The Gospel of Mark in a new English translation:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Endings

My aim in writing the Copperstone Bible is to make you think about the things you know that ain’t necessarily so. I have followed several general principles:

• I always try to show where I or other editors have added words to make the sense clearer by using brackets.
• English translations commonly translate some obscure words or idioms, e.g. “Amen”, and leave others, e.g. the common Semitic pattern “son of X”, untranslated. In the Curmedgeon’s Bible I have tried to do the reverse; I leave “Amen” alone, and translate “son of X” to “X-like”, e.g. “Human one” or “Divine one”.
• Many of the terms which are translated into specifically religious terms in English actually have a wider range of meaning in the original. I have therefore tried to use vocabulary in English that does not have religious connotations.
• In general, where there is an exegetical choice, I tried to take the road less traveled, even if the result seemed nonsensical or unusual, taking the principle of lectio difficilior to ridiculous lengths.

The Short Ending

But they reported all these instructions to those with Petros. After these [things], Yoshua himself sent from east to west through them the sacred and undying preaching of the Æonic rescue. Amen.

The Long Ending

Rising up early on the first [day] of the week, he appeared first to Marya of Magdala, from whom he had dispelled seven influences. That [one], going, told those who had come to be with him, wailing and lamenting. Those [ones], hearing that he lived and had been seen by her, distrusted [her].

After these [things], he appeared to two of them as they were walking in the countryside. Those [ones] went away and told the rest; neither did they trust [them].

Last he appeared to the Eleven themselves, reclining [to dine], and reproached their distrust and hardness of heart, because they distrusted those who had seen him [after] his rising.

[[The “Freer Interpolation”

And they excused themselves, saying — This age of lawlessness and unbelief is under the Accuser, who does not allow the truth and power of God to prevail over the unclean things dominated by the spirits. Therefore reveal your righteousness now.

Thus they spoke to the Chosen One. And The Chosen One responded to them — The limit of the years of the Accuser’s power is completed, but other terrible things draw near. And for those who failed I was handed over to death, that they might return to the truth and no longer fail, in order that they might inherit the Ætheric and incorruptible expectation of righteousness in the sky. ]]

And he said to them — [As you] go into all the cosmos, preach the Welcome Message to all creation. Whoever trusts and is abluted will be rescued. Who does not trust will be condemned. These signs will follow those who trust: in my name they will dispel influences, they will speak new languages, they will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly [thing] it will not harm them; laying hands on the sick, they will be well.

Then the Master Yoshua, after speaking to them, was taken up into the sky, and sat at the right [hand] of God. But they, going away, preached everywhere, the Master working with them, confirming his Idea by the signs that came after them.

Shabbat over, Marya of Magdala, Marya the [mother] of Yaakov, and Salome buy aromatic herbs, to come and oil him. Very early on the first [day] of the week, as the sun is rising, they come to the mausoleum. They say to themselves — Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?

Looking up, they observe that the stone has rolled away, for it is very large. Going in to the mausoleum, they see a youth sitting on the right, wrapped in a white robe, and they are bewildered.

But he says to them — Do not be bewildered! You seek Yoshua, the Nazarenos, who was impaled. He has risen up; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his students and Petros that he is leading you to Galilaia; there you will see him, as he said to you.

Going out they flee from the tomb, trembling and astonished. And they say nothing to anyone, for they are afraid.

[Here the earliest manuscripts break off. Various additional endings were written over the next few centuries.]

Endings

Then in the morning the archpriests, with the elders and scholars and the whole council, having made [their] recommendation, bind Yoshua and carry him away to Pilatus. Pilatus questions him — You are the king of the Youdaians?

He answers — You say [it].

The archpriests denounce him vehemently. Pilatus questions him again, saying — Do you answer nothing? See how much they denounce you. Yoshua answers not one more thing, and Pilatus is amazed.

At each festival he releases one prisoner to them, whom[ever] they ask [for]. There was one named Bar-Abbas,¹ shackled with those insurgents who had committed murder in the insurgency. The crowd, coming up, begins to beg [him] to do for them as he had done [before].

