Read the Gospels in 40 Days
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Esaias, the prophet, Lo! I send mine angel before thy face, that shall make thy way ready before thee.
3 The voice of a crier in desert, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make ye his paths right. [The voice of one crying in desert, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make ye his paths rightful.]
4 John was in desert baptizing, and preaching the baptism of penance, into remission of sins.
5 And all the country of Judaea went out to him, and all men of Jerusalem; and they were baptized of him in the flume Jordan [and were baptized of him in the flood of Jordan], acknowledging their sins.
6 And John was clothed with hairs of camels, and a girdle of skin was about his loins; and he ate honeysuckles, and wild honey,[a]
7 and preached, and said [saying], A stronger than I shall come after me, and I am not worthy to kneel down, and unloose [the thong of] his shoes.
8 I have baptized you in water; but he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost.
9 And it was done in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10 And at once he went up of the water, and saw heavens opened, and the Holy Ghost coming down as a culver [And anon he ascending up of the water, saw heavens opened, and the Spirit coming down as a culver], and dwelling on him.
11 And a voice was made from heavens, Thou art my loved Son, in thee I am pleased.
12 And at once the Spirit put him forth into desert. [And anon the Spirit putted out him into desert.]
13 And he was in desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted of Satan, and he was with beasts [and was with beasts], and angels ministered to him.
14 But after that John was taken, Jesus came into Galilee, and preached the gospel of the kingdom of God [preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God],
15 and said [and saying], That the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God shall come nigh; do ye penance [repent ye], and believe ye to the gospel.
16 And as he passed beside the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew, his brother, casting their nets into the sea; for they were fishers.
17 And Jesus said to them, Come ye after me; [and] I shall make you to be made fishers of men.
18 And at once they left the nets, and followed him. [And anon the nets forsaken, they followed him.]
19 And he went forth from thence a little, and saw James of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a boat making their nets. [And he gone forth thence a little, saw James of Zebedee, and John, his brother, and them in the boat making nets.]
20 And at once [And anon] he called them; and they left Zebedee, their father, in the boat with hired servants, and they followed him.
21 And they entered into Capernaum, and at once in the sabbaths [And they went forth into Capernaum, and anon in the sabbaths], he went into the synagogue, and taught them.
22 And they wondered on his teaching; for he taught them, as he that had power, and not as [the] scribes.
23 And in the synagogue of them was a man in an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
24 and said [saying], What to us and to thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? hast thou come to destroy us? I know that thou art the holy of God.
25 And Jesus threatened him, and said [saying], Wax [thou] dumb, and go out of the man.
26 And the unclean spirit wrenching him, and crying with a great voice, went out from him.
27 And all men wondered, so that they sought within themselves, and said [And all men wondered, so that they asked among themselves, saying], What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for in power he commandeth to unclean spirits, and they obey to him.
28 And the fame of him went forth at once [And the tale, or tiding, of him went forth anon] into all the country of Galilee.
29 And at once they went out of the synagogue, and came into the house of Simon and of Andrew, with James and John. [And anon they going out of the synagogue came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.]
30 And the mother of Simon's wife lay sick in the fevers [lay sick in fevers]; and anon they say to him of her.
31 And he came nigh, and areared her [up], and when he had taken her hand, at once the fever left her, and she served them. [And he coming to, reared her up, the hand of her taken, and anon the fever left her, and she ministered to them.]
32 But when the eventide was come, and the sun was gone down, they brought to him all that were of mal-ease, and them that had fiends. [Forsooth the evening made, when the sun went down, they brought to him all having evil, and having devils.]
33 And all the city was gathered at the gate.
34 And he healed many, that had diverse sicknesses, and he cast out many fiends [And he healed many that were travailed with diverse sores, and he cast out many devils], and he suffered them not to speak, for they knew him.
35 And he rose full early, and went out [And in the morrowing full early he rising], and went into a desert place, and prayed there.
