Section XXXIII.

[1] [Arabic, p. 125] 2167And when evening came, Jesus went forth outside of the city, he and his [2] disciples.  2168And as they passed in the morning, the disciples saw that fig tree [3] withered away from its root.  2169And they passed by, and said, How did the fig tree dry [4] up immediately?  2170And Simon remembered, and said unto him, My Master, behold, [5] that fig tree which thou didst curse hath dried up.  2171And Jesus answered and said [6] unto them, Let there be in you the faith of God.  2172Verily I say unto you, if ye believe, and doubt not in your hearts, and assure yourselves that that will be which [7] ye say, ye shall have what ye say.  2173And if ye say to this mountain, Remove, and [8] fall2174 into the sea, it shall be.  2175And all that ye ask God in prayer, and believe, he [9, 10] will give you.  2176And the apostles2177 said unto our Lord, Increase our2178 faith.  2179He said unto them, If there be in you faith like a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this fig tree, Be thou torn up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it will obey you.  [11] 2180Who of you hath a servant driving a yoke of oxen or tending sheep, and if he [12] come from the field, will say unto him straightway, Go and sit down?  2181Nay,2182 he will say unto him, Make ready for me wherewith I may sup, and gird thy waist, and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink also.  [13] 2183Doth that servant haply, who did what he was bid, receive his praise?  I think [14] not.  2184So ye also, when ye have done all that ye were bid, say, We are idle servants; what it was our duty to do, we have done.

[15] 2185For this reason I say unto you, Whatever ye pray and ask, believe that ye [16] [Arabic, p. 126] receive, and ye shall have.  2186And when ye stand to pray, forgive what is in your heart against any man; and your Father which is in heaven will [17] forgive you also your wrong-doings.  2187But if ye forgive not men their wrong-doings, neither will your Father forgive you also your wrong-doings.

[18] 2188And he spake unto them a parable also, that they should pray at all times, and [19] not be slothful:  2189There was a judge in a city, who feared not God, nor was ashamed [20] for men:  2190and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, and said, [21] Avenge me of mine adversary.  2191And he would not for a long time:  but afterwards he said within himself, If of God I have no fear, and before men I have no shame; [22] 2192yet because this widow vexeth me, I will avenge her, that she come not at all times [23, 24] and annoy me.  2193And our Lord said, Hear ye what the judge of injustice said.  2194And shall not God still more do vengeance for his elect, who call upon him in the night [25] and in the day, and grant them respite?  2195I say unto you, He will do vengeance for them speedily. Thinkest thou the Son of man will come and find faith on the earth?

[26, 27] 2196And they came again to Jerusalem.  2197And it came to pass, on one of the days, as Jesus was walking in the temple, and teaching the people, and preaching the [28] gospel, 2198that the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came upon him, and said unto him, Tell us:  2199By what power doest thou this? and who gave thee this [29] power to do that?  2200And Jesus said unto them, I also will ask you one word, and if [30] ye tell me, I also shall tell you by what power I do that.  2201The baptism of John, from [31] what place is it? from heaven or of men?  2202Tell me.  2203And they reflected within themselves, [Arabic, p. 127] and said, If we shall say unto him, From heaven; he will say unto [32] us, For what reason did ye not believe him?  2204But2205 if we shall say, Of men; [33] we fear2206 that the people will stone us, all of them.  2207And all of them were holding2208 [34] to John, that he was a true prophet.  2209They answered and said unto him, We know [35] not.  2210Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you also by what power I work.  What think ye?  A man had two sons; and he went to the first, and said unto him, My [36] son, go to-day, and till in the vineyard.  2211And he answered and said, I do not wish [37] to:  but finally he repented, and went.  2212And he went to the other, and said unto [38] him likewise.  2213And he answered and said, Yea, my lord:  and went not.  Which of these two did the will of his father?  They said unto him, The first.  Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, The publicans and harlots go before you into [39] the kingdom of God.  2214John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and harlots believed him; and ye, not even when ye saw, did ye repent at last, that ye might believe in him.

[40] 2215Hear another parable:  A man was a householder, and planted a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and digged in it a winepress, and built in it a tower, [41, 42] 2216and gave it to husbandmen, and went to a distance for a long time.  2217So when the time of the fruits came, he sent his servants2218 unto the husbandmen, that they might [43] send him of the produce2219 of his vineyard.  2220And those husbandmen beat him, and [44] sent him away empty.  2221And he sent unto them another servant also; and they [45] stoned him, and wounded