But Pilatus answers them, saying — Do you wish [me] to release to you the king of the Youdaians? For he realizes that the archpriests had rendered him out of spite. But the archpriests incite the crowd [to ask] him to release Bar-Abbas to them instead. In response, Pilatus says — What then shall I do with him you call the king of the Youdaians?

They cry out again — Impale him!

Pilatus says to them — What evil has he done?

But they cry out even more — Impale him!

Pilatus, wishing to placate the crowd, releases Bar-Abbas to them, and, flogging him, renders Yoshua to be impaled. The soldiers lead him away into the courtyard which is the Praetorium, and call together the whole unit. They put porphyry² [clothes] on him, and, plaiting a crown from thorns, put it on him. They begin to hail him — Rejoice, king of the Youdaians!

They strike his head with a cane, and spit on him, and bending their knees they worship him. When they have mocked him, they strip the porphyry from him, and put his own cloak on him. And they lead him out to impale him.

They force a passer-by coming from the countryside, one Shimon of Kyrene, the father of Alexandros and Rufus, to carry his stake. They bring him to the place of Gul Galta, which is translated the Place of Skulls. They give him myrrh-flavored wine, but he does not take it.

They impale him, and divide his clothes, drawing lots for them, for who should take what.

They impale him, at the third hour.³ [On] the inscription of his conviction is inscribed, The King of the Youdaians.

They impale him, and with him they impale two bandits, one on the right and one on his left.

Passers-by curse him, shaking their heads and saying — Ah! [The one] who [would] destroy the temple and build it in three days. Come down from the stake and rescue yourself!

Likewise, the archpriests, mocking [him] among themselves, along with the scholars, say — He rescued others; himself he cannot rescue. O Chosen One, the King of Yisroel, come down now from the stake, so that we will see him and trust him.

Those who were impaled with him berate him.

Come the sixth hour, darkness comes over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. In the ninth hour, Yoshua shouts with a great voice — Elahi, elahi, limaa shebaqtani? which is translated — My God, my God, why do you abandon me?

Some [of those] standing there, hearing, say — Listen, he calls Elias.

One [of them] runs and soaks a sponge in sour wine, and putting it on a cane for him to drink, saying — Leave him [alone]. See if Elias comes to take him down.

But Yoshua, uttering a loud sound, breathes [his last]. And the curtain of the temple is split in two, from top to bottom.

The captain, standing opposite him, seeing him breathe out thus, says — Truly this person is divine!

There are also women watching from a distance, among whom are Maryam of Magdala, Marya the mother of Yaakov the younger and Yoses, and Salome, who, when he was in Galilaia, followed him and served him, and many others who came up with him to Yerushalem.

Come evening, since it was the [day of] preparation, that is, the pre-Shabbat, comes Yosef of Arimathaia, a decent man and councillor, who himself also awaits the kingdom of God. He boldly goes to Pilatus, and requests the body of Yoshua. Pilatus, wondering if he is already dead, calls the captain, and asks him if he is already dead. Learning [so] from the captain, he grants the corpse to Yosef.

He buys a linen [sheet], and taking him down, he wraps [him] in the linen and places him in a mausoleum that was quarried out of rock, and rolls a stone up to the entrance to the tomb.

Marya of Magdala and Marya [the mother] of Yoses observe where he is placed.

Chapter 16

It is [now] two days before Passover, and the [festival of] unleavened [bread]. The archpriests and scholars seek to seize him by subterfuge and kill him. They say — Not in the festival, lest there then be an uproar of the people.

He stays in Beth-Anias, at the house of Shimon the scabbed. When he reclines [to dine], a woman comes with an alabaster box of expensive oil of spikenard, and, shattering the box, pours [it] over his head. There are some who, roiling, [say] — For what this destruction of perfume? This perfume could be sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the Poor. And they snort at her.

But Yoshua says — Leave her [alone]. Why do you give her trouble? She has worked a good work for me. For you always have the Poor with you, and whenever you wish you are able to do them good, but you do not always have me. What she [could], she did. She has anticipated the oiling of my body for burial.

Amen I say to you, wherever the Welcome Message is preached in the whole cosmos, what she has done will be spoken of in memory of her.

Youdas the Sicarius, one of the Twelve, goes away to the archpriests, to render him to them. They, hearing [him], are pleased, and offer to give him money. And he seeks how to render him in timely [fashion].

On the first day of unleavened [bread], when they sacrifice the Passover [lamb], his students ask him — Where do you wish us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover [lamb]?

He sends two of his students, saying to them — Go ahead into the city, and a person will meet you carrying a jar of water. Follow them, and wherever they go in, say to the steward of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the [guests’] lodging¹ for me to eat the Passover with my students?”’ And he will show you a large above-ground [room], furnished and ready. Prepare for us there.

And his students go out and enter the city and find [things] as he said, and they prepare the Passover. Come evening, he arrives with the Twelve. As they are sitting and eating, Yoshua says — Amen I say to you that one of you will render me up, one who is eating with me.

They begin to be anxious, and say to him one by one — Not me!

He says to them — One of the Twelve, who dips with me [into] the dish, because the Human One goes before, as it was written about him. Ah! for that person by whom the Human One is rendered up. Well had that person not been born.

[As] they are eating, he takes bread, and giving praise, he breaks [it] and gives [it] to them, saying — Take [this]; this is my body.

Taking the drinking cup, he gives thanks, and gives [it] to them, and they all drink from it. And he says to them — This is my blood of the pact, which is poured out on behalf of many. Amen I say to you that I will no longer drink the product of the grape-vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

Chanting [the Passover songs], they go out to the Mountain of Olives. And Yoshua says to them — All will be made to stumble, for it is written, ‘I will strike the herdsman, and the livestock will be scattered.’ But after I rise up, I will lead you into Galilaia.

Petros says to him — Even if all are made to stumble, I [will] not.
But Yoshua says to him — Amen I say to you that this day, in the night, before a rooster crows twice, you will reject me three times.

But he says even more — If I must die with you, I will never reject you!

So say they all.

They come to a place named Gath-Shmanei, and he says to his students — Sit here, until I [finish] praying.

He takes Petros and Yaakov and Yohanan with him, and begins to be bewildered and in distress. He says to them — I am very depressed, almost suicidal. Stay here, and stay awake.

Going a little apart, he falls on the ground, and prays that if possible, the hour could pass by him. He says — Abba, father, all abilities [are] yours; turn away this wine-cup from me.

But not what I wish, but what you [do].

He comes and finds them sleeping, and says to Petros — Shimon, are you sleeping? Are you not strong enough to keep awake for one hour? Keep awake and offer prayers, lest you be tested. The æther is eager, but the flesh is feeble.

He goes away again to pray. Coming [back] again he finds them sleeping, their eyes heavy, and they do not know how to answer him.

He comes a third time, and says to them — Sleep on and you will be ended. It is being poured out; the hour has come. Look, the Human One is rendered into the hands of the failures. Wake up and let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.

Then while he is speaking, comes Youdas of the Twelve, and with him a crowd with knives and cudgels from the archpriests and the scholars and the elders. His betrayer has given them a signal, saying — Whoever I embrace is he; seize him and lead him away firmly.

When they come, he comes up to him, and says — Great one, and kisses him.

They lay their hands on him and seize him. And one of those standing there, drawing a blade, strikes the slave of the archpriest and cuts his ear.

In response, Yoshua says to them — [Is it] as at a bandit you come out with knives and cudgels to detain me? Day by day we were before you in the sanctum teaching, and you did not seize me. But so that the writings may be completed —

Abandoning him, all flee. A youth who follows him has a linen [sheet] wrapped around his nakedness. They seize him, but he, dropping the linen, flees naked.

They lead Yoshua before the archpriest, and all the archpriests and elders and scholars gather together. Petros follows him from far off, into the courtyard of the archpriest, and sits with the assistants, warming [up] in the [fire]light.

The archpriest and the whole council seek testimony against Yoshua, to execute him, but they find none. For many perjure themselves against him, but their testimony is not consistent. Some, standing, testify falsely against him, saying — We heard him saying, ‘I will destroy this temple made by hands, and take three days to build another not build by hands.’ But their testimony is never consistent.

The archpriest, standing in the center, questions Yoshua, saying —You do not respond. Why do these testify against you? But he is silent, and does not respond. Again the archpriest questions him and says to him — Are you the Chosen One, the son of the Most Blessed One?

— I AM, Yoshua says, and ‘you will see the Human One seated at the right [hand] of the Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.’

The archpriest, tearing his tunic, says — What more need do we have of witnesses? You hear this blasphemy! What is [the verdict] evident to you?

They all condemn him to be sentenced to death. And some begin to spit on him, all over his face, and slap him, and say — Prophesize! The assistants seize him with blows.

[While] Petros is in the courtyard below, one of the archpriest’s [servant] girls comes, and seeing Petros warming up, looks at him and says — You were with the Nazarenos, Yoshua, also.

He denies [this], saying — I neither know nor understand what you are saying

He goes out into the portico, and a rooster crows. The girl, seeing him, comes again saying to those there — This is [one] of them.

Again he denies [it]. Again after a short [time] those around say to Petros — Truly you are [one] of them, for you are Galilaian, and your speech is the same.

But he begins to curse, and swears — I do not know this person of whom you speak.

Then a second time a rooster crows, and Petros remembers the word Yoshua spoke, ‘Before a rooster crows twice you will reject me three times,’ and gasping, he wails aloud.

Chapter 15

[When] he enters the sanctum, one of his students says to him — Teacher, see, what stones, what buildings!

Yoshua says to him — See these great buildings? Here will be permitted no stone on [another] stone that is not destroyed.

Sitting on the Mountain of Olives, across [the valley] from the sanctum, Petros, Yaakov, Yohanan and Andreas ask him, by himself — Tell us, when will these [things] be, and what [will be] the sign when all these [things] are destined to be completed?

Yoshua says to them — Watch [out], so no one causes you to wander. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am [he],’ and will cause many to wander.

Whenever you hear wars, and the sound of wars, do not cry out; these [things] must come, but [it is] not yet the end. For nation will be roused against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes, region by region. There will be famines. These [things] are the beginning of the anguish of birth.

You yourselves watch [out]; you will be rendered by councils, and flogged by synagogues. You will stand before hegemons and kings because of me, in proof to them. But first [and foremost], the Welcome Message must be proclaimed among all the peoples. When they lead you away to rendition, do not plan what you will say, but whatever is given to you in that time, that you shall say, for it will not be you speaking, but [rather] the Sacred Æther.

Brother will render [up] brother unto death, and father [his] child, and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be killed. You will be hated by all, because of my name, but who[ever] remains to the end, they will be rescued.

But when you see the sacrilege of devastation performed where it must not be — let who knows understand — then those in Youdaia should flee to the mountains. [Any]one on the [roof of] a house should not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of their house. [Any]one in a field should not turn back to get their cloak.

Ah, for the pregnant and the nursing in that day! Pray that it will not happen in winter! For those days will be hardship as has not come since the beginning of the creation that God created, until now, and never will. Has the Master not curtailed the days, all nature would never be rescued. But because of the selected [ones], whom he selected, he has curtailed the days.

— And then, if anyone says to you, ‘See, the Chosen One, there,’ do not trust [them]. For pseudo-chosen ones, and pseudo-prophets will rise up, always promising signs and portents, to lead astray, if they are able, the selected [ones].

You, however, watch [out]: I have said all this in advance. In those days, after that hardship, the sun will be made dark, and the moon will not give her shining, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers that are in the skies will be shaken.

Then they will see the Human One coming in the clouds with much power and recognition. He will send his messengers and gather the selected [ones] from the four directions; from the depth of the earth to the height of the sky.

From the fig tree learn this analogy: when her branches bend and she sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. Thus also yourselves, when you see these [things] happening, know that it is near, by the door. Amen I say to you that this kindred will not pass away without all these [things] happening. The sky and the earth will pass away, but my Idea will indeed not pass away.

