[1] 1142 Then answered certain of the scribes and Pharisees, that they might tempt him, [2] and said, Teacher, we desire to see a sign from thee. 1143 He answered and said, This evil and adulterous generation 1144 seeketh a sign; and it shall not be given a sign, [3] except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 1145 And as Jonah was a sign to the inhabitants [4] of Nineveh, so shall the Son of man also be to this generation. 1146 And as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man [5] be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 1147 The queen of the south shall rise in the judgement with the people of this generation, and condemn 1148 them: for she came from the ends of the earth that she might hear the wisdom of Solomon; [6] [Arabic, p. 62] and behold, here is a better than Solomon. 1149 The men of Nineveh shall stand in the judgement with this generation, and condemn it: for they repented at [7] the preaching of Jonah; and behold, here is a greater than Jonah. 1150 The unclean spirit, when he goeth out of the man, departeth, and goeth about through places wherein are no waters, that he may find rest for himself; and when he findeth it not, he [8] saith, I will return to my house whence I came out. 1151 And if he come and find it [9] adorned and set in order, 1152 then he goeth, and associateth with himself seven other spirits worse than himself; and they enter and dwell in it: and the end of that man [10] shall be worse than his beginning. 1153 Thus shall it be unto this evil generation.
[11] 1154 And while he was saying that, a woman from the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts that nursed [12] thee. 1155 But he said unto her, Blessed is he that heareth the word of God, and keepeth it.
[13] 1156 And while he was speaking unto the multitude, there came unto him his mother [14] and his brethren, and sought to speak with him; 1157 and they were not able, because of [15] the multitude; and they stood without and sent, calling him unto them. 1158 A man said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing without, and seek to [16] speak with thee. 1159 But he answered unto him that spake unto him, Who is my [17] mother? and who are my brethren? 1160 And he beckoned with his hand, stretching it out towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother! and behold, my brethren! [18] 1161 And every man that shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.
[19] 1162 And after that, Jesus was going about in the cities and in the villages, and proclaiming [Arabic, p. 63] and preaching the kingdom of God, and his 1163 twelve with him, [20] 1164 and the women which had been healed of diseases and of evil spirits, Mary [21] that was called Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven devils, 1165 and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who were ministering to them of their substance.
[22] 1166 And after that, Jesus went out of the house, and sat on the sea shore. 1167 And there [23] gathered unto him great multitudes. And when the press of the people was great upon him, he went up and sat in the boat; and all the multitude was standing on the [24] shore of the sea. 1168 And he spake to them much in parables, and said, The sower [25] went forth to sow: and when he sowed, 1169 some fell on the beaten highway; and it was [26] trodden upon, and the birds ate it. 1170 And other fell on the rocks: and some, where p. 69 there was not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no depth in [27] the earth: 1171 and when the sun rose, it withered; and because it had no root, it dried [28] up. 1172 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it; [29] and it yielded no fruit. 1173 And other fell into excellent and good 1174 ground; and it came up, and grew, and brought forth fruit, some thirty, and some sixty, and some [30] a hundred. 1175 And when he said that, he cried, He that hath ears that hear, let him [31] hear. 1176 And when they were alone, his disciples came, and asked him, and said unto [32] him, What is this parable? and why spakest thou unto them in parables? 1177 He [Arabic, p. 64] answered and said unto them, Unto you is given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God; but it is not given unto them that are [33] without. 1178 He that hath shall be given unto, and there shall be added; and he that [34] hath not, that which he hath shall be taken from him also. 1179 For this cause therefore I speak unto them in parables; because they see, and see not; and hear, and hear [35] not, nor understand. 1180 And in them is being fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who said,
Hearing they shall hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing they shall see, and shall not perceive:
[36] 1181 The heart of this people is waxed gross,
And their hearing with their ears is become heavy,
And they have closed their eyes;
Lest they should see with their eyes,
And understand with their hearts,
[37, 38] 1182 But ye, blessed are your eyes, which see; and your ears, which hear. 1183 Blessed [39] are the eyes which see what ye see. 1184 Verily I say unto you, Many of the prophets and the righteous longed to see what ye see, and saw not; and to hear what ye [40] hear, and heard not. 1185 When ye know not this parable, how shall ye know all parables? [41, 42] 1186 Hear ye the parable of the sower. 1187 The sower which sowed, sowed the word [43] of God. 1188 Every one who heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, the evil one cometh and snatcheth away the word that hath been sown in his [44] heart: and this is that which was sown on the middle of the highway. 1189 But that which was sown on the rocks is he that heareth the word, and straightway receiveth [45, 46] [Arabic, p. 65] it with joy; 1190 only, it hath no root in his soul, but his belief in it is for a time; 1191 and whenever there is distress or persecution because of a 1192 word, he [47] stumbleth 1193 quickly. 1194 And that which was sown among the thorns is he that heareth the word; 1195 and the care of this world, and the error of riches, and the rest of the [48] other lusts enter, and choke the word, and it becometh without fruit. 1196 And that which was sown in good ground is he that heareth my word in a pure and good heart, and understandeth it, and holdeth to it, and bringeth forth fruit with patience, 1197 and produceth either a hundredfold or sixtyfold or thirty.
[49] 1198 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, like a man who casteth seed into the [50] earth, and sleepeth and riseth by night and day, 1199 and the seed groweth and cometh [51] up, whence 1200 he knoweth not. 1201 And the earth bringeth it to the fruit; and first it [52] will be blade, and after it ear, and at last perfect wheat in the ear: 1202 and whenever the fruit ripeneth, 1203 he bringeth immediately the sickle, for the harvest hath come.
The Arabic printed text gives no sense. A simple change in the diacritical points of one letter gives the reading of the Syriac versions, which is adopted here.
68:1164 68:1165 68:1166 68:1167 68:1168 68:1169 68:1170 69:1171 69:1172 69:1173 69:1174cf. Peshitta (against Cur. and Sin.).
69:1175 69:1176Mark iv. 10; with additions from Matt. xiii. 10, and Luke viii. 9.
69:1177 69:1178 69:1179 69:1180 69:1181 69:1182 69:1183 69:1184 69:1185 69:1186 69:1187 69:1188 69:1189 69:1190 69:1191 69:1192 69:1193Or, is seduced (cf. § 25, 17, note).
69:1194 69:1195 69:1196 69:1197 69:1198 69:1199 69:1200 69:1201 69:1202 69:1203Lit. fatteneth, as in Peshitta.