The Gospels

by Sarah Ruden

  14 But they forgot to take loaves—except for a single loaf, they didn’t have any on the boat with them. 15 And he gave them a pointed order, saying, “Look out! Watch out that you look out for the yeast of the Farisaioi and the yeast of Hērōdēs.”*71 16 And they tried to work it out with each other what it meant that they didn’t have any loaves. 17 And perceiving this, he said to them, “Why are you trying to work it out with each other what it means that you don’t have any loaves? Don’t you realize, don’t you understand, even now? Have your hearts become so calloused and unfeeling?

  18 “Do you have eyes but don’t see?

  Do you have ears but don’t hear?*72

  “And don’t you remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves into pieces for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you took up?” They told him, “Twelve.” 20 “When it was seven loaves for four thousand people, how many hampers full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they told [him], “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “You still don’t understand?”*73

  22 Then they came to Bēthsaïda. And they brought Iēsous a blind man and begged him to touch the man. 23 And he took hold of the blind man’s hand, led him outside the village, and spat into his eyes; then, putting his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 Then, seeing once more, he said, “I see people: it’s as if I’m looking at trees walking around.” 25 Next, he placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and he saw with his eyes wide open, and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly and in focus. *74 26 And he sent him away to his home, telling him, “You shouldn’t even go into the village.”

  27 Then Iēsous and his students went out to the villages around Kaisareia of Filippos,*75 but while they were on the road he questioned his students, saying to them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 And they answered him by saying, “They say [that] you’re Iōannēs the baptizer, and others [that] you’re Ēlias, and others [that] you’re another one of the prophets.” 29 But he asked them, “Who do you say I am?” Petros answered and said to him: “You’re the anointed one.” 30 And he sternly warned them to tell no one about him.

  31 And he began to teach them that it was necessary for the son of mankind to endure many things and to be tested and rejected by the elders and the high priests and the scholars, and to be killed, and to rise to his feet again after three days.*76 32 And he was giving this discourse with confident freedom. Then Petros, taking him aside, began to speak sternly to him. 33 But he turned around and looked at his students, and castigated Petros, saying, “Get behind me, satanas! It’s not the things that belong to god you’re thinking of, but the things that belong to human beings.”

  34 Then when he’d summoned the crowd along with his students, he said to them, “If someone wants to follow behind me, let him renounce all claim to himself, pick up the stake he’ll be hung on, and follow me. 35 Whoever, in fact, wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life because of me and the good news will save it. 36 What kind of profit, tell me, does a person realize from the entire universe, if he loses his life? 37 What would someone give in exchange for his life? 38 Whoever, in fact, is ashamed of me and the things I’ve said among this unfaithful,*77 culpable generation, the son of mankind, when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy messengers, will also be ashamed of him.”

  Chapter 9

  1 And he said to them, “Amēn I tell you, there are some standing here who won’t taste death until they see god’s kingdom has arrived with power.”

  2 Then after six days, Iēsous took Petros and Iakōbos and Iōannēs along with him and brought them up onto a high mountain privately, only them. 3 And his form changed before their eyes, and his clothes turned a glistening, glaring white, to a degree no laundryman on the earth could whiten them.*78 4 And Ēlias along with Mōüsēs was seen by them,*79 and they were talking with Iēsous. 5 Now Petros responded by saying to Iēsous, “Rabbí, it’s good that we’re here, so let’s make three shelters, one for you and one for Mōüsēs and one for Ēlias.”*80 6 He didn’t in fact know how he should respond, since he and the others were terrified. 7 Then a cloud came and overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my son, the beloved*81—listen to him.” 8 And the next moment, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Iēsous, him alone.

  9 And when they came down from the mountain, he ordered them not to describe to anyone what they had seen, until the son of mankind was awakened from among the dead. 10 And they kept what he said to themselves, only arguing over what “being awakened from among the dead” meant.

  11 Then they questioned him, saying, “Why do the scholars say, ‘It’s necessary for Ēlias to come first’?” 12 And he said to them, “Ēlias, coming first, reestablishes everything.*82 Then why has it been written that the son of mankind will endure many things and be treated as if he were nothing?*83 13 But I say to you that Ēlias too has come, and they did to him all that they wanted to—as it’s been written about him.”*84

  14 And when they came back to the other students, they saw a large crowd around them, and scholars arguing with them. 15 And right away the crowd, seeing him, were overcome with excitement, and they ran up and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?” 17 And someone in the crowd answered him: “Teacher, I’ve brought my son to you; he’s got a spirit of muteness in him. 18 And whenever it takes hold of him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and his body goes rigid. So I told your students to expel it from him, but they didn’t have the power to do it.” 19 And in response to them, he said, “You faithless generation!*85 How long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you?*86 Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the child to him; and when it saw Iēsous, the spirit seized the boy right away, and he fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Then Iēsous asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And the father said, “Since he was a little child. 22 And often it’s thrown him into fire or into water to try to destroy him. But if you possibly can, come to our aid—if your heart goes out to us.” 23 But Iēsous said to him, “That ‘If you can’!—for someone who trusts, anything can be done.” 24 Right away the child’s father cried out, saying, “I do trust—come to the aid of my failing trust!” 25 But Iēsous, seeing that a crowd was running to the spot from all directions, berated the unclean spirit, telling it, “Mute and blind spirit, it’s me ordering you, come out of him, and don’t enter him again.” 26 And it cried out and threw the boy into long convulsions, and then came out of him. And he became like a corpse, so that most of the people said he’d died. 27 But Iēsous seized his hand and roused him, and he stood up.

