[31] [2843] And two days before [2844] the passover of unleavened bread, the chief priests and [32] the scribes sought how they might take him by deceit, [2845] and kill him: [2846] and they said, It shall not be at the feast, lest the people be agitated.
[33] [2847] And when Jesus sat on the mount of Olives opposite the temple, his disciples, Simon Cephas and James and John and Andrew, came forward unto him, and said unto him [34] between themselves and him, [2848] Teacher, tell us when that shall be, and what is the sign [35] [Arabic, p. 157] of thy coming and the end of the world. [2849] Jesus answered and said unto them, Days will come, when ye shall long to see one of the days of the Son of [36, 37] [2850] man, and shall not behold. [2851] Take heed lest any man lead you astray. Many shall [38] come in my name, and say, I am the Messiah; [2852] and they shall say, The time is come [39] near, and shall lead many astray: go not therefore after them. [2853] And when ye hear of wars and tidings of insurrections, see to it, be [2854] not agitated: for these things must [40] first be; only the end is not yet come. [2855] Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom [41] against kingdom: [2856] and great earthquakes shall be in one place and another, and there shall be famines and deaths and agitations: and there shall be fear and terror and great signs that [2857] shall appear from heaven, and there shall be great [42, 43] storms [2858] All these things are the beginning of travail. [2859] But before all of that, they shall lay hands upon you, and persecute you, and deliver you unto the synagogues [44] and into prisons, and bring you before kings and judges for my name's sake. [2860] And [45] that shall be unto you for a witness. [2861] But first must my gospel be preached unto all [46] nations. [2862] And when they bring you into the synagogues before the rulers and the authorities, be not anxious beforehand how ye shall answer for yourselves, or what ye [47, 48] shall say: [2863] because it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. [2864] Lay it to your heart, not [49] [Arabic, p. 158] to be anxious before the time what ye shall say: [2865] and I shall [2866] give you understanding and wisdom, [2867] which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay. [50] [2868] And then shall they deliver you unto constraint, and shall kill you: and ye shall be [51] hated of all nations because of my name. [2869] And then shall many go astray, [2870] and they [52] shall hate one another, and deliver one another unto death. [2871] And your parents, and your brethren, and your kinsfolk, and your friends shall deliver you up, and shall [53, 54] slay some of you. [2872] But a lock of hair from your heads shall not perish. [2873] And by [55] your patience ye shall gain [2874] your souls. [2875] And many men, [2876] false prophets, shall arise, [56] and lead many astray. [2877] And because of the abounding of iniquity, the love of many [57] shall wax cold. [2878] But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. [2879] And [58] this, the [2880] gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in all the world for a testimony to all nations; and then shall come the end of all.
[2801] Matt. xxiii. 34.
[2802] cf. 8, 34.
[2803] Matt. xxiii. 35.
[2804] Or, earth.
[2805] Or, sanctuary.
[2806] Matt. xxiii. 36.
[2807] See § 1, 49, note.
[2808] Matt. xxiii. 37.
[2809] Matt. xxiii. 38.
[2810] Matt. xxiii. 39.
[2811] John xii. 42.
[2812] Lit. become.
[2813] John xii. 43.
[2814] John xii. 44.
[2815] John xii. 45.
[2816] John xii. 46.
[2817] The text as it stands ought to mean I am a light. I am come; but it is a word-for-word reproduction of the Peshitta, and should therefore doubtless be rendered as above.
[2818] John xii. 47.
[2819] Or, to save the world (cf. § 1, 78, note).
[2820] John xii. 48.
[2821] See § 20, 28, note.
[2822] John xii. 49.
[2823] Not the same word.
[2824] Not the same word.
[2825] John xii. 50.
[2826] Luke xi. 53.
[2827] So Ciasca, following Vat. ms. The true reading, however, is probably that underlying the Borg. ms. If we restore diacritical points to the radical letters we get deceiving (cf. § 41, 31), an alternative meaning (or the word laying wait for, used in the Peshitta. The Arabic follows the Peshitta very closely in this and the following verse.
