THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW

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

Chapter 22

(Mat 22:1) And Jesus answered again by similitudes, and said:

(Mat 22:2) The kingdom of heaven is like to a royal person, who made a feast for his son.

(Mat 22:3) And he sent his servants to call those that had been invited, to the feast: and they would not come.

(Mat 22:4) And again he sent other servants, and said: Tell those invited, Behold, my entertainment is prepared, my oxen and my fatlings are slain, and every thing is prepared; come ye to the feast.

(Mat 22:5) But they showed contempt, and went away, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise;

(Mat 22:6) and the rest seized his servants, and abused them, and slew them.

(Mat 22:7) And when the king heard [of it], he was angry; and he sent his military forces, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

(Mat 22:8) Then said he to his servants, The feast is prepared, but they who were invited were unworthy.

(Mat 22:9) Go ye therefore to the terminations of the streets; and as many as ye find, bid to the feast.

(Mat 22:10) And those servants went out into the streets, and collected all they found, both bad and good; and the place of feasting was filled with guests.

(Mat 22:11) And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who was not clad in the festal garments.

(Mat 22:12) And he said to him: My friend, how camest thou here without the festal robes? But he was silent.

(Mat 22:13) Then said the king to the servitors: Bind his hands and his feet, and cast him into the outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(Mat 22:14) For the called are many, and the chosen are few.

(Mat 22:15) Then went the Pharisees and took counsel, how they might ensnare him in discourse.

(Mat 22:16) And they sent to him their disciples, with domestics of Herod, and said to him: Teacher, we know that thou art veracious, and teachest the way of God with truth, regardless of man, for thou hast no respect of persons.

(Mat 22:17) Tell us, therefore, how doth it appear to thee: is it lawful to pay capitation money to Caesar, or not?

(Mat 22:18) But Jesus knew their wickedness, and said: Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

(Mat 22:19) Show me a denarius of the capitation money. And they brought to him a denarius.

(Mat 22:20) And Jesus said to them: Whose is this image and inscription?

(Mat 22:21) They say, Caesar's. He saith to them: Give then Caesar's things to Caesar, and God's things to God.

(Mat 22:22) And when they heard [it] they were surprised: and they left him, and went away.

(Mat 22:23) The same day came Sadducees, and said to him: There is no life of the dead. And they questioned him,

(Mat 22:24) and said to him: Teacher; Moses commanded us, that if a man should die childless, his brother must take his wife and raise up seed to his brother.

(Mat 22:25) Now there were with us seven brothers. The first took a wife, and deceased; and, as he had no children, he left his wife to his brother.

(Mat 22:26) In like manner also the second, and the third, and up to the whole seven.

(Mat 22:27) And after them all, the woman also herself died.

(Mat 22:28) In the resurrection, therefore, to which of those seven will she be the wife? For they all had taken her?

(Mat 22:29) Jesus answered, and said to them: Ye do err, from not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

(Mat 22:30) For in the resurrection of the dead, they do not take wives, nor are wives given to husbands; but they are as the angels of God in heaven.

(Mat 22:31) But as to the resurrection of the dead,: have ye not read what was spoken to you by God, who said:

(Mat 22:32) I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob? Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

(Mat 22:33) And when the multitude heard [it] they were astonished at his doctrine.

(Mat 22:34) And when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they assembled together;

(Mat 22:35) and one of them, who was expert in the law, to tempt him, inquired:

(Mat 22:36) Teacher, which is the great command in the law?

(Mat 22:37) Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, and with all thy mind.

(Mat 22:38) This is the great and first command.

(Mat 22:39) And the second, which is like it, is, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

(Mat 22:40) On these two commands hang the law and the prophets.

(Mat 22:41) And while the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them,

(Mat 22:42) and said: What say ye respecting, the Messiah? Whose son is he? They say to him; The son of David.

(Mat 22:43) He saith to them: How then doth David, by the Spirit, call him Lord? for he said:

(Mat 22:44) The Lord said to my Lord, Seat thyself at my right hand, until I place thy enemies under thy feet.

(Mat 22:45) If David then call] him Lord, how is he his son?

(Mat 22:46) And no one was able to give him an answer? And from that day, no one dared to question him.