When Iesus perceived their thoughts, he answered and said unto them: What think ye in your hearts? Whether is easier to say, thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say: Rise and walk? That ye may know that the son of man hath power to forgive sins on earth, he said unto the sick of the palsy: I say to thee, arise, take up thy bed and go home to thy house. And immediately he rose up before them all, and took up his bed whereon he lay, and departed to his own house praising God. And they were ail amazed, and they lauded God, and were filled with fear, saying: We have seen strange things today.
And after that he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him: follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And that same Levi made him a great feast at home in his own house. And there was a great company of publicans, and of other that sat at meat with him. And the scribes and pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying: Why eat ye and drink ye, with publicans and sinners? Iesus answered and said unto them: They that are whole, need not of the physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous to repentance: but the sinners.
They said unto him: Why do the disciples of Ihon fast often and pray: and the disciples of the pharisees also: and thine eat and drink? To whom he said: Can ye make the Children of the wedding fast, as long as the bridegroom is present with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast in those days.
He spake unto them in a similitude: No man putteth a piece of a new garment, into an old vesture: for if he do, then breaketh he the new and the piece that was taken out of the new, agreeth not with the old. Also no man poureth new wine into old vessels, if he do, the new wine breaketh the vessels, and runneth out itself, and the vessels perish: But new wine must be poured into new vessels, and both are preserved. Also no man that drinketh old wine, straightway can away with new, for he sayeth: the old is pleasanter.
The .vj. Chapter.
It happened on an after Sabbath, they went thorow the corn field, and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and ate them, and rubbed them in their hands. Certain of the pharisees said unto them: Why do ye that which is not lawful to be done on the saboth days? Iesus answered them and said: Have ye not read what David did, when he himself was an hungered, and they which were with him: how he went into the house of God, and took and ate the loaves of hallowed bread, and gave also to them which were with him: which was not lawful to eat, but for the priests only. And he said unto them: The son of man is lord even of the saboth day.
And it fortuned in another saboth also, that he entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man, whose right hand was dried up. The scribes, and pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the saboth day or not, that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand: Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. He arose, and stepped forth. Then said Iesus unto them: I will ask you a question: Whether is it lawful on the saboth days to do good, or to do evil? to save life or for to destroy it? And he beheld them all in compass, and said unto the man: Stretch forth thy hand. He did so, and his hand was restored, and made as whole as the other. And they were filled full of madness, and communed one with another, what they might do to Iesu.
It fortuned in those days, he went out into a mountain for to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And as soon as it was day, he called his disciples, and of them he chose twelve, which also he called his apostles. Simon, whom also he named Peter: and Andrew his brother, Iames and Ihon, Philip and Bartlemew, Matthew and Thomas, Iames the son of Alpheus and Simon called Zelotes, and Iudas Iames' son, and Iudas Iscariot, which same was the traitor.
And he came down with them and stood in the plain field with the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all parts of Iury and Ierusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases, and they also that were vexed with foul spirits, and they were healed. And all the people pressed to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
And he lifted up his eyes upon the disciples, and said: Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger: for ye shall be satisfied. Blessed are ye that weep: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men hate you, and thrust you out of their company, and rail on you, and abhor your name, as an evil thing, for the son of man's sake. Rejoice ye then, and be glad: for behold your reward is great in heaven. After this manner their fathers entreated the prophets.