36 And Simon followed him, and they that were with him.
37 And when they had found him, they said to him, That all men seek thee.
38 And he said to them, Go we into the next towns and cities, that I preach also there, for thereto I came.
39 And he preached in the synagogues of them, and in all Galilee, and casted out fiends.
40 And a leprous man came to him, and besought [beseeching him], [and] kneeling, and said, If thou wilt, thou mayest cleanse me.
41 And Jesus had mercy on him, and stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him [Forsooth Jesus, having mercy on him, stretched out his hand, and, touching him, saith to him], I will, be thou made clean.
42 And when he had said this, at once [anon] the leprosy parted away from him, and he was cleansed.
43 And Jesus threatened him, and at once put him out, [And he threatened him, and anon cast him out,]
44 and said to him [and saith to him], See thou, say to no man; but go, show thee to the prince of priests, and offer for thy cleansing into witnessing to them, those things that Moses bade [and offer for thy cleansing those things that Moses bade, into witnessing to them].
45 And he went out, and began to preach, and to publish the word, so that now he might not go openly into the city [so that now he might not openly enter into the city], but be withoutforth in desert places; and they came to him on all sides.
2 And again he entered into Capernaum, after eight days. And it was heard, that he was in an house,
2 and many came together, so that they might not be in the house, nor at the gate [so that it took them not, neither at the gate]. And he spake to them the word.
3 And there came to him men that brought a man sick in the palsy [And there came to him men bringing a sick man in palsy], which was borne of four.
4 And when they might not bring him to Jesus for the people [And when they might not offer him to him for the company of people], they uncovered the roof where he was, and [they] opened it, and they let down the bed in which the sick man in palsy lay.
5 And when Jesus had seen the faith of them, he said to the sick man in palsy [Soothly when Jesus saw the faith of them, he saith to the sick man in palsy], Son, thy sins be forgiven to thee.
6 But there were some of the scribes sitting, and thinking in their hearts,
7 What speaketh he thus? He blasphemeth; who may forgive sins, but God alone?
8 And [anon] when Jesus had known this by the Holy Ghost, that they thought so within themselves, he saith to them [Jesus said to them], What think ye these things in your hearts?
9 What is lighter to say to the sick man in palsy, Sins be forgiven to thee, or to say, Rise, take thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye know that man's Son hath power in earth to forgive sins, he said to the sick man in palsy [he saith to the sick man in palsy],
11 I say to thee, rise up, [and] take thy bed, and go into thine house.
12 And at once he rose up, and when he had taken the bed [And anon, he rose up, and, the bed taken up], he went before all men, so that all men wondered, and honoured God, and said [saying], For we saw never so.
13 And he went out again to the sea, and all the people [and all the company of people] came to him; and he taught them.
14 And when he passed, he saw Levi of Alphaeus sitting at the tollbooth, and he said to him, Follow me. And he rose, and followed him.
15 And it was done, when he sat at the meat in his house, many publicans and sinful men sat together at the meat [sat together at meat] with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many that followed him.
16 And scribes and Pharisees seeing, that he ate with publicans and sinful men, said to his disciples, Why eateth and drinketh your master with publicans and sinners [Why your master eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners]?
17 When this was heard, Jesus said to them, Whole men have no need to a physician, but they that be evil-at-ease [This thing heard, Jesus saith to them, Whole men have no need to a leech, but they that have evil]; for I came not to call just men, but sinners.
18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came, and said to him, Why fast the disciples of John, and the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? [And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came, and say to him, Why the disciples of John and of Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?]
19 And Jesus said to them, Whether the sons of the spousals be able to fast [Whether the sons of the weddings may fast], as long as the spouse is with them? As long time as they have the spouse with them, they be not able to fast [they may not fast].
20 But days shall come, when the spouse shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast in those days.
21 No man seweth a patch of new cloth to an old cloak [to an old cloth], else he taketh away [else it taketh away] the new patch from the old, and a more breaking is made.
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles, else the wine shall burst the bottles, and the wine shall be shed out [and the wine shall be poured out], and the bottles shall perish. But new wine shall be put into new bottles [But new wine oweth to be put into new wine vessels].
