Section XIV.

[1] 938Verily I say unto you, There hath not arisen among those whom women have borne a greater than John the Baptist; but he that is little now in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

[2] [Arabic, p. 54] 939And all the people which heard, and the publicans, justified940 God, for [3] they had been baptized with the baptism of John.  941But the Pharisees and the scribes wronged942 the purpose of God in themselves, in that they were not baptized of [4] him.  943And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is [5] snatched away by violence.  944The law and the prophets were until John; and after that, the kingdom of God is preached, and all press to enter it:  945and they that exert themselves [6, 7] snatch it away.  946All the prophets and the law until John prophesied.  947And if ye [8] will, then receive it, that he is Elijah, which is to come.  948Whosoever hath ears that hear [9] let him hear.  949Easier is the perishing of heaven and earth, than the passing away of [10] one point of the law.  950To whom then shall I liken the people of this generation,951 and [11] to whom are they like?  952They are like the children sitting in the market, which call to their companions, and say, We sang to you, and ye danced not; we wailed to you, [12] and ye wept not.  953John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; [13] and ye said, He hath demons:  954and the Son of man came eating and drinking; and ye said, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drinker of wine, and an associate of publicans [14, 15] and sinners!  955And wisdom was justified of all her children.  956And when he said that, they came to the house.  And there gathered unto him again multitudes, [16] so that they found not bread to eat.  957And while he was casting out a devil which was dumb, when he cast out that devil, that dumb man spake.  And the multitudes [17] [Arabic, p. 55] marvelled.  958And the Pharisees, when they heard, said, This man doth not cast out the devils, except by Beelzebul the chief of the demons, which is in him.  [18, 19] 959And others requested of him a sign from heaven, to tempt him.  960And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them in parables, Every kingdom that withstandeth itself shall become desolate; and every house or city that disagreeth with itself shall not [20] stand:  961and if a devil cast out a devil, he withstandeth himself; neither shall he be [21] able to stand, but his end shall be.  962Then how now shall his kingdom stand? for ye [22] said that I cast out devils by Beelzebul.  963And if I by Beelzebul cast out the devils, then your children, by what do they cast them out?  And for this cause they shall [23] be judges against you.  964But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then the kingdom [24] of God is come near unto you.  965Or how can a man enter into the house of a valiant man, and seize his garments,966 if he do not beforehand secure himself967 from [25] that valiant man? and then will he cut off968 his house.  969But when the valiant man is [26] armed, guarding his house, his possessions are in peace.  970But if one come who is more valiant than he, he overcometh him, and taketh his whole armour, on which [27] he relieth, and divideth his spoil.  971Whosoever is not with me is against me; and [28] whosoever gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.  972For this reason I say unto you, [Arabic, p. 56] that all sins and blasphemies with which men blaspheme shall be forgiven [29] them:  973but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, there is no [30] forgiveness for him for ever, but he is deserving of eternal punishment:  974because they [31] said that he had an unclean spirit.  975And he said also, Every one that speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to [32] come.  976Either ye must make a good tree977 and its fruit good; or ye must make an evil [33] tree978 and its fruit evil:  for the tree is known by its fruit.  979Ye children of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? from the overflowings of the heart the mouth [34] speaketh.  980The good man from the good treasures which are in his heart bringeth forth good things; and the wicked man from the evil treasures which are in his [35] heart bringeth forth evils.  981I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall [36] speak, they shall give an answer for in the day of judgement:  982for by thy sayings thou shalt be justified, and by thy sayings thou shalt be judged.

[37] 983And he said to the multitudes, When ye see the clouds appear from the west, [38] straightway ye say that there cometh rain; and so it cometh to pass.  984And when [39] the south wind bloweth, ye say that there will be heat; and it cometh to pass.  985And when the evening is come, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the heaven has become [40] red.  986And in the morning ye say, To-day there will be severe weather, for the redness [Arabic, p. 57] of the heaven is paling.  987Ye hypocrites, ye know to examine the face of the heaven and the earth; but the signs of this time ye know not to discern.

[41] 988Then they brought to him one possessed of a demon, dumb and blind; and he [42] healed him, so that the dumb and blind began to speak and see.  989And all the multitudes wondered, and said, Is this, think you, the son of David?

[43] 990And the apostles returned unto Jesus, and told him everything that they had [44] done and wrought.991  992And he said unto them, Come, let us go into the desert alone, and rest ye a little.  And many were going and returning, and they had not leisure, not even to eat bread.