[18] [254] A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and much lamentation;
Rachel weeping [255] for her children,
And not willing to be consoled for their loss.
[19] [256] But when Herod the king died, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to [20] Joseph in Egypt, [257] and said unto him, Rise and take the child and his mother, and [Arabic, p. 12] go into the land of Israel; for they have died who sought the child's life. [21] [258] And Joseph rose and took the child and his mother, and came to the land [22] of Israel. [259] But when he heard that Archelaus had become king over Judæa instead of Herod his father, he feared to go thither; and he saw in a dream that he should [23] go into the land of Galilee, [260] and that he should abide in a city called Nazareth: that the saying in the prophet might be fulfilled, that he should be called a Nazarene.
[24] [261] And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, becoming filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.
[25] [262] And his kinsfolk [263] used to go every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover. [26] [264] And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to their custom, [27] to the feast. [265] And when the days were accomplished, they returned; and the child [28] Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother knew not: [266] and they supposed that he was with the children of their company. And when they had gone one day's journey, they sought him beside their people and those who knew them, [29] and they found him not; [267] so they returned to Jerusalem and sought him again. [30] [268] And after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, [31] hearing them and asking them questions; [269] and all who heard him wondered at [32] his wisdom and his words. [270] And when they saw him they wondered, and his mother said unto him, My son, why hast thou dealt with us thus? behold, I and thy father [33] have been seeking for thee with much anxiety. [271] And he said unto them, Why were [34] ye seeking me? know [272] ye not that I must be in the house of my Father? [273] And they [35] understood not the word which he spake unto them. [274] And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and he was obedient to them: and his mother used to keep all these sayings in her heart.
[36] [Arabic, p. 13] [275] And Jesus grew in his stature and wisdom, and in grace with God and men.
[37] [276] And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, when Pontius Pilate was governor in Judæa, and one of the four rulers, Herod, in Galilee; and Philip his brother, one of the four rulers, in Ituræa and in the district of Trachonitis; and [38] Lysanias, one of the four rulers, in Abilene; [277] in the chief-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the command [278] of God went forth to John the son of Zacharias in the [39] desert. [279] And he came into all the region which is about Jordan, proclaiming the [40] baptism of repentance unto [280] the forgiveness of sins. [281] And he was preaching in the [41] wilderness of Judæa, and saying, [282] Repent ye; the kingdom of heaven is come near. [42] [283] This is he that was spoken of in Isaiah the prophet,
The voice which crieth in the desert,
[43] [284] Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
And make straight in the plain, paths for our God.
[44] [285] All the valleys shall become filled,
And all the mountains and hills shall become low;
And the rough shall become plain, And the difficult place, easy;
[45] [286] And all flesh shall see the salvation [287] of God.
[46] [288] This man came to bear witness, that he might bear witness to the light, that [47] every man might believe through his mediation. [289] He was not the light, but that he [48] might bear witness to the light, [290] which was the light of truth, that giveth light to [49] every man coming into the world. [291] He was in the world, and the world was made [50] by him, and the world knew [51] him not. [292] He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [293] And those who received him, to them gave he the power [294] that they might [52] be sons of God,--those which believe in his name: [295] which were born, not of blood, [53] nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. [296] And the Word became flesh, and took up his abode among us; and we saw his glory as the glory [54] of the only Son from the Father, which is full of grace and equity. [297] [298] John bare witness [Arabic, p. 14] of him, and cried, and said, This is he that I said cometh after me and [55] was before me, because he was before me. [299] [300] And of his fullness received [56] we all grace for grace. [301] For the law was given through the mediation of Moses, but truth and grace were [302] through Jesus Christ.
[234] Matt. ii. 1b.
[235] On the substitution of this general phrase for Matt. ii. 1a, see the remarks of Harris in Fragments, etc., p. 37 ff.
[236] Matt. ii. 2.
[237] Matt. ii. 3.
[238] Matt. ii. 4.
[239] This periphrasis for where is very characteristic of this work.
[240] Matt. ii. 5.
[241] Matt. ii. 6.
[242] Matt. ii. 7.
[243] Matt. ii. 8.
[244] Matt. ii. 9.
[245] Matt. ii. 10.
[246] Matt. ii. 11.
[247] Matt. ii. 12.
[248] So in later Arabic and some Arabic versions. According to classical usage the word means sleep.
[249] Matt. ii. 13.
[250] Matt. ii. 14.
[251] Matt. ii. 15.
[252] Matt. ii. 16.
[253] Matt. ii. 17.
[254] Matt. ii. 18.
[255] Or, is weeping, and so in next line is not willing.
[256] Matt. ii. 19.
[257] Matt. ii. 20.
[258] Matt. ii. 21.
[259] Matt. ii. 22.
[260] Matt. ii. 23.
[261] Luke ii. 40.
[262] Luke ii. 41.
[263] A general word (cf. Syr. versions).
[264] Luke ii. 42.