But about those days or hours no one knows, neither the Messengers in the sky nor the Son, except the Father. See that you keep awake, for you do not know when it is time, as [when] a person leaves home [to go] abroad, giving each of his slaves authorization for their work, ordering the guard to keep watch. So keep watch, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, whether late, or midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at morning, lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

What I tell you, I tell all: keep watch.

Chapter 14

He begins to speak to them by analogy — A person plants a vineyard, and places a fence around it, and digs a vat, and builds a tower, and entrusts it to farmers, and goes abroad. He sends a slave to the farmers [when it is] time, to get from the farmers some of the fruit of the vineyard. Seizing him, they beat [him] and send [him] away empty[handed].

Again he sends to them another slave. They wound that one in the head and disrespect him. And he sends another. That one they kill, and many others, flaying some and killing some.

He still has one, an only son; he sends him last to them, saying, ‘They will turn aside [for] my son.’ But these farmers say to themselves, ‘This is the heir, here, we’ll kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ Seizing [him], they kill him, and throw him outside the vineyard.

What will the master of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and give the vineyard to others.

— Do you not know this writing? ‘A stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner; this came from the Master, and was amazing in our eyes.’

They seek [a way] to seize him, but they fear the crowd, knowing that he spoke the analogy about them. Releasing him, they leave.

They send to him some of the Separatists and the Herodians to trap him in [his] ideas. They say to him — Teacher, we know that you are true, and are not worried about [the opinion] of anyone, for you do not watch peoples’ faces, but you teach from the truth the way of God. Is it permitted to pay the head tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or not?

But he, knowing their hypocrisy, says to them — Why do you test me? Bring to me a denarius to look at. They bring [it].

— Whose is this image and this epigraph? he says to them.

— Caesar’s, they say to him.

And Yoshua says to them — Give to Caesar the [things] of Caesar, and the [things] of God to God.

They marvel at him.

[There] come Saddoukaioi before him, those who say [there] is no rising, and question him, saying — Teacher, Moshe wrote for us that if someone’s brother dies, and leaves a woman, and does not leave a child, he should take his brother’s woman and raise up seed for his brother.

There were seven brothers, and the first took a woman, and dying did not leave seed. The second took her, and died without leaving seed, and the third the same. And the seven did not leave seed. Last of all, the woman died. In the rising, when they rise whose woman will she be? For the seven had her as [their] woman.

Yoshua says to them — [How] confused you are, knowing neither the writings nor the power of God! For when they rise from [among] the dead, they neither marry nor are married, but are as the Messengers in the skies.

As for [those among] the dead, have you not learned from the book of Moshe about the bush where God spoke to him, saying, ‘It is I, the God of Avraam and the God of Yitsaak and the God of Yaakov’? He is not a god of the dead, but of the living. You are greatly confused.

One of the scholars comes before him, and hears them debating. Perceiving that he has well answered them, he asks him — Which is the primary command of all?

Yoshua responds — The first is, ‘Hear, Yisroel, your God the Master is one Master, and you shall love your God the Master out of your whole heart, and out of your whole self, and out of your whole cognition, and out of your whole strength.’

The second [is] this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other command greater than these.

And the scholar says to him — Well [said], teacher; you speak truth, that ‘He is one, and there is no other than he,’ and ‘to love him from a whole heart, and from a whole integrity, and from a whole strength,’ and ‘to love neighbor as self’ are far beyond all burned sacrifices and rituals.

Yoshua, seeing him respond sensibly, says to him — You are not far from the kingdom of God.

No one attempts to question him any longer. Responding, Yoshua says, teaching in the sanctum — How [is it that] the scholars say that the chosen one [is] a son of Dawid? Dawid himself said, in the Sacred Æther, ‘Said the master to my master, “Sit at my right until I place your enemies under your feet.”’ Dawid himself says to him, ‘Master;’ from where is his son?

The large crowd listens to him with pleasure. In his teaching he says — Look away from the scholars who wish to walk around in robes and embrace in the public square, and [have] the first seats in the synagogues and the first places at meals — the devourers of widows’ estates — and pray at length with ulterior motives. These will receive more than the usual judgement.

