Читать книгу The New Testament In Scots - William L. Lorimer - Страница 11

MATTHEW’S GOSPEL

1 GENEALOGIE O JESUS CHRIST, the son o Dauvit, the son o Abraham: Abraham wis the faither o Isaac; Isaac o Jaucob; Jaucob o Judah an his brithers; Judah o Perez an Zârah, bi Tâmar; Perez o Hezron; Hezron o Ram; Ram o Ammínadab; Ammínadab o Nahshon; Nahshon o Salma; Salma o Boaz, bi Râhab; Boaz o Obed, bi Ruth; Obed o Jessè; Jessè o Kíng Dauvit.

Dauvit wis the faither o Solomon, bi Uríah’s wife; Solomon o Rehoboam; Rehoboam o Abíjah; Abíjah o Asa; Asa o Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat o Joram; Joram o Azaríah; Azaríah o Jotham; Jotham o Ahaz; Ahaz o Hezekíah; Hezekíah o Manasseh; Manasseh o Amon; Amon o Josíah; Josíah o Jechoníah an his brithers, at the time o the Cairriein-Awà tae Babylon.

Efter the Cairriein-Awà, Jechoníah wis the faither o Shealtiel; Shealtiel o Zerubbabel; Zerubbabel o Abíud; Abíud o Elíakim; Elíakim o Azor; Azor o Zâdok; Zâdok o Achim; Achim o Elíud; Elíud o Eleâzar; Eleâzar o Matthan; Matthan o Jaucob; Jaucob o Joseph, the husband o Mary, the mither o Jesus, at is caa’d Christ. Sae there is fowrteen generâtions in aa frae Abraham til Dauvit; fowrteen frae Dauvit til the Cairriein-Awà tae Babylon; an fowrteen frae the Cairriein-Awà til Christ.

THIS IS THE storie o the birth o Jesus Christ. His mither Mary wis trystit til Joseph, but afore they war mairriet she wis fund tae be wi bairn bi the Halie Spírit. Her trystit husband Joseph, honest man, hed nae mind tae affront her afore the warld an wis for brakkin aff their tryst hidlinweys; an sae he wis een ettlin tae dae, whan an angel o the Lord kythed til him in a draim an said til him, “Joseph, son o Dauvit, be nane feared tae tak Mary your trystit wife intil your hame; the bairn she’s cairriein is o the Halie Spírit. She will beir a son, an the name ye ar tae gíe him is Jesus, for he will sauf his fowk frae their sins.”

Aa this happent at the wurd spokken bi the Lord throu the Prophet micht be fufilled:

Behaud, the virgin will bouk an beir a son,

an they will caa his name Immanuel—

that is, “God wi us”.

Whan he hed waukit frae his sleep, Joseph did as the angel hed bidden him, an tuik his trystit wife hame wi him. But he bedditna wi her or she buir a son; an he caa’d the bairn Jesus.

2 JESUS WIS BORN at Bethlehem in Judaea i the days o Kíng Herod, an it wis nae time efter his birth or a curn spaemen frae the Aist cam tae Jerusalem an begoud speirin, “Whaur is the Kíng o Jews at hes come hame eenou? We saw the risin o his stairn, an ar come wast for tae wurship him.”

Kíng Herod wis sair pitten about tae hear that, an een sae wis the haill o Jerusalem. Sae he convened aa the Heid-Príests an Doctors o the Law i the kintra an speired at them whaur the Christ wis tae be born.

“At Bethlehem in Judaea,” said they, “een as the Prophet says in his buik:

‘An thou, Bethlehem i the Laund o Judah,

is naegate the least amang the Clans o Judah,

for frae thee will gang furth a leader

at will herd my peiple Israel’.”

Herod than caa’d the spaemen til him in hidlins, an whan he hed lairnt frae them the day an hour o the stairn’s kythin, he sent them awà tae Bethlehem, biddin them gang their waas an seek out aa the speirins they coud win at anent the bairn: “An whan ye hae fund him,” qo he, “bring me back wurd, sae at I may gae an wurship him mysel.”

They did een as the Kíng baud them, an tuik the gate; an, behaud, thair wis the stairn gaein on afore them, on an on, or it stappit abuin the houss whaur the bairn wis; an byous blythe war they tae see the stairn! Syne they gaed ben, an saw the bairn, wi Mary his mither; an they fell on their knees an wurshippit him, an apnin their treisur-kists, they laid gifts afore him—gowd, an frankincense, an myrrh. Than they fuir awà hame anither gate nor they hed come, sin they hed been warnished in a draim no tae gae back til Herod.

Efter their wagang belyve an angel kythed til Joseph in a draim an said til him, “Rise ye up an tak the bairn an his mither an haud awà til Egyp; for Herod ettles tae seek the bairn, for tae kill him.”

Sae Joseph rase an tuik the bairn an the bairn’s mither throu the nicht an gaed doun intil Egyp, an steyed there till Herod’s deith. For sae it buid be, at the wurd spokken bi the Lord throu the mouth o the prophet micht be fufilled: “I cried my son frae Egyp.”

Whan Herod saw at he hed been joukit bi the spaemen, he wis reid-wud wi teen, an sent an slauchtert aa the man-bairns intil the haill o Bethlehem, toun an laundart, at wis twa year auld or less, conform til the time he hed lairnt frae the spaemen. Than wis fufilled the wurd spokken bi Jeremíah the Prophet:

A cry wis hard in Râmah,

yammer an murnin an nae devaul—

Rachel yammerin for her bairntime,

an comfort nane wad she tak,

for at they warna nae mair.

But, whan Herod díed, belyve an angel o the Lord kythed in a draim til Joseph in Egyp an said til him, “Rise ye up an tak the bairn an his mither an haud awà til the Laund o Israel, for them at socht the bairn’s life is deid.” Sae Joseph rase an tuik the bairn an the bairn’s mither an fuir awà til the Laund o Israel. But whan he heared at Archelâus wis Kíng o Judaea in place o his faither Herod, he wis fleyed tae gang back there an owre the heid o a warnishment in a draim drew aff intil the pairt o Galilee an there sattelt in a toun caa’d Nazareth, at the wurd spokken bi the Prophets micht be fufilled: “He will be caa’d a Nazaraean.”

3 ABOUT THAT TIME John the Baptist kythed i the muirs o Judaea, preachin an tellin the fowk: “Repent, for the Kíngdom o Heiven is naurhaund!”

This wis the man at wis spokken o bi the Prophet Isaiah, whan he said:

Hark! The voice o ane cryin, out i the muirs:

‘Redd ye the gate o the Lord,

mak strecht his pads!’

This same John’s cleadin wis a raploch coat o caumel’s hair, wi a lethern girth about his waist, an ²³locusts an bumbees’ hinnie wis aa his scran. Aa Jerusalem an the haill o Judaea an Jordanside gaed out til him an confessed their sins an hed baptism at his haunds i the Jordan.

Whan he saw a feck o Pharisees an Sadducees comin for baptism, he said til them, “Ye getts o ethers, wha warnished ye tae flee frae the comin wraith? Awà an bring furth the frutes o repentance! An thinkna tae say til yoursels, ‘We hae Abraham til our faither.’ I tell ye, God coud raise childer for Abraham out o thir stanes. The aix is lyin else at the ruits o the tree, an ilka tree at beirsna guid frute will be cuttit doun an cuissen intil the fire. I am baptízin ye wi watter, tae win ye tae repentance: but him at is comin efter me is michtier nor me, sae at I amna wurdie tae tak aff his shuin for him; an he will baptíze ye wi the Halie Spírit an fire. His shuil is eenou intil his haund, an weill will he dicht his threshin-fluir; his grain will he gether intil his corn-laft, but the caff will he brenn wi fire at downa be slockent!”

Jesus nou cam frae Galilee tae the Jordan tae be baptízed bi John. But John socht tae hender him: “I hae need tae be baptízed bi ye,” qo he, “an come ye tae me?”

But Jesus answert, “Lat it be sae for the nou; we behuive tae dae this, gin we ar tae dae God’s will in aathing.” Syne John loot him hae his will.

Jesus cam strecht up frae the watter efter he hed been baptízed, an on a suddentie the lift apent, an he saw the Spírit o God comin doun his airt like a dou; an strecht a voice cam out o the lift, sayin, “This is my beluvit Son; in him I am weill-pleised.”

4 SYNE JESUS WIS led awà bi the Spírit tae the muirs for tae be tempit bi the Deivil.

Whan he ²⁴hedna haen bite nor soup for fortie days an fortie nichts an wis fell hungrisome, the Temper ²⁵drew up til him an said, “Gin ye ar the Son o God, bid thir stanes turn intil laifs.”

Jesus answert, “It says i the Buik:

Man sanna líve on breid alane,

but on ilka wurd at comes

furth o God’s mouth”.

Neist the Deivil tuik him awà til the Halie Cítie an set him on the toupachin o the Temple an said til him, “Gin ye ar the Son o God, cast yoursel doun tae the grund; for it says i the Buik:

He will gíe his angels orders anent ye,

an they will haud ye up on their haunds,

at ye dingna your fit again a stane.”

Jesus answert, “Ithergates it says i the Buik: ‘Thou sanna pit the Lord thy God tae the pruif’.”

Aince mair the Deivil tuik him awà, this time til an unco heich muntain, whaur he shawed him aa the kíngdoms o the warld an aa their glorie, an said til him, “Aa thir I s’ gíe ye, gin ye will gae doun on your knees an wurship me.”

Than Jesus said til him, “Awà wi ye, Sautan! It says i the Buik:

Thou sal wurship the Lord thy God,

an him sal thou sair alane.”

At that the Deivil loot him abee, an immedentlie angels cam an ²⁶begoud fettlin for him.

Whan he heared at John hed been incarcerate, he gaed back tae Galilee an, quattin Nazareth, sattelt in Capernaüm, doun at the Lochside, i the kintra o Zebulon an Naphtali. For sae it buid be, at the wurd spokken bi Isaiah the Prophet micht be fufilled, whan he says:

Laund o Zebulon, an Laund o Naphtali,

on the gate til the sea, atowre Jordan,

Galilee o the Haithen!

The fowk at sat i the mirk

hes seen a gryte licht:

for them at sat

i the shaidows o the Laund o Deith

day hes dawed.

FRAE THAT TIME forrit Jesus set tae the preachin: “Repent,” he tauld men, “for the Kíngdom o Heiven is naurhaund.” Ae day he wis traivlin aside the Loch o Galilee, whan he saw twa brithers, Símon, caa’d Peter, an Andro his brither, castin a net intil the loch; for they war fishers tae tredd.

“Come efter me,” qo he til them, “an I s’ mak ye men-fishers”; an strecht they quat their nets an fallowt him.

Gaein on faurer, he saw ither twa brithers, Jeames the son o Zebedee, an his brither John. They war intil their boat, tae, wi their faither Zebedee, beetin their nets; an he caa’d them, an immedentlie they quat the boat an their faither an fallowt him.

SYNE HE GAED round the haill o Galilee, teachin i their meetin-housses, an preachin the Kíngdom, an hailin ilka síckness an ilka complènt amang the fowk. His fame gaed outowre aa Sýria, an aa at wis oniegate ailin wis brocht til him—fowk dreein aa kinkind o ills an pyne, fowk pestit wi ill spírits, fowk afflickit wi the faain-síckness or the pairls—an he hailed them aa; an frae Galilee an the Ten Touns, frae Jerusalem an Judaea an ayont Jordan, muckle thrangs cam an fallowt him about.

5 Seein hou monie there wis o them, he spealed the brae, an whan he hed sitten doun, an his disciples hed gethert about him, he set tae the teachin, an this is what he said tae them:

“Hou happie the puir at is hummle afore God,

for theirs is the Kíngdom o heiven!

Hou happie the dowff an dowie,

for they will be comfortit!

Hou happie the douce an cannie,

for they will faa the yird!

Hou happie them at yaups an thrists for richteousness,

for they will get their sairin!

Hou happie the mercifu,

for they will win mercie!

Hou happie the clean o hairt,

for they will see God!

Hou happie the redders o strow an strife,

for they will be caa’d the childer o God!

Hou happie them at hes dree’d misgydin for richteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the Kíngdom o Heiven!

Hou happie ye, whan they tash an misgyde ye an say aathing ill o ye, líein on ye, for my sake! Blythe be ye an mirkie, for gryte is the rewaird bidin ye in heiven; it wis een sae they misgydit the Prophets afore ye.

“Ye ar the saut o the warld. But gin the saut gaes saurless, what will gíe it back its tang? There is nocht adae wi it mair but cast it outbye for fowk tae patter wi their feet.

“Ye ar the licht o the warld. A toun biggit on a hill-tap canna be hoddit; an again, whan fowk licht a lamp, they pit-it-na ablò a meal-bassie, but set it up on the dresser-heid, an syne it gíes licht for aabodie i the houss. See at your licht shínes that gate afore the warld, sae at aabodie may see your guid deeds an ruise your Faither in heiven!

“Trewna I am come tae abolish the Law an the Prophets: I haena come tae abolish them, but tae perfyte them. Atweill, I tell ye, as lang as heiven an yird bides, ²⁷no the smaaest scart o ink or scrape o the pen will be strucken frae the Law, or aathing at maun be hes come tae pass. Onie-ane, than, at braks ane o thir commaunds, be it the least o them, an lairns ithers tae dae the like, will be the least thocht-on i the Kíngdom o Heiven. But onie-ane at keeps them, an lairns ithers tae keep them, will be muckle thocht-on i the Kíngdom o Heiven. Deed, I tell ye, onless ye ar a hantle better-daein men nor the Doctors o the Law an the Pharisees, ye s’ ne’er win intil the Kíngdom o Heiven avà.

“Ye hae heared at it wis said tae them i the langsyne: ‘Thou sanna commit murther, an onie-ane at commits murther maun thole an assize afore the magistrate.’ But I say til ye, ‘Onie-ane at is angert at his brither maun thole an assize afore the magistrate.’ ²⁸Again, ‘Onie-ane at says til his brither, “Ye bee-heidit gowk!” maun thole an assize afore the Council.’ But I say: ‘Onie-ane at says til his brither, “Ye muckle sumph!” maun thole an assize afore ane at can duim til the lowes o hell.’ Sae whan ye bring your gift tae the altar, gin ye caa tae mind at your brither hes something again ye, lae your gift there forenent the altar an awà an souther it up wi your brither, an syne, but no afore, come an offer your gift. Loss nae time in greein wi onie-ane at hes raised a pley again ye, as lang as ye ar on the road tae the court wi him: or aiblins he will haund ye owre tae the Juidge, an the Juidge will turn ye owre til the Officiar o the Court, an ye will ²⁹finnd yoursel in jyle. Atweill, I tell ye, ye s’ no win out the jyle or ye hae peyed up ilka plack an farden!

“Ye hae heared at it wis said, ‘Thou sanna commit adulterie.’ But I say til ye at onie-ane at ³⁰casts a keistie luik owre a wuman hes commitit adulterie wi her else in his hairt. Gin your richt ee gars ye stoiter, pyke it out an cast it awà; ye will be better wantin ae ee nor haein your haill bouk cuissen intil hell. An gin your richt haund gars ye stoiter, cut it aff an cast it awà; ye will be better wantin ae pairt o ye nor haein your haill bouk an gangin the gate til hell.

“Again, it wis laid doun: ‘A man at divorces his wife maun gíe her divorce-lines.’ But I say tae ye at onie-ane at divorces his wife—an it binna for ³¹hurin—drives her intil adulterie, an onie-ane at mairries a divorced wuman commits adulterie.

“Again, ye hae heared at it wis said tae them i the lang-syne: ‘Ye sanna mansweir yoursel, but maun bide bi your aiths swurn tae the Lord.’ But I say til ye, ‘Sweir nane avà’—naither bi the lift, for it is his throne; nor bi the yird, for it is the fit-brod aneth his feet; nor yit bi Jerusalem, for it is the Cítie o the Gryte Kíng. Sweirna bi your ain heid aitherins, for ye canna mak ae hair o it black or white. Lat it ey be plain ‘Ay’ an ‘Na’ wi ye; ocht mair an that comes o the Ill Ane.

