THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Three days, etc... Not complete days and nights; but part of three days, and three nights taken according to the way that the Hebrews counted their days and nights, viz., from evening to evening.
12:41. The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here.
12:42. The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon here.
12:43. And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none.
12:44. Then he saith: I will return into my house from whence I came out. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
12:45. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation.
12:46. As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
12:47. And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee.
12:48. But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?
Who is my mother?... This was not spoken by way of slighting his mother, but to shew that we are never to suffer ourselves to be taken from the service of God, by any inordinate affection to our earthly parents: and that which our Lord chiefly regarded in his mother, was her doing the will of his Father in heaven. It may also further allude to the reprobation of the Jews, his carnal kindred, and the election of the Gentiles.
12:49. And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren.
12:50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Matthew Chapter 13
The parables of the sower and the cockle: of the mustardseed, etc.
13:1. The same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side.
13:2. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a boat and sat: and all the multitude stood on the shore.
13:3. And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying: Behold the sower went forth to sow.
13:4. And whilst he soweth some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate them up.
13:5. And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.
13:6. And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had not root, they withered away.
13:7. And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them.
13:8. And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty fold.
13:9. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
13:10. And his disciples came and said to him: Why speakest thou to them in parables?
13:11. Who answered and said to them: Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven: but to them it is not given.
13:12. For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall abound: but he that hath not, from him shall be taken away that also which he hath.
13:13. Therefore do I speak to them in parables: because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
13:14. And the prophecy of Isaias is fulfilled in them, who saith: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive.
13:15. For the heart of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut: lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
13:16. But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.
13:17. For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them: and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them.
13:18. Hear you therefore the parable of the sower.
13:19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, there cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart: this is he that received the seed by the way side.
13:20. And he that received the seed upon stony ground, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy.
13:21. Yet hath he not root in himself, but is only for a time: and when there ariseth tribulation and persecution because of the word, he is presently scandalized.
13:22. And he that received the seed among thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choketh up the word, and he becometh fruitless.
13:23. But he that received the seed upon good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth, and beareth fruit, and yieldeth the one an hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.
13:24. Another parable he proposed to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field.
13:25. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way.
13:26. And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle.