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Diatessaron

Tatian, ANF 9

Verily I say unto you, It is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. …

Verily I say unto you, It is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 2And I say unto you also, that it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. 3And the disciples were wondering at these sayings. And Jesus answered and said unto them again, My children, how hard it is for those that rely on their possessions to enter the kingdom of God! 4And those that were listening wondered more, and said amongst themselves, being agitated,¹ Who, thinkest thou, can be saved? 5And Jesus looked at them intently, and said unto them, With men this is not possible, but with God it is: it is possible for God to do everything.² 6Simon Cephas said unto him, Lo, we have left everything, and followed thee; what is it, thinkest thou, that we shall have? 7Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, Ye that have followed me, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel. 8Verily I say unto you, No man leaveth houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or kinsfolk, or lands, because of the kingdom of God, or for my sake, and the sake of my gospel, 9who shall not obtain³ many times as much in this time, and in the world to come inherit eternal life: 10and now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecution; and in the world to come everlasting life. 11Many that are first shall be last,⁴ and that are last shall be first.

And when the Pharisees heard all this, because of their love for wealth they scoffed at him. 13And Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves before men; while God knows your hearts: the thing that is lofty with men is base before God.

And he began to say, A certain man was rich, and wore silk and purple, and enjoyed himself every day in splendour: 15and there was a poor man named Lazarus, and he was cast down at the door of the rich man, 16afflicted with sores, and he longed to fill his belly with the crumbs that fell from the table of that rich man; yea, even⁵ the dogs used to come and lick his sores. 17And it happened that that poor man died, and the angels conveyed him into the bosom of Abraham: and the rich man also died, and was buried. 18And while he was being tormented in Hades, he lifted up his eyes from afar, and saw Abraham with⁶ Lazarus in his bosom. 19And he called with a loud voice, and said, My father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to wet the tip of his finger with water, and moisten my tongue for me; for, behold, I am burned in this flame. 20Abraham said unto him, My son, remember that thou receivedst thy good things in thy life, and Lazarus his afflictions: but now, behold, he is at rest here, and thou art tormented. 21And in addition to all this, there is between us and you a great abyss placed, so that they that would cross unto you from hence cannot, nor yet from thence do they cross unto us. 22He said unto him, Then I beseech thee, my father, to send him to my father’s house; 23for I have five brethren; let him go, that they also sin not,⁷ and come to the abode of this torment.⁸ 24Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 25He said unto him, Nay,⁹ my father Abraham: but let a man from the dead go unto them, and they will repent. 26Abraham said unