Tatian: Diatessaron — Arabic Witness

Section VII.

[1] [Arabic, p. 26] ^{Edition note 1}And in the morning of that day he went out very early, and went to a [2] desert place, and was there praying. ^{Edition note 2}And Simon and those that were with [3] him sought him. ^{Edition note 3}And when they found him, they said unto him, All the people seek for [4] thee. ^{Edition note 4}He said unto them, Let us go into the adjacent villages and towns, that I may [5] preach there also; for to this end did I come. ^{Edition note 5}And the multitudes were seeking him, and came till they reached him; and they took hold of him, that he should not [6] go away from them. ^{Edition note 6}But Jesus said unto them, I must preach of the kingdom of [7] God in other cities also: for because of this gospel was I sent. ^{Edition note 7}And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, and teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all the diseases and all the sicknesses, [8] ^{Edition note 8}and casting out the devils. ^{Edition note 9}And his fame became known ^{Edition note 10}that^{Edition note 11} he was teaching in [9] every place and being glorified by every man. ^{Edition note 12}And when he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphæus sitting among the tax-gatherers;^{Edition note 13} and he said unto him, Follow [10] me: and he rose and followed him. ^{Edition note 14}And the news of him was heard of in all the land of Syria: and they brought unto him all those whom grievous ills had befallen through divers diseases, and those that were enduring torment, and those that were possessed, and lunatics,^{Edition note 15} and paralytics; and he healed them.

[11, 12] ^{Edition note 16}And after some days Jesus entered into Capernaum again. ^{Edition note 17}And when they heard that he was in the house,^{Edition note 18} many gathered, so that it could not hold them, even about [13] [Arabic, p. 27] the door; and he made known to them the word of God. ^{Edition note 19}And there were there some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, sitting, come from all the villages of Galilee, and Judæa, and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was [14] present to heal them. ^{Edition note 20}And some men brought a bed with a man on it who was paralytic.

[15] And they sought to bring him in and lay him before him. ^{Edition note 21}And when they found no way to bring him in because of the multitude of people, they went up to the roof, and let him down with his bed from the roofing,^{Edition note 22} into the midst before Jesus. [16] ^{Edition note 23}And when Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the paralytic, My son, thy sins are forgiven [17] thee. ^{Edition note 24}And the scribes and Pharisees began to think within their hearts, Why doth this man blaspheme?^{Edition note 25} Who is it that is able to forgive sins, but God alone?

[18] ^{Edition note 26}And Jesus knew by the spirit that they were thinking this within themselves, and he [19] said unto them, Why do ye think this within your heart? ^{Edition note 27}Which is better,^{Edition note 28} that it should be said to the paralytic, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or that it should be said [20] to him, Arise, and take thy bed, and walk? ^{Edition note 29}That ye may know that the Son of man [21] is empowered on earth to forgive sins (and he said to the paralytic), ^{Edition note 30}I say unto thee, [22] Arise, take thy bed, and go to thine house. ^{Edition note 31}And he rose forthwith, and took his bed, and went out in the presence of all. ^{Edition note 32}And he went to his house praising God. [23] ^{Edition note 33}And when those multitudes saw, they feared; ^{Edition note 34}and amazement took possession of [24] them, ^{Edition note 35}and they praised God, who had given such power to men. ^{Edition note 36}And they said, We have seen marvellous things to-day, ^{Edition note 37}of which we have never before seen the like.

[25] [Arabic, p. 28] ^{Edition note 38}And after that, Jesus went out, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting [26] among the publicans:^{Edition note 39} and he said unto him, Follow me. ^{Edition note 40}And he left [27] everything, and rose, and followed him. ^{Edition note 41}And Levi made him a great feast in his house. And there was a great multitude of the publicans and others sitting with him. [28] ^{Edition note 42}And the scribes and Pharisees murmured, and said unto his disciples, Why do ye eat [29] and drink with the publicans and sinners? ^{Edition note 43}Jesus answered and said unto them, The physician seeketh not those who are well, but those that are afflicted with grievous [30, 31] sickness.^{Edition note 44 Edition note 45}I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners, to repentance. ^{Edition note 46}And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast always, and pray, and the [32] Pharisees also, but thy disciples eat and drink? ^{Edition note 47}He said unto them, Ye cannot make [33] the sons of the marriage feast^{Edition note 48} fast, while the bridegroom is with them. ^{Edition note 49}Days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them; then will they fast in those [34] days. ^{Edition note 50}And he spake unto them a parable: ^{Edition note 51}No man inserteth a new patch and seweth it in a worn garment, lest the newness of the new take from the worn, and [35] there occur a great rent. ^{Edition note 52}And no man putteth fresh wine into old skins, lest the wine burst the skins, and the skins be destroyed, and the wine spilled; but they put [36] the fresh wine in the new skins, and both are preserved. ^{Edition note 53}And no man drinketh old wine and straightway desireth fresh; for he saith, The old is better.

[37] ^{Edition note 54}And while Jesus was walking on the sabbath day among the sown fields, his disciples [Arabic, p. 29] hungered. And they were rubbing the ears with their hands, and [38] eating. ^{Edition note 55}But some of the Pharisees, when they saw them, ^{Edition note 56}said unto him, See, [39] why^{Edition note 57} do thy disciples on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? ^{Edition note 58}But Jesus said unto them, Have ye not read in olden time what David did, when he had need and [40] hungered, he and those that were with him? ^{Edition note 59}how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the table of the Lord, which it was not lawful that any should eat, save the priests, and gave to them that were with him also?

[41] ^{Edition note 60}And he said unto them, The sabbath was created because of man, and man was not [42] created because of the sabbath. ^{Edition note 61}Or have ye not read in the law, that the priests in [43] the temple profane the sabbath, and yet they are blameless? ^{Edition note 62}I say unto you now, [44] that here is what^{Edition note 63} is greater than the temple. ^{Edition note 64}If ye had known this:^{Edition note 65} I love mercy, [45] not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned^{Edition note 66} those on whom is no blame. ^{Edition note 67}The [46] Lord of the sabbath is the Son of man. ^{Edition note 68}And his relatives heard, and went out to take him, and said, He hath gone out of his mind.

[47] ^{Edition note 69}And on the next^{Edition note 70} sabbath day he entered^{Edition note 71} into the synagogue and was teaching. [48] ^{Edition note 72}And there was there a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees were watching him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day, [49] that they might find the means of accusing him. ^{Edition note 73}But he knew their thoughts, and said unto the man whose hand was withered, Rise and come near into the midst of [50] the synagogue. ^{Edition note 74}And when he came and stood, Jesus said unto them, I ask you, which is lawful to be done on the sabbath day, good or evil?

shall lives be saved or [51] [Arabic, p. 30] destroyed? ^{Edition note 75}But they were silent. ^{Edition note 76}Regarding^{Edition note 77} them with anger, being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts. And he said unto the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand became straight. [52] ^{Edition note 78}Then he said unto them, What man of you shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a [53] well on the sabbath day, will not take it and lift it out? ^{Edition note 79}And how much is man better than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful on the sabbath to do good.