  28 Then when Iēsous had gone into the house, his students asked him privately, “Why weren’t we able to expel it?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind can’t come out through anything but prayer.”*87

  30 Then they left that place and made their way through Galilaia, but he didn’t want anyone to know it. 31 He instructed his students, in fact, by telling them the son of mankind was about to be given over into human hands, and they would kill him, but after he was killed he would awaken within three days.*88 32 They didn’t know what he was talking about, but they were afraid to question him.

  33 Then they came to Kafarnaoum. And while he was staying in a house there, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they were silent, since on the road they’d debated with each other who was greatest. 35 Then he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, he needs to be last of all, and everyone else’s attendant.”*89 36 And he took a child and stood it in the center of the group, and he took it in his arms and said to them, 37 “Whoever takes in one child like this in my name takes me in. And whoever takes me in takes in not me but instead the one who sent me.”*90

  38 I
ōannēs said to him, “Teacher, we saw somebody expelling demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he wasn’t following us.”*91 39 But Iēsous said, “Don’t stop him, since no one who carries out an act of power in my name will be able to bad-mouth me any time soon! 40 Whoever, in fact, isn’t against us is for us.

  41 “Whoever gives you a drinking cup full of water to drink, because you’re under the name of the Anointed One, amēn I say to you, he certainly won’t go without the payment due him.”

  42 And whoever sets a trap for one of these little ones who trust [in me] would do better having a millstone—a big one drawn by a donkey—hung around his neck and being thrown into the sea. 43 So if your hand sets a trap for you, cut it off: it’s better for you to enter into life maimed than to go with two hands to ge’enna, into the fire that can’t be put out. 45 And if your foot sets a trap for you, cut it off: it’s better for you to enter into life crippled than to be thrown into ge’enna with both your feet. 47 And if your eye sets a trap for you, pull it out: it’s better for you to enter into god’s kingdom one-eyed than to be thrown with both your eyes into ge’enna, 48 where their worm doesn’t die and the fire doesn’t go out.*92

  49 “Everyone in fact will be salted with fire. 50 Salt’s a fine thing, but if salt’s no longer salty, what are you going to use to flavor it? Have salt within yourselves, and have peace with each other.”*93

  Chapter 10

  1 Then he set out from there and went into the region of Ioudaia [and] the far side of the river Iordanēs,*94 and again the crowds flocked to him, and he taught them again, as he was used to doing.

  2 And approaching, some Farisaioi asked him whether it was lawful for a man to let his wife go: they were putting him to the test. 3 But in response he said to them, “What did Mōüsēs command you to do?” 4 And they said, “Mōüsēs permitted us to write a notice of putting her away and to let her go.” 5 But Iēsous said to them, “It was because your hearts were calloused and unfeeling that Mōüsēs wrote you this command. 6 But from the beginning, from the world’s foundation, male and female he made them. 7 For this reason, a man is to leave his father and mother and be fused together with his wife. 8 And the two will be joined in a single body, so that they’re no longer two people but a single body.*95 9 So what god has yoked together, a human being must not separate.”

  10 But when they went back to the house, the students asked him about this. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever lets his wife go and marries another woman violates her marriage. 12 And if she lets her husband go and marries another man, she violates marriage.”*96

  13 Then they were bringing him children so that he could touch them. And his students scolded them. 14 Seeing this, Iēsous grew angry and said to them: “Let the children come to me; don’t stop them, because god’s kingdom belongs to people like these. 15 Amēn I tell you, whoever doesn’t welcome the kingdom of god as a child would can never enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, placing his hands on them.*97

  17 And as he was setting off on the road, someone ran up to him, kneeled down, and asked him: “Excellent teacher, what should I do to inherit life for all time?” 18 And Iēsous said to him, “Why do you call me excellent? Nobody’s excellent unless it’s a single one, god. 19 You know the commands: You must not commit murder, you must not violate marriage, you must not steal, you must not give false testimony, you must not defraud, you must honor your father and mother.”*98 20 And the man said to him, “Teacher, I’ve observed all these commands from my youth on.” 21 Looking intently at him, Iēsous felt affection for him, and told him, “You’re missing one thing: come on, everything you have you need to sell and give to [the] destitute—and you’ll have a storehouseful in the sky—and come and follow me.” 22 And at this speech, the man’s face clouded over, and he went away, distressed, as he possessed a great deal.

