The Gospel of St. Matthew

Aquarian Gospel

Chapter 21

Chapter 151

IT was the day before the Sabbath day, the eighth day of the Jewish Nasan month, that Jesus came to Bethany.
2) And on the Sabbath day he went up to the synagogue and taught.
3) And on the morning of the first day of the week, the Sunday of the week, he called his twelve apostles unto him and said,

1: And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

4) This day we go up to Jerusalem; be not afraid; my time has not yet come.
5) Now, two of you may go unto the village of Bethphage,

2: Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

and you will find an ass tied to a tree, and you will see a little colt near by.
6) Untie the ass and bring her here to me.

3: And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

If anyone inquires why you take the ass, just say, The master has a need of her; and then the owner will come on with you.

4: All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

6: And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

7) And the disciples went as Jesus bade them go; they found the ass and colt a-near an open door; and when they would untie the ass the owner said Why would you take the ass away?
8) And the disciples said, The master has a need of her,
and then the owner said, 'Tis well.

7: And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

9) And then they brought the animal, and on her put their coats, and Jesus sat upon the ass and rode into Jerusalem.

10) And multitudes of people came and filled the way, and his disciples praised the Lord and said,
11) Thrice blessed is the king who in the name of God is come! All glory be to God, and peace on earth; good will to men!

8: And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

12) And many spread their garments in the way, and some tore branches from the trees and cast them in the way.

9: And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

13) And many children came with garlands of sweet flowers and placed them on the Lord, or strewed them in the way, and said, All hail the king! Long live the king!
14) The throne of David shall be built again. Hosanna to the Lord of hosts!

15) Among the throng were Pharisees, who said to Jesus as he passed, Rebuke this noisy throng; it is a shame for them to cry thus in the street.
16) The Lord replied, I tell you, men, if these should hold their peace the very stones would cry aloud.
17) And then the Pharisees conferred among themselves; they said, Our threats are idle words. Behold, for all the world is following him.
18) As Jesus drew a-near Jerusalem he paused and wept, and said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the holy city of the Jews! yours was the glory of the Lord; but you have cast the Lord away.
19) Your eyes are closed, you cannot see the King; the kingdom of the Lord of heaven and earth has come; you comprehend it not.
20) Behold, the day will come when armies from afar will cast a bank about your way; will compass you about, and hem you in on every side;
21) Will dash you to the ground and slay you and your children in the streets.
22) And of your holy temple, and of your palaces and walls, they will not leave a stone upon a stone, because today you spurn the offers of the God of heaven.

10: And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

23) When Jesus and the multitude had come into Jerusalem, excitement reigned, and people asked,
Who is this man?

11: And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

24) The multitudes replied, This is the king, the prophet, priest of God; this is the man from Galilee.

Chapter 151 continued below at Matthew 21:14

Chapter 152 (continued)

12: And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13: And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 

7) And when he reached the temple, lo, the rooms were filled with petty merchants selling doves and animals, and other things, for sacrifice; the temple was a mart of trade.
8) And Jesus was indignant at the sight, and said,
You men of Israel, for shame! This is supposed to be the house of prayer; but it is now a den of thieves. Remove this plunder from this holy place.
9) The merchants only laughed and said,
We are protected in our trade by those who bear the rule; we will not go.
10) Then Jesus made a scourge of cords, as he did once before, and rushed among the merchantmen, threw all their money on the floor;
11) Threw wide the cages of the doves, and cut the cords that held the bleating lambs and set them free.
12) And then he drove the merchants from the place, and with a clean, new broom he swept the floors.

13) Chief priests and scribes were filled with wrath, but feared to touch or even to rebuke the Lord, for all the people stood in his defense.
14) And Jesus taught the people all day long and healed a multitude of those diseased,
15) And when the evening came he went again to Bethany.

Chapter 151 (continued)

14: And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

25) But Jesus tarried not; he went directly to the temple porch, and it was filled with people pressing hard to see the king.
26) The sick, the halt, the lame, the blind were there, and Jesus paused, and laid his hands on them and healed them by the sacred Word.

15: And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

27) The temple and the temple courts were filled with children praising God. They said, Hosanna to the king! The son of David is the king! All hail the king! Praise God!
28) The Pharisees were filled with anger when they heard the children sing.

16: And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

They said to Jesus, Hear you what the children say?
29) And Jesus said, I hear, but have you never read the words of our own bard who said,
30) Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise!

17: And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

31) And when the evening came the Lord and his disciples went again to Bethany.

Chapter 152

18: Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

NEXT day, the Monday of the week, the master with the twelve, went to Jerusalem.

19: And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

2) And as they passed along the way they saw a fig tree full of leaves without a sign of fruit.
3) And Jesus spoke unto the tree; he said, You useless cumberer of the ground; you fig tree fair to look upon, but a delusive thing.
4) You take from the earth and air the food that fruitful trees should have.
5) Go back to earth and be yourself the food for other trees to eat.
6) When Jesus had thus spoken to the tree he went his way.

Chapter 152 Verse 7 continued at Matthew 21:12 above

Chapter 153

ON Tuesday, early in the day, the master and the twelve went to Jerusalem.
2) And as they went the twelve observed the tree to which the Lord had talked the day before, and lo, the leaves were withered, just as if they had been scorched with fire.

20: And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

3) And Peter said, Lord, see the tree! Its leaves are withered and the tree seems dead.

