Tatian: Diatessaron — Arabic Witness

Section XIV.

[1] ^{Edition note 1}Verily I say unto you, There hath not arisen among those whom women have borne a greater than John the Baptist; but he that is little now in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

[2] [Arabic, p. 54] ^{Edition note 2}And all the people which heard, and the publicans, justified^{Edition note 3} God, for [3] they had been baptized with the baptism of John. ^{Edition note 4}But the Pharisees and the scribes wronged^{Edition note 5} the purpose of God in themselves, in that they were not baptized of [4] him. ^{Edition note 6}And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is [5] snatched away by violence. ^{Edition note 7}The law and the prophets were until John; and after that, the kingdom of God is preached, and all press to enter it: ^{Edition note 8}and they that exert themselves [6, 7] snatch it away. ^{Edition note 9}All the prophets and the law until John prophesied. ^{Edition note 10}And if ye [8] will, then receive it, that he is Elijah, which is to come. ^{Edition note 11}Whosoever hath ears that hear [9] let him hear. ^{Edition note 12}Easier is the perishing of heaven and earth, than the passing away of [10] one point of the law. ^{Edition note 13}To whom then shall I liken the people of this generation,^{Edition note 14} and [11] to whom are they like? ^{Edition note 15}They are like the children sitting in the market, which call to their companions, and say, We sang to you, and ye danced not; we wailed to you, [12] and ye wept not. ^{Edition note 16}John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; [13] and ye said, He hath demons: ^{Edition note 17}and the Son of man came eating and drinking; and ye said, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drinker of wine, and an associate of publicans [14, 15] and sinners! ^{Edition note 18}And wisdom was justified of all her children. ^{Edition note 19}And when he said that, they came to the house.

And there gathered unto him again multitudes, [16] so that they found not bread to eat. ^{Edition note 20}And while he was casting out a devil which was dumb, when he cast out that devil, that dumb man spake. And the multitudes [17] [Arabic, p. 55] marvelled. ^{Edition note 21}And the Pharisees, when they heard, said, This man doth not cast out the devils, except by Beelzebul the chief of the demons, which is in him. [18, 19] ^{Edition note 22}And others requested of him a sign from heaven, to tempt him. ^{Edition note 23}And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them in parables, Every kingdom that withstandeth itself shall become desolate; and every house or city that disagreeth with itself shall not [20] stand: ^{Edition note 24}and if a devil cast out a devil, he withstandeth himself; neither shall he be [21] able to stand, but his end shall be. ^{Edition note 25}Then how now shall his kingdom stand?

for ye [22] said that I cast out devils by Beelzebul. ^{Edition note 26}And if I by Beelzebul cast out the devils, then your children, by what do they cast them out? And for this cause they shall [23] be judges against you. ^{Edition note 27}But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then the kingdom [24] of God is come near unto you. ^{Edition note 28}Or how can a man enter into the house of a valiant man, and seize his garments,^{Edition note 29} if he do not beforehand secure himself^{Edition note 30} from [25] that valiant man? and then will he cut off^{Edition note 31} his house. ^{Edition note 32}But when the valiant man is [26] armed, guarding his house, his possessions are in peace. ^{Edition note 33}But if one come who is more valiant than he, he overcometh him, and taketh his whole armour, on which [27] he relieth, and divideth his spoil. ^{Edition note 34}Whosoever is not with me is against me; and [28] whosoever gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. ^{Edition note 35}For this reason I say unto you, [Arabic, p. 56] that all sins and blasphemies with which men blaspheme shall be forgiven [29] them: ^{Edition note 36}but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, there is no [30] forgiveness for him for ever, but he is deserving of eternal punishment: ^{Edition note 37}because they [31] said that he had an unclean spirit. ^{Edition note 38}And he said also, Every one that speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to [32] come. ^{Edition note 39}Either ye must make a good tree^{Edition note 40} and its fruit good; or ye must make an evil [33] tree^{Edition note 41} and its fruit evil: for the tree is known by its fruit. ^{Edition note 42}Ye children of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?

from the overflowings of the heart the mouth [34] speaketh. ^{Edition note 43}The good man from the good treasures which are in his heart bringeth forth good things; and the wicked man from the evil treasures which are in his [35] heart bringeth forth evils. ^{Edition note 44}I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall [36] speak, they shall give an answer for in the day of judgement: ^{Edition note 45}for by thy sayings thou shalt be justified, and by thy sayings thou shalt be judged.

[37] ^{Edition note 46}And he said to the multitudes, When ye see the clouds appear from the west, [38] straightway ye say that there cometh rain; and so it cometh to pass. ^{Edition note 47}And when [39] the south wind bloweth, ye say that there will be heat; and it cometh to pass. ^{Edition note 48}And when the evening is come, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the heaven has become [40] red. ^{Edition note 49}And in the morning ye say, To-day there will be severe weather, for the redness [Arabic, p. 57] of the heaven is paling. ^{Edition note 50}Ye hypocrites, ye know to examine the face of the heaven and the earth; but the signs of this time ye know not to discern.

[41] ^{Edition note 51}Then they brought to him one possessed of a demon, dumb and blind; and he [42] healed him, so that the dumb and blind began to speak and see. ^{Edition note 52}And all the multitudes wondered, and said, Is this, think you, the son of David?

[43] ^{Edition note 53}And the apostles returned unto Jesus, and told him everything that they had [44] done and wrought.^{Edition note 54 Edition note 55}And he said unto them, Come, let us go into the desert alone, and rest ye a little. And many were going and returning, and they had not leisure, not even to eat bread.

[45] ^{Edition note 56}And after that, there came to him one of the Pharisees, and besought him that he would eat bread with him. And he entered into the house of that Pharisee, and [46] reclined. ^{Edition note 57}And there was in that city a woman that was a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting in the house of that Pharisee, she took a box of sweet ointment, [47] and stood behind him, ^{Edition note 58}towards his feet, weeping, and began to wet his feet with her tears, and to wipe them with the hair of her head, and to kiss his feet, and [48] anoint them with the sweet ointment. ^{Edition note 59}And when that^{Edition note 60} Pharisee saw it, who invited him, he thought within himself, and said, This man, if he were a prophet, would know who she is and what is her history: for the woman which touched him was a sinner.