THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE

THE NEW TESTAMENT
TRANSLATED FROM
THE SYRIAC PESHITO VERSION BY JAMES MURDOCK

Chapter 19

(Luk 19:1) And as Jesus entered and passed through Jericho,

(Luk 19:2) [there was] a certain man, whose name was Zaccheus, who was rich, and chief of the publicans;

(Luk 19:3) and he wished to see Jesus, who he was; and could not, on account of the crowd; because Zaccheus was small in stature.

(Luk 19:4) And he ran forward of Jesus, and climbed a wild fig-tree, in order to see him; for he was to pass that way.

(Luk 19:5) And when Jesus came to the place, he saw him, and said to him: Make haste and come down, Zaccheus; for I must be at thy house to-day.

(Luk 19:6) And he hastened, and came down, and received him with gladness.

(Luk 19:7) And when they all saw [it], they murmured, and said: He hath gone in to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

(Luk 19:8) And Zaccheus stood up, and said to Jesus: Behold, my Lord, the half of my riches I give to the poor; and to every man, whom I have wronged in any thing, I restore fourfold.

(Luk 19:9) Jesus said to him: This day, life is to this house; for he also is a son of Abraham.

(Luk 19:10) For the Son of man came, to seek and to vivify that which was lost.

(Luk 19:11) And when they heard these things, he proceeded to utter a similitude; because he was near to Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was to be soon developed.

(Luk 19:12) And he said: A certain man of high birth was going to a distant place, to obtain royalty, and return again.

(Luk 19:13) And he called his ten servants, and gave them ten pounds: and he said to them, Traffic until I come.

(Luk 19:14) But the inhabitants of his city hated him; and they sent envoys after him, saying: We wish this man not to reign over us.

(Luk 19:15) And when he had obtained the royalty, and had returned, he commanded those servants to be called, to whom he had committed his money; that he might know what each of them had gained by trading.

(Luk 19:16) And the first came, and said: My Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

(Luk 19:17) He said to him: Well done, good servant! As thou hast been faithful over a little, thou shalt have authority over ten towns.

(Luk 19:18) And the second came, and said: My lord, thy pound hath produced five pounds.

(Luk 19:19) He said likewise to him: Thou also shalt have authority over five towns.

(Luk 19:20) And another came, and said: My lord, lo, this is thy pound, which hath been with me, laid up in fine linen.

(Luk 19:21) For I was afraid of thee, because thou art a hard man, and takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou sowedst not.

(Luk 19:22) He said to him: Out of thy own mouth will I judge thee, thou evil servant. Thou knewest me, that I am a hard man, and that I take up what I laid not down, and reap what I sowed not!

(Luk 19:23) Why didst thou not put my money into the broker's hands, that when I came, I might have demanded it with interest?

(Luk 19:24) And he said to them that stood before him: Take from him the pound, and give it to him with whom are the ten pounds.

(Luk 19:25) They say to him: Our lord, there are with him ten pounds.

(Luk 19:26) He said to them: I tell you, that to every one that hath, will be given; and from him that hath not, even what he hath will be taken away.

(Luk 19:27) But as for those my enemies, who would not have me to reign over them, bring them and slay them before me.

(Luk 19:28) And when Jesus had spoken these things, he went forward, to go to Jerusalem.

(Luk 19:29) And when he arrived at Bethphage and Bethany, near to the mount called the place of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

(Luk 19:30) and said to them: Go ye to the village that is over against us, and as ye enter [it], ye will find a colt tied, on which no man ever rode; loose [him] and bring [him].

(Luk 19:31) And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? say to him: Our Lord needeth him.

(Luk 19:32) And they went who were sent, and they found, as he said to them.

(Luk 19:33) And as they loosed the colt, the owner of him said to them: Why do ye loose that colt?

(Luk 19:34) And they said: Because our Lord needeth him.

(Luk 19:35) And they brought him to Jesus. And they cast their garments upon the colt, and set Jesus upon him.

(Luk 19:36) And as he went, they spread their garments in the way.

(Luk 19:37) And when he came near to the descent of the place of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice, and to praise God, with a loud voice, for all the mighty deeds which they had seen.

(Luk 19:38) And they said: Blessed be the king, that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory on high.

(Luk 19:39) And some of the Pharisees from among the crowd, said to him: Rabbi, rebuke thy disciples.

(Luk 19:40) He said to them: I tell you, that, if these should be silent, the stones would cry out.

(Luk 19:41) And as he drew near, and beheld the city, he wept over it:

(Luk 19:42) and said: O, hadst thou known the things that are of thy peace, at least in this thy day: but now they are hidden from thy eyes.

(Luk 19:43) For the days will come upon thee, when thy enemies will encompass thee, and besiege thee on every side.

(Luk 19:44) And they will destroy thee, and thy children within thee; and will not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

(Luk 19:45) And when he entered the temple, he began to expel those who bought and sold in it.

(Luk 19:46) And he said to them: It is written, My house is a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of robbers.

(Luk 19:47) And he taught daily in the temple: and the chief priests and Scribes and Elders of the people, sought to destroy him.

(Luk 19:48) But they found not, what they could do to him; for all the people hung upon him to hear him.