THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW

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

Chapter 17

(Mat 17:1) And after six days Jesus took Cephas, and James, and John his brother, and conducted them alone to a high mountain.

(Mat 17:2) And Jesus was changed before them: and his face shone like the sun; and his vestments became white like the light.

(Mat 17:3) And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, in conversation with him.

(Mat 17:4) Then Cephas answered and said to Jesus: My Lord, it is good for us to be here: and, if it please thee, we will make here three booths; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

(Mat 17:5) And while he was yet speaking, lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and there was a voice from the cloud which said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I have pleasure; hear ye him.

(Mat 17:6) And when the disciples heard [it], they fell on their faces, and were much afraid.

(Mat 17:7) And Jesus came to them and touched them, and said: Arise, and be not afraid.

(Mat 17:8) And they raised their eyes, and they saw no person, except Jesus only.

(Mat 17:9) And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, and said to them: Speak of this vision before no person, until the Son of man shall have arisen from the dead.

(Mat 17:10) And his disciples asked him, and said to him: Why then do the Scribes say, that Elijah must first come?

(Mat 17:11) Jesus answered, and said to them: Elijah doth first come, to fulfill every thing.

(Mat 17:12) And I say to you. That, behold, Elijah hath come, and they did not know him; and they have done to him whatever they pleased: and, in like manner, also the Son of man is to suffer from them.

(Mat 17:13) Then the disciples understood, that he spake to them of John the Baptizer.

(Mat 17:14) And when they came to the multitude, a man approached him, and bowed himself on his knees,

(Mat 17:15) and said to him: My Lord, compassionate me. I have a son who is a lunatic, and grievously afflicted; for often he falleth into the fire, and often into the water.

(Mat 17:16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not heal him.

(Mat 17:17) Jesus answered and said: O unbelieving and perverse generation! How long shall I be with you? and how long bear with you? Bring him here to me.

(Mat 17:18) And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it departed from him: and from that hour the child was healed.

(Mat 17:19) Then came the disciples to Jesus, apart, and said to him: Why could not we heal him?

(Mat 17:20) Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief. For verily I say to you, That if there be in you faith like a grain of mustard seed, ye may say to this mountain, Remove hence, and it will remove: and nothing will be too hard for you.

(Mat 17:21) But this kind goeth not out, except by fasting and prayer.

(Mat 17:22) And while they were resident in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of man is to be betrayed into the hands of men;

(Mat 17:23) and they will kill him; and the third day he will arise. And it saddened them much.

(Mat 17:24) And when they came to Capernaum, those who receive the two drachmas of capitation money came to Cephas, and said to him: Doth not your rabbi pay his two drachmas?

(Mat 17:25) He said to them, Yes. And when Cephas had entered the house, Jesus anticipated him and said to him: How doth it appear to thee, Simon? The kings of the earth, of whom do they receive tribute and capitation money? of their children, or of aliens?

(Mat 17:26) Simon said to him: Of aliens. Jesus said to him: Then the children are free.

(Mat 17:27) But still, lest they be stumbled with us, go thou to the sea and cast in a fish-hook, and the fish that shall first come up, open its mouth, and thou wilt find a stater: that take, and give for me and for thyself.