Sitting across from the treasury, he watches how the crowd throws copper into the [donation] depository: many rich [people] throw much.

One poor widow comes and throws in two coins, which make a quadrans. Gathering his students, he says to them — Amen I say to you that this poor widow has thrown [in] more than all those throwing into the treasury. For all are throwing [in] out of their excess, but she in her need throws in all she has, the whole of her living.

Chapter 13

When they draw near to Yerushalem, to Beth-Phagei and Beth-Anias, at the Mountain of Olives, he sends two of his students, saying to them — Go into the village before you, then entering it you will find a foal tied [there], on which no person has yet sat. Release it and bring [it]. And if someone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The master has a need, and he will send it [back] here again immediately.’

So they go, and they find a foal tied beside a door outside on the street, and they release it. Some of those standing there say to them — What are you doing, releasing the foal? They say to them as Yoshua said, and they allow them.

They bring the foal to Yoshua, and throw their cloaks on it, and he sits on it. Many spread their cloaks on the way, and others cut branches from the trees. Those leading and those following cry — Hoshan-Na! Blessed [the one] who comes in the name of the Master! Blessed the coming kingdom of our father Dawid! Hoshan-Na in the highest!

He goes in to Yerushalem, to the sanctum. He looks around at everything, [but] the time already late, he goes to Beth-Anias with the Twelve. In the morning, going out from Beth-Anias, he is hungry. Seeing a leafy fig tree from far off, he goes to see what [he can] find on it. Coming to it he finds nothing but leaves, for it is not the time for figs. In response, he says to it — Never in the Æon shall anyone eat fruit from you. His students hear [this].

He goes into Yerushalem. In the sanctum, he begins throwing out the vendors and the buyers in the sanctum, and overturning the currency exchangers’ tables and the chairs of the pigeon sellers. He does not permit any to carry a container through the sanctum. He teaches [them], and says to them — Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples’? You, however, have made it a bandits’ cave.

The archpriests and the scholars hear [of this], and seek how to destroy him, for they fear him, since the crowd is struck by his teaching. When it gets late, he goes out of the city.

Going by in the morning, they see the fig tree withered from the roots. Petros remembers and says to him — Great one, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered away.

— Have the trust of the divine, Yoshua responds. Amen I tell you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be raised up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not waver in heart, but trusts that what they say will happen, [it] will be for them. Because of this I tell you, all that you pray [for] and ask [for], trust that you will obtain [them], and [they] will be for you.

When you stand praying, let go of [any]thing you have against [any]one, so that your father in the skies [may] also let go of your mistakes.

They go into Yerushalem again, and as he walks around in the sanctum, the archpriests, the scholars, and the elders come to him, and say to him — By what authority do you do these [things]? Or who has given this authority for you to do these [things]?

Yoshua says to them — I will ask you one [question], and you will answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these [things]: The ablution of Yohanan: was it from the skies or from humans? Answer me.

They talk amongst themselves, saying — What shall we say? If we say, ‘From the skies,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not trust him?’ But if we say, ‘From humans’ —

They fear the crowd, for they all hold Yohanan to have truly been a prophet. Responding to Yoshua they say — We do not know.

And Yoshua says to them — Not yet will I tell you by what authority I do these [things].

Chapter 12

He rises up from there, and goes to the borders of Youdaia, and across the Yordan, and again a crowd comes to him, and again, as he usually does, he teaches them. They ask him if it is permitted for a man to send away his woman, testing him. But he answers them — What did Moshe command you?

They say — Moshe bent [to allow] writing a document of forsaking, and sending [her] away.

Yoshua says to them — For the calcification of your hearts he wrote you this command. But from the beginning of creation ‘Male and female he made them; on account of this a person will leave behind his father and mother and be joined to his woman, and they will be two in one flesh,’ so that they are no longer two but one flesh.

Whom then God has yoked together no person shall divide.