“Ye hae heared at it wis said: ‘Ee for ee, an tuith for tuith.’ But I say tae ye, ‘Haudna again wrang.’ Gin onie-ane ³²taks ye a scud on the tae chaft, turn the tither til him. Gin onie-ane wad tak the law o ye, an hae the sairk aff your back, lat him hae baith hit an your jaicket forbye. Gin a public officiar gars ye traivel wi him a mile, gang ye ither twa wi him. Gíe til onie-ane at axes ye, an til onie-ane seeks a len’ o ocht gíe-him-na a na-say.

“Ye hae heared at it wis said: ‘Thou sal luve thy neipour, an ill-will thy fae.’ But I say til ye, ‘Luve your faes, an pray for them at misgydes ye.’ Sae ye will shaw yoursels sons o your Faither in heiven, at gars his sun rise the same on the guid an the bad, an the renn faa the same on the weill-daein an the ill-daein. Gin ye luve nane but them at luves ye, what rewaird can ye ettle for that? Een the tax-uplifters dis as muckle. An gin ye ar couthie wi your brither alane, what is there sae byous about that? Een the haithen dis as muckle. Na, ye maun be perfyte, as your Faither in heiven is perfyte!

6 “Tak tent no tae dae your guid deeds afore fowk, tae hae them glowrin at ye; that gate ye s’ win nae rewaird o your Faither in heiven. Toutna a horn, whan ye gíe an awmous, the wey the hýpocrítes dis i the meetin-housses an the streets, at fowk may ruise them. Atweill, I tell ye, they hae gotten aa the rewaird they’r tae get. Na, whan ye gíe an awmous, latna your cair haund ken what your richt haund is daein, sae at your awmous-gíein may be dune in hidlins; an syne your Faither, at sees aathing at is dune in hidlins, will gíe ye your rewaird.

“Than, whan ye pray, ye maunna be like the hýpocrítes, at likes weill tae staund an pray i the meetin-housses an at the gateheids, sae at fowk may see them. Atweill, I tell ye, they hae gotten aa the rewaird they’r tae get. Na, whan ye pray, gang intil your benmaist chaumer an tak the door wi ye, an syne pray til your Faither, at bides whaur nane can see him; an your Faither, at sees aathing at is dune in hidlins, will gíe ye your rewaird. Rame-ramena awà, whan ye pray, like the haithen, at trews they will be hairkent for their tung-rake. Binna ye like them, for your Faither kens what ye hae need o, afore iver ye ax him. Pray ye, than, this gate:

Our Faither in heiven,

hallowt be thy name;

thy Kíngdom come;

thy will be dune

on the yird, as in heiven.

Gíe us our breid for this incomin day;

forgíe us the wrangs we hae wrocht,

as we hae forgíen the wrangs we hae dree’d;

an sey-us-na sairlie, but sauf us

frae the Ill Ane.

Gin ye forgíe ither fowk their fauts, your heivenlie Faither will een forgíe ye your fauts: but gin ye forgíena ithers, God winna forgíe ye your fauts naitherins.

“Whan ye fast, glumph-an-gloom-na like the hýpocrítes, at hings on lang, shilpitlike faces, at fowk may see they ar fastin. Atweill, I tell ye, they hae gotten aa the rewaird they’r tae get. Na, whan yefast, pit oil on your heid an wash your face, sae at ye mayna be seen bi men tae be fastin, but onlie bi God, at bides whaur nane can see him; an your Faither, at sees aathing at is dune in hidlins, will gíe ye your rewaird.

“Huirdna up treisur for yoursels on the yird, whaur mochs an roust gaes wi aathing, an thíefs holes throu the waa an staels: huird ye up treisur for yoursels in heiven, whaur is naither mochs nor roust tae gae wi it, nor thíefs tae hole throu the waa an stael. Whaur your treisur is huirdit, een thair will your hairt be an aa.

“The ee is the lamp o the bodie. Gin your sicht is guid, your haill bodie will be fu o licht: but gin your sicht is bad, your haill bodie will be fu o mirkness. Gin, than, the licht ithin ye is mirkness, hou fell maun be your mirkness!

“Nae man can sair twa maisters: aither he will ill-will the tane an luve the tither, or he will grip til the tane an lichtlifíe the tither. Ye canna sair God an Gowd baith.

“An sae I rede ye: binna sair thochtit hou ye’r tae fend an haud yoursels in life, or whaur ye’r tae finnd cleadin for your bodies. Isna life something mair nor fendin, an the bodie something mair nor cleadin? Luik til the birds i the lift: they saw nane, they shear nane, they getherna nae grain intil barns; an yit your heivenlie Faither gíes them their mait. An arna ye a lang gate tae the fore o them? Whilk o ye can eik hauf an ell til his heicht bi thochtiness? An what for ar ye ey thochtit for cleadin? Luik til the wild lilies an the wey they grow: they tyauvena nor spin-na; an yit I tell ye at Solomon himsel in aa his braivitie wisna buskit hauf sae braw. But gin God sae cleads the girss i the fíelds, at is growin the day, an the morn is cuissen intil the uin, will he no be faur liker tae clead ye? Shame on your want o faith!

“Binna thochtit, than, an ey sayin tae yoursels, ‘Bit an drap for our wymes, claes for our backs—whaur ar they tae come frae?’ Thir is the things at the haithen is ey taen up wi; an, mair atowre, your heivenlie Faither kens at ye hae need o them aa. Na, afore aathing seek ye his Kíngdom an his richteousness, an syne ye s’ be gíen aa thir ither things forbye. Binna thochtit, than, for the morn; lae the morn tae be thochtit for itsel; ilka day hes eneuch adae wi its nain ills.

7 “Juidgena ithers, an ye wadna be juidged yoursels. Ye will be juidged the same wey as ye juidge, an ³³the meisur ye gíe will be the meisur ye get.

“Hou is it ye luik til the spail in your brither’s ee, an tentna the dail in your ain? Hou can ye say til your brither, ‘Lat me tak yon spail out o your ee’, an here a dail in your ain ee aa the time? Ye hýpocríte, first tak the dail out o your ain ee, an syne ye s’ see richt tae tak the spail out o your brither’s ee!

“Gíena halie flesh tae dowgs, an castna murlins o halie breid afore swine, for fear at they patter them wi their feet, an syne turn an rive ye in píeces.

Ax, an it s’ be gíen ye;

seek, an ye s’ finnd;

chap, an the door s’ be apent til ye.

Ilkane at axes gets,

an ilkane at seeks finnds,

an til onie-ane at chaps

the door will be apent.

Is there a man o ye at his son axed breid o, an he wad rax him a stane? Or a fish, an he wad rax him an ether? Gin ye, than, for as ill-daein as ye ar, ken hou tae gíe your childer guid gifts, hou muckle mair will your Faither in heiven gíe guid things til them at axes him? Ey dae as ye wad be dune til: that is the haill o the Law an the Prophets.

“Gae ye in at the nairrow yett. Side an wide is the gate at leads tae sculder, an monie feck traivels it: but nairrow is the yett, an nae braider is the gate, at leads til life; an no monie finnds it.

“Be-waur o fauss prophets at come tae ye in sheep’s cleadin, but aneth is ravenish woufs. Ye will ken them bi their deeds. Div fowk gether grapes aff bríar-busses, or fegs aff thrissles? Na, fy: ilka guid tree beirs guid frute, an ilka ³⁴rotten tree beirs ill frute. A guid tree canna beir ill frute, nor a ³⁵rotten tree guid frute. Ilka tree at beirsna guid frute is cuttit doun an cuissen intil the fire. Sae ye will ken thir men bi their frute.

“No ilkane at says til me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will win intil the Kíngdom o Heiven, but him alane at dis the will o my Faither in heiven. Monie-ane will say tae me on yon day, ‘Lord, Lord, prophesíed-we-na in your name, an in your name cuist-we-na out ill spírits, an in your name wrocht-we-na míracles a feck?’ Syne I will say til them braid out: ‘I niver kent ye: atowre frae me, ill-daers at ye ar!’

“Ilkane, than, at hears thir biddins o mine an dis them is like a forethochtie man at biggit his houss on rock. On dang the renn, an the spates cam doun, an the winds they blew an blaudit yon houss: but it fellna, because its founds wis set i the rock. But ilkane at hears thir biddins o mine an dis-them-na is like a fuilish chíel at biggit his houss on saund. On dang the renn, an the spates cam doun, an the winds they blew an blattert yon houss; an doun it fell, an sic a stramash as that wis!”

Wi that Jesus brocht his discoùrse til an end; an the fowk wis dumfounert at his mainner o teachin, for he spak wi the voice o authoritie, an no like their Doctors o the Law.

8 WHAN HE HED come doun aff the braeside, an unco thrang o fowk fallowt him. Belyve a lipper drew up til him an, beckin fu laich, said til him, “Sir, an ye hae the will, ye hae the can tae hail me o my fousome ill.”

Jesus raxed out his haund an laid it on him an said, “I hae the will: be ye haill an clean”; an strecht the lipper wis redd o his ill an fylement.

Syne Jesus said til him, “Mind an tell naebodie: gang ye, tho, an shaw yoursel til the príest an offer the gift ordeined bi Moses, at the warld may hae pruif o your betterness.”

WHAN HE HED come intil Capernaüm, a Centurion cam up an socht his help: “Sir,” said he, “my servan hes haen a straik; he’s lyin intil his bed, owrebye at my houss, terrible sair taen.”

“I will come an richt him,” qo Jesus.

“Ill wad it set the like o me, sir, tae hae ye comin intil my howff,” said the Centurion: “say but the wurd, an my servan will be better. Tak mysel, sir: forbye them at gíes me orders, I hae sodgers under me, an I say til ane, ‘Gae yont’, an he gaes; an til anither, ‘Come here’, an he comes; an tae my servan, ‘Dae this, or that’, an he dis it.”

Jesus ferliet tae hear him, an he said tae them at wis wi him, “Atweill, I tell ye, no een in Israel hae I fund siccan faith! Monie, I tell ye, will come frae the aist an the wast an lie doun at the buird wi Abraham an Isaac an Jaucob i the Kíngdom o Heiven, an the born heirs o the Kíngdom will be cuissen furth intil the outmaist mirk; an it’s there at the yaumer an the chirkin o teeth will be!”

Syne he said til the Centurion, “Gang your waas; it will een be as ye hae lippent.” An i that same maument his servan wis better.

EFTERHIN HE GAED til Peter’s houss, whaur he faund Peter’s guid-mither lyin intil her bed wi the fivver. He grippit her haund, an the fivver quat her; an she rase frae her bed an saw efter his mait an aa.

Syne, whan it wis faur i the day, they brocht til him monie at wis trauchelt wi ill spírits, an he drave out the ill spírits an hailed aa them at wis oniegate no weill. Een sae buid he dae, at the wurd spokken bi the mouth o the Prophet Isaiah micht be fufilled:

He tuik on himsel our ills

an buir our sícknesses.

SEEIN WHAT A fowk wis about him, Jesus gae the wurd tae gang owre til the ither side o the Loch. Afore they war awà, a Doctor o the Law cam up til him an said, “Maister, I will fallow ye, whauriver ye ar gaein.”

“The tods hes their bouries,” answert Jesus, “an the birds o the lift their bíelds: but the Son o Man hes naewey tae lay his heid.”

Anither o the disciples said til him, “Lat me gang hame first an yird my faither.”

“Fallow me,” qo Jesus; “an lat the deid een yird their deid.”

SYNE JESUS GAED on tae the boat, an his disciples cam abuird efter him. On a suddentie a fell storm rase the loch, an the jaws cam jow-jowin owre the boat. But Jesus ey sleepit.

Sae they cam an waukent him an said til him, “Sauf us, Maister, we’r likin tae be drouned!”

But Jesus said til them, “What maks ye sic couarts? What hes come owre your faith?” Syne he stuid up an bostit the winds an the watter; an aa fell lown an still.

They aa ferliet an said, “Whattan kin o man is this, at een wind an watter dis his biddins?”

WHAN HE HED laundit on the ither side i the Gadarene kintra, he met in wi twa men wi ill spírits, at wis comin out frae the graffs—a twasome sae fell an fairce at nae man daured gang that gate. Strecht they yelloched out, “What want ye wi hiz, ye Son o God? Ar ye come here tae pyne us afore our time?”

Nou, a gey gate aff there wis a muckle herd o swine feedin; an the spírits socht him, gin he wis tae cast them out, tae send them intil the herd o swine. “Awà wi ye,” qo Jesus; an they cam out o the men an gaed intil the swine; an, swith, the haill herd breinged awà doun the stey braeface intil the loch an perished in its watters.

At that the herds at wis tentin the swine tuik leg frae the bit an screived awà til the toun, whaur they tauld the storie o the men wi the ill spírits, an aa the lave o it. An belyve the haill fowk cam out frae the toun tae meet Jesus; an whan they saw him, they socht him tae quat their bounds.

9 JESUS THAN BUIRDIT a boat an gaed atowre the Loch an cam til his ain toun. Belyve they brocht him a blastit man lyin on a bed; an, seein their faith, he said tae the man, “Tak hairt, my son; your sins is forgíen.” At that a wheen Doctors o the Law at wis by said til themsels, “It is aivendoun blasphemie, that!”

Jesus kent what they war thinkin intil themsels an said tae them, “What wey hae ye sic ill thochts in your hairts? Whilk o the twa things is the aisiest—tae say, ‘Your sins is forgíen’, or tae say, ‘Staund up, an traivel about’? But, tae lat ye ken at the Son o Man hes the richt on the yird tae forgíe sins—Staund up,” says he til the blastit man: “tak up your bed, an gang your waas hame.”

The man stuid up, an gaed awà hame; an the croud wis fleyed tae see him rise an gang, an ruised God for gíein men sic pouers.

AS HE GAED yont the gate frae there, he saw a man caa’d Matthew sittin at his dask i the Towbuid, an he said til him, “Fallow me”; an he rase an fallowt him.

Efterhin he wis i the houss, lyin at the buird, an belyve a guid wheen tax-uplifters an siclike outlans cam ben an lay doun aside Jesus an his disciples. Whan the Pharisees saw it, they said til his disciples, “What for taks your Maister his mait wi tax-uplifters an siclike outlans?”

Jesus heared them an said, “It isna the haill an fere hes need o the doctor, but the síck an dwinin. Awà ye an lairn the meanin o the wurd, ‘Mercie I wad hae, an no saicrifíce’! I haena come tae invíte the weill-lívin, but outlans an ill-daers.”

AE DAY JOHN’S disciples cam til him an said, “What wey is it at hiz an the Pharisees fasts, an your disciples fastsna?”

Jesus answert, “As lang as the bridegroom is wi them, the waddiners canna be dowff an wae, canna they no? But the day is tae come whan the bridegroom will be taen awà frae them, an than they will fast. Nae man shews a clout cuttit frae an onwaukit wab on til an auld dud; an he dis, the platch rugs awà at the auld dud, an the affcome is a waur rive. Naither is noo wine filled intil auld wine-skins; an it is, the skins splíts, an the wine is skailed an the skins massauckert. Fy, na: noo wine is filled intil noo wine-skins, an syne baith wine an skins is hained.”

EEN AS HE spak, up cam a ³⁶meetin-houss convener an, beckin fu laich, said til him, “My dachter hes juist díed: but come, sir, an lay your haund on her, an she s’ líve again.”

Sae Jesus rase an fallowt him, an his disciples gaed wi them. They war ey on the road whan a wuman at hed haen a rin o bluid a twal year comes up an titches the rund o his coat: “Gin I can but titch the coat o him,” thocht she til hersel, “I’ll get better.” But Jesus turned about an saw her: “Tak hairt, my dachter,” qo he; “your faith hes made ye weill.” An, deed, i that same maument the wuman wis better.

Whan he wan til the ³⁷Convener’s hame, an faund the saulies there, an the houss fu o fowk an din an stír,¹ “Awà out o this!” qo he. “The lassock isna deid, she’s sleepin.” ³⁸They onlie leuch at him. But whan the fowk hed been pitten out o the houss, he gaed ben an grippit the lassie bi the haund, an she rase up. An belyve the souch o this gaed outowre the haill o that pairt.

AS HE GAED yont the gate frae there, twa blinnd men fallowt him, rairin an cryin out: “Son of Dauvit, hae pítie on us!”

Whan he hed come til his houss an gane inbye, the twa o them cam ben til him, an he said tae them, “Lippen ye at I can dae what ye seek o me?”

“Ay, div we!” said they.

Than he titched their een, sayin til them, “Sae ye hae lippent, an sae it s’ be wi ye”; an wi the wurd their een wis onsteikit. Syne he chairged them stourlie, sayin, “See til it at naebodie kens ocht o this.” But nae shuner war they tae the road an they begoud tae tell aa an sindrie anent him out-throu the haill o that kintra.

Juist as they war takkin the gate, a dummie at wis pestit wi an ill spírit wis brocht til him. He cuist out the ill spírit, an the man begoud tae speak. The fowk aa ferliet tae hear him: “The like o that,” qo they, “wis niver seen in Israel!” But the Pharisees said, “It is wi the help o the Maister Fíend he casts out the ill spírits.”

SYNE JESUS GAED round aa the touns an clachans, teachin i their meetin-housses, an preachin the Gospel o the Kíngdom, an hailin aa kinkind o ills an infirmities. Ae day, as he luikit at the croud, he wis wae for them, seein them lyin on the grund sair dung an forfachelt, like a hirsel o ³⁹herdless sheep; an he said til his disciples, “A braw an rowthie crap, a-wat, but hairsters is tae seek: pray ye, than, tae the gryte awner o the crap tae send out hairsters tae shear it.”

10 Syne Jesus caa’d the Twal Disciples til him an gíed them pouer tae cast out onclean spírits, an tae hail aa kinkind o ills an infirmities. Thir is the names o the Twal Apostles: first

SIMON (or PETER), an ANDRO his brither;

JEAMES the son o Zebedee, an JOHN his brither;

PHILIP, an BARTHOLOMEW;

TAMMAS, an MATTHEW the tax-uplifter;

JEAMES the son o Alphaeus, an THADDAEUS;

SIMON the Cânanaean, an JUDAS ISCARIOT, at efterhin betrayed him.

Thir twal Jesus sent out wi this chairge: “Gangna the airth o the haithen,” qo he, “an setna a fit in onie Samâritan toun: gae ye raither tae the waff sheep o the Houss o Israel, preachin an proclaimin, whauriver ye gang, at the Kíngdom o Heiven is naurhaund. Richt the ailin, raise the deid, hail lippers, cast out ill spírits; an as ye hae gotten for nocht, sae maun ye gíe for nocht. Tak nae gowd nor siller, no een a capper, in your pouches, whan ye set tae the gate, nor nae awmous-poke, nor saicond sairk, or shuin, or rung: ilka wurkman hes a richt til his up-haud.

“Whan ye come intil a toun or clachan, speir out some dacent, wysslike bodie tae gíe ye up-pittin, an bide ye there till your wagang. Whan ye gang inbye, gíe the houss your benison. Syne, gin the houss be wurdie o it, your blissin will een come doun on it: but gin it binna wurdie, lat your blissin come back til ye. Whauriver they walcome-ye-na an hairken-na your wurds, daud the stour o that houss or toun aff your feet at your wagang. Atweill, I tell ye, blacker s’ be the faa o yon toun at the Day o Juidgement nor the faa o the Laund o Sodom an Gomorrah!

“I am sendin ye furth like sheep amang woufs, sae be ye as cannie as ethers an as ill-less as dous. Tak tent o men. They will gíe ye up tae councils an swípe ye i their meetin-housses: ay, ye will be harlt afore governors an kíngs for my sake, at ye may beir witness tae the truith afore them an the haithen. But, whan they gíe ye up, binna thochtit owre what ye ar tae say, or hou ye ar tae say it. It will een come tae ye, whan ye staund there, what ye ar tae say: deed, ye winna be speakin avà; your Faither’s Spírit will be speakin in ye.

“Brither will gíe up brither tae deith, an faither will gíe up son; childer will rise up again their paurents an cause pit them tae deid: sair will the warld ill-will ye, because ye ar named for me; but him at hauds steive til the hinnerend will be saufed. Whan they persecute ye in ae toun, flee awà til anither: atweill, I tell ye, ye winna hae gane throu the touns o Israel, gin the comin o the Son o Man!

“The disciple isna tae the fore o his teacher, nor the servan o his maister; an the disciple maunna complein, gin he is saired the same as his teacher, nor the servan, gin he is saired the same as his maister. Gin they hae caa’d the heid o the houss-hauld Beëlzeboul, hou muckle mair will they gíe the name til his sons an servans!

“Binna ye feared for them, than; nocht is hoddit at isna tae be brocht tae licht, or saicret at isna tae be made kent, or aa be dune. What I tell ye under cloud o nicht, ye maun say it out i the daylicht; an what is hairkit tae ye in laich, ye maun cry it out on the riggins. Binna ye frichtit for them at kills the bodie, but canna kill the saul: be frichtit raither for him at can wrack baith bodie an saul in hell. Isna spugs sauld at a maik the píece? An yit no ae spug o them aa can faa tae the grund ithout your Faither’s will. An as for ye, ilka hair on your heids hes been countit. Binna ye feared, than; ye ar wurth mair nor spugs monie feck.

“Ilkane, than, at owns me for his maister afore men, I will own him for my servan afore my Faither in heiven. But ilkane at disavous me afore men, I will disavou him afore my Faither in heiven. Trewna at I am come tae bring peace on the yird: I amna come tae bring peace, but a swuird. Ay, I hae come tae raise sturt an strife

atween a man an his faither

a dachter an her mither,

a guid-dachter an her guid-mither;

an a man will hae

his ain houss-hauld for faes.

Onie-ane at luves faither or mither mair nor me is onwurdie o me; onie-ane at luves son or dachter mair nor me is onwurdie o me; an onie-ane at taksna up his cross an comes efter me is onwurdie o me. Sauf your life, an ye s’ tyne it: tyne your life for my sake, an ye s’ sauf it.

“Onie-ane at walcomes ye walcomes me; an onie-ane at walcomes me walcomes him at sent me. Onie-ane at walcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will get a prophet’s rewaird; onie-ane at walcomes a weill-daein man because he’s a weill-daein man will get a weill-daein man’s rewaird; an onie-ane at raxes ane o thir smaa fowk a bicker o cauld watter—nae mair an that—because he is a disciple, atweill, I tell ye, he s’ no want his rewaird!”

11 Wi that Jesus brocht his chairge tae the Twal Disciples til an end. Syne he quat the place whaur he wis, tae gae teachin an preachin i the touns i that pairt.

MEANTIME JOHN GAT wittins in jyle o what the Christ wis daein, an he sent some o his disciples tae speir at him: “Ar ye him at wis tae come? Or ar we tae bide on someane else?”

“Gang your waas,” answert Jesus, “an tell John aa at ye hae heared an seen for yoursels—the blinnd winnin back their sicht an lameters traivlin, lippers cowrin their ill an deif fowk hearin, deid men comin back tae life an the Gospel brocht tae the puir. Happie him at snappersna because o me!” Sae they tuik the gate; an Jesus begoud speakin tae the thrang anent John.

“Tell me,” qo he: “what wis it ye gaed out tae the muirs tae luik at? . . . A windlestrae waggin i the wind? . . . Na, ’tweill!

“What wis it, than, ye gaed out tae see? . . . A man cled in silken braws? Siclike is tae seek in kíngs’ pailaces.

“What for, than, gaed ye out? . . . Tae see a Prophet? Ay—an muckle mair nor a Prophet! This is him at Scriptur speaks o i the wurds:

‘Behaud, I send furth my messenger afore thy face,

tae redd thy gate afore thee.’

Atweill, I tell ye, the ne’er a ane o them aa at hes kythed on the yird hes been gryter nor John the Baptist; an yit the least i the Kíngdom o Heiven is gryter nor him.

“Frae the days o John the Baptist till nou breingers hes been birzin intil the Kíngdom o Heiven an makkin it their ain bi force. For the haill o the Prophets an the Law up til John spak o it as a thing ey tae come; an, gin ye will tak it, he is the Elíjah tae come. Lat him at hes lugs in his heid hairken!

“But what am I tae liken the fowk o thir days til? They ar like bairns sittin i the mercat-place an cryin tae their play-marrows:

We hae played ye a spring,

but ye wadna lilt:

we hae cried ye a cronach,

but ye wadna murn!

First cam John, haudin aff mait an drink, an they say, ‘The man hes an ill spírit.’ Syne the Son o Man hes come, takkin his mait, an takkin his drap; an they say, ‘See at him, the poke-puddin, the drouth, the billie o tax-uplifters an siclike clamjamphray!’ But God’s wísdom is free’d o aa blame bi the outcome o its wark.”

Syne he yokit on the touns whaur the maist feck o his míracles hed been wrocht, an challenged them, because they hedna repentit o their sins. “Wae’s me for ye, Chorazín!” qo he. “Wae’s me for ye, Bethsâida! Gin the míracles wrocht in ye hed been wrocht in Tyre an Sídon, langsinsyne wad they repentit o their sins in harn gouns an aiss. Ay, an I tell ye this: blacker s’ be your faa at the Day o Juidgement nor the faa o Tyre an Sídon!

“An ye, Capernaüm—trew ye

at ye will be raised til heiven?

Na, doun ye s’ gang,

doun tae the Laund o the Deid!

For gin the míracles at hes been wrocht in ye hed been wrocht in Sodom, it wad hae been ey tae the fore. Ay, an I tell ye this: blacker s’ be your faa at the Day o Juidgement nor the faa o the Laund o Sodom!”

AT THIS SAME time Jesus spak thir wurds forbye: “I cun thee thanks, Faither, Lord o Heiven an Yird, at thou hes hoddit thir things frae men o wit an lair, an loot the littlans ken them. Ay, Lord, I thank thee at sic wis thy will.

“Aathing hes been lippent tae me bi my Faither, an nae-ane is faur ben wi the Son but the Faither, nor nae-ane is faur ben wi the Faither but the Son an sic as he is pleised tae mak acquent wi him. Come ye til me, aa ye at is sair forfochen an laident, an I will gíe ye easedom an rest! Tak my yoke upò ye, an lairn frae me; for I am douce an hummle o hairt, an wi me ye s’ finnd easedom an rest til your sauls. ⁴⁰For my yoke it gawsna the craig, an my birn it bousna the back.”

12 AE SABBATH ABOUT that time Jesus wis traivlin throu the corns, whan his disciples begoud tae be yaup an stairtit puin the ickers an aitin them. The Pharisees saw them an said til him, “Luik ye there, your disciples is daein what it isna leisome tae dae on the Sabbath!”

“Hae ye no read i your Bibles,” qo Jesus, “what Dauvit did aince whan him an them at wis wi him wis yaup—hou he gaed intil the Houss o God, an they aitit the Saucred Bannocks at it wisna leisome for him, or them at wis wi him, or for onie-ane, binna the príests, tae ait? Or hae ye no read i the Buiks o the Law hou the príests braks the Sabbath ilka ouk i the Temple, an nae-ane hes a faut tae them owre it? An there is something gryter nor the Temple here, at is there! Gin ye hed kent the meanin o the wurd, ‘I wad lour hae mercie nor saicrifíce’, ye wadna wytit sakeless men; for the Son o Man is maister o the Sabbath.”

Syne he gaed his waas frae the fíelds an cam til the meetin-houss o the place, whaur he gaed in an faund a man wi a geizent airm i the congregâtion.

“Is it leisome tae hail fowk on the Sabbath?” they speired at him, at they micht hae a faut tae chairge him wi.

Jesus answert, “Is there onie man o ye aa at hes but ae sheep, an it faas intil a gote on the Sabbath, at winna grip hauds o it an set it on its fowr feet again? An hou muckle mair wurth is a bodie nor a sheep! Sae ye see, it is leisome tae dae guid on the Sabbath.” Syne he said tae the man, “Rax out your airm”; an the man raxed it out, an it wis richtit an made as guid as the tither ane.

At that the Pharisees gaed out an colleagued wi ither hou they micht hae him pitten tae deith. Jesus lairnt o it, an depairtit frae that place. Monie fowk gaed efter him, an he hailed aa at wis síck, chairgin them stricklie no tae lat fowk ken about him. This wis at the wurd spokken bi Isaiah the Prophet micht be fufilled, whaur he says:

‘Behaud my Son, at I hae waled,

my weill-beluvit, at my saul delytes in!

I will pit my Spírit upò him,

an he will proclaim the richt til the haithen.

He winna cangle or rowt;

his voice nane will hear i the streets.

A brouzelt rash he winna brak,

an a smuistin wíck he winna slocken,

afore he hes brocht the cause o richt

throu tae víctorie.

In his name will the haithen

set their howp.’

AN NOU A man at wis pestit wi an ill spírit, an dumb an blinnd forbye, wis brocht til him; an he hailed him o his dumbness an blinnd ness baith. The fowk at wis round about wis aa fair by themsels wi winder an said, “Can he be the Son o Dauvit, na?”

Whan the Pharisees gat wurd o that, they said, “It is bi Beëlzeboul, the Maister Fíend, at he casts out the ill spírits.”

Jesus kent their thochts an said til them, “Ilka kíngdom at is sindert in twa, pairt again pairt, gangs tae wrack; an nae toun or houss-hauld at is sindert in twa, pairt again pairt, can staund. Gin it is Sautan at casts out Sautan, he maun be sindert in twa an at feid wi himsel: hou, than, can his kíngdom staund? An gin it is bi Beëlzeboul at I cast out the ill spírits, wha is your ain fowk behauden til for castin them out? ⁴¹Tak your wey o it, an it is them will pruive ye wrang! But gin it is bi the Spírit o God at I cast out the ill spírits, syne the Kíngdom o Heiven maun hae come til ye. Hou can onie-ane win intil a strang man’s houss an lift his gear, wiout he first binnds the strang man? Aince he hes bund him, he can spuilie his houss at his leisur.

“Him at isna wi me is again me, an him at ingethersna wi me skails abreid. An sae I tell ye, ilka ither sin an blasphemie will be forgíen men, but blasphemie again the Spírit will no be forgíen. Gin a man speaks again the Son o Man, it will be forgíen him: but gin he speaks again the Halie Spírit, it winna be forgíen him, naither i this warld nor i the warld tae come.

“Aither caa a tree guid an its frute guid, or caa a tree rotten an its frute rotten; for it is the frute at tells ye whatlike a tree is. Getts o ethers at ye ar, hou can ye say ocht at is guid, whan ye ar ill yoursels? It is the hairt’s owrecome at gíes the mou its wurds. A guid man brings guid things out o the store o guid ithin him, an an ill man brings ill things out o the store o ill ithin him. But I tell ye at men will answer on the Day o Juidgement for ilka heedless wurd they hae spokken, for it is bi your wurds at ye will be assoilied, an bi your wurds at ye will be duimed.”

SYNE A CURN Doctors o the Law an Pharisees said til him, “Maister, we want ye tae dae a míracle.”

Jesus answert, “An ill-gíen, onfaithfu generâtion wad hae a míracle, na? A-weill, the ne’er a míracle will it get, binna the míracle o Jonah. As Jonah wis three days an three nichts i the wyme o the Whaul, een sae will the Son o Man be three days an three nichts i the hairt o the yird. The men o Níneveh will staund up at the Juidgement wi this generâtion an ⁴²duim it, for they repentit o their sins at Jonah’s preachin; an, tent ye, what ye hae here is mair nor onie Jonah. The Queen o the South Kintra will rise up at the Juidgement wi this generâtion an ⁴²duim it, for she cam frae the bounds o the yird tae hairken the wísdom o Solomon; an, tent ye, what ye hae here is mair nor onie Solomon.

“Whan a foul spírit gaes outen a man, it raiks the muirs, seekin a howff tae rest in an, finndin nane naegate, says til itsel, ‘I s’ awà back til my ain houss at I quat.’ Sae back it gaes; an, finndin the houss staundin tuim an aa soopit an brawlie redd up, aff it gangs an feshes ither seiven spírits, ilkane waur nor itsel, an they aa gae ben an heft i the place. Sae yon man is waur aff nor he wis at the first, afore aa’s dune. An that is hou it is tae be wi this ill-gíen generâtion.”

HE WIS EY speakin til the fowk, whan thair wis his mither an his brithers staundin outbye, seekin a wurd wi him. Someane tauld him: “Luik,” qo he, “your mither an your brithers is staundin thereout, seekin a wurd wi ye.”

Jesus said tae the man at tauld him, “Wha is my mither? Wha is my brithers?”

Syne he streikit out his haund an pointit at his disciples: “Thair,” qo he, “is my mither an my brithers. Onie-ane at dis the will o my Faither in heiven is my brither an sister an mither!”

