The Sayings Gospel Q

3:7-9 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?   8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.   9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

3:16-17 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.   17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

4:1-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,   2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.   3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."   4 Jesus answered him, "It is written, `One does not live by bread alone.'"   5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.   6 And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.   7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."   8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, `Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"   9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,   10 for it is written, `He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,'   11 and `On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"   12 Jesus answered him, "It is said, `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"   13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

6:12, 17, 20 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God.    17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.    20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

6:20-26 "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.   21  "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.   22  "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.   23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.   24  "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.   25  "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.   26  "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

6:27-36 "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,   28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.   29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.   30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.   31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.   32  "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.   33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.   34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.   35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.   36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

6:37-38 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;   38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

6:39-40 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?   40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.

6:41-42 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?   42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, `Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.

6:43-45 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;   44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.   45 The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

6:46-49 "Why do you call me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?   47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.   48   That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.   49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house."

7:1-10 After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.   2 A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death.   3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave.   4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him,   5 for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us."   6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;   7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.   8 For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this,' and the slave does it."   9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."   10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

7:18-20, 22-23 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples  19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"   20 When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, `Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'"   22 And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.   23 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

7:24-28 When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?   25 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces.   26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.   27 This is the one about whom it is written, `See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'   28 I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

7:31-35 "To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?   32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.'   33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, `He has a demon';   34 the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, `Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'   35 Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

9:57-62 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."   58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."   59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."   60 But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."   61 Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home."   62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

10:2-12 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.   3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.   4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.   5 Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace to this house!'   6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.   7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.   8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you;   9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.'   10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,   11  `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'   12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

10:13-15 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.   14 But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.   15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.

10:16  "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

10:21-22 At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.   22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

10:23-24  Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!   24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

11:2-4 He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.   3 Give us each day our daily bread.   4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."

11:9-13 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.   10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.   11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish?   12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?   13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

11:14-23 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed.   15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."    17 But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house.   18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? -- for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul.   19 Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.   20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.   21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe.   22 But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder.   23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

11:24-26 "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, `I will return to my house from which I came.'   25 When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.   26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first."

11:27-28 [no Mt //] While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!"   28 But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!"

11:16, 29-32 16 Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven.  29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.   30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation.   31 The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here!   32 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!

11:33 "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.

11:34-36 Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness.   35 Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness.   36 If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays."

11:42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.

11:39-41 Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.   40 You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?   41 So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.

11:43  Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces.

11:44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it."

11:46  And he said, "Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them.

11:47-48 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.   48 So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

11:49-51  Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,'   50 so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world,   51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation.

11:52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."

12:2-3 Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.   3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.

12:4-7  "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.   5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!   6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight.   7 But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

12:8-9 "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God;   9 but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

12:10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

12:11-12 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say;   12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say."

12:13-14 [no Mt //] Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."   14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?"

12:16-21 [no Mt //] Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly.   17 And he thought to himself, `What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?'   18 Then he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.   19 And I will say to my soul, `Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'   20 But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'   21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

12:22-31 He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.   23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.   24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!   25 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?   26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?   27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.   28 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you-- you of little faith!   29 And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying.   30 For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.   31 Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

12:33-34 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.   34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

12:39-40 "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.   40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

12:42-46 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time?   43 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.   44 Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.   45 But if that slave says to himself, `My master is delayed in coming,' and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk,   46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful.

12:49, 51-53 "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!   52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three;   53 they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

12:54-56 He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, `It is going to rain'; and so it happens.   55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat'; and it happens.   56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

12:57-59 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?   58 Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison.   59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny."

13:18-21 He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it?   19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."   20 And again he said, "To what should I compare the kingdom of God?   21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

13:24-27 "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.   25 When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, `Lord, open to us,' then in reply he will say to you, `I do not know where you come from.'   26 Then you will begin to say, `We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'   27 But he will say, `I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!'

13:28-30  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out.   29 Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God.   30 Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

13:34-35 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!   35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, `Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

14:11, 18:14 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
  18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

14:16-24 Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many.   17 At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, `Come; for everything is ready now.'   18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, `I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.'   19 Another said, `I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.'   20 Another said, `I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.'   21 So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, `Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'   22 And the slave said, `Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.'   23 Then the master said to the slave, `Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.   24 For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

14:26-27, 17:33 "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.   27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
  17:33 Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it.

14:34-35 "Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?   35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"

15:4-10 [no Mt // to vss.8-10] "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?   5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.   6   And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'   7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
  8  "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?   9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, `Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'   10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

16:13 No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

16:16 "The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force.

16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped.

16:18  "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

17:1-2 Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come!   2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

17:3-4 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.   4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, `I repent,' you must forgive."

17:6 The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

17:22-24, 26-30, 34-35, 37 Then he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.   23 They will say to you, `Look there!' or `Look here!' Do not go, do not set off in pursuit.   24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
  26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man.   27 They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them.   28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,   29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them  30 -- it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
  34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.   35 There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left."
  37Then they asked him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

19:12-26 So he said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return.   13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, `Do business with these until I come back.'   14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, `We do not want this man to rule over us.'   15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading.   16 The first came forward and said, `Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.'   17 He said to him, `Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.'   18 Then the second came, saying, `Lord, your pound has made five pounds.'   19 He said to him, `And you, rule over five cities.'   20 Then the other came, saying, `Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth,   21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'   22 He said to him, `I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?   23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.'   24 He said to the bystanders, `Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.'   25  (And they said to him, `Lord, he has ten pounds!')   26  `I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

22:28-30 "You are those who have stood by me in my trials;   29 and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom,   30   so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Early Christian Writings is copyright © Peter Kirby <E-Mail>.