The first New Testament printed in English

by Unknown

Then said he: What is the kingdom of God like? or whereto shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his garden: and it grew, and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air built in the branches of it.

And again he said: whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of , God? It is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three bushels of flour, till all was thorow leavened. And he went thorow cities and towns teaching, and took his journey towards Ierusalem.

Then said one unto him: lord, are there few that shall be saved? And he said unto them: strive with your selves to enter in at the strait gate: For many I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When the goodman of the house is risen up, and hath shut fast the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door saying: lord, lord, open unto us: and he shall answer and say unto you: I know not whence ye are. Then shall ye begin to say: We have eaten, and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. And he shall say: I tell you, I know you not whence ye are: depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth: when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out a doors. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall rest in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last, which shall be first: And there are first which shall be last.

The same day there came certain of the pharisees, and said unto him: Get thee out of the way, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them: Go ye and tell that fox, behold I cast out devils, and heal the people to day and tomorrow, and the third day I make an end. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow, and the day following: For it cannot be, that a prophet perish any other where, save at Ierusalem. O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, which killest prophets, and stonest them that are sent to thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the hen her nest under her wings, but thou wouldest not. Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. For I tell you, ye shall not see me until the time come that ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the lord.

The .xiiij. Chapter.

And it chanced that he went into the house of one of the chief pharisees to eat bread, on a saboth day: and they watched him. And behold there was a man before him, which had the dropsy. And Iesus answered and spake unto the lawyers and pharisees, saying: is it lawful to heal on the saboth day? And they held their peace. He took the man and healed him, and let him go: And answered them saying: which of you shall have an ass, or an ox, fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the saboth day? And they could not answer him again to that.

He put forth a similitude to the guests, when he marked how they pressed to the highest rooms, and said unto them: When thou art bidden to a wedding of any man, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, and he that bade both him and thee, come and say to thee: give this man room. And thou then begin with shame to take the lowest room. But rather when thou art bidden, go and sit in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee: friend sit up higher. Then shalt thou have praise in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself, shall be brought low. And he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

Then said he also to him that had desired to him to dinner: When thou makest a dinner, or a supper: call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor yet rich neighbours: lest they bid thee again, and make thee recompense. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, and thou shalt be happy: For they cannot recompense thee. But thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just men.

When one of them that sat at meat also heard that, he said unto him: happy is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he to him: A certain man ordained a great supper, and bade many, and sent his servant at supper time, to say to them that were bidden, come: for all things are now ready. And they all at once began to make excuse. The first said unto him: I have bought a farm, and I must needs go and see it, I pray thee have me excused. And another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to prove them, I pray thee have me excused. The third said: I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. And the servant went again, and brought his master word thereof.

Then was the good man of the house displeased, and said to his servant: Go out quickly into the streets and quarters of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said: lord it is done as thou commandedst, and yet there is room. And the lord said to the servant: Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my supper.