Again, in the house, the students ask him about this. And he says to them — Whoever sends away his woman and marries another commits adultery with her, and if she, sending away her man, marries another, she commits adultery.

They bring children to him, for him to touch them, but the students admonish them. When Yoshua sees [this], he is infuriated, and says to them — Free the children to come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God is [made] of such as these.

Amen I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will indeed not enter into it. Embracing them he blesses them, laying hands on them.

[On] his going out to the way, [some]one runs to him and genuflecting to him asks him — Good teacher, what should I do to inherit Æonic life?

Yoshua says to him — Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God.

— You know the commands: do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.

— Teacher, he says to him, I have minded all these things from my youth.

Yoshua, looking at him, loves him, and says to him — One [thing] you are behind [in]: go sell what you have and give [it] to the Poor, and you will have treasure in the skies, then [come] here and follow me.

But he, looking disappointed at this idea, goes away frustrated, for he is [one who] has much property.

Looking around, Yoshua says to his students — How insatiable are they having riches; shall they enter the kingdom of God? The students are astounded at his words.

— Kids, Yoshua responds, how impossible is it to enter the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich [person] to enter the kingdom of God.

They are more than usually struck, saying to themselves — So who is able to be rescued?

Looking at them, Yoshua says — Humans [alone] are unable, but not with the divine, for all abilities are divine.

Petros begins to say to him — Look, we left every[thing] and followed you.

— Amen I say to you, Yoshua says, there is no one who has sent away house, or brother, or sister, or mother, or father, or children, or fields on my behalf, and on behalf of the Welcome Message, who will not grasp one hundred times as much: now at this time houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, [despite] harassment, and in the coming Æon, the Æonic life.

For many who are first, [will be] last, and the last, first.

They are on the way going up to Yerushalem, and Yoshua leads them. They are struck [with fear], and the [ones] following are afraid. He gathers again the Twelve, and begins to tell them the [things] destined to happen to him.

— Look, we are going up to Yerushalem, and the Human One will be rendered up to the archpriests and the scholars, and they will sentence him to death, and render him over to the peoples, and they will mock him, spit on him, and scourge him, and kill him. But after three days he will be raised up.
Yaakov and Yohanan, the sons of Zebediyah, come to him, saying to him — Teacher, we wish to ask you to do something for us.

— What do you wish me to do for you? he says to them.

They say to him — Allow us to sit, one on your right and one on your left, in your expected recognition.

— You do not know what you ask, Yoshua says to them. Can you drink the drink that I drink, or can you be abluted with the ablution with which I am abluted?

They say to him — We can.

Yoshua says to them — You will [indeed] drink the drink I drink, and be abluted in the ablution in which I am abluted. But to sit on my right or in the [place] of honor is not for me to grant; that is for whom it has been prepared.

Hearing [this], the ten begin to be infuriated with Yaakov and Yohanan. Gathering them to him, Yoshua says to them — You know that [those] who are recognized [as] ruling the peoples gain [much] from them, and their great [ones command] authority over them.

It is not thus among you. Whoever wishes to become great among you, [must] be a servant among you, and whoever wishes to be first, [must] be a slave to all, for the Human one did not come to be served but to serve, and to give himself [as] a ransom payment for many.

They come to Yerikho. [As] he goes out of Yerikho, [with] his students and the usual crowd, Bar-Timaios (the son of Timaios) a blind beggar, is sitting beside the way. Hearing that it is Yoshua the Nazarenos, he begins to cry out and say — Son of Dawid, Yoshua, have mercy on me! Many admonish him to be silent, but he shouts much more — Son of Dawid, have mercy on me!

Yoshua stops and says — Call him.

They call the blind [one], saying to him — Have courage! Get up, he is calling you. Throwing off his cloak, he jumps up and comes to Yoshua.

In response to him, Yoshua says — What do you wish me to do?

The blind [one] says to him — For me to see, great one.

Yoshua says to him — Go on, your trust has rescued you. Then he suddenly sees, and follows him on the way.

Chapter 11

After six days Yoshua takes Petros and Yaakov and Yohanan, and brings them up to a high mountain, alone by themselves.

