Tatian: Diatessaron — Arabic Witness

Section IV.

[1] ^{Edition note 1}No man hath seen God at any time; the only Son, God,^{Edition note 2} which is in the bosom of his Father, he hath told of him.

[2] ^{Edition note 3}And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent to him from Jerusalem priests [3] and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? ^{Edition note 4}And he acknowledged, and denied not; [4] and he confessed that he was not the Messiah. ^{Edition note 5}And they asked him again, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he said, I am not he. Art thou a prophet? He [5] said, No. ^{Edition note 6}They said unto him, Then who art thou? that we may answer them that [6] sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? ^{Edition note 7}And he said, I am the voice that crieth in [7] the desert, Repair ye the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. ^{Edition note 8}And they [8] that were sent were from^{Edition note 9} the Pharisees. ^{Edition note 10}And they asked him and said unto him, Why baptizest thou now, when thou art not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a prophet?

[9] ^{Edition note 11}John answered and said unto them, I baptize with^{Edition note 12} water: among you is standing [10] one whom ye know not: ^{Edition note 13}this is he who I said cometh after me and was before [11] me, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. ^{Edition note 14}And that was in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

[12] ^{Edition note 15}Now John’s raiment was camel’s hair, and he was girded with skins, and his food [13] [Arabic, p. 15] was of locusts and honey of the wilderness.^{Edition note 16 Edition note 17}Then went out unto him the people of Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region which is about the [14, 15] Jordan; ^{Edition note 18}and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ^{Edition note 19}But when he saw many of the Pharisees^{Edition note 20} and Sadducees^{Edition note 21} coming to be baptized, he said unto them, Ye children of vipers, who hath led you to flee from the wrath to come?

[16, 17] ^{Edition note 22}Do now the fruits which are worthy of repentance; ^{Edition note 23}and think and say not within yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, that God is able to [18] raise up of these stones children unto Abraham. ^{Edition note 24}Behold, the axe hath been laid at the roots of the trees, and so every tree that beareth not good fruit shall be taken and [19] cast into the fire. ^{Edition note 25}And the multitudes were asking him and saying, What shall we do? [20] ^{Edition note 26}He answered and said unto them, He that hath two tunics shall^{Edition note 27} give to him that [21] hath not; and he that hath food shall^{Edition note 28} do likewise. ^{Edition note 29}And the publicans also came [22] to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what shall we do? ^{Edition note 30}He said unto [23] them, Seek not more than what ye are commanded to seek. ^{Edition note 31}And the servants^{Edition note 32} of the guard asked him and said, And we also, what shall we do? He said unto them, Do not violence to any man, nor wrong him; and let your allowances satisfy you.

[24] ^{Edition note 33}And when the people were conjecturing about John, and all of them thinking [25] in their hearts whether he were haply^{Edition note 34} the Messiah, ^{Edition note 35}John answered and said unto them, I baptize you with water; there cometh one after me who is stronger than I, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; he will baptize you with the [26] Holy Spirit and fire: ^{Edition note 36}who taketh the fan in his hand to cleanse his threshing-floors, [Arabic, p. 16] and the wheat he gathereth into his garners, while the straw he shall burn in fire which can^{Edition note 37} not be put out.

[27] ^{Edition note 38}And other things he taught and preached among the people.

[28] ^{Edition note 39}Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized of him. [29] ^{Edition note 40}And Jesus was about thirty years old, and it was supposed that he was the son of [30] Joseph.^{Edition note 41 Edition note 42}And John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, This is the Lamb of [31] God, that taketh on itself the burden of the sins of the world! ^{Edition note 43}This is he concerning whom I said, There cometh after me a man who was before me, because he was [32] before me.^{Edition note 44 Edition note 45}And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, [33] for this cause came I to baptize with water. ^{Edition note 46}And John was hindering him and [34] saying, I have need of being baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? ^{Edition note 47}Jesus answered him and said, Suffer this now: thus it is our duty to fulfill all righteousness.

[35] Then he suffered him. ^{Edition note 48}And when all the people were baptized, Jesus also [36] was baptized. ^{Edition note 49}And immediately he went up out of the water, and heaven opened [37] [Arabic, p. 17] to him,^{Edition note 50 Edition note 51}and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the similitude of the [38] body of a dove; ^{Edition note 52}and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved [39] Son, in whom I am well pleased. ^{Edition note 53}And John bare witness and said, I beheld the [40] Spirit descend from heaven like a dove; and it abode upon him. ^{Edition note 54}But I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt behold the Spirit descending and lighting upon him, the same is he that [41] baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. ^{Edition note 55}And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.

[42, 43] ^{Edition note 56}And Jesus returned from the Jordan, filled with the Holy Spirit. ^{Edition note 57}And immediately the Spirit took him out into the wilderness, to be tried of the devil;^{Edition note 58 Edition note 59}and he [44] was with the beasts. ^{Edition note 60}And he fasted forty days and forty nights. ^{Edition note 61}And he ate nothing [45] in those days, and at the end of them he hungered. ^{Edition note 62}And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, speak, and these stones shall become [46] bread. ^{Edition note 63}He answered and said, It is written, Not by bread alone shall man live, but [47] by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. ^{Edition note 64}Then the devil^{Edition note 65} brought [48] him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, ^{Edition note 66}and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,

He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:

And they shall take thee on their arms,

So that thy foot shall not stumble against a stone.

[49] ^{Edition note 67}Jesus said unto him, And^{Edition note 68} it is written also, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy [50] God. ^{Edition note 69}And the devil^{Edition note 70} took him up to a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms [51] [Arabic, p. 18] of the earth, and their glory, in the least time; ^{Edition note 71}and the devil^{Edition note 72} said unto him, To thee will I give all this dominion, and its glory, which is delivered to [52] me that I may give it to whomsoever I will. ^{Edition note 73}If then thou wilt worship before me, all of it shall be thine.