Section XXXIII.
(1) [Arabic, p. 125] [2241] And when evening came, Jesus went forth outside of the city, he and his (2) disciples. [2242] And as they passed in the morning, the disciples saw that fig tree (3) withered away from its root. [2243] And they passed by, and said, How did the fig tree dry (4) up immediately? [2244] And Simon remembered, and said unto him, My Master, behold, (5) that fig tree which thou didst curse hath dried up. [2245] And Jesus answered and said (6) unto them, Let there be in you the faith of God. [2246] Verily 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. [2247] And if ye say to this mountain, Remove, and (8) fall [2248] into the sea, it shall be. [2249] And all that ye ask God in prayer, and believe, he (9, 10) will give you. [2250] And the apostles [2251] said unto our Lord, Increase our [2252] faith. [2253] He 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) [2254] Who 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? [2255] Nay, [2256] 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) [2257] Doth that servant haply, who did what he was bid, receive his praise? I think (14) not. [2258] So 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) [2259] For this reason I say unto you, Whatever ye pray and ask, believe that ye (16) [Arabic, p. 126] receive, and ye shall have. [2260] And 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. [2261] But if ye forgive not men their wrong-doings, neither will your Father forgive you also your wrong-doings.
(18) [2262] And he spake unto them a parable also, that they should pray at all times, and (19) not be slothful: [2263] There was a judge in a city, who feared not God, nor was ashamed (20) for men: [2264] and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, and said, (21) Avenge me of mine adversary. [2265] And 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) [2266] yet because this widow vexeth me, I will avenge her, that she come not at all times (23, 24) and annoy me. [2267] And our Lord said, Hear ye what the judge of injustice said. [2268] And 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? [2269] I 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) [2270] And they came again to Jerusalem. [2271] And 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, [2272] that the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came upon him, and said unto him, Tell us: [2273] By what power doest thou this? and who gave thee this (29) power to do that? [2274] And 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. [2275] The baptism of John, from (31) what place is it? from heaven or of men? [2276] Tell me. [2277] And 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? [2278] But [2279] if we shall say, Of men; (33) we fear [2280] that the people will stone us, all of them. [2281] And all of them were holding [2282] (34) to John, that he was a true prophet. [2283] They answered and said unto him, We know (35) not. [2284] Jesus 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. [2285] And he answered and said, I do not wish (37) to: but finally he repented, and went. [2286] And he went to the other, and said unto (38) him likewise. [2287] And 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. [2288] John 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) [2289] Hear 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) [2290] and gave it to husbandmen, and went to a distance for a long time. [2291] So when the time of the fruits came, he sent his servants [2292] unto the husbandmen, that they might (43) send him of the produce [2293] of his vineyard. [2294] And those husbandmen beat him, and (44) sent him away empty. [2295] And he sent unto them another servant also; and they (45) stoned him, and wounded [2296] him, and sent him away with shameful handling. [2297] And he sent again another; and they slew him. And he sent many other servants unto (46) them. [2298] And the husbandmen took his servants, and one they beat, and another they (47) stoned, and another they slew. [2299] So he sent again other servants more than the first; and (48) [Arabic, p. 128] they did likewise with them. [2300] So the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will see him and be (49, 50) ashamed. [2301] So at last he sent unto them his beloved son that he had. [2302] But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said amongst themselves, This is the heir. (51, 52) [2303] And they said, We will slay him, and so the inheritance will be ours. [2304] So they took (53) him, and put him forth without the vineyard, and slew him. [2305] When then the lord (54) of the vineyard shall come, what will he do with those husbandmen? [2306] They said unto him, He will destroy them in the worst of ways, [2307] and give the vineyard to (55) other husbandmen, who will give him fruit in its season. [2308] Jesus said unto them, Have ye never read in the scripture,
The stone which the builders declared to be base,
[2309] The same came to be at the head of the corner:
(56) [2310] From God was this,
And it is wonderful in our eyes?
(57) [2311] Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and (58) given to a people that will produce fruit. [2312] And whosoever falleth on this stone shall be broken in pieces: but on whomsoever it falleth, it will grind him to (59) powder. [2313] And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they (60) perceived that it was concerning them he spake. [2314] And they sought to seize him; and they feared the multitude, because they were holding to him as the prophet.