[2828] Luke xi. 54.
[2829] Luke xii. 1.
[2830] Luke xii. 2.
[2831] Luke xii. 3.
[2832] John xii. 36b.
[2833] John xii. 37.
[2834] John xii. 38.
[2835] John xii. 39.
[2836] John xii. 40.
[2837] John xii. 41.
[2838] Matt. xxiv. 1.
[2839] Or, and shewed.
[2840] Mark xiii. 1b; Luke xxi. 5b.
[2841] Matt. xxiv. 2a.
[2842] Luke xix. 43a; Luke xix. 44b [or rather Matt. xxiv. 2b, or Mark xiii. 2b].
[2843] Mark xiv. 1.
[2844] Lit. before two days would be (cf. Sin. and above, § 39, 1, note).
[2845] cf. § 41, 16, note.
[2846] Mark xiv. 2.
[2847] Mark xiii. 3.
[2848] Luke xxi. 7b; Matt. xxiv. 3b.
[2849] Matt. xxiv. 4a; Luke xvii. 22b; Matt. xxiv. 4b.
[2850] Matt. xxiv. 5a.
[2851] Luke xxi. 8b.
[2852] Mark xiii. 6b; Luke xxi. 8c.
[2853] Mark xiii. 7a; Matt. xxiv. 7b; Luke xxi. 9b.
[2854] Or, that ye be, if we suppose the present text to have resulted from the loss of the second of two alifs.
[2855] Matt. xxiv. 7a.
[2856] Luke xxi. 11.
[2857] Or, omit that.
[2858] Matt. xxiv. 8.
[2859] Luke xxi. 12.
[2860] Luke xxi. 13.
[2861] Mark xiii. 10.
[2862] Luke xii. 11.
[2863] Mark xiii. 11b.
[2864] Luke xxi. 14.
[2865] Luke xxi. 15.
[2866] The Arabic text lacks a letter.
[2867] Borg. ms. reads you the fruits of wisdom.
[2868] Matt. xxiv. 9.
[2869] Matt. xxiv. 30.
[2870] See § 25, 17, note.
[2871] Luke xxi. 16.
[2872] Luke xxi. 18.
[2873] Luke xxi. 19.
[2874] Or, possess.
[2875] Matt. xxiv. 11.
[2876] So the Arabic text; but it doubtless simply represents the Syriac, which here agrees with the Greek.
[2877] Matt. xxiv. 12.
[2878] Matt. xxiv. 13.
[2879] Matt. xxiv. 14.
[2880] So the Arabic text; but it doubtless simply represents the Syriac, which here agrees with the Greek.
Section XLII.
[1] [2881] But when ye see Jerusalem with the army compassing it about, then know that [2] its desolation is come near. [2882] Those then that are in Judæa at that time shall flee to the mountain; and those that are within her shall flee; and those that are in the [3] villages shall not enter her. [2883] For these days are the days of vengeance, that all that [4] is written may be fulfilled. [2884] And when ye see the unclean sign of desolation, [2885] spoken of in Daniel the prophet, standing in the pure place, he that readeth shall understand, [5, 6] [2886] and then he that is in Judæa shall flee in to the mountain: [2887] and let him that is on the [7] roof not go down, nor enter in to take anything from his house: [2888] and let him that is in [8] [Arabic, p. 159] the field not turn behind him to take his garment. [2889] Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! there shall be great [9] distress in the land, and wrath against this nation. [2890] And they shall fall on the edge of the sword, [2891] and shall be taken captive to every land: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the nations, until the times of the nations be ended.
[10] [2892] Then if any man say unto you, The Messiah is here; or, Lo, he is there; believe [11] him not: [2893] there shall rise then false Messiahs and prophets of lying, and shall do signs and wonders, in order that they may lead astray even the elect also, if they [12] be able. [2894] But as for you, beware: for I have acquainted you with everything [13] beforehand. [2895] If then they say unto you, Lo, he is in the desert; go not out, lest ye [14] be taken: and if they say unto you, Lo, he is in the chamber; believe not. [2896] And as the lightning appeareth from the east, and is seen unto the west; so shall be the [15] coming of the Son of man. [2897] But first he must suffer much and be rejected by this [16] generation. [2898] [2899] Pray therefore that your flight be not in winter, nor on a sabbath: [17] [2900] there shall be then great tribulation, [2901] the like of which there hath not been from the [18] beginning of the world till now, nor shall be. [2902] And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would have lived: but because of the elect, whom he elected, [19] he shortened those days. [2903] And there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and upon the earth affliction [2904] of the nations, and rubbing of hands for the confusion [2905] [20] [Arabic, p. 160] of the noise of the sea, and an earthquake: [2906] the souls of men shall [21] go forth from fear of that which is to come upon the earth. [2907] And in those days, straightway after the distress of those days, the sun shall become dark, and the moon shall not shew its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers [22] of heaven shall be convulsed: [2908] and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and at that time all the tribes of the earth shall wail, and look unto the Son [23] of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory. [2909] And he shall send his angels with the great trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the four [24] winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [2910] [2911] But when these things begin to be, be of good cheer, and lift up your heads; for your salvation [2912] is come near.
[25] [2913] Learn the example of the fig tree: when it letteth down its branches, [2914] and putteth [26] forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is come; [2915] so ye also, when ye see these things begun to be, know ye that the kingdom of God hath arrived at the [27] door. [2916] Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these [28] things shall be. [2917] Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my sayings shall not pass away.
[29] [2918] Take heed to yourselves, that your hearts become not heavy with inordinate desire, [2919] and drunkenness, and the care of the world at any time, and that day come [30] upon you suddenly: [2920] for it is as a shock that shocks all the inhabitants that are on the [31] face of the whole earth. [2921] Watch at all times, and pray, that ye may be worthy to escape [Arabic, p. 161] from all the things that are to be, and that ye may stand before the Son of [32] man. [2922] Of that day and of that hour hath no man learned, not even the angels [33] of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. [2923] See ye, and watch and pray: for ye know [34] not when that time will be. [2924] It is as a man, who journeyed, and left his house, and gave his authority to his servants, and appointed every man to his work, and [35] charged the porter to be wakeful. [2925] Be wakeful then: [2926] since ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, in the evening, or in the middle of the night, or when the [36] cock croweth, or in the morning; [2927] lest he come unexpectedly, and find you sleeping. [37] [2928] The thing that I say unto you, unto all of you do I say it, Be ye watchful.
[38] [2929] For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. [39] [2930] As they were before the flood eating and drinking, and taking wives, and giving [40] wives to men, [2931] until the day in which Noah entered into the ark, and they perceived not till the flood came, and took them all; so shall the coming of the Son of man [41] be. [2932] And as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating and drinking, and selling [42] and buying, and planting and building, [2933] on the day in which Lot went out from Sodom, and the Lord rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them [43, 44] all: [2934] so shall it be in the day in which the Son of man is revealed. [2935] [2936] And in that day, whosoever is on the roof, and his garments [2937] in the house, let him not go down to [45] take them: and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him. [2938] Remember Lot's [46] wife. [2939] Whosoever shall desire to save his life shall destroy it: but whosoever shall [47] destroy his life shall save it. [2940] Verily I say unto you, In that night there shall be two on [48] [Arabic, p. 162] one bed; one shall be taken, and another left. [2941] And two women shall be grinding [49] at one mill; one shall be taken, and another left. [2942] And two shall be in the [50] field; one shall be taken, and another left. [2943] They answered and said unto him, To what place, our Lord? He said unto them, Where the body is, there will the eagles [51, 52] gather. [2944] Be attentive now: for ye know not at what hour your Lord cometh. [2945] Know this: if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been attentive, and would not make it possible that his house should be [53] broken through. [2946] Therefore be ye also ready: for in the hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.