THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW

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

Chapter 14

(Mat 14:1) And at that time Herod the Tetrarch heard the fame of Jesus:

(Mat 14:2) and he said to his servants: This is John the Baptizer: he is risen from the grave: therefore works of power are wrought by him.

(Mat 14:3) Now this Herod had seized John, and bound him and cast him into prison; on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.

(Mat 14:4) For John had said to him: It is no lawful for her to be thy wife.

(Mat 14:5) And he had wished to kill him; but he was afraid of the people, seeing that they regarded him as a prophet.

(Mat 14:6) But when Herod's birthday festival occurred, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests; and she pleased Herod.

(Mat 14:7) Therefore he swore to her by an oath, that he would give her whatsoever she might ask.

(Mat 14:8) And she, as she had been instructed by her mother, said: Give me here in a dish the head of John the Baptizer.

(Mat 14:9) And it troubled the king: nevertheless, on account of the oath, and the guests, he commanded that it should be given her.

(Mat 14:10) And he sent and cut off the head of John in the prison.

(Mat 14:11) And the head was brought in a dish and given to the girl; and she brought it to her mother.

(Mat 14:12) And his disciples came and bore away the corpse, and buried [it]; and they went and informed Jesus.

(Mat 14:13) And Jesus, when he had heard [it], retired alone, in a ship, to a desert place. And when the multitudes heard [of it], they followed him by dry land from the cities.

(Mat 14:14) And when Jesus disembarked, he saw great multitudes; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.

(Mat 14:15) And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, and said to him: This is a desert place, and the time is gone; send away the throngs of people, that they may go to the villages, and buy themselves food.

(Mat 14:16) But he said to them: It is not necessary for them to go; give ye them to eat.

(Mat 14:17) And they said to him: We have nothing here but five cakes and two fishes.

(Mat 14:18) Jesus said to them: Bring them here to me.

(Mat 14:19) And he commanded the multitudes to recline on the ground: and he took the five cakes and two fishes, and he looked towards heaven, and blessed, and brake, and gave to his disciples; and the disciples placed before the multitudes.

(Mat 14:20) And they all ate, and were satisfied: and they took up the broken remains, twelve full baskets.

(Mat 14:21) And the men who had eaten were five thousand, besides the women and children.

(Mat 14:22) And immediately he constrained his disciples to embark in a ship, and to go before him to the other side, while he sent away the multitudes.

(Mat 14:23) And when he had sent the multitudes away, he ascended a mountain alone to pray. And when it was dark, he was there alone.

(Mat 14:24) And the ship was distant from land many furlongs: meanwhile it was much tossed by the waves; for the wind was adverse to it.

(Mat 14:25) And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came up to them, walking upon the waters.

(Mat 14:26) And his disciples saw him as he walked upon the waters, and they were perturbated: and they said, What we see is a spectre: and they cried out through fear.

(Mat 14:27) But Jesus immediately spoke to them, and said: Have courage: it is I; be not afraid.

(Mat 14:28) Cephas replied, and said to him: My Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee on the waters.

(Mat 14:29) And Jesus said to him, Come. And Cephas descended from the ship, and walked upon the waters to go to Jesus.

(Mat 14:30) But when he saw the wind to be violent, he was afraid, and began to sink. And he raised his voice, and said: My Lord, rescue me.

(Mat 14:31) And immediately our Lord reached forth his hand, and caught him, and said to him: O small in faith, why didst thou distrust!

(Mat 14:32) And as they entered the ship, the wind subsided.

(Mat 14:33) And they that were in the ship, came and worshipped him, and said: Truly thou art the Son of God!

(Mat 14:34) And they rowed on, and came to the land of Gennesaret.

(Mat 14:35) And the men of that place knew him: and they sent to all the villages around them; and they brought to him all that were very sick;

(Mat 14:36) and they entreated of him, that they might touch at least the extremity of his garment. And they who touched, were healed.