13 THAT SAME DAY Jesus gaed furth an sat doun at the Lochside, but sic a thrang o fowk gethert round about at he buid gang abuird a boat an lean him doun in it. The croud aa stuid on the shore, an he spak tae them in parables a lang while.

“A sawer,” qo he, “gaed out tae saw his fíeld. As he sawed, some o the seeds fell alang the bauk, an the birds cam an gorbelt them up. Ithers fell on a hirstie bit, whaur there wisna muckle soil; an they shuitit up strecht awà, because they hed nae deepth o yird ablò them. Syne, whan the sun spealed the lift, they war birselt, an dowed awà for the want o ruits. Ithersome fell amang thrissles, an the thrissles grew up an chokkit them. But ither seed fell on bonnie grund, an gae a crap a hunderfauld, saxtiefauld, thertiefauld, biz what hed been sawn. Lat him at hes lugs in his heid listen weill!”

The disciples cam an speired at him efterhin, “Hou is it ye speak tae the fowk in parables?”

“Because,” qo he, “tae ye it is gíen tae ken the saicrets o the Kíngdom o Heiven, but tae them it isna.

Til havers mair is gíen,

till it faur owregangs their need:

frae not-havers is taen

een what they hae.

Gin I speak tae them in parables, it is because they hae sicht, but seena, an hearin, but naither hear nor understaund. In them is fufilled the prophecie o Isaiah at says:

‘Ye sal hairken an better hairken

an nocht forstaund,

an glower an better glower

an naething see;

for drumlie i the wit this fowk hes grown

an dull o hearin,

an tichtlie their een hae they dittit,

leist they suid see wi their een

an hear wi their ears

an forstaund wi their wit an turn back til me,

an I suid hail them.’

But happie ye for your een, at they see, an your ears, at they hear! Atweill, I tell ye, monie prophets an saunts greined tae see the things at ye see, an saw-them-na, an hear the things at ye hear, an heared-them-na!

“Hairken ye nou till I redd ye the Parable o the Sawer. Whan onie-ane hears the Wurd o the Kíngdom an understaunds-it-na, the Ill Ane comes an cairries awà what wis sawn in his hairt. Siccan ane is the seed sawn alang the bauk. As tae the seed sawn on the hirstie bit, yon is the man at hears the Wurd an blythelie accèps it. But it stricks nae ruit in him, an he isna ane tae haud onie gate lang; an sae, whan afflíction or persecution maun be dree’d for the Wurd, he stoiters an faas. The seed sawn amang the thrissles is the man at hears the Wurd, but warldlie kyauch an care an the chaitrie glaumour o walth smoors the Wurd, an the crap misgíes aathegither. But the seed sawn on the bonnie grund is the man at hears an understaunds the Wurd, the man at beirs a crap, a hunderfauld, saxtiefauld, or thertiefauld, biz what wis sawn.”

ANITHER PARABLE AT he laid doun til them wis this: “The Kíngdom o Heiven is like a man at sawed his fíeld wi guid seed. Syne, whiles fowk wis aa sleepin intil their beds, his ill-willer cam an sawed doite in amang the whyte, an wis aff an awà.

“Whan the shuits hed brairdit, an the heids begoud tae bouk, the doite kythed amang the whyte. The ⁴³fairmservans cam an said til the guidman, ‘It wis guid seed ye sawed i your fíeld, wis it no, sir? Whaur’s aa thon doite come frae, than?’

“ ‘This is some ill-willer’s wark,’ said he.

“The fairmservans speired at him, ‘Will we gang an gether the doite?’

“ ‘Na, fegs,’ said he; ‘whan ye war getherin the doite, I dout ye’d be puin up the whyte alang wi’d. Lat doite an whyte een grow thegither till hairst-time; whan hit comes, I s’ say til the shearers, “First gether the doite an binnd it in banyels tae be brunt, an syne gether the whyte intil my barn”.’ ”

Anither parable at he laid doun til them wis this: “The Kíngdom o Heiven is like a curn o mustart-seed at a man tuik an sawed in his fíeld. Mustart is the littlest o aa seeds, but it grows up intil the mucklest gairden-yerb o them aa, a richt tree, at the birds o the lift comes an bíelds in its brainches.”

This wis anither parable he tauld them: “The Kíngdom o Heiven is like barm at a wuman tuik an pat in amang a firlot o flour, tae tuive awà there or the haill daud o daich hed risen.”

Aa this Jesus spak tae the croud in parables: deed, he spakna til them binna in parables. Sae it buid be, at the wurd o the Prophet micht be fufilled:

I will apen my mouth in parables:

I will tell out

things hoddit frae the warld begoud.

Syne he sent the croud their waas an himsel gaed hame. There his disciples cam an socht him tae lay out the Parable o the Doite i the Fíeld.

“The sawer o the guid seed,” qo he, “is the Son o Man; the fíeld is the warld; the guid seed is the childer o the Kíngdom; the doite is the childer o the Ill Ane; the ill-willer at sawed it is the Deivil; the hairst is the end o the warld; the shearers is the angels. Een, than, as the doite is gethert an brunt i the fire, sae will it be at the end o the warld. The Son o Man will send out his angels, an they will gang throu the Kíngdom an gether aa them at gars ithers faa in sin an them at keepsna God’s law, an will cast them intil the bleezin kil’; an it’s there at the yaumer an the chirkin o teeth will be! Than will the richteous shíne out like the sun i the Kíngdom o their Faither. Lat him at hes lugs in his heid listen weill!

“The Kíngdom o Heiven is like a treisur hoddit in a fíeld at a man faund an hade again, an syne gaed awà—sae blythe as he wis!—an sauld aa he wis aucht an coft the fíeld. Or again, the Kíngdom o Heiven is like a merchan seekin braw pearls at, whan he faund a gey dairthfu ane, gaed awà an sauld aa he wis aucht an bocht it.

“Again, the Kíngdom o Heiven is like a net cuissen intil the sea, in whilk aa kin o fish wis catched. Whan it wis fu, the fishers harlt it up on the shore an, sittin doun, gethert the guid fish intil creels an cuist the bad anes awà. Een sae will it be at the end o the warld. The angels will gang furth an shed the wickit frae the richteous, an will cast them intil the bleezin kil’; an it’s there at the yaumer an the chirkin o teeth will be!

“Hae ye understuid aa at I hae been sayin?”

“Ay, hiv we,” said they.

“It is weill seen, than,” ⁴⁴said he til them, “at ilka Doctor o the Law at hes been scuiled i the lair o the Kíngdom o Heiven is like the guidman o a houss at feshes out things baith noo an auld frae his presses an kists.”

WHAN JESUS WIS throu wi tellin thir parables, he left that pairt an cam back til his ain kintra, whaur he yokit tae teachin i the meetin-houss.

The fowk wis fair stoundit at him an said, “Whaur gat the man sic wísdom an thae by-ordinar pouers? Isna he the wricht’s son? Isna the wuman caa’d Mary his mither, an isna Jeames, Joseph, Símon, an Jude his brithers? An his sisters, bidena they aa here amang us? Whaur gat he aa this frae?” An they war gey an ill-pleised wi him.

But Jesus said til them, “A prophet hesna honour faur aseekin, binna in his ain kintra an his ain faimlie.” An he wrochtna monie míracles there for their want o faith.

14 ABOUT THIS TIME Herod the Tetrarch heared what fowk wis sayin about Jesus. “This maun be John the Baptist,” said he til his mengie: “he is risen frae the deid, I dout; an that is hou thae by-ordinar pouers is a-wurkin in him.”

Herod hed arreistit John no lang afore, bund him, an pitten him in jyle, aa tae pleisur Herodias, his brither Phílip’s wife, because John wis ey tellin him, “It isna richt for ye tae hae her as your wife.” Herod wad fain pitten him tae deith, but he wis fleyed for the fowk, sin they luikit on him as a prophet.

At his birthday-banqet Herodias’ dachter daunced afore them aa, an Herod wis sae delytit wi the lassie at he swuir tae gíe her onie-thing she socht o him. Eggit up til it bi her mither, she said, “Gíe me the heid o John the Baptist here on an ashet.”

The Kíng wis wae tae hear her, but out o regaird for his aith an the guests an aa, he gae the order at she suid hae her will, an sent an heidit John i the jyle. His heid wis brocht in on an ashet an gíen til the queyn, an she cairriet it awà til her mither. Meantime, John’s disciples cam an liftit the corp an buirit it. Syne they gaed an tauld Jesus what hed happent.

WHAN JESUS HEARED the noos, he quat the place whaur he wis in a boat an made til a faur-out-about spat whaur he coud be his lane. But wurd o his wagang wis brocht tae the touns, an crouds cam out efter him bi laund. Sae, whan he gaed ashore, he faund an unco thrang o fowk forenent him. His hairt wis sair at the sicht o them, an he hailed the ailin amang them.

Whan it wis faur i the day, the disciples cam an said til him, “This is an out-o-the-gate place, an it’s by sippertime. Bid the croud skail, sae at they may gae tae the clachans an buy themsels vívers.”

“Nae need for them tae gang avà,” qo he: “ye maun gíe them their sipper.”

“But aa we hae wi us is five laifs an twa fishes!” said they.

“Awà an fesh them,” qo he.

Syne he tauld the fowk tae lie doun on the girss; an, takkin the five laifs an the twa fishes in his haunds, he first luikit up til heiven an axed a blissin, an syne brak up the laifs an gae them til the disciples, an the disciples haundit them tae the fowk. Ilkane gat his full o mait; an as monie as twal creelfus o whangs o breid at wisna nott wis gethert up efterhin. A maitter of five thousand men hed this diet o breid an fish, forbye weimen an littlans.

STRECHT AWA EFTER that he gart the disciples buird the boat, biddin them gang atowre the Loch afore him, till he skailed the croud. Efter he hed skailed them, he clam the brae for tae pray bi himsel. Gin nicht fell, he wis ey there on the brae his lane, an the boat hed wun a guid wheen furlongs out frae the shore, an wis haein a sair fecht o it wi a heidwind an jawin waves.

I the gray o the mornin he cam til them gangin on the screiff o the watter. The sicht o him gangin on the watter gae them an unco fleg: “It’s a ghaist,” said they, an skirlt out wi fricht. But immedentlie he spak tae them: “Tak mettle,” qo he: “it’s een mysel, be nane feared!”

Peter answert him: “Maister,” said he, “gin it is een yoursel, bid me come til ye on the watter.”

“Come your waas,” qo he.

Sae Peter clam doun the boatside an traivelt on the watter Jesus’ airt. But whan he faund the fu bensil o the gell, he tuik the fricht an, beginnin tae sink, scraiched out, “Help, Maister, help!” An immedentlie Jesus streikit out his haund an claucht hauds o him.

“What hes come owre your faith?” qo he. “What gart ye dout?”

Syne the twa o them clam intil the boat, an the wind devauled. An the men intil the boat gaed doun on their knees til him an said, “Ye ar fairlie the Son o God!”

Efter that they wan owre an laundit at Gennesaret. The indwallers i the place kent him whan they saw him; an they sent wurd round the haill o that kintra, an brocht til him aa at wis ailin, an socht him tae lat them titch een the bab o his coat. An ilkane at gat his haund til it freelie cowred o his ail.

15 ABOUT THAT TIME Pharisees an Doctors o the Law frae Jerusalem cam an speired at Jesus, “What for div your disciples gang contrair tae the auld weys an hants o our forebeirs? They washna their haunds afore a diet!”

“An ye,” qo he, “what for gae ye contrair til the commaundment o God wi up-haudin your ‘auld weys an hants’? God said, ‘Honour your faither an your mither’, an again, ‘Lat him at bans faither or mither be execute tae the deid’. But ye say, ‘Gin a man says til his faither or his mither, “What I wad hae waired on your throubeirin is aa dedicate tae God”, syne he isna awin faither or mither a haet or rissom mair.’ That gate ye hae cassed an annulled God’s commaund wi your ‘auld weys an hants’. Hýpocrítes at ye ar, weill prophesíed Isaiah anent ye, whaur he says:

‘This fowk honours me frae the teeth outwith,

but hyne-awà is the hairt o them frae me:

naewurth is the wurship they gíe me;

the doctrines they teach is commaunds o men’.”

Syne he caa’d the croud in about him an said til them, “Tak tent, an understaund this: a man isna suddelt bi what gangs intil his mou, but bi what comes outen it.”

The disciples cam up efter an said til him, “Div ye ken at the Pharisees wis hairknin what ye said the nou, an is waur nor ill-pleised wi it?”

Jesus answert, “Ilka plant at is no o my heivenlie Faither’s yirdin will be ruggit up bi the ruits. Lat them een gang their ain gate: they ar blinnd men leadin ithers as blinnd as themsels; an whan ae blinnd man leads anither, the twasome ey cowps intil a sheuch.”

Peter than socht him tae lay out his parable tae them.

“Ar ye ey as dull i the uptak as the lave?” qo he. “Div ye no see at aathing at gaes intil a man’s mou gangs intil his wyme an is cuissen out intil the shoar? On the ither haund, what comes outen the mou comes frae the hairt, an it is that at suddles a man. For out o the hairt comes ill thochts, murther, adulterie, ⁴⁵hurin, theft, fauss witness, blasphemie. Thir is the things at suddles a man: but takkin a diet onwuishen his haunds first ne’er suddelt onie man.”

JESUS NOU LEFT Gennesaret an socht quaitness i the kintra o Tyre an Sídon. But what suid happen but at a Caunaaníte wuman noolins come out o thae pairts cam scraichin efter him: “Oh, sir,” cried she, “hae pítie on’s, thou Son o Dauvit; my dachter is sair pleggit wi an ill spírit.” But the ne’er a wurd spak he.

Syne the disciples cam an priggit wi him, sayin, “Gíe the wuman her will, afore we’r deived wi her skelloch-skellochin ahent’s!”

But he answert, “I wisna sent but tae the wandert sheep o the Houss o Israel.”

Than the wuman cam forrit an fell at his feet an said til him, “Oh, help me, sir!”

“It isna weill dune,” qo he, “tae tak the bairns’ breid an cast it tae the dowgs.”

“Na, weill-a-wyte, is it, sir: but een the dowgs gets aitin the murlins at faas aff o their maisters’ buird.”

Syne Jesus said til her, “Gryte is your faith, wuman: ye will een hae your will.” An i that same maument her dachter cowred her ill.

EFTER THAT JESUS quat thae pairts an traivelt alang the Loch o Galilee. Syne he clam the braeside an leaned him doun. Belyve haill thrangs o fowk cam til him, bringin fríends at wis lame or maimed, blinnd or dumb, an monie mae forbye, an laid them doun at his feet; an he hailed them. An wisna the croud rael dumfounert at the sicht o dummies speakin, the maimed able, lameters gangin, an blinnd fowk seein? A-wyte they; an they ruised God for it!

But Jesus caa’d his disciples til him an said til them, “I am sair-hairtit for aa thae fowk; they hae bidden wi me three days nou an hae naething tae ait. I am sweird tae send them awà faimishin, for fear they wad fent an faa on the road.”

The disciples said til him, “Whaur will we finnd eneuch laifs hereawà i the muirs tae gíe sae muckle a croud their full?”

“Hou monie laifs hae ye?” qo Jesus.

“Seiven,” said they, “an twa-three smaa fishes.”

Syne he baud the fowk sit doun on the grund; an, takkin the seiven laifs an the fishes in his haunds, he first axed a blissin, an syne brak up the laifs an gae them tae the disciples, an the disciples haundit them tae the fowk. Ilkane gat his full o mait; an as monie as seiven creelfus o whangs o breid at wisna nott wis gethert up efterhin. Nae less nor fowr thousand men hed this diet o breid an fish, ontaen count o weimen an bairns.

16 SYNE HE SKAILED the croud an, buirdin the boat, cam tae the kintra o Magadan. / Here the Pharisees an Doctors o the Law cam up an axed him tae lat them see a sign frae heiven.

This wis for tae sey him. But he answert them, “I the eenin ye say, ‘It’s a reid sky, it’ll be fine the morn’; an again air i the mornin ye say, ‘Wather the day, I dout; the sky’s reid an hingin.’