23 And it was done again, when the Lord walked in the sabbaths by the corns, and his disciples began to pass forth [and his disciples began to go forth], and [to] pluck ears of the corn.
24 And the Pharisees said to him, Lo! what thy disciples do in the sabbaths, that is not leaveful [Lo! what do thy disciples in sabbaths, the thing that is not leaveful(?)].
25 And he said to them, Read ye never what David did, when he had need, and he hungered, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God, under Abiathar, prince of priests, and ate loaves of proposition [and ate loaves of proposition, either of setting forth], which it was not leaveful to eat, but to priests alone, and he gave to them that were with him.
27 And he said to them, The sabbath is made for man, and not man for the sabbath;
28 and so man's Son is Lord also of the sabbath.
3 And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man having a dry hand.
2 And they espied him, if he healed in the sabbaths, to accuse him. [And they espied him, if he healed in the sabbaths, that they should accuse him.]
3 And he said to the man that had a dry hand, Rise into the middle. [And he saith to the man having a dry hand, Rise thou into the midst.]
4 And he saith to them, Is it leaveful to do well in the sabbaths, either evil [or evil]? to make a soul safe, either to destroy [or to lose]? And they were still.
5 And he beheld them about with wrath, and had sorrow on the blindness of their heart [having sorrow upon the blindness of their heart], and saith to the man, Hold forth thine hand. And he held forth, and his hand was restored to him.
6 Soothly [the] Pharisees went out at once [anon], and made a counsel with Herodians against him, how they should destroy him [how they should lose him].
7 But Jesus with his disciples went to the sea; and much people from Galilee [and much company from Galilee] and from Judaea followed him,
8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan, and they that were about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things that he did, came to him.
9 And Jesus said to his disciples, that the [little] boat should serve to him, for the people, lest they thrust him [that the little boat should serve him, for the company of people, lest they oppressed him];
10 for he healed many, so that they felled fast to him, to touch him. And how many ever had sicknesses [Forsooth how many ever had sores, or wounds],
11 and unclean spirits, when they saw him, felled down to him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12 And greatly he menaced them, that they should not make him known.
13 And he went into an hill [And he ascending to an hill], and called to him whom he would; and they came to him.
14 And he made, that there were twelve with him, to send them to preach. [And he made, that twelve were with him, and that he should send them for to preach.]
15 And he gave to them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out fiends.
16 And to Simon he gave a name, Peter,
17 and he called James of Zebedee and John [and James of Zebedee and John], the brother of James, and he gave to them names Boanerges, that is, the sons of thundering [that is, the sons of thunder].
18 And he called Andrew and Philip [And Andrew and Philip], and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas and James [of] Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon Canaanite,
19 and Judas Iscariot, that betrayed him. And they came to an house,
20 and the people [and the company of people] came together again, so that they might not [neither] eat bread.
21 And when his kinsmen had heard, they went out to hold him; for they said, That he is turned into madness.
22 And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem, said, That he hath Beelzebub, and that in the prince of devils he casteth out fiends.
23 And he called them together, and he said to them in parables, How may Satan cast out Satan?
24 And if a realm be parted against itself, that realm may not stand.
25 And if an house be parted against itself, that house may not stand.
26 And if Satan hath risen against himself, he is parted, and he shall not be able to stand, but hath an end.
27 No man may go into a strong man's house, and take away his vessels, but he bind first the strong man, and then he shall spoil his house.
28 Truly I say to you, that all sins and blasphemies, by which they have blasphemed, shall be forgiven to the sons of men.
29 But he that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost [Soothly he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost], hath not remission into without end, but he shall be guilty of everlasting trespass.
30 For they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31 And his mother and his brethren came, and stood withoutforth, and sent to him, and called him. [And his mother and brethren come, and standing withoutforth, sent to him, calling him.]
32 And the people sat about him [And the company sat about him]; and they said to him, Lo! thy mother and thy brethren withoutforth seek thee.
33 And he answered to them, and said, Who is my mother and my brethren?
34 And he beheld them that sat about him, and said, Lo! my mother and my brethren.
35 For who that doeth the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
2001 by Terence P. Noble