Tatian: Diatessaron — Arabic Witness

Section XXX.

[1] ^{Edition note 1}And he spake a parable unto those which were bidden there, because he saw [2] them choose the places that were in the highest part of the sitting room: ^{Edition note 2}When a man invites thee to a feast, do not go and sit at the head of the room; lest there [3] be there a man more honourable than thou, ^{Edition note 3}and he that invited you come and say unto thee, Give the place to this man: and thou be ashamed when thou risest and [4] takest^{Edition note 4} another place. ^{Edition note 5}But when thou art invited, go and sit last; so that when he that invited thee cometh, he may say unto thee, My friend, go up higher: and [5] thou shalt have praise before all that were invited with thee. ^{Edition note 6}For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and every one that abaseth himself shall be exalted.

[6] ^{Edition note 7}And he said also to him that had invited him, When thou makest a feast^{Edition note 8} or a banquet,^{Edition note 9} do not invite thy friends, nor even thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor thy [7] rich neighbours; lest haply they also invite thee, and thou have this reward. ^{Edition note 10}But when thou makest a feast, invite the poor, and those with withered hand, and the [8] lame, and the blind: ^{Edition note 11}and blessed art thou, since they have not the means to reward [9] thee; that thy reward may be at the rising of the righteous. ^{Edition note 12}And when one of them that were invited heard that, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

[10, 11] ^{Edition note 13}Jesus answered again in parables, and said, ^{Edition note 14}The kingdom of heaven hath been likened [Arabic, p. 115] to^{Edition note 15} a certain king, which made a feast^{Edition note 16} for his son, and prepared a [12] great banquet,^{Edition note 17} and invited many: and he sent his servants at the time of the feast to inform them that were invited, ^{Edition note 18}Everything is made ready for you; come. And [13] they would not come, but began all of them with one voice to make excuse. ^{Edition note 19}And the first said unto them, Say to him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out [14] to see it: ^{Edition note 20}I pray thee to release^{Edition note 21} me, for I ask to be excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them: I pray thee [15] to release me, for I ask to be excused. ^{Edition note 22}And another said, I have married a wife, [16] and therefore I cannot come. ^{Edition note 23}And the king sent also other servants, and said, Say to those that were invited, that my feast is ready, and my oxen and my fatlings are [17] slain, and everything is ready: come to the feast. ^{Edition note 24}But they made light of it, and [18] went, one to his field, and another to his merchandise: ^{Edition note 25}and the rest took his [19] servants, and entreated them shamefully, and killed them. ^{Edition note 26}And one of the servants [20] came, and informed his lord of what had happened. ^{Edition note 27}And when the king heard, he became angry, and sent his armies; and they destroyed those murderers, and [21] burned their cities. ^{Edition note 28}Then he said to his servants, The feast is prepared, but those [22] that were invited were not worthy. ^{Edition note 29}Go out quickly into the markets and into the partings of the ways of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and those with pains, and the lame, and the blind.

And the servants did as the king commanded them. [23] ^{Edition note 30}And they came, and said unto him, Our lord, we have done all that thou commandedst [24] us, and there is here still room. ^{Edition note 31}So the lord said unto his servants, Go out into the roads, and the ways, and the paths, and every one that ye find, invite [25] [Arabic, p. 116] to the feast, and constrain them to enter, till my house is^{Edition note 32} filled. ^{Edition note 33}I say unto you, that no one of those people that were invited shall taste of my feast. [26] ^{Edition note 34}And those servants went out into the roads, and gathered all that they found, good and [27] bad: and the banquet-house was filled with guests. ^{Edition note 35}And the king entered to see those [28] who were seated, and he saw there a man not wearing a festive garment: ^{Edition note 36}and he said unto him, My friend, how didst thou come in here not having on festive garments? [29] ^{Edition note 37}And he was silent. Then the king said to the servants, Bind his hands and his feet, and put him forth into the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and [30] gnashing of teeth. ^{Edition note 38}The called are many; and the chosen, few.

[31] ^{Edition note 39}And after that, the time of the feast of unleavened bread of the Jews arrived, [32] and Jesus went out to go to Jerusalem. ^{Edition note 40}And as he went in the way, there met him [33] ten persons who were lepers, and stood afar off: ^{Edition note 41}and they lifted up their voice, and [34] said, Our Master, Jesus, have mercy upon us. ^{Edition note 42}And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and shew yourselves unto the priests. And when they went, they [35] were cleansed. ^{Edition note 43}And one of them, when he saw himself cleansed, returned, and [36] was praising God with a loud voice; ^{Edition note 44}and he fell on his face before the feet of [37] Jesus, giving him thanks: and this man was a Samaritan. ^{Edition note 45}Jesus answered and said, [38] Were not those that were cleansed ten? where then are the nine? ^{Edition note 46}Not one of them turned aside to come and praise God, but this man who is of a strange [39] people. ^{Edition note 47}He said unto him, Arise, and go thy way; for thy faith hath given thee life.^{Edition note 48}

[40] ^{Edition note 49}And while they were going up in the way to Jerusalem, Jesus went in front of them; and they wondered, and followed him fearing. And he took his twelve disciples apart, [41] and began to tell them privately^{Edition note 50} what was about to befall him. ^{Edition note 51}And he said unto [Arabic, p. 117] them, We are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things shall be fulfilled [42] that are written in the prophets concerning the Son of man. ^{Edition note 52}He shall be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, [43] and deliver him to the peoples;^{Edition note 53 Edition note 54}and they shall treat him shamefully, and scourge [44] him, and spit in his face, and humble him,^{Edition note 55}and crucify him, and slay him: ^{Edition note 56}and on [45] the third day he shall rise. ^{Edition note 57}But they understood not one thing of this; but this word was hidden from them, and they did not perceive these things that were addressed to them.

[46] ^{Edition note 58}Then came near to him the mother of the (two) sons of Zebedee, she and her (two) sons, and worshipped him, and asked of him a certain thing. ^{Edition note 59}And he said [47] unto her, What wouldest thou? ^{Edition note 60}And James and John, her two sons, came forward, and said unto him, Teacher, we would that all that we ask thou wouldest [48] do unto us. ^{Edition note 61}He said unto them,^{Edition note 62} What would ye that I should do unto you? [49] ^{Edition note 63}They said unto him, Grant us that we may sit, the one on thy right, and the other [50] on thy left, in thy kingdom and thy glory. ^{Edition note 64}And Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask.

Are ye able to drink the cup that I am to drink? and with the [51] baptism that I am to be baptized with, will ye be baptized? ^{Edition note 65}And they said unto him, We are able. Jesus said unto them, The cup that I drink ye shall drink; and [52] with the baptism wherewith I am baptized ye shall be baptized: ^{Edition note 66}but that ye should sit on my right and on my left is not mine to give; but it is for him for whom my Father hath prepared it.