“Ay, weill ken ye hou tae read the luik o the lift, but ye haena the can tae read the signs o the times. An ill-daein an onfaithfu generâtion seeks a sign, but nae sign will be gíen it, binna the sign o Jonah!”

Wi that he turned about an left them.

WHAN THEY WAN atowre the Loch, the disciples faund at they hed foryat tae tak breid wi them; an sae, whan Jesus said tae them, “Tak tent o the barm o the Pharisees an Sadducees”, they begoud tae cast his wurd owre i their minds an said til themsels, “But we haena brocht nae breid!”

Kennin their thochts, Jesus said til them, “What hes come owre your faith? What gars ye cast my wurd owre i your minds an say til yoursels, ‘But we haena brocht nae breid’? Div ye ey no understaund? Dae ye no mind on the five laifs ye haufed amang the five thousand, an hou monie creelfus ye liftit efterhin? Or the seiven laifs ye haufed amang the fowr thousand, an hou monie scullfus ye liftit at the back o it aa? Hou can ye no see at I wisna speakin o laifs o breid? What I am tellin ye is tae tak tent o the barm o the Pharisees an Sadducees.”

Than they understuid at he hedna bidden them tak tent o baxters’ barm, but o the teachins o the Pharisees an Sadducees.

WHAN JESUS HED come tae the pairt about Caesarea Philippi, he speired at his disciples, “Wha div men say at the Son o Man is?”

“Some says John the Baptist,” said they: “ithers Elíjah, ithersome Jeremíah, or ane o the ither Prophets.”

“But wha say ye at I am?” qo he.

Up an spak Símon Peter: “Ye ar the Christ, the Son o the lívin God!”

Jesus answert, “Blissit ar ye, Símon BarJonah;² ye lairntna that frae ocht o bluid an bane, but frae my Faither in heiven! I, i my turn, tell ye this: ye ar Peter [Rock]; an on this rock I will bigg my Kirk, an the yetts o the Place o Deith winna hae the strenth tae haud out again it. I will gíe ye the keys o the Kíngdom o Heiven; an aathing ye forbid on the yird will be forbidden in heiven, an aathing ye allou on the yird will be alloued in heiven.”

Syne he stricklie chairged the disciples no tae mouband a wurd til onie-ane at he wis the Christ.

FRAE THAT TIME forrit Jesus begoud layin out til his disciples hou he maun gang awà tae Jerusalem an there, efter sair misgydin at the haunds o the Elders an Heid-Príests an Doctors o the Law, be pitten tae deith, an syne rise again the third day.

At that Peter drew him aside an begoud tae yoke on him: ⁴⁶“Awà, Maister,” said he, “ye s’ ne’er hae tae dree the like o yon: the Gude gyde ye, na!”

But Jesus turned about an said til him, “Out o my sicht, ye Sautan! Ye ar a hender in my gate; sic a thocht comes frae men, no frae God.”

Syne Jesus said til his disciples, “Gin a man wad come wi me, he maun forget himsel aathegither an tak up his cross an fallow me. For him at wad sauf his life will tyne it, but him at tynes his life for my sake will finnd it. What the better o’d is a man, gin he gains the haill warld, but losses life an saul i the gainin o’d? Tyne your saul, an what hae ye in aa your aucht ye coud coff it back wi?

“The Son o Man is tae come or lang gae i the glorie o his Faither wi his mengie o angels about him, an than he will pey ilkane what is awin him for aa he hes wrocht. Atweill, I tell ye, there is them staundin here the nou winna pree deith afore they hae seen the Son o Man comin in his Kíngdom!”

17 THE BETTER PAIRT O an ouk efter, Jesus tuik Peter an the brithers Jeames an John awà up a heich hill their lanes. There an unco cheinge cam owre him afore their luikin een—his face skinkelt like the sun, an his claes becam as clair as the licht; an belyve thair wis Moses an Elíjah speakin wi him.

Syne Peter tuik speech in haund an said tae Jesus, “It is braw for us tae be here: I s’ bigg three bouers, an ye like—ane for yoursel, ane for Moses, an ane for Elíjah!”

He wis ey speakin, whan a shínin cloud cuist a shaidow owre them, an a voice cam out o the cloud, sayin, “This is my beluvit Son: in him I tak delyte; hairken ye him.”

Whan the disciples heared that, they war sair frichtit an flang themsels agrouf. But Jesus cam up an, layin his haund on them, said tae them, “Staund up, there is nocht tae be feared for”; an they luikit up, an saw naebodie there but Jesus.

As they cam doun aff the brae, Jesus chairged them tae tell nae-ane o what they hed seen or the Son o Man hed risen frae the deid. Syne the disciples speired at him, “Hou is it the Doctors o the Law says at Elíjah maun come first?”

Jesus answert, “Atweill, Elíjah is tae come first an redd up aathing: but I tell ye, Elíjah hes come else, an they miskent him an misgydit him the wey they hed a mind til; an een sae the Son o Man is tae dree ill at their haunds.”

Than the disciples understuid at he hed been speakin o John the Baptist.

WHAN THEY CAM back til the croud, a man cam up an, gaein doun on his knees afore him, said til him, “Oh, sir, tak pítie on my son: he’s in a terrible ill wey wi the faain ill; he’s ey faain intil the fire or intil watter! I brocht him til your disciples, but they coudna hail him.”

“Whattan a contermâcious, onbelíevin generâtion!” qo Jesus. “Hou lang time am I tae be wi ye? Hou lang maun I thole ye? Bring the loun here!” Syne he challenged him; an the ill spírit gaed out o the loun, laein him freelie better.

Efterhin, whan they war their lanes, the disciples cam up tae Jesus an speired at him, “What wey wis it we coudna cast out the ill spírit?”

“Because ye hae sae little faith,” qo he. “Atweill, I tell ye, gin ye hae faith, be it but the bouk o a curn o mustart-seed, ye will say tae this hill, ‘Flit owre thonder frae this’, an it will een flit; nocht will be abuin your pouer.”

WHAN THEY WAR getherin in Galilee, Jesus said til them, “The Son o Man is tae be gíen up intil the haunds o men, an they will pit him tae deith; an he will rise again the third day.”

Richt wae war they tae hear that.

SYNE THEY CAM tae Capernaüm, an there the uplifters o the teinds cam up tae Peter an said til him, “Your Maister ⁴⁷will pey his teinds, na?”

“He dis that,” said Peter.

Syne, whan he wan hame, Jesus wis tae the fore wi him wi the queystin, “What say ye, Símon: the kíngs o this warld, wha tak they cesses an poll-taxes frae—their ain fowk, or fremmit fowk?”

Whan Peter said, “Frae fremmit fowk”, Jesus said til him, “A-weill, than, their ain fowk is exemed. Housomiver, we ar no wantin tae mis-set them; sae gang ye doun tae the loch, mak a cast wi your line, an grip the first fish ye huik. Whan ye apen its mou, ye will finnd a siller píece intil’d: tak hit an pey for the baith o us wi’d.”

18 ABOUT THAT TIME the disciples cam an speired at Jesus, “Wha is the grytest i the Kíngdom o Heiven?”

Cryin a bairn til him, he gart him staund up afore them aa, an said, “Atweill, I tell ye, gin ye cheingena aathegither an become like bairns, ye winna e’er win intil the Kíngdom o Heiven. Your grytest i the Kíngdom o Heiven is him at maks nae mair o himsel nor this bairn. Onie-ane at walcomes a bairn the like o this ane for my sake walcomes me: but onie-ane at gars ane o thir littlans at lippens tae me faa in sin, it wad be guid for him gin he hed a millstane hung about his craig an wis drouned hyne out i the mids o the sea.

“Wae’s me for the warld for the things at gars men faa in sin! Siccan things maun een come, but wae’s me for him at is tae wyte for their comin! Gin your haund or your fit gars ye faa in sin, sned it aff an cast it awà: it is better for ye tae gang intil life wantin a haund or a fit nor hae baith haunds or baith feet an be cuissen intil the iverlestin fire. Gin your ee gars ye faa in sin, rive it out an cast it awà: it is better for ye tae gang intil life wantin an ee nor hae baith een an be cuissen intil the lowes o hell.

“Tak tent at ye lichtlifíe nane o thir littlans: ilkane o them, I tell ye, hes his angel in heiven at iver an on behauds the face o my Faither in heiven. Hou think ye—gin a man hes a hunder sheep, an ane o them gaes will, will he no lae the ninetie-nine on the hill an gae seek the ane hes gane will? An gin he lucks tae finnd it, he is crousser, I s’ warran him, owre hit nor owre the ninetie-nine at gaedna will! Een sae it isna the will o your Faither in heiven at ane o thir littlans suid be tint.

“Gin your brither sins, gang your waas an hae it out wi him atweesh the twa o ye your lanes. Syne, gin he hairkens ye, ye will hae the gain o a brither wun back. But, gin he hairkens-ye-na, tak ane or twa ithers wi ye, at ilka pley be sattelt on the testimonie o twa witnesses or three. Syne, gin he winna hear til them, bring the maitter afore the congregâtion; an gin he winna hear til hit aitherins, haud him for nae better nor a haithen an a tax-uplifter!

“Atweill, I tell ye, aathing at ye forbid on the yird will be forbidden in heiven; an aathing at ye allou on the yird will be alloued in heiven. An mairatowre I tell ye this: gin twa o ye on the yird grees wi ither in seekin ocht, it maksna what, it will een be gíen them bi my Faither in heiven. For whauriver twa or three is forgethert i my name, thair am I amang them.”

SYNE PETER CAM up an said til him, “Maister, hou monie times will my brither sin again me, an I maun forgíe him? Mebbie seiven times?”

Jesus said til him, “ ‘Seiven times’? Fy, na—seiventie times seiven times, mair like! Ye maun think o the Kíngdom o Heiven this gate. It is like a kíng at tuik in haund tae sattle accounts wi his servans. He hedna lang yokit tae the wark, whan ane at wis awin him ten thousand talents wis brocht in. Sin the man hedna the siller tae pey that muckle, his maister gae the order at he suid be rowpit at the slave-mercat alang wi his wife an bairns an aa he wis aucht, an the debt peyed out o what they war sauld for. At that the servan fell on his knees an hummlie fleitched wi him tae gíe him time, an he wad pey him back ilka plack an farden. The maister felt unco sorrie for his servan an loot him gae an faikit his debt.

“Awà gaed the man; an, meetin in wi a neipour-servan at wis awin him a hunder merks, he grippit him bi the thrapple like tae wirrie him an said til him, ‘Pey me aa ye’r awin me!’

“The chíel gaed doun on his knees an priggit wi him: ‘Gíe me time,’ qo he, ‘an I s’ pey ye back what I’m awin ye.’ But the ither wadna hear tell o it, an gaed awà an hed him jyled till he suid pey his debt.

“The lave o the servans wis richt wae, whan they saw what hed happent, an gaed an laid doun the haill storie tae their maister; an he sent for the man an said til him, ‘Ye wratch o a servan at ye ar, I faikit aa your debt, whan ye priggit me: suid ye, tae, no hae taen pítie on your neipour-servan, the same as I tuik pítie on ye?’ An sae raised wis he at he haundit him owre tae the torturers till sic time as he suid hae peyed the haill o his debt.

“Een sae will my heivenlie Faither sair ye, gin ye forgíena ilkane his brither wi aa his hairt.”

19 WHAN HE WIS throu wi his preachin-wark in Capernaüm, Jesus quat Galilee an cam til the pairt o Judaea ayont Jordan. Fell thrangs o fowk fallowt him, an he hailed the síck amang them there. Ae day some Pharisees cam up an, tae sey him, speired at him gin a man micht richtlie divorce his wife for onie cause.

Jesus answert, “Hae ye no read i your Bibles at the Creâtor made them man an wuman frae the beginnin, an said, ‘For that cause sal a man forleit his faither an his mither an haud til his wife; an the twasome will become ae flesh’? Sae they ar nae mair twa, but ane, ae flesh; an what God hes buckelt, man maunna twine.”

“What wey, than,” said they, “did Moses lay doun at a man micht gíe his wife a vrit o divorce, an syne pit her awà?”

“Moses,” qo he, “kent the dour hairts o ye, an that wis hou he gae ye freedom tae pit your wives awà. But that wisna the gate o it at the beginnin; an sae I tell ye at onie man at pits awà his wife, binna for ⁴⁸hurin, an mairries anither, commits adulterie.”

“A-weill,” said the disciples, “gin that is the wey o it wi a man an his wife, ye ar better no tae mairrie avà!”

“No aabodie,” qo he, “can understaund that wurd, but them alane at hes haen the pouer gíen them. There is some hes been born intil the warld libberts, an some hes been made libberts bi men, an some hes made themsels libberts for the sake o the Kíngdom o Heiven. Lat him understaund at can.”

Syne some fowk brocht their littlans til him, at he micht lay his haunds on them an gíe them his blissin. The disciples quarrelt them, but Jesus said, “Lat the littlans abee, hender-them-na tae come tae me; the Kíngdom o Heiven is for sic as thir.” Syne he laid his haunds on them, an gaed his waas.

AN NOU UP cam a man an said til him, “Maister, what guid thing maun I dae tae faa iverlestin life?”

“ ‘Guid’?” qo he. “What gars ye speir me anent that? There is ane alane at is guid! But, gin ye wad win intil life, keep the Commaunds.”

“Whilk Commaunds?” said the ither.

“Thir,” qo Jesus: “Thou sanna commit murther; Thou sanna commit adulterie; Thou sanna stael; Thou sanna beir fauss witness; Honour thy faither an thy mither; Thou sal luve thy neipour as thysel.”

“Aa thir I hae keepit,” said the yung man. “What mair maun I dae?”

Jesus answert, “Gin ye wad be perfyte, gang your waas, sell aa ye ar aucht, an gíe the siller tae the puir—sae will ye hae a feck o walth in heiven; syne come ye back an fallow me.” Whan he heared that, the yung man gaed awà dowie an dowff, for he hed rowth o warld’s gear. Syne Jesus said til his disciples, “Atweill, I tell ye, a rich man will hae it gey an ill winnin intil the Kíngdom o Heiven: troth ay, a caumel will shuner birze throu the ee o a needle nor a rich man win intil the Kíngdom o God!”

The disciples wis fair bumbazed tae hear that, an said, “Wha can be saufed syne?”

Jesus glowert at them an said, “For men the thing is no-possible: but aathing is possible for God.”

At that Peter spak up an said, “Luik, we hae forhoued aathing an fallowt ye: what guid will we hae o’d?”

Jesus said tae them, “Atweill, I tell ye, at the gryte renooin o the warld, whan the Son o Man is saitit on his throne o glorie, ye, for your pairt, at hes fallowt me, will sit on twal thrones juidgin the Twal Clans o Israel; an ilkane at hes forhoued housses or brithers or sisters or faither or mither or bairns or launds ⁴⁹for my sake will hae his loss made up til him monie times owre, an will heir iverlestin life. But monie at is foremaist the nou will than be henmaist, an monie at is henmaist will be foremaist.

20 “The Kíngdom o Heiven is like the guidman o a haudin at gaed out at skreich o day tae fee laubourers for wark in his vine-yaird. He gree’d wi them at he faund for a merk for the day’s darg, an sent them intil his vine-yaird.

“Syne he gaed out again i the mids o the forenuin; an, seein ithers staunding about idle i the mercat-place, he said til them, ‘Gang ye, tae, intil my vine-yaird, an I s’ pey ye a fair wauge’; an awà they gaed.

“Aince mair he gaed out at twal hours, an again i the mids o the efternuin, an did the same as afore. Syne an hour afore lowsin-time he saw ithersome staundin about, an said til them, ‘Hou is it ye ar staundin here haund-idle aa day?’

“ ‘Naebodie’s fee’d us,’ said they.

“ ‘Awà ye, tae, intil my vine-yaird,’ qo he til them.

“Whan the eenin cam, the guidman said til his gríeve, ‘Cry the men in an gíe them their pey: begin wi the henmaist, an sae on till ye come tae the first.’ Sae them at wis fee’d an hour afore lowsin-time cam forrit, an wis gíen a merk the píece.

“Whan the first-tae-come cam forrit, they war thinkin they wad get mair, but they war gíen nae mair nor a merk the píece. Syne they begoud girnin at the guidman: ‘Thir lest-comers hes wrocht but ae hour,’ said they, ‘an ye hae peyed them the same as hiz, at hes trauchelt an tyauved the haill day i the bleezin sun!’