21: Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

4) And Jesus said, So shall it be with those who bear no fruit. When God shall call them up to give account, lo, he will breathe upon them, and their leaves, their empty words, will wither and decay.
5) God will not let the fruitless trees of life encumber ground, and he will pluck them up and cast them all away.
6) Now, you can demonstrate the power of God. Have faith in God, and you can bid the mountains to depart, and they will crumble at your feet;
7) And you may talk to wind and wave, and they will hear, and will obey what you command.

22: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

8) God hears the prayer of faith and when you ask in faith you shall receive.
9) You may not ask amiss; God will not hear the prayer of any man who comes to him with blood of other men upon his hands.
10) And he who harbors envious thoughts, and does not love his fellow men, may pray forever unto God, and he will hear him not.
11) God can do nothing more for men than they would do for other men.

23: And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

12) And Jesus walked again within the temple courts.
13) The priests and scribes were much emboldened by the council of Caiaphas and the other men in power, and so they came to Jesus and they said,
14) Who gave you the authority to do as you have done? Why did you drive the merchants from the temple yesterday?

24: And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

15) And Jesus answered them and said,
If you will answer what I ask, then I will answer you;

25: The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

Was John, the harbinger, a man of God, or was he a seditious man?
16) The scribes and Pharisees were loath to answer him; they reasoned thus among themselves:
17) If we shall say, John was a prophet sent from God, then he will say,
18) John testified for me, that I am son of God, why do you not believe his words?

26: But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

19) If we should say, John was a bold, seditious man, the people will be angered, for they think he was a prophet of the living God.

27: And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

20) And so they answered Jesus and they said, We do not know; we cannot tell.
21) Then Jesus said, If you will tell me not, then I will tell you not who gave me power to drive the robbers from the house of God.

28: But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard.

29: He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

30: And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

22) And then he spoke a parable to them; he said, A man once made a feast inviting all the rich and honored people of the land.
23) But when they came, they found the door into the banquet hall was low, and they could enter not except they bowed their heads and fell down on their knees.
24) These people would not bow their heads and fall down on their knees, and so they went away; they went not to the feast.
25) And then the man sent forth his messengers to bid the common folks, and those of low estate, to come and feast with him.
26) These people gladly came; they bowed their heads and fell down on their knees, and came into the banquet hall and it was full, and every one rejoiced.
27) And then the master said,
Behold, you priests and scribes, and Pharisees! the Lord of heaven and earth has spread a sumptuous feast, and you were bidden first of all;
28) But you have found the door into the banquet hall so low that you must bow your heads and fall down on your knees to enter in, and you have scorned the king who made the feast, refused to bow your heads and fall down on your knees, and you have gone your way;

31: Who of the two did the will of his father? They said to him, The first. Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

29) But now God calls again; the common folks and those of low estate have come in multitudes, have entered in unto the feast and all rejoice.
30) I tell you, men, that publicans and courtesans go through the gates into the kingdom of the God of heaven, and you are left without.

32: For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him.

31) John came to you in righteousness; he brought the truth, but you believed him not.

32) But publicans and courtesans believed, and were baptized and now have entered into the feast.
33) I tell you now, as I have told you many times, The many have been called, but chosen are the few.

Chapter 154

33: Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

THE multitudes would hear what Jesus had to say, and so they built a platform in the temple court, and Jesus stood upon the place and taught. He spoke in parables; he said,
2) A man possessed a vast estate; he planted out a vineyard, placed a hedge about it, built a tower, installed the press for making wine.
3) He placed his vineyard in the hands of husbandmen and then he journeyed to a distant land.

34: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

4) Now, in the vintage time the man sent forth a servant to receive and bring to him his portion of the fruitage of the vines.

35: And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

5) The husbandmen came forth and beat the man; laid forty lashes on his back and cast him out beyond the vineyard gate.

36: Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

6) And then the owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen laid hold of him and sorely wounded him and cast him from the vineyard, leaving him half dead beside the way.

7) The owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen seized hold of him and with a javelin they pierced his heart; then buried him beyond the hedge.

37: But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will revere my son.

8) The owner was aggrieved. He thought within himself, What shall I do? and then he said, This will I do. My only son is here, and I will send him to the husbandmen,
9) They surely will respect my son and send me what is mine.

38: But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

10) He sent his son; the husbandmen took counsel with themselves; they said, This is the only heir to all this wealth, and if we take his life the vast inheritance is ours.

39: And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

11) They took his life and cast him out beyond the vineyard hedge.

40: When the lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen?

41: They said to him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

12) The day will come; the owner will return to reckon with the husbandmen, and he will seize them every one, and cast them into scorching fires where they shall stay until they pay the debts they owe.

13) And he will place his vineyard in the care of honest men.

42: Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

14) Then turning to the priests and scribes he said,
Did not your prophets say,
15) The stone the builders cast away became the capstone of the arch?

43: Therefore say I to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

16) You men who pose as men of God, as husbandmen, lo, you have stoned and killed the messengers of God, his prophets and his seers, and now you seek to slay his son.
17) I tell you men, the kingdom shall be snatched away from you, and shall be given to people who are not a people now, and to a nation that is not a nation now.
18) And men whose speech you cannot understand, will stand between the living and the dead, and show the way to life.

44: And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

45: And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them.

19) The chief priests and the Pharisees were deeply moved with anger when they heard this parable

46: But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

and would have seized the Lord and done him harm, but they were sore afraid; they feared the multitude.