[265] Luke ii. 43.
[266] Luke ii. 44.
[267] Luke ii. 45.
[268] Luke ii. 46.
[269] Luke ii. 47.
[270] Luke ii. 48.
[271] Luke ii. 49.
[272] Or, knew.
[273] Luke ii. 50.
[274] Luke ii. 51.
[275] Luke ii. 52.
[276] Luke iii. 1.
[277] Luke iii. 2.
[278] There is a very rare use of this Arabic word in the Hebrew sense of saying.
[279] Luke iii. 3.
[280] So Vat. ms. The Borg. ms. has with.
[281] Matt. iii. 1b.
[282] Matt. iii. 2.
[283] Matt. iii. 3a.
[284] Luke iii. 4b.
[285] Luke iii. 5.
[286] Luke iii. 6.
[287] See note on § 1, 78.
[288] John i. 7.
[289] John i. 8.
[290] John i. 9.
[291] John i. 10.
[292] John i. 11.
[293] John i. 12.
[294] Or, authority.
[295] John i. 13.
[296] John i. 14.
[297] In Syr. this word also means truth.
[298] John i. 15.
[299] Or, earlier than I.
[300] John i. 16.
[301] John i. 17.
[302] i.e., came to be.
Section IV.
[1] [303] No man hath seen God at any time; the only Son, God, [304] which is in the bosom of his Father, he hath told of him.
[2] [305] And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent to him from Jerusalem priests [3] and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? [306] And he acknowledged, and denied not; [4] and he confessed that he was not the Messiah. [307] And they asked him again, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he said, I am not he. Art thou a prophet? He [5] said, No. [308] They said unto him, Then who art thou? that we may answer them that [6] sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? [309] And he said, I am the voice that crieth in [7] the desert, Repair ye the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. [310] And they [8] that were sent were from [311] the Pharisees. [312] And they asked him and said unto him, Why baptizest thou now, when thou art not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a prophet? [9] [313] John answered and said unto them, I baptize with [314] water: among you is standing [10] one whom ye know not: [315] this is he who I said cometh after me and was before [11] me, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. [316] And that was in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
[12] [317] Now John's raiment was camel's hair, and he was girded with skins, and his food [13] [Arabic, p. 15] was of locusts and honey of the wilderness. [318] ^ [319] Then went out unto him the people of Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region which is about the [14, 15] Jordan; [320] and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. [321] But when he saw many of the Pharisees [322] and Sadducees [323] coming to be baptized, he said unto them, Ye children of vipers, who hath led you to flee from the wrath to come? [16, 17] [324] Do now the fruits which are worthy of repentance; [325] and think and say not within yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, that God is able to [18] raise up of these stones children unto Abraham. [326] Behold, the axe hath been laid at the roots of the trees, and so every tree that beareth not good fruit shall be taken and [19] cast into the fire. [327] And the multitudes were asking him and saying, What shall we do? [20] [328] He answered and said unto them, He that hath two tunics shall [329] give to him that [21] hath not; and he that hath food shall [330] do likewise. [331] And the publicans also came [22] to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what shall we do? [332] He said unto [23] them, Seek not more than what ye are commanded to seek. [333] And the servants [334] of the guard asked him and said, And we also, what shall we do? He said unto them, Do not violence to any man, nor wrong him; and let your allowances satisfy you.
[24] [335] And when the people were conjecturing about John, and all of them thinking [25] in their hearts whether he were haply [336] the Messiah, [337] John answered and said unto them, I baptize you with water; there cometh one after me who is stronger than I, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; he will baptize you with the [26] Holy Spirit and fire: [338] who taketh the fan in his hand to cleanse his threshing-floors, [Arabic, p. 16] and the wheat he gathereth into his garners, while the straw he shall burn in fire which can [339] not be put out.
[27] [340] And other things he taught and preached among the people.
[28] [341] Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized of him. [29] [342] And Jesus was about thirty years old, and it was supposed that he was the son of [30] Joseph. [343] [344] And John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, This is the Lamb of [31] God, that taketh on itself the burden of the sins of the world! [345] This is he concerning whom I said, There cometh after me a man who was before me, because he was [32] before me. [346] [347] And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, [33] for this cause came I to baptize with water. [348] And John was hindering him and [34] saying, I have need of being baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? [349] Jesus answered him and said, Suffer this now: thus it is our duty to fulfill all righteousness. [35] Then he suffered him. [350] And when all the people were baptized, Jesus also [36] was baptized. [351] And immediately he went up out of the water, and heaven opened [37] [Arabic, p. 17] to him, [352] [353] and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the similitude of the [38] body of a dove; [354] and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved [39] Son, in whom I am well pleased. [355] And John bare witness and said, I beheld the [40] Spirit descend from heaven like a dove; and it abode upon him. [356] But I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt behold the Spirit descending and lighting upon him, the same is he that [41] baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. [357] And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.