“But he gae them their answer: ‘Fríend,’ qo he til ane o them, ‘I’m no wrangin ye onie: gree’d-ye-na wi me for a merk? Tak what’s awin ye, an awà ye gae! I’m tae pey this lest-comer the same as ye. Can I no dae as I like wi my nain siller? Or maun ye tak it ill out, gin I am furthie?’

“That is the gate the henmaist will be foremaist, an the foremaist henmaist.”

WHAN JESUS WIS gaein doun tae Jerusalem, he tuik the Twal awà frae the lave an said til them, as they gaed alang, “Listen, we ar on our road doun tae Jerusalem; an there the Son o Man will be gíen up tae the Heid-Príests an Doctors o the Law, an they will duim him tae deith an haund him owre tae the haithen tae be jamphed an leashed an crucifíed: but on the third day he will rise again.”

Efter that the mither o Zebedee’s sons cam up wi her sons an gaed doun on her knees afore him tae seek a fauvour o him.

“What is your will?” qo he til her.

“I want ye,” said she til him, “tae say at thir twa sons o mine is tae sit, the tane on your richt haund, an the tither on your cair haund, in your Kíngdom.”

“Ye kenna what it is ye ar seekin,” qo Jesus tae the brithers. “Can ye drink the tass at I am tae drink?”

“That can we,” said they.

“Atweill will ye drink my tass,” qo he til them: “but saits on my richt haund an my cair haund isna mine tae gíe; they will hae them at my Faither hes ordeined is tae hae them.”

The ither ten disciples hed heared aa this, an they war sair mis-set owre the twa brithers. But Jesus caa’d them til him an said, “Amang the haithen, as ye ken, the rulers lairds it owre the lave, an the gryte fowk lats them ken they ar their maisters. But that isna tae be the gate o it wi ye: upò the contrair, him at wad be gryte amang ye maun be your servan, an him at wad be the first amang ye maun be your slave—een as the Son o Man camna tae be saired, but tae sair, an tae gíe his life as a ransom for monie.”

THEY WAR GAEIN out o Jericho wi an unco thrang o fowk fallowin them, whan what suid happen but twa blinnd men at wis sittin at the gateside, hearin at Jesus wis gaein by, cried out, “Maister, Son o Dauvit, hae pítie on’s!”

The fowk ⁵⁰tauld them, gey rochlike, tae haud their wheesht. But they onlie scraiched out the louder, “Maister, Son o Dauvit, hae pítie on’s!”

Syne Jesus stappit an cried them til him: “What is it ye wad hae me dae for ye?” qo he.

“We want our een onsteikit, Maister,” said they; an at that Jesus, muived wi hairt-pítie for them, titched their een; an immedentlie their sicht cam back, an they fallowt him.

21 WHAN THEY HED come the lenth o Bethphagie an the Hill o Olives, no faur frae Jerusalem, Jesus sent twa o the disciples on an eerant. “Gang your waas tae yon clachan forenent ye,” he tauld them, “an strecht awà ye’ll finnd there a tethert cuddie-ass, an a cowt aside her: lowse them, an bring them here. Gin onie-bodie says ocht til ye, tell him at the Maister needs them, an syne he s’ lat ye tak them awà but mair adae.”

This happent at the wurd o the Prophet micht come true:

Say til the Dachter o Zíon:

‘Behaud, here comes thy Kíng til thee,

sae cannie an douce, ridin on an ass,

on a cowt, the foal o an ass-baist.’

Sae the disciples gaed their waas an did as Jesus hed bidden them. They brocht the ass an the cowt, an they laid their coats on them; an he backit them.

Syne the fowk i their thousands strawed their coats on the road, an ithers sneddit brainches aff the trees an strawed the road wi them. An iver an on the thrang at gaed afore him an the thrang at cam ahent him cried out:

“Hosanna til the Son o Dauvit!

Blissins on him at comes i the name o the Lord!

Hosanna i the heicht o heiven!”

Whan Jesus cam intil Jerusalem, the haill toun wis pitten in a stír: “Wha’s this avà?” fowk speired; an the croud answert, “This is Jesus the Prophet, frae Nazareth in Galilee!”

EFTERHIN JESUS GAED intil the Temple an drave out aa them at bocht an sauld in it, an whummelt the tables o the money-cheingers an the saits o them at sauld dous: “It says i the Bible,” qo he tae them, “ ‘My houss sal be caa’d a houss o prayer’: but ye ar makkin it a rubbers’ howff.”

Syne some blinnd fowk an lameters cam up til him i the Temple, an he hailed them. But whan the Heid-Príests an Doctors o the Law saw the uncos at he wrocht, an heared the callans cryin i the Temple, “Hosanna til the Son o Dauvit”, they war ill-sortit, an said til him, “Hear ye what thir louns is sayin?”

“Ay, div I,” qo he. “But hae ye ne’er read i your Bibles: ‘Thou hes lairnt the mouths o littlans an pap-bairns tae ruise thee’?” Wi that he quat them, an gaed out the toun tae Bethanie, whaur he bade the nicht.

AIR I THE mornin he gaed back tae the toun; an, as he gaed, he begoud tae be yaup. Sae, seein a feg-tree at the gateside, he gaed up til it, but nocht faund he on it but leafs. “Niver nae mair will ye beir frute again,” said he til it; an the feg-tree withert awà afore their een. The disciples wis dumfounert tae see it, an said, “Hou is it the feg-tree’s withert awà in a gliff like that?”

Jesus answert, “Atweill, I tell ye, gin ye hae faith, an misdout nane, ye will dae mair nor strick feg-trees deid wi a wurd—ay, gin ye say tae this hill, ‘Up wi ye an cast yoursel intil the loch’, the thing will be dune. Mairfortaiken, oniething ye pray for wi faith, ye s’ een get the same.”

SYNE HE GAED intil the Temple again, an hed begoud teachin, whan the Heid-Príests an the Elders o the Fowk cam up an speired at him, “What authoritie hae ye for this at ye ar daein? Wha gíed ye it?”

Jesus answert, “An I hae my queystin tae speir at ye; an gin ye answer it, syne I will tell ye what authoritie I hae for this at I am daein. John’s baptism—wis it frae heiven, or cam it o men?”

They cuist his queystin owre i their minds, an said til themsels, “Gin we say, ‘Frae heiven’, he will say til us, ‘What for did ye no belíeve him syne?’ But gin we say, ‘It cam o men’—there’s the fowk tae be feared for; aabodie hauds John for a Prophet!” Sae they said tae Jesus, “We canna say.”

“An I winna tell ye aitherins,” qo he, “what authoritie I hae for this at I am daein. But tell us your thocht on this,” he gaed on. “There wis a man hed twa sons. He gaed tae the tane o them an said, ‘Awà, lad, an wurk i the vine-yaird the day.’

“ ‘Ay, faither,’ said he, ‘I’ll dae that.’ But he gaedna.

“Syne the man gaed tae the tither son an said the same til him.

“ ‘No me!’ said he. But efterhin he forthocht, an gaed.

“Whilk o the twa did his faither’s will?”

“The lest ane,” said they.

“Atweill, I tell ye,” said Jesus tae them, “the tax-uplifters an the hures is winnin intil the Kíngdom o God afore ye! John cam tae ye an shawed ye in wurd an deed the wey o richteousness, an ye belíeved-him-na: but the tax-uplifters an hures belíeved him. An tho ye saw them, een than ye tuikna the rue, een than ye belíeved-him-na!

“Listen anither parable. The’ war aince a laird at plantit a vine-yaird. He dykit it, delved a wine-fatt intil it, biggit a watch-touer, an syne set it tae some gairdners an fuir awà furth o the kintra.

“Whan the hairst-tid wis naurhaund, he sent his servans tae uplift his pairt o the crap frae them. But the gairdners grippit them an laubourt ane, felled anither, an staned a third. Syne he sent ither servans, mair o them this time nor afore: but the gairdners saired them the same gate.

“A while efter, he sent his ain son tae them: ‘They’ll niver mint tae middle him,’ thocht he til himsel. But whan the gairdners saw the son, they said amang themsels, ‘Here’s the yung laird—c’wà, lads, lat’s fell him an get wir haunds on his heirskip!’ Sae they tuik hauds o him an drave him outen the vine-yaird an felled him.

“Weill, than, hou will the awner o the vine-yaird sair thae gairdners, whan he comes hame?”

“An ill deith the ill-daers’ll díe at his haunds!” said they. “An for the vine-yaird’s pairt, he will set it til ither gairdners, at will ey gíe him up his skare o the crap at the trystit time.”

Syne Jesus said tae them, “Hae ye ne’er read thir wurds i the Bible:

The stane at the biggars cuist aside,

hit is een become the cunyie:

this wis wrocht bi the Lord,

an a ferlie it is in our een?

An sae I tell ye, the Kíngdom o God will be taen awà frae ye an gíen til a fowk at brings furth the frutes o the same. [[Him at faas on this stane will be dung in blauds; an him at this stane faas on, it will send him flíein like stour.]]”

Whan the Heid-Príests an Pharisees heared his parables, weill saw they at he wis ettlin at themsels, an they wad fain arreistit him: but they war fleyed for the fowk, sin they huid him for a Prophet.

22 JESUS NOU TAULD them a wheen mair parables. This wis ane o them: “The Kíngdom o Heiven is like this,” qo he. “A kíng gíed a waddin-feast for his son. He sent his servans til aa them at hed gotten invítes, tae bid them come: but they wadna come.

“Syne he sent them wurd again bi ither servans, at wis tauld tae say this tae them: ‘Here is aa my fore-redd for the waddin-brakfast made, an my bills an feds killed; aathing is reddie, come tae the mairrage.’ But nae heed peyed they. Some o them gaed awà tae their fíelds, an ithers tae their treddin an trokin: but the lave grippit his servans an ill-gydit an felled them, whilk sae raised the Kíng at he sent his sodgers an slew thae murtherers an brunt their toun in aiss.

“Syne the Kíng said til his servans, ‘The waddin-feast is aa reddie, but them at wis bidden til it wisna wurdie. Gae ye out nou tae the toun’s ports an bid in aabodie ye meet in wi tae the waddin.’ Sae the servans gaed out intil the streets an gethert aa at they faund there—saunts, sinners, aa kinkind—till the muckle haa wis pang fu o guests.

“Whan the Kíng cam in tae tak a vízie o the companie, he saw a man at wisna cled in waddin-braws. ‘My fríend,’ qo he til him, ‘what ar ye daein here an ye no in your waddin-braws?’ But the man said naither ‘Eechie’ nor ‘Ochie’.

“Syne the Kíng said tae the servitors, ‘Binnd this man fit an haund, an cast him intil the mirk thereout!’ It is there at the yaumer an the chirkin o teeth will be; for monie-ane is bidden, but few is waled.”

SYNE THE PHARISEES the pharisees gaed their waas an tuik counsel hou they micht fangle him in an argiment; an the affcome o their colloguin wis at they sent their ain disciples, wi men o Herod’s pairtie, tae say til him, “Aabodie kens at ye ar honest an aivendoun, an your teachin o God’s wey for men is confeirin, nor ye carena a doit for onie-ane, for it’s nae odds tae ye wha a man is—tell us your mind anent the imperial poll-tax: hae we líshence tae pey it, or hae we no?”

Jesus saw weill their sleeness, an said tae them, “What for seek ye tae girn me, hýpocrítes at ye ar? Shaw me ane o the coins ye pey the tax wi.” They raxed him a merk, an he speired at them, “Wha’s heid is that? Wha’s name read ye there?”

“The Emperor’s,” said they.

“A-weill, than,” qo he, “pey the Emperor what perteins tae the Emperor, an pey God what perteins tae God.” That left them dumfounert; an, onsaid mair til him, they gaed their waas.

THE SAME DAY a wheen Sadducees—them at hauds out there is nae risin o the deid—cam up an speired a queystin at him: “Maister,” said they, “Moses laid doun at, gin a man díes laein nae bairns, his brither maun mairrie his wídow an raise a faimlie til him. Nou, the’ war aince seiven brithers whaur we belang. The first o them mairriet an díed an, no haein childer, left his wife til his brither. It gaed the same gate wi the saicond brither, an the third, an aa the lave o the seiven. Syne, efter aa the brithers wis awà, the wuman díed hersel. At the resurrection wha’s wife will she be, na? She wis mairriet, like, on them aa, ye see.”

Jesus answert, “Ye ar aa wrang for no kennin aither the Bible or the pouer o God! Whan the deid rises again, there is nae mair mairriein for man nor wuman; they ar een as the angels in heiven. An, as tae the resurrection o the deid, hae ye no read the wurds spokken tae ye bi God himsel: ‘I am the God o Abraham an the God o Isaac an the God o Jaucob’? He isna the God o the deid, but the lívin.”

This wis said i the hearin o the croud; an they war fair stoundit at his teachin.

WHAN THEY HEARED at he hed gart the Sadducees wheesht, the Pharisees met thegither, an ane o them at wis faur seen i the Law socht tae kittle him wi a queystin.

“Maister,” said he, “whilk is the grytest Commaund i the Law?”

He answert, “ ‘Thou sal luve the Lord thy God wi aa thy hairt an wi aa thy saul an wi aa thy wit.’ That is the first an grytest Commaund. The saicond is like it: ‘Thou sal luve thy neipour as thysel.’ On thae twa Commaunds hings the haill o the Law an the Prophets.”

Afore the Pharisees skailed, Jesus speired a queystin at them: “What is your thocht anent the Christ?” qo he. “Wha’s son is he?”

“Dauvit’s,” said they.

“Hou, than,” qo he, “dis Dauvit, speakin i the Spírit, caa him ‘lord’, whaur he says:

The Lord said til my lord,

‘Sit thou at my richt haund,

till I pit thy faes

aneth thy feet’?

Gin Dauvit caas him ‘lord’, hou can he be his son?”

That freelie fickelt them aa; an frae that day forrit naebodie daured speir onie mair queystins at him.

23 EFTER THIS, JESUS spak tae the croud an his disciples.

“The Doctors o the Law an the Pharisees,” qo he, “sits on Moses’ sait; an sae ye behuive tae dae an keep aathing at they say ye maun dae an keep. But daena as they dae, for their daein is no conform til their sayin. They mak up hivvie birns an lay them on ither men’s shuithers, but themsels they winna pit out a finger tae mudge them. Aathing they dae, they dae tae hae fowk glowrin efter them. They mak their text-chairms by-ordinar braid an the babs o their mantílles by-ordinar lang; they maun ey hae the first place at a denner, an a foresait i the meetin-houss; they ar ill for fowk tae bid them ‘Guid-day’ an ‘Guid-een’ i the mercat, an tae get ‘Rabbi’ frae aabodie. But latna fowk caa ye ‘Rabbi’, for ye hae but the ae maister an ar aa brithers til ilk ither. An caana onie-ane on the yird your ‘Faither’, for ye hae but the ae faither, your Faither in heiven. Latna fowk caa ye ‘Doctor’ aitherins, for the Christ is your Doctor. The grytest o ye aa maun be the servan o ye aa; an him at up-heizes himsel will be hummelt, an him at hummles himsel will be up-heized.

“Black s’ be your faa, Doctors o the Law an Pharisees, hýpocrítes at ye ar! Ye steik the yett o the Kíngdom o Heiven in men’s faces; ye gangna in yoursels, an them at seeks in ye hender tae win ben.

“Black s’ be your faa, Doctors o the Law an Pharisees, hýpocrítes at ye ar! Ye gang athort laund an sea tae mak ae convèrt, an whan ye hae him convertit, ye mak o him a Deivil’s limb double as ill as yoursels.

“Black s’ be your faa, blinnd gydes at says, ‘Him at sweirs bi the Temple, it is naething: but him at sweirs bi the gowd o the Temple is bund bi his aith.’ Blinnd fuils at ye ar, whilk is o mair account—the gowd, or the Temple at sanctifíes the gowd? Or again, ‘Him at sweirs bi the altar, it is naething,’ ye say: ‘but him at sweirs bi the gift upò’d is bund bi his aith.’ Blinnd men at ye ar, whilk is a mair account—the gift, or the altar at sanctifíes the gift? Na: him at sweirs bi the altar sweirs baith bi hit an bi aathing upò’d, an him at sweirs bi the Temple sweirs baith bi hit an bi him at dwalls in it, an him at sweirs bi heiven sweirs baith bi the throne o God an bi him at sits on it.

“Black s’ be your faa, Doctors o the Law an Pharisees, hýpocrítes at ye ar! Ye pey teinds o mint an anet an cummin, but mislippen the wechtier things o the Law—juistice, mercie, an guid faith. But thir things ye behuived tae practíse, onmislippent the ithers. Blinnd gydes at ye ar, ⁵¹ye stummle at a strae, an lowp owre a brae!

“Black s’ be your faa, Doctors o the Law an Pharisees, hýpocrítes at ye ar! The caup an the bicker ye dicht them weill ithout, but ithin they ar lippin-fu o greed an gilravagin. Oh, blinnd, blinnd Pharisees, first dicht the inside o the caup, an syne ye s’ hae the outside dichtit an clean as weill!

“Black s’ be your faa, Doctors o the Law an Pharisees, hýpocrítes at ye ar! Ye ar like white-wuishen graffs, at luiks bonnie an braw outside, but inside is fu o deid men’s banes an aa kin o filth an fulyie. Een sae wi ye: tae luik at ye, aabodie wad think ye honest, weill-daein fowk, but ithin ye ar pang fu o hýpocrisie an wickitness.

“Black s’ be your faa, Doctors o the Law an Pharisees, hýpocrítes at ye ar! Ye bigg the graffs o the Prophets an decore the lairs o the Saunts, an syne ye threap, ‘Gin we hed líved i the days o wir forebeirs, we wadna taen pairt wi them in skailin the bluid o the Prophets!’ Wi that ye gíe witness again yoursels at ye ar the sons o them at murthert the Prophets: caa ye awà, than, an pit the caipstane on your forebeirs’ wark! Ye serpents, ye getts o ethers, hou can ye escape damnâtion tae hell?

“An sae nou I’m sendin amang ye prophets an wyss men an men o lair. Some o them ye’ll kill an crucifíe, an ithers ye’ll leash in your meetin-housses an hund frae toun tae toun, sae at on ye may faa the gilt o aa the sakeless bluid e’er skailed on the yird, frae the bluid o sakeless Abel tae the bluid o Zecharíah, the son o Barachíah, at ye felled atweesh the Temple an the altar. Atweill, I tell ye, this generâtion will mak mends for aa thae ill deeds!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, at kills the Prophets an stanes them at is sent til her, hou aft wad I fain hae gethert your bairns about me, as a hen gethers her brodmil aneth her wíngs, but ye, ye wadna lat me! See, nou is your houss forhoued;³ for I tell ye, frae this time forrit ye s’ see me nae mair or the day whan ye say, ‘Blissit is him at comes i the name o the Lord’!”

24 JESUS NOU QUAT the Temple; an, as he gaed alang, the disciples cam up an baud him luik up at the Temple biggins.

“Ye see aa that?” qo he. “Atweill, I tell ye, no ae stane o them aa will be left abuin anither: the haill Temple will be but a rickle.”

Efterhin, whan he wis sittin his lane on the Hill o Olives, the disciples cam up an said til him, “Whan is thae things tae be? An whattan taiken will we hae at your back-comin an the hinnerend o the praisent warld is naurhaund?”

Jesus answert, “Tak tent at nae man leads ye agley! For monie-ane will kythe, takkin my name an threapin, ‘I am the Christ’; an monie feck they will lead agley. Ye will hear tell o wars an souchs o war, but be ye nane flichtert. Siccan things maun een be, but that isna the end. For fowk will mak war on fowk, an kinrick on kinrick; an faimins there will be an yirdquauks in orra pairts. Aa thae things is but the onfaa o the birth-thraws.

“Than will they haund ye owre tae them at will sair ill-gyde ye an kill ye, an in ilka laund ye will be hatit because ye beir my name. Monie will tyne their faith i thae days an betray ilk ither for hate. Monie fauss prophets will kythe an lead monie agley, an wi the wickitness lairge in ilka place the luve o the maist feck will grow cauld. But him at hauds out till the end will be saufed. Mairatowre, this Gospel o the Kíngdom will first be preached out-throu the haill warld an made kent til the haithen aagate, an syne the end will come.

“Whan, therefore, ye see the Deidlie Ugsome Thing at the Prophet Daniel spak o staundin i the Halie Place”—ye at reads this, tak tent!—“them at wons in Judaea maun tak the hills. Him at is up on his houss-heid maunna gae doun intil the houss tae lift his gear, an him at is afíeld maunna gang back hame tae fesh his coat. Wae’s me for weimen at is big wi bairn or gíein souk i thae days! Pray at your flicht faasna in wintertime, or on the Sabbath, for the dule an dree o that time will be sic as there hesna been the like o frae the beginnin o the warld till nou, nor nivermair will be. Gin thae days hedna been shortent, nae-ane avà wad be left tae the fore: but shortent they will be for the sake o the Eleck. Gin onie-ane says tae ye than, ‘Luik, here’s the Christ’, or, ‘See, yonder’s the Christ’, lippen-him-na. For monie fauss Christs an fauss prophets will kythe an wurk míracles an ferlies tae gar een the Eleck gae will, coud sic a thing be. Mind, nou, I hae wairned ye! Gin they say tae ye than, ‘He’s thereout i the muirs’, gang-ye-na furth; or gin they tell ye, ‘He’s ben the houss in ane o the chaumers’, lippen-them-na. For as the fireflaucht lowps leamin athort the lift frae the aist tae the wast, een sae will be the comin o the Son o Man. Whaur the carcage liggs, thair the vulturs forgethers.

“As shune as thae days o dule an dree is by,

The sun will be mirkit,

an the muin winna gíe her licht;

the stairns will faa frae the carrie,

an the pouers i the lift will be dinnelt.

Than will the sign o the Son o Man kythe i the lift, an aa the clans o the yird will murn an baet their breists; an they will see the Son o Man comin on the clouds o the lift wi unco micht an glore. Wi a dunnerin blast o the horn he will send furth his angels; an they will gether his Eleck frae the fowr airts, frae the tae end o the lift tae the tither.

“Tak a lesson o the feg-tree. Whan its ryss grows sappie an saft, an the leafs onfaulds, ye ken at the simmer is naur. Siclike, whan ye see aa thir things happnin, ye maun ken at the end is naur—ay, at your verra doors!

“Atweill, I tell ye, this generâtion winna pass awà or aa thir things hes happent. The lift an the yird will pass awà, but my wurds winna pass awà. But the day an the hour nae-ane kens, no een the angels in heiven, nor the Son: na, nane but the Faither alane!

“At the comin o the Son o Man it will be the same wey as it wis i the days o Noah. I thae days afore the Fluid fowk wis thrang aitin an drinkin, mairriein an gíein in mairrage, richt up tae the time whan Noah gaed intil the Airk; an naething jaloused they, or the Fluid cam an soopit them aa awà. That is the wey it will be at the comin o the Son o Man. Twa men will be wurkin thegither i the fíeld—ane o them will be taen, an the tither left ahent; twa weimen will be caain a haundmill thegither—ane o them will be taen, an the tither left ahent. Haud ye ey wauken, than, for ye kenna what day your Maister is comin. But o this ye may be shair: gin the guidman hed kent at what hour o the nicht the thíef wis tae come, he wad hae bidden waukin, an no latten his houss be brakken intil. Sae ye, tae, maun ey be reddie, sin the Son o Man will come at an hour whan ye’r bodin him nane.

“Wha’s the wysslike an faithfu servan at his maister lippent wi the owrance o the lave, an seein at they war maitit raiglar? Happie man, at his maister, whan he comes hame, finnds daein the wark he wis gíen tae dae! He’ll gíe him the gydin o aa he is aucht, I s’ warran ye. But gin he is an ill-set bleck, yon servan, an says til himsel, ‘He’s lang o comin, the Maister’, an faas tae lounderin the ither servans an gilravagin wi the dribblin-core, syne, on a day he bodesna, an at an hour he kensna, the maister o that servan will come hame, an will hag him in píeces an assign him his dail wi the hýpocrítes; an it is there at the yaumer an the chirkin o teeth will be!

25 “Here is whatlike it will be wi the Kíngdom o Heiven, whan that day comes. The’ wis aince ten deames gaed out tae meet the bridegroom an the bride at a waddin, takkin their bouets wi them. Five o them wis glaikit lassies, an five wis wysslike queyns. The glaikit anes tuik their bouets, but they tuik nae orra oil wi them: but the wysslike anes tuik baith their bouets an oil-pouries forbyes.

“The bridegroom wis lang o comin, an the lassies aa dovert an fell owre. At midnicht the cry wis raised: ‘Here’s the bridegroom; come out an meet him!’ The din waukent the lassies, an they rase an fettelt up their bouets.

“The glaikit anes said tae the wyss anes, ‘Lat see a twa-three draps oil: our bouets is gaein out!’

“ ‘Nae fears!’ the wyss anes answert. ‘We haena what wad sair ye an hiz baith belike. Better gae tae the chops an buy yoursels some.’ Sae aff they gaed tae buy their oil.

“I the mids o the meantime the bridegroom cam, an the lassies at wis reddie gaed inbye wi him tae the waddin-brakfast, an the door wis steikit. A whilie efter, the ither lassies cam an begoud cryin, ‘Pleise, sir, apen the door til us!’ But he answert, ‘Atweill, I hae nae kennin o ye avà!’ Haud ye ey wauken, than; for ye ken naither the day nor the hour.

“Or again, it is like this. A man at wis gaein out o the kintra caa’d up his servans an haundit his haudin owre tae them tae gyde. He lippent ane wi five talents, anither wi twa, an a third wi ane—ilkane wi the soum confeirin til his capacitie. Syne he gaed his waas out o the kintra. The man at hed gotten the five talents gaed strecht awà an yuised them sae weill in tredd at he made ither five talents; an siclike him at hed gotten the twa talents wan ither twa talents. But him at hed gotten the ae talent gaed awà an howkit a hole i the grund an hade his maister’s siller intil it.

“Efter a lang time, the maister o thae servans cam hame an huid a racknin wi them. Him at hed gotten the five talents cam forrit wi ither five talents forbye an said, ‘Maister, ye lippent me wi five talents: see, here’s ither five talents I hae made.’

“ ‘Weill dune, guid an leal servan!’ said his maister til him. ‘Ye hae been leal wi the gydin o little, I s’ gíe ye the gydin o muckle. Awà in tae your Maister’s banqet!’

“Syne him at hed gotten the twa talents cam forrit an said, ‘Maister, ye lippent me wi twa talents: see, here’s ither twa talents I hae made.’

“ ‘Weill dune, guid an leal servan!’ said his maister. ‘Ye hae been leal wi the gydin o little, I s’ gíe ye the gydin o muckle. Awà in tae your Maister’s banqet!

“Lest, him at gat the ae talent cam forrit an said, ‘Maister, I kent ye for a dour man an a stour, at maws whaur he hesna sawn, an shears whaur he hesna seedit; sae I wis feared, an gaed awà an hade your talent i the grund: here it is back tae ye.’

“Ye sweird wratch o a servan!’ said his maister. ‘Ye kent at I maw whaur I haena sawn, an shear whaur I haena seedit—ye kent that, na? A-weill, than, ye suid hae pitten my siller i the Bank, an syne I wad hae gotten it back wi annualrent at my hamecome. Tak his talent awà frae him, an gíe it til him at hes the ten talents:

For til havers mair is gíen,

till it faur outgangs their need:

frae not-havers is taen

een what they hae.

An cast yon wanwurdie servan intil the mirk outbye.’ It is there at the yaumer an the chirkin o teeth will be!

“Whan the Son o Man comes in his glorie, an aa his angels wi him, he will sit him doun on his throne o glorie; an aa the fowks o the yird will be gethert afore him, an he will shed them intil twa hirsels, as a herd sheds the sheep frae the gaits; an the sheep he will hirsel on his richt haund, an the gaits on his cair haund.

“Than the Kíng will say til them on his richt haund, ‘Come your waas, ye at hes my Faither’s blissin, an tak possession o your heirskip, the Kíngdom prepared for ye frae the founds o the warld wis laid. For I wis yaup, an ye gae me mait; I wis thristie, an ye gae me drink; I wis an outlan, an ye gae me bed an bicker; I wis nakit, an ye cleadit me; I wis síck, an ye tentit me; I wis in jyle, an ye cam inbye tae me.’

“Syne the richteous will answer, ‘Lord, whan saw we ye yaup, an gae ye mait? Or thristie, an gae ye drink? Whan saw we ye an outlan, an gae ye bed an bicker? Or nakit, an cleadit ye? Whan saw we ye síck or in jyle, an gaed inbye til ye?’

“Syne the Kíng will say til them, ‘Atweill, I tell ye, oniething at ye did til ane o thir hummle brithers o mine, ye did it til me.’

“Than will he say til them on his cair haund, ‘Awà wi ye out o my sicht, ye curst anes, awà til the iverlestin fire prepared for the Deivil an his angels! For I wis yaup, an ye gae-me-na mait; I wis thristie, an ye gae-me-na drink; I wis an outlan, an ye gae-me-na bed an bicker; I wis nakit, an ye cleadit-me-na; I wis síck an in jyle, an ye tentit-me-na.’

“Syne they, tae, will answer, ‘Lord, whan saw we ye yaup, or thristie, or an outlan, or nakit, or síck, or in jyle, an wadna dae ocht for ye?’

“An he will say tae them, ‘Atweill, I tell ye, oniething at ye did no dae til ane o thir hummle anes, ye did no dae it tae me.’ An thir will gang awà til iverlestin punishment, but the richteous will gang til iverlestin life.”

26 WHAN HE WIS throu wi aa thir discoùrses, Jesus said til his disciples, “It’s the Passowre the day efter the morn, ye ken; an the Son o Man is tae be haundit owre tae be crucifíed than.”

Juist at this time, the Heid-Príests an Elders o the Fowk forgethert i the pailace o the Chíef Heid-Príest, Caiaphas bi name, an collogued thegither hou they micht get their haunds on him bi some wimple an pit him tae deith—“no on the Feast-Day, tho,” said they, “for fear o raisin a stírrie amang the fowk!”

JESUS WIS STAPPIN in Bethanie in Símon the Lipper’s houss, whan a wuman cam up til him wi an alabaster stowp o dairthfu ointment in her haund, as he lay at the buird, an tuimed it owre his heid. The disciples wis angert tae see it. “The waistrie o it!” said they. “It micht hae been sauld for a gey soum, an the siller gíen tae the puir.”

Jesus heared them, an said tae them, “What needs ye fyke the wuman that gate? It’s a bonnielike thing she’s dune tae me! The puir ye hae ey amang ye, but ye s’ haena me ey. Her pourin this ointment on my bodie is a fore-redd for my buiral. Atweill, I tell ye, whauriver the Gospel is preached i the haill warld, the storie o this at she hes dune will be tauld an aa, sae at she may ne’er be forgot.”

Syne ane o the Twal, him they caa’d Judas Iscariot, gaed tae the Heid-Príests an said til them, “What will ye gíe me tae pit him in your haunds?” They peyed him doun thertie siller píeces; an frae that time forrit he wis ey seekin an opportunitie tae betray him.

ON THE FIRST day o the Feast o Barmless Breid the disciples cam an speired at Jesus, “Whaur is it your will we suid mak fore-redd for your Passowre?”

“Gang tae Sae-an-Sae i the toun an say til him, ‘The Maister says, “My time is naurhaund; I am tae haud the Passowre wi my disciples i your houss”.’ ” The disciples did his biddin, an made fore-redd for the Passowre.

Whan it wis geylins gloamed, he lay in tae the buird wi the Twal, an throu the diet he said tae them, “Atweill, I tell ye, ane o ye is tae betray me.”

Richt wae war they tae hear him, an begoud tae speir at him, ilkane o them, “No me, Maister, shairlie?”

He answert, “Him at dippit his haund eenou i the bicker wi me is the ane at is tae betray me. The Son o Man maun een gae his gate, as it says i the Buik anent him, but black s’ be the faa o the man at will be the mean o the Son o Man’s betrayal. Better wad it been for him, gin he hed ne’er been born, that man!”

Syne Judas, at wis betrayin him, said, “It’s no me ye mean, Rabbi, shairlie?”

“Ye hae said it,” qo Jesus.

