Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

THE GOSPEL

ACCORDING TO

MATTHEW.

1.

The genealogy of JESUS CHRIST, son of David, son of
Abraham.

ABRAHAM begat Isaak, and Isaak begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren, and Judas had Phares and Zara by Thamar, and Phares begat Esrom, and Esrom begat Aram, and Aram begat Aminadab, and Aminadab begat Naasson, and Naasson begat Salmon, and Salmon had Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz had Obed by Ruth, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David the king, and David the king had Solomon by her who had been the wife of Urias, and Solomon begat Roboam, and Roboam begat Abia, and Abia begat Asa, and Asa begat Josaphat, and Josaphat begat Joram, and Joram begat Ozias, and Ozias begat Jotham, and Jotham begat Achaz, and Achaz begat Hezekias, and Hezekias begat Manasses, and Manasses begat Amon, and Amon begat Josias, and Josias begat Jechonias and those brothers of his at the removal to Babylon, and after the removal to Babylon Jechonias begat Salathiel, and Salathiel begat Zorobabel, and Zorobabel begat Abiud, and Abiud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim begat Azor, and Azor begat Sadok, and Sadok begat Achim, and Achim begat Eliud, and Eliud begat Eliazar, and Eliazar begat Matthan, and Matthan begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Joseph the hus.

[blocks in formation]

II.

band of Mary, of whom was born JESUS who is called the CHRIST: all the generations therefore from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the removal to Babylon there were fourteen generations, and from the removal to Babylon till the Christ fourteen generations, and the genealogy of Jesus Christ was thus; for his mother Mary having been espoused to Joseph was, before they came together, found to be with child by the holy Spirit, and Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to expose her, determined to divorce her privately; but while he was thinking of this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said to him, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take home Mary thy wife; for her pregnancy is from the Holy Spirit and she will bear a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins. All this was done, so that there was a fulfilment of what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel,*" the meaning of which is, God with us: so when Joseph awoke from his sleep he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took home his wife, but knew her not until she brought forth this her son, THE FIRST BORN;† and he called his name Jesus.

46

After the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold there came magians from the east 2 to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who is born to be king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rise, and are come 3 to pay him homage. Upon hearing this, Herod the king was 4 alarmed and all Jerusalem with him. And having assembled all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of 5 them, where the CHRIST should be born. And they told him, At Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet, 6 "And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judea art by no means the least among the leaders of Juda; for out of thee shall come 7 a leader, who shall tend my people Israel." Then Herod, having privately called the magians, got exact information from them concerning the time of the star's appearing; and

*Es. 7. 14. † Micah 5. 2. Ps. 89. 27.

8 sending them to Bethlehem, he said, Go and make exact inquiry about the child. And when you have found him bring 9 me word, that I also may go and pay him homage. So in obedience to the king they departed; and lo! the star which they had seen at its rise moved on before them, till it came and 10 stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the

star, they rejoiced exceedingly: and having entered the house 11 they found the child with Mary his mother. Whereupon, pros12 trating themselves, they did him homage. Then opening their

treasures they presented him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 13 they went to their own country by another way. And when

they were gone, behold an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there till I order thee; for He14 rod will seek the child to destroy him. Accordingly he arose

and took the child and his mother by night and went to Egypt, 15 where he continued till the death of Herod, so that there was a

fulfilment of what the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying, "Out 16 of Egypt I called my son.*" When Herod saw that he was treated with contempt by the magians, he was highly incensed, and he sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and all the territory belonging thereto, from those who had entered the second year and under, according to the time, of which he had 17 got exact information from the magians. Then was fulfilled what 18 was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying, "A cry was heard at Rama-lamentation and weeping and great mourning; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted, because they are no more.+"

19

Now when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord 20 appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise and

take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for 21 they who sought the child's life, are dead. Accordingly he

arose and took the child and his mother and came to the land 22 of Israel: but hearing that Archelaus reigned over Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. And be

*Hos. 11. 1. † Jer. 31. 15.

ing warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; so that what was spoken by the prophets was fulfilled: that he should be called a Nazarene.

III.

In those days cometh John the baptist, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Reform; for the reign of the 2 heavens is at hand." For this is the person spoken of by the. 3 prophet Esaias, saying, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord: make the roads for him 4 straight.*" Now John had his raiment made of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his waist: and his food was locusts 5 and wild honey: then went out to him Jerusalem and all Ju6 dea and all the country along the Jordan, and by him they were 7 baptized in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And seeing ma

ny of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! who hath prompted you to flee 8 from the impending wrath. Produce therefore fruits worthy of 9 this reformation, and presume not to say within yourselves,

We have Abraham for our father! For I say to you, God is 10 able out of these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

Now the axe is at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore which doth not produce good fruit is to be cut down and cast 11 into the fire. I indeed baptize you in water for a reformation; but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in a holy 12 spirit and fire. His winnowing instrument is in his hand. He will thoroughly clean his floor, and gather his wheat for the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

13

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee, along the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him: but John earnestly opposed him, say14 ing, "I have need to be baptized by thee. And thou comest to 15 me!" And Jesus in reply said to him, "Permit this at present:

for thus it becometh us to confirm all righteousness.” Then 16 John permitteth him; and Jesust being baptized was just coming up from the water, when lo! the heavens were opened for

*Es. 40. 3, 4, 5.

I have for the sake of perspicuity written John and Jesus: in the text it is he and him.

« AnteriorContinua »