  23 Then Iēsous looked around and said to his students, “How hard it’s going to be for those with property to enter god’s kingdom!” 24 And his students were astonished at the things he said.*99 And Iēsous repeated his response, saying to them: “Children, how hard it is to enter god’s kingdom! 25 It’s easier for a camel to go through [the] eye of [the] needle than for a rich man to enter god’s kingdom.” 26 And they were overwhelmed with amazement, saying to each other, “Then who can be rescued?” 27 Looking intently at them, Iēsous said, “With human beings, it’s impossible, but not with god. Everything, you see, is possible with god.”

  28 Petros spoke up, saying to him, “Look, we’ve left behind everything and followed you.” 29 Iēsous said, “Amēn I tell you all, there’s no one who’s left behind his house or his brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields because of me and because of the good news, 30 who won’t get a hundred times more now, in the present: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields—along with hounding—as well as life throughout the ages in the age that’s coming.*100 31 But many who are first will be last, and [the] last first.”

  32 Now they were on the road going up to Hierosoluma,*101 and Iēsous was going ahead of them, and they were amazed; and those following him were afraid. And taking the twelve aside again, he began to speak to them about the things that were going to happen to him: 33 “Look, we’re going up to Hierosoluma, and the son of mankind will be handed over to the high priests and the scholars, and they’ll condemn him to death and hand him over to the other nations, 34 and they’ll taunt him and spit on him and flog him and kill him, but after three days he’ll be on his feet again.”*102

  35 Now Iakōbos and Iōannēs, the sons of Zebedaios, approached and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you to.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want [me] to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant that we sit with you, one on your right side and one on your ‘better’ side, in your glory.” 38 But Iēsous said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking for. Can you drink from the drinking cup I drink from, and can you be baptized with the baptism with which I’m baptized?” 39 They said to him, “We can.” But Iēsous said to them, “The drinking cup I drink from, you’ll drink from, and you’ll be baptized with the baptism with which I’m baptized; 40 but as for sitting on my right side or on my side ‘with the blessed name,’ it’s not mine to grant: no, those places belong to those they’ve been prepared for.”*103

  41 When they heard this, the other ten grew upset at Iakōbos and Iōannēs. 42 But Iēsous called them over and said to them: “You know that in the other nations, those who look like the leaders lord it over them, and that their great men impose top-down authority on them.*104 43 But it isn’t that way among you. Instead, whoever among you wants to be great is to be the attendant of the rest of you. 44 And whoever among you wants to be first is to be everyone else’s slave. 45 In fact, even the son of mankind didn’t come to have attendants but to be an attendant, and to give his life as the price to set a lot of other people free.”*105

  46 Then they came to Ierichō.*106 And as he was making his way out of Ierichō along with his students and a substantial crowd, the son of Timaios, Bartimaios,*107 a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 47 And having heard that Iēsous the Nazarēnos was there, he began to yell these words: “Son of David, Iēsous, have pity on me!”*108 48 And many people scolded him and told him to be quiet, but he only yelled much louder: “Son of David, have pity on me!” 49 Then Iēsous came to a standstill and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, telling him, “Be brave! Get up, he’s calling you.” 50 And he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Iēsous. 51 And in response to him, Iēsous said, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbouní,*109 I want to see again.” 52 And Iēsous said to him, “There you go! Your trust has healed you.” And right away he could see again and followed him on the road.

  Chapter 11

  1 And when they approached Hierosolu
ma and reached Bēthfagē and Bēthania near the mountain with the olive trees,*110 he sent off two of his students, 2 telling them, “Get moving to this village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it you’ll find a colt*111 tied up, which nobody’s ridden yet. Untie it and bring it here. 3 And if someone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘His master needs him, and he’ll send him back here right away.’ ”*112 4 So they went and found a colt tied at a gate, outside on the street, and they untied him. 5 And some of the people who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 But the students spoke to them as Iēsous had told them to, and the people allowed them to go. 7 And they brought the colt to Iēsous and threw their cloaks on him,*113 and Iēsous sat on him. 8 And many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread there the leafy branches they had cut in the countryside.*114 9 And those who went before him and those who followed him cried out,

  Hōsanna!*115

  Blessed is the one who comes in the lord’s name.

  10 Blessed is our father David’s kingdom, which is coming.

  Hōsanna, in the highest places!*116

  11 Then he came into Hierosoluma and arrived at the temple precinct, and looked around at everything. Since it was already late in the day, he went out to Bēthania with the twelve.*117

  12 And the next day, when they had left Bēthania, he was hungry. 13 Seeing from far away a fig tree that had many leaves, he went hoping to find something on her, but once he’d gone up to her, he found nothing but leaves. It wasn’t in fact the season for figs.*118 14 But he reacted by saying to her, “No longer, for all of time, is anyone going to eat fruit from you.”*119 And his students heard.