AFORE THEY WAR throu wi their sipper, Jesus tuik a laif an, efter he hed speired a blissin, brak it an gíed it tae the disciples, sayin, “Tak an ait this: it is my bodie.” Syne he tuik a tass an, efter he hed gíen thanks tae God, raxed it til them, sayin, “Drink ye this, ilkane o ye: it is my bluid, the Bluid o the Covenant, whilk is skailed for monie for the forgíeness o sins. An this I tell ye: I s’ drink nae mair the frute o the vine afore I drink a noo wine wi ye in my Faither’s Kíngdom.”

SYNE THEY SANG the Passowre Hyme, an gaed out an awà tae the Hill o Olives. There Jesus said tae them, “This nicht ye will aa be fauss tae me. For it is written i the Buik:

‘I will ding the herd,

an the sheep o his hirsel will be sparpelt abreid.’

But efter I hae risen, I will gang afore ye til Galilee.”

Peter said til him, “Lat aa the warld be fauss tae ye, Peter will ne’er be fauss!”

“Atweill, I tell ye,” qo Jesus, “this nicht, afore the cock craws, ye will disavou me thrice.”

“Tho I buid díe wi ye, niver will I disavou ye!” said Peter. An the lave o the disciples aa said the like.

Syne Jesus cam wi his disciples til a dail caa’d Gethsemanie; an here he said tae them, “Lean ye doun here, till I gang yont an pray.” But he tuik Peter an the twa sons o Zebedee wi him. An nou unco dule an dridder cam owre him, an he said tae them, “My saul is likin tae díe for dule: bide ye here wi me, an haud ye wauken.”

Than he gaed a wee faurer on an, castin himsel doun on the grund, prayed, sayin, “Faither, gin it can be, lat ⁵²this caup gang by me: yit no as I will, but as thou wills.” Syne he cam back til his disciples an faund them asleep, an he said tae Peter, “Sae ye dochtna bide waukin ae hour wi me! Haud ye wauken, an pray at ye may be hained a sair seyin: the spírit is willint, but the flesh is waik.”

Again he gaed awà an prayed, “My Faither, gin it canna gae by me, this caup, but I maun een drink it, thy will be dune.” Aince mair he gaed back tae the disciples an faund them faan owre, for their een wis hivvie wi sleep.

Sae he quat them an gaed awà an prayed the third time, pittin up the same prayer as afore. Syne he cam back tae them an said, “Ey sleepin an takkin your rest? An the hour is come whan the Son o Man is betrayed intil the haunds o sinners! Fy, rise ye up, an lat us gae forrit: he is naurhaund, my betrayer.”

The wurds wisna weill aff his tung, whan up cam Judas, ane o the Twal, an wi him a mardle o fowk wi swuirds an rungs, at hed been hundit out bi the Heid-Príests an the Elders o the Fowk. The traitor hed gree’d on a taiken wi them: “Him at I kiss is your man,” he hed said; “it is him ye maun grip.” Sae nou he cam strecht up tae Jesus an, wi a “Fair guid-een tae ye, Rabbi,” kissed him.

“Tae your wark, my fríend,” qo Jesus.

Syne they cam forrit an laid their haunds on him an huid him fest. Than, swith, the haund o ane o them at wis wi Jesus gaed til his swuird-hilt, an he drew it an strack the Heid-Príest’s servan an sneddit affhis lug. But Jesus said til him, “Back wi your swuird til its place! Aa them at grips til the swuird will díe bi the swuird. Or trew ye at I canna caa on my Faither for help, an he will immedentlie send me mair gin twal legions o angels? But than hou coud the wurd o the Bible come true at this is tae be the gate o it?”

At the same time Jesus said tae the croud, “Think ye at I am some laundlowpin reiver, at ye hae come out wi swuirds an rungs tae fang me? Dailieday I sat teachin intil the Temple, an ye grippit-me-na. But aa this hes happent at what the Prophets wrate may come true.” Than aa his disciples forhoued him an fled awà.

THEM AT HED arreistit Jesus nou led him awà tae the pailace o Caiaphas the Heid-Príest, whaur the Doctors o the Law an the Elders wis forgethert. Peter fallowt them, a fell bit ahent, the lenth o the pailace close. There he gaed in an sat doun amang the ⁵³servitors, tae see what the end wad be.

Meantime the Heid-Príests an the haill Council wis seekin fauss witness again Jesus, at they micht pit him tae deith. But, athò monie fauss witnesses cam forrit, nae evidence faund they tae sair them; till at lenth an lang twa cam forrit an said, “This man said, ‘I can caa doun the Temple o God an bigg it up again in three days’.”

At that the Heid-Príest rase an said tae Jesus, “Answer ye nane? What o the testimonie o thir twa witnesses?” But Jesus said nocht.

Than the Heid-Príest said til him, “On your aith bi the lívin God, tell us gin ye ar the Christ, the Son o God.”

“Ye hae said it,” qo Jesus; “an, mairfortaiken, I tell ye this: or lang gae, ye will see the Son o Man

sittin on the richt haund o the Almichtie

an comin on the clouds o the lift.”

At that the Heid-Príest rave his claes an cried, “He hes spokken blasphemie! What needs we mair witnesses? See there, ye hae heared the blasphemous wurds yoursels: what is your juidgement?”

“Giltie, an desairvin o deith,” they answert. Syne they spat in his face an nevelt him wi their neives, an ithers scuddit him wi their luifs, sayin til him wi ilka barff, “Spae awà, Messíah, spae awà: wha wis it strack ye?”

MEANTIME, PETER WIS sittin furth i the close, whan a servan-queyn cam up an said til him, “Ye war wi the man frae Galilee, Jesus, tae, I’m thinkin.”

But he denied it afore them aa: “I kenna what ye mean,” said he; an wi that he gaed out intil the pend.

Here anither servan-lass saw him an said tae the fowk staundin about, “This chíel wis wi yon Nazaraean Jesus.”

Again Peter wadna tak wi it, but said wi an aith, “I kenna the man!”

A wee efter, the staunders-by gaed up til him an said, “Ay, but ye war sae wi him, tae: your Galilee twang outs ye.”

At that he fell tae bannin an sweirin at he hed nae kennins o the man avà. An than a cock crew, an it cam back tae Peter hou Jesus hed said til him, “Afore the cock craws, ye will disavou me thrice”; an he gaed out an grat a sair, sair greit.

27 AIR I THE mornin the Heid-Príests an the Elders o the Fowk forgethert an gree’d thegither hou tae hae Jesus pitten doun. Syne they led him awà in cheins an haundit him owre tae Pílate, the Governor. Whan Judas saw at Jesus hed been duimed, he tuik the rue an brocht back the thertie siller píeces tae the Heid-Príests an Elders, sayin til them, “I hae sinned my saul bringin a sakeless man til his deith.”

“What hae we adae wi that?” said they. “See ye til’d yoursel!” At that he labbit doun the siller i the Temple an quat the bit an gaed awà an hangit himsel.

The Heid-Príests liftit the siller. “But,” said they, “it isna leisome tae pit it intil the Temple Treisurie, it is the price o a man’s bluid”; an sae, efter some debate, they bocht the Patter’s Dail wi it, tae mak o it a buiral-grund for outlans an incomers. It is for that at ey sinsyne the place hes been caa’d the Bluidie Dail.

This gate the wurd spokken bi Jeremíah the Prophet cam true: “An they tuik the thertie siller píeces, the price o him at wis vailiet, at sons o Israel vailiet, an waired it on the Patter’s Dail, as the Lord hed bidden me.”

AN NOU JESUS compeared afore the Governor, an Pílate speired at him, “Ar ye the Kíng o Jews?”

An Jesus answert, “Ye hae said it.”

Syne the Heid-Príests an Elders deponed again him. But he made nae answer tae their chairges. Pílate than said til him, “Hearna ye aa the chairges thir deponers is makkin again ye?” But no on ae chairge o them aa wad he gíe him an answer, sae at the Governor ferliet sair.

Ilka Passowre the Governor wis wunt tae set free onie ae convìct in jyle at the fowk wantit. This year there wis a certain weill-kent wicht, Jesus BarAbbas, lyin in jyle. Sae whan the fowk wis forgethert, Pílate speired o them, “Whilk o the twa is it your will I suid set free—Jesus BarAbbas, or Jesus caa’d the Christ?” He kent brawlie at it wis for nocht but ill-will at Jesus hed been brocht up afore him.

As he sat on the juidgement-sait, a message wis brocht til him frae his wife: “Hae nocht adae wi that guid, weill-daein man,” said she: “I hae haen a frichtsome draim anent him throu the nicht.”

Meantime the Heid-Príests an the Elders hed perswaudit the croud tae seek the releash o BarAbbas an the pittin tae deith o Jesus; an sae, whan Pílate speired o them again, “Whilk o the twa is it your will I releash tae ye?” they answert, “BarAbbas!”

“Syne what will I dae wi Jesus caa’d the Christ?” said Pílate.

“Tae the cross wi him!” cried they aa.

“But what ill hes the man dune?” said he.

But they onlie raired out the louder, “Tae the cross wi him!”

Whan Pílate saw he wis comin nae speed, but raither the hubbleshew wis growin waur, he sent for watter an wuish his haunds afore the een o the croud, sayin as he sae did, “I am naither airt nor pairt i this man’s deith: on your shuithers be it!” An the haill o the fowk cried back at him, “His bluid be on hiz, an on our childer!” Sae Pílate gae them their wiss an releashed BarAbbas, but Jesus he caused screinge an haundit owre tae be crucifíed.

The sodgers o the Governor than cairriet him awà tae the Governor’s pailace, whaur they gethert the haill regiment about him. Syne first they tirred him an reikit him out in a reid coat, an neist they plettit a wreathe out o thorn-rysses an set it on his heid an pat a reed wand in his richt haund an, gaein doun on their knees afore him, geckit him, sayin, “Hail, Kíng o Jews!” Syne they spat on him an, takkin the wand, yethert him owre the heid wi it. Than, whan they war throu wi their spíel, they tirred the coat aff him an, cleadin him again in his ain claes, cairriet him awà tae crucifíe him.

AS THEY QUAT the toun, they met in wi a man frae Cyrenie, Símon bi name; an they gart him cadge Jesus’ cross. Syne, whan they cam tae the place caa’d Golgotha, or the “Hairn-Pan”, they raxed him a tass o wine-an-gaa, whilk he pree’d, but wadna drink nae mair o. Whan they hed crucifíed him, they cuist caivels owre his cleadin an haufed it amang them, an efter that they sat doun an keepit watch. Abuin his heid they hed pitten up a plaicard shawin the chairge again him:

THIS IS JESUS

KING O JEWS

Alang wi him twa reivers wis crucifíed, the tane on his richt haund, an the tither on his left.

The fowk at gaed by miscaa’d him, geckin their heids an sayin, “Hey, ye at wis caain doun the Temple an biggin it up again in three days, sauf yoursel, gin ye ar the Son o God, an come doun frae the cross!” The Heid-Príests, an the Doctors o the Law an Elders as weill, jeered him the same gate: “He saufed ithers,” said they: “but himsel he canna sauf! Kíng o Israel, is he? A-weill, lat’s see him come doun frae the cross, an syne we’ll belíeve on him! He lippent on God—lat God sauf him, an he’s fain o him: did he no haud out he wis the Son o God?” An een the reivers at wis crucifíed alang wi him cuist up the like til him.

At twal hours a mirkness cam owre the haill laund at liftitna or the mids o the efternuin. About that time Jesus cried out wi a gryte stevven, “Elí, Elí, lema sabachthâni?” whilk means, “My God, my God, why for hes thou forleitit me?”

Some o them at wis staundin there an heared him said, “He’s cryin on Elíjah!” An immedentlie ane o them ran an gat a spunge an doukit it in sour wine an set it on a wand an raxed it up til him. But the lave said, “Lat’s see first gin Elíjah comes tae sauf him.”

Than Jesus sent furth anither gryte cry; an wi that he wis by wi it. At that same maument the courtain o the Temple screidit in twa frae the tap tae the boddom; the yird quaukit; the rocks rave sindrie; the graffs apent; an monie o the saunts at there lay sleepin the sleep o deith waukent an rase, an ⁵⁴syne, efter he hed risen again himsel, quat their lairs an cam intil the Halie Cítie, whaur they kythed in bluid an bane til a feck o fowk. The centurion an the sodgers at wis keepin watch owre Jesus wi him wis ill fleyed whan they saw the yirdquauk an aa, an said, “Atweill wis he a son o God, that ane!”

A guid wheen weimen at hed fallowt Jesus frae Galilee an fettelt for him wis luikin on frae a guid gate aff. Amang them wis Mary frae Magdala, an Mary the mither o Jeames an Joseph, an the mither o Zebedee’s sons.

WHAN IT GLOAMED, a weill-gethert man o Arimathaea, Joseph bi name, at wis himsel a disciple o Jesus, cam tae Pílate an socht Jesus’ bodie o him, an Pílate ordert it tae be haundit owre til him. Joseph tuik it an swealed it in a clean linnen corp-sheet an lairt it i the graff at he hed noolins cuttit out o the rock for himsel. Syne he rowed a muckle stane up again the in-gang an gaed his waas, laein Mary frae Magdala an the ither Mary sittin forenent the graff.

NEIST DAY—THE day efter the Fore-Sabbath, that is—the Heid-Príests an the Pharisees gaed thegither tae Pílate an said til him, “Your Honour, it hes come back til our mind at yon impostor, whan he wis ey tae the fore, said at he wad rise again in three days’ time. We wad requeist ye, therefore, tae gíe orders at the graff be made siccar till three days is by: an ye daena, his disciples may come an stael his bodie, an syne threap at he hes risen frae the deid, an than fowk will be waur mislaired nor afore.”

“I s’ gíe ye your gaird,” said Pílate; “awà an mak the graff as siccar as ye ken hou!”

Sae they gaed awà an made the graff siccar, pittin a seal on the stane an laein the gaird tae keep watch.

WHAN THE SABBATH wis by, an the first day o the ouk wis grayin, Mary o Magdala an the ither Mary cam tae luik at the graff.

Hardlins hed they wun til it, whan an unco dinnle gaed throu the yird, for an angel o the Lord cam doun frae heiven an gaed up an rowed awà the stane an leaned him doun on it. His face leamed like a flaucht o fire, an his cleadin wis as white as the snaw.

The sodgers o the gaird grued wi dreid at the sicht o him, an becam as deid men. But the angel said tae the weimen, “Binna feared. I ken ye ar seekin Jesus, at wis crucifíed. He isna here: he hes risen, een as he said he wad. Come ye in an see the lair whaur he lay. . . .

“An nou heast ye awà an tell the disciples at he hes risen frae the deid an, mairfortaiken, at he is gaein afore ye til Galilee, whaur ye will see him. . . .

“There, I hae tauld ye.”

Awà they screived frae the graff, feared, but faur mair fain nor feared, an ran tae gíe wurd til his disciples. They war ey on the road, whan thair wis Jesus forenent them, an he hailsed them, an they gaed up til him an seized hauds o his feet an kneeled doun afore him. Syne Jesus said tae them, “Binna feared, but ⁵⁵awà ye an gíe my brithers wurd tae gae til Galilee, an there they will see me.”

WHAN THE WEIMEN wis tae the gate, some o the gairds cam intil the toun an laid doun tae the Heid-Príests the haill storie o what hed happent. Efter a communin wi the Elders anent the maitter, the Heid-Príests gae the sodgers a dentie bit siller. “Tell aabodie,” said they, “at his disciples cam throu the nicht an staw his corp whan ye war sleepin. Gin the Governor gets onie wittins o the maitter, we s’ sort aathing wi him an see at ye hae nocht tae be thochtit owre.”

Sae the sodgers tuik the siller an did as they hed been tauld. An tae this day it is ey their storie at is caa’d about amang the Jews.

THE ELEIVEN DISCIPLES fuir awà tae Galilee an cam til the trystin-hill at Jesus hed named. Whan they saw him, they kneeled doun afore him, athò some o them hed ey their douts.

Than Jesus cam naurer an said tae them, “Aa authoritie hes been gíen me in heiven an on the yird. Gang ye furth, than, an mak disciples o aa the fowks o the yird, baptízin them intil the name o the Faither an the Son an the Halie Spírit, an teachin them tae keep aa the commaundments at I hae gíen ye. An, mind this weill, I am wi ye throu aa the days at is tae be till the hinnerend o the warld.”