THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW. 3 IN the days of Herod appeared John the 2 Baptist, preaching in the Desert of Judæa, and saying, Reform; for the kingdom of Heaven is a at hand. This is he of whom the prophet Isa iah spoke, when he said, A voice is crying in the desert, Prepare the way of the LORD, make his 4 road straight.* And John had a garment of camel's hair, with a leathern girdle round his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Б THEN went out to him Jerusalem and all Judæa and all the country about the Jordan, 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, acknowledging their sins. But seeing many of Ch. iii. 1-17. Compare Mark i. 1-11; Luke iii. 1–22. * Isaiah xl. 3. 8 9 the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Brood of vipers! who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear, then, fruit worthy of reformation; and think not to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; for I tell you, God can from these stones raise up children to Abraham. Every tree that bears not good fruit will be cut 10 down and cast into the fire; and even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees. I am bap- 11 tizing you in water that you may reform; but he who is coming after me is mightier than I,- one whose sandals I am not worthy to bear; he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; for he will come prepared for win- 12 nowing, and will thoroughly cleanse his grain, and gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn in a fire not to be quenched. THEN came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan 13 to be baptized by John. But John opposed 14 him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? But Jesus answered, Per- 15 mit it now; for thus must we do to accomplish all that is right. Then he permitted him. And 10 as soon as Jesus was baptized and came out of the water, lo! the heavens were opened to John, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a 17 dove and coming upon Jesus; and lo! a voice from the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. 4 THEN was Jesus led by the Spirit into the 2 Desert, to be tempted by the Devil. And after fasting forty days and nights, at last he was 8 hungry. And the Tempter came to him and you are the Son of God, command these 4 stones to become bread. But Jesus answered, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but in whatever way God may ordain.* 5 said, If Then the Devil took him to the Holy City, 6 and placed him on a part of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down; for it is written, He will give his angels charge concerning thee; and they will bear thee up in their hands, that thou mayest not 7 dash thy foot against a stone.† Jesus said to him, It is written also, Thou shalt not make trial of the LORD, thy God.‡ Ch. iv. 1-11. Compare Mark i. 12, 13; Luke iv. 1–13. Deuteronomy vi. 16. Again, the Devil took him to a very high 8 mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory, and said to him, All 9 these will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, Go from 10 my sight, thou the Enemy! for it is written, Thou shalt worship the LORD, thy God, and him alone shalt thou serve." Then the Devil left 11 him, and lo! angels came and ministered to him. BUT Jesus, hearing that John was appre- 12 hended, removed to Galilee, and, leaving Naza- 18 reth, went to dwell at Capernaum on the shore of the lake, on the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali, that what was spoken by Isaiah the 14 prophet might be fulfilled: - The land of Zeb- 15 ulon and the land of Naphtali, the land by the way of the lake, and beyond the Jordan, — Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who were in dark- 16 ness, saw a great light; and upon those who were in the region and shadow of death a light arose.t FROM that time Jesus began to preach, say- 17 Verses 12-17. Compare Mark i. 14, 15; Luke iv. 14, 15, 31. 18 ing, Reform; for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. AND as he was walking by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net 19 into the lake; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, Be my followers, and I will 20 make you fishers of men. And they immedi 21 ately left their nets and became his followers. And going on, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in their boat with Zebedee their father, putting 22 their nets in order; and he invited them. And they, immediately leaving the boat and their father, became his followers. 23 AND Jesus went over the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the glad news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every malady among the peo24 ple. And his fame spread through all Syria ; and all the sick were brought to him, men afflicted with diverse diseases and torments, dæ Verses 18-22. Compare Mark i. 16-20; Luke v. 1-11. |