88 them intently, and said unto them, With men this is not possible, but with God it is: [6] [Arabic, p. 111] it is possible for God to do everything. 2002 Simon Cephas said unto him, Lo, we have left everything, and followed thee; what is it, thinkest thou, that we [7] shall have? 2003 Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, Ye that have followed me, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also [8] shall sit on twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel. 2004 Verily I say unto you, No man leaveth houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or kinsfolk, or lands, because of the kingdom of God, or for [9] my sake, and the sake of my gospel, 2005 who shall not obtain 2006 many times as much in this [10] time, and in the world to come inherit eternal life: 2007 and now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecution; [11] and in the world to come everlasting life. 2008 Many that are first shall be last, 2009 and that are last shall be first.
[12] 2010 And when the Pharisees heard all this, because of their love for wealth they [13] scoffed at him. 2011 And Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves before men; while God knows your hearts: the thing that is lofty with men is base before God.
[14] 2012 And he began to say, A certain man was rich, and wore silk and purple, and enjoyed [15] himself every day in splendour: 2013 and there was a poor man named Lazarus, and [16] he was cast down at the door of the rich man, 2014 afflicted with sores, and he longed to fill [Arabic, p. 112] his belly with the crumbs that fell from the table of that rich man; yea, [17] even 2015 the dogs used to come and lick his sores. 2016 And it happened that that poor man died, and the angels conveyed him into the bosom of Abraham: and the [18] rich man also died, and was buried. 2017 And while he was being tormented in Hades, [19] he lifted up his eyes from afar, and saw Abraham with 2018 Lazarus in his bosom. 2019 And he called with a loud voice, and said, My father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to wet the tip of his finger with water, and moisten my tongue [20] for me; for, behold, I am burned in this flame. 2020 Abraham said unto him, My son, remember that thou receivedst thy good things in thy life, and Lazarus his afflictions: [21] but now, behold, he is at rest here, and thou art tormented. 2021 And in addition to all this, there is between us and you a great abyss placed, so that they that would cross unto you from hence cannot, nor yet from thence do they cross unto [22] us. 2022 He said unto him, Then I beseech thee, my father, to send him to my father’s [23] house; 2023 for I have five brethren; let him go, that they also sin not, 2024 and come to [24] the abode of this torment. 2025 2026 Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the [25] prophets; let them hear them. 2027 He said unto him, Nay, 2028 my father Abraham: but [26] let a man from the dead go unto them, and they will repent. 2029 Abraham said unto him, If they listen neither to Moses nor to the prophets, neither if a man from the dead rose would they believe him.
[27] 2030 The kingdom of heaven is like a man that is a householder, which went out early [28] in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. 2031 And he agreed with the labourers on [29] one penny a day for each labourer, and he sent them into his vineyard. 2032 And he went [30] [Arabic, p. 113] out in three hours, and saw others standing in the market idle. 2033 He said unto them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and what is right I will pay you. [31] 2034 And they went. And he went out also at the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise, [32] and sent them. 2035 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said unto them, Why are ye standing the whole day idle? [33] 2036 They said unto him, Because no one hath hired us. He said unto them, Go ye [34] also into the vineyard, and what is right ye shall receive. 2037 So when evening came, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the labourers, and pay them [35] their wages; and begin with the later ones, and end with the former ones. 2038 And [36] those of eleven hours 2039 came, and received each a penny. 2040 When therefore the first came, they supposed that they should receive something more; and they also [37] received each a penny. 2041 And when they received it, they spake angrily against the p. 89 [38] householder, and said, 2042 These last worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal [39] with us, who have suffered the heat of the day, and its burden. 2043 He answered and said unto one of them, My friend, I do thee no wrong: was it not for a penny that [40] thou didst bargain with me? 2044 Take what is thine, and go thy way; for I wish to [41] give this last as I have given thee. 2045 Or am I not entitled to do with what is mine 2046 [42] what I choose? 2047 Or is thine eye perchance evil, because I am good? Thus shall the last ones be first, and the first last. The called are many, and the chosen are few.
[43] 2048 And when Jesus entered into the house of one of the chiefs of the Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, and they were watching him to see what he would [44, 45] do, 2049 and there was before him a man which had the dropsy, 2050 Jesus answered and [46] said unto the scribes and the Pharisees, Is it lawful on the sabbath to heal? 2051 But [Arabic, p. 114] they were silent. So he took him, and healed him, and sent him away. [47] 2052 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have his son or his ox fall on the sabbath day into a well, and not lift him up straightway, and draw water for [48] him? 2053 And they were not able to answer him a word to that.
cf. note, § 1, 14. Borg. MS, omits being agitated.
87:2001 88:2002Luke xviii. 28; Matt. xix. 27<b.
88:2003 88:2004 88:2005 88:2006Lit. meet with; or, be recompensed with.
88:2007 88:2008 88:2009The Arabic words are not so strong.
88:2010 88:2011 88:2012 88:2013 88:2014 88:2015 88:2016 88:2017 88:2018 88:2019 88:2020 88:2021 88:2022 88:2023 88:2024The Syriac and Arabic versions here agree with the Greek. For a plausible suggestion as to the origin of the strange reading in the text, see Harris, The Diatessaron of Tatian, p. 21, who cites a parallel from Aphraates.
88:2025This may be simply a corruption of the Peshitta.
88:2026 88:2027 88:2028Or, Surely. The word is omitted by Borg. ms.
88:2029 88:2030 88:2031 88:2032 88:2033 88:2034 88:2035 88:2036 88:2037 88:2038 88:2039i.e., probably the eleventh hour (cf. § 21, 10).
88:2040 88:2041 89:2042 89:2043 89:2044 89:2045 89:2046 89:2047 89:2048 89:2049 89:2050 89:2051 89:2052 89:2053