He is transformed before them, and his cloak becomes glistening, very white, as no launderer on earth could whiten.

Elias and Moshe appear to them, and they speak with Yoshua.

In response Petros says to Yoshua — Great one, it is good for us to be here. We could make three tents, one for you, one for Moshe, and one for Elias. He does not know how to respond, for they are terrified.

Comes a cloud overshadowing them, and a voice from the cloud — This is my beloved son; listen to him.

Suddenly, looking around, they see no one any longer, except Yoshua by himself.

[When] they come down from the mountain, he admonishes them to describe to no one what they have seen, until the Human One rises from [among] the dead. They seize on [this] idea, discussing with each other what rising from [among] the dead is.

They ask him, saying — The scholars say that Elias must come first.

But he says to them — Indeed Elias, coming first, arranges all [things], but how is it written about the Human one, since he endures much, and is despised? I say to you that Elias has [indeed] come, and they did to him what they wished, as it was written about him.

Coming near the students, he sees a great crowd around them, and scholars debating with them. Then all the crowd, seeing him, are amazed, and running toward [him] welcome him. He asks them — What are you debating with them?

One of the crowd answers him — Teacher, I brought you my son, [who] has an unspeaking æther; wherever it seizes him it rends him, and he froths and clashes his teeth, and is wasting away. I spoke to your students, [asking] them to cast it out, but they were not able.

— O distrusting kindred, he responds. How long [must] I be with you? How long [must] I support you? — Bring him to me.

They bring him to him. Then seeing him, the æther tears at him, and falling to the ground he writhes, frothing.

He asks his father — How long is it since this came to him?

And he says — From childhood. Many times also it throws him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you are able [to do] something, and sympathize with us, help us.

— ‘If you are able?’ Yoshua says to him. All abilities [are] for the trusting.

Then the father of the child groans, saying — I do trust! Help my distrust.

Yoshua, seeing that the crowd is running closer, admonishes the the foul æther, saying — Unspeaking, speechless æther, I command you: come out of him and never enter him [again]. And groaning, much tearing at him, it comes out. He becomes like a corpse, so that many say that he died.

But Yoshua, seizing his hands, awakens him, and he rises up. [When] he enters a house, his students by themselves ask him — Why were we unable to cast it out?

He says to them — This kind is able to come out by nothing except prayer.

Leaving that place, he goes through Galilaia, and does not wish that anyone know. For he is teaching his students, and says to them — The Human One is being rendered into the hands of humans, and they will kill him, and being killed, after three days he will rise up. But they do not understand this idea, and they are afraid to ask him.

He goes into Kapernaoum. Coming into the house, he asks them — What were you discussing on the way? But they are silent, for they have been disputing amongst themselves who is the greatest. Sitting, he hails the Twelve, and says to them — If anyone wishes to be first, they will be the last of all and the servant of all.

He grasps a child, and sets him in the middle of them, and embraces him. He says to them — Whoever receives one of these children in my name receives me, and whoever receives me does not receive me but the one who sent me.

Yohanan says to him — Teacher, we saw someone dispelling influences in your name, and we stpopped him, because he was not following us.

But Yoshua says — Do not forbid him, for no one who uses abilities in my name is able to quickly speak ill of me. Who is not against us supports us.

— Whoever serves you a cup of water in [my] name, because you are the Chosen One’s, Amen I tell you that their recompense will indeed not be destroyed.

— Whoever offends one of these small [ones] loyal to me, it is better for them to [have] a millstone put around their neck and be thrown into the lake.

— If your hand offends you, cut it off; is it good for you to go [on] in life maimed, or, having two hands, to go into Gai Hinnom, into the unquenchable fire?

If your foot offends you, cut it off; is it good for you to go [on] in life crippled, or having two feet be thrown into Gai Hinnom?

If your eye offends you, throw it away; is it good for you to enter the kingdom of God one-eyed, or having two eyes, to be thrown into Gai Hinnom, where the worms never starve, and the fire is not quenched?

For all will be salted together in fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes unsalty, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace amongst one another.

Chapter 10