Read the Gospels in 40 Days
23 Then Jesus spake to the people, and to his disciples, [Then Jesus spake to the companies, and to his disciples,]
2 and said, On the chair of Moses, scribes and Pharisees have sat. [saying, Scribes and Pharisees sat on the chair of Moses.]
3 Therefore keep ye, and do ye all things, whatever things they say to you [whatever they shall say to you]. But do not ye do after their works; for they say, and do not.
4 And they bind grievous charges, and that be not able to be borne [Soothly they bind grievous charges, and unportable, or that may not be borne], and put on [the] shoulders of men; but with their finger they will not move them.
5 Therefore [Forsooth] they do all their works to be seen of men; for they draw abroad their phylacteries, and magnify [their] hems.
6 And they love the first sitting places in suppers [Soothly they love the first sitting places at suppers], and the first chairs in synagogues;
7 and salutations in [the] market, and to be called of men, master [and to be called of men, masters].
8 But do not ye be called master; for one is your master, and all ye be brethren.
9 And do not ye call to you a father on earth [And do not ye call to you a father upon earth], for one is your Father, that is in heavens.
10 Neither be ye called masters, for one is your master, Christ.
11 He that is greatest among you, shall be your minister.
12 For he that higheth himself, shall be meeked; and he that meeketh himself, shall be enhanced. [Forsooth he that shall high himself, shall be meeked; and he that shall meek himself, shall be enhanced.]
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that close the kingdom of heavens before men; and ye enter not, neither suffer other men entering to enter[a].
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that eat the houses of widows, and pray by long prayer; for this thing ye shall take the more doom.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that go about the sea and the land, to make one proselyte [that compass the sea and the land, to make one proselyte, that is, converted to your order]; and when he is made, ye make him a son of hell, double more than ye be [double more than you].
16 Woe to you, blind leaders, that say, Whoever sweareth by the temple of God, it is nothing; but he that sweareth in the gold of the temple, is debtor.[b]
17 Ye fools and blind, for what is greater, the gold, or the temple that halloweth the gold?
18 And whoever sweareth in the altar [And whoever shall swear in the altar], it is nothing; but he that sweareth in the gift that is on the altar, oweth [is debtor].
19 Blind men, for what is more, the gift, or the altar that halloweth the gift?
20 Therefore he that sweareth in the altar, sweareth in it, and in all things that be thereon.
21 And he that sweareth in the temple, sweareth in it, and in him that dwelleth in the temple.
22 And he that sweareth in heaven, sweareth in the throne of God, and in him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that tithe mint, anise, and cummin, and have left those things that be of more charge of the law, doom, and mercy, and faith. And it behooved to do these things [And these things it behooved, or needed, to do], and not to leave those.
24 Blind leaders, cleansing a gnat, but swallowing a camel.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that cleanse the cup and the platter withoutforth [that make clean that thing of the cup and of the platter, that is withoutforth]; but within ye be full of raven and uncleanness.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the cup and the platter withinforth, that that that is withoutforth be made clean.[c]
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that be like to sepulchres whited [that be like to sepulchres made white], which withoutforth seem fair to men; but within they be full of bones of dead men, and of all filth.
28 So [and] ye withoutforth seem just to men [So and ye forsooth withoutforth appear rightful to men]; but within ye be full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that build [the] sepulchres of prophets, and make fair the burials of just men,
30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been their fellows in the blood of prophets.
31 And so ye be in witnessing to yourselves [And so ye be into witnessing to yourselves], that ye be the sons of them that slew the prophets.
32 And full-fill ye the measure of your fathers. [And fill ye the measure of your fathers.]
33 Ye adders, and adders' brood [Ye serpents, fruits of adders], how shall ye flee from the doom of hell?
34 Therefore lo! I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes [Therefore lo! I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, or writers]; and of them ye shall slay and crucify, and of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues, and shall pursue from city into city;
35 that all the just blood come on [upon] you, that was shed on the earth, from the blood of just Abel [till] to the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom ye slew betwixt the temple and the altar [whom ye slew between the temple and the altar].
36 Truly I say to you, all these things shall come on [upon] this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that slayest prophets, and stonest them that be sent to thee, how oft would I gather together thy children, as an hen gathereth together her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not.
38 Lo! your house shall be left to you desert.
39 And I say to you, ye shall not see me from henceforth, till ye say, Blessed is he, that cometh in the name of the Lord.
24 And Jesus went out of the temple [And Jesus gone out of the temple, went]; and his disciples came to him, to show him the buildings of the temple.
2 But he answered, and said to them, See ye all these things? Truly I say to you, a stone shall not be left here on one stone, that not it shall be destroyed [Truly I say to you, a stone shall not be left here on a stone, which shall not destroyed].
3 And when he sat on the mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privily, and said [saying], Say to us, when these things shall be, and what token of thy coming, and of the ending of the world.
4 And Jesus answered, and said to them, Look ye [See ye], that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, and shall say, I am Christ [For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ]; and they shall deceive many.
6 For ye shall hear battles, and opinions of battles; see ye that ye be not disturbed [see ye, that ye be not distroubled]; for it behooveth these things to be done, but not yet is the end.
7 For folk shall rise together against folk, and realm against realm, and pestilences, and hungers, and earth-movings shall be by places;
8 and all these be beginnings of sorrows.
9 Then men shall betake you into tribulation, and shall slay you, and ye shall be in hate to all folks for my name. [Then they shall betake you into tribulation, and they shall slay you, and ye shall be in hatred to all folks for my name.]
10 And then many shall be caused to stumble [And then many shall be offended], and [they shall] betray each other, and they shall hate each other.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and [they shall] deceive many.
12 And for wickedness shall be plenteous, the charity of many shall wax cold;
13 but he that shall dwell still into the end, shall be safe.[d]
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, in [into] witnessing to all folks; and then the end shall come.
15 Therefore when ye see the abomination of discomfort [Therefore when ye shall see the abomination of discording], that is said of Daniel, the prophet, standing in the holy place; he that readeth, understand he [he that readeth, understand];
16 then they that be in Judaea, flee to the mountains;
17 and he that is in the house roof, come not down to take any thing of his house;
18 and he that is in the field, turn not again to take his coat.
19 But woe to them that be with child, and nourishing in those days [and nursing in those days].
20 [Soothly] Pray ye, that your flying be not made in winter, or in the sabbath.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, what manner was not from the beginning of the world to now [what manner was not from the beginning of the world till now], neither shall be made.
22 And but those days had been abridged, each flesh should not be made safe[e]; but those days shall be made short, for the chosen men.
23 Then if any man [shall] say to you, Lo! here is Christ, or there, do not ye believe.
24 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and they shall give great tokens and wonders [and they shall give great signs and wonders]; so that also the chosen be led into error, if it may be done.
25 Lo! I have before-said to you.
26 Therefore if they [shall] say to you, Lo! he is in desert, do not ye go out; lo! he is in privy places [lo! in privy chambers, or places], do not ye believe.
27 For as lightning goeth out from the east, and appeareth [till] into the west, so shall be also the coming of man's Son.
28 Where ever the body shall be, also the eagles shall be gathered thither.
29 And at once [Forsooth anon] after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be made dark, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the virtues of heavens shall be moved [and the virtues of heavens shall be stirred].
30 And then the token of man's Son shall appear in heaven, and then all the kindreds of the earth shall wail [and then all the kindreds, or lineages, of the earth shall wail]; and they shall see man's Son coming in the clouds of heaven, with much virtue and majesty.
31 And he shall send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice; and they shall gather his chosen from four winds, from the highest things of heaven to the ends of them. [And he shall send his angels with a trump, and great voice; and they shall gather his chosen from four winds, from the highest things of heavens till to the terms, or ends, of them.]
32 And learn ye the parable of the fig tree. When his branch is now tender, and the leaves be sprung, ye know that summer is nigh;
33 so and ye when ye shall see all these things [so also when ye shall see all these things], know ye that it is nigh, in the gates.
34 Truly I say to you, for this generation shall not pass, till all things be done;
35 heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.
36 But of that day and hour no man knoweth, neither [the] angels of heaven [neither the angels of heavens], but the Father alone.
37 But as it was in the days of Noe, so shall be [also] the coming of man's Son.
38 For as in the days before the great flood, they were eating and drinking, wedding and taking to wedding, till that day [till into the day], that Noe entered into the ship;
39 and they knew not, till the great flood came, and took all men, so shall be the coming of man's Son.
40 Then twain shall be in a field [Then two shall be in a field], one shall be taken, and the other left;
41 two women shall be grinding in a quern [two women shall be grinding in one mill], one shall be taken, and the other left; twain in a bed [two in a bed], the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Therefore wake ye, for ye know not in what hour the Lord shall come. [Therefore wake ye, for ye know not in what hour your Lord is to come.]
43 But know ye this, that if the husbandman knew in what hour the thief were to come [for if the husbandman knew in what hour the thief should come], certainly he would wake, and suffer not his house to be undermined.
44 And therefore [also] be ye ready [Therefore and ye be ready], for in what hour ye guess not, man's Son shall come.
45 Who guessest thou is a true servant and prudent [Who guessest thou is a faithful servant and prudent], whom his lord ordained on his household, to give them meat in time?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he shall come [when he come], shall find so doing.
47 Truly I say to you, for on [upon] all his goods he shall ordain him.
48 But if that evil servant [shall] say in his heart, My lord tarrieth to come,
49 and beginneth to smite his even-servants [and shall begin to smite his even-servants], and to eat, and drink with drunken men;
50 the lord of that servant shall come in the day [in] which he hopeth not, and in the hour that he knoweth not,
51 and shall part him (in pieces), and put his part with hypocrites; there shall be weeping, and grinding of teeth [there shall be weeping, and beating together of teeth].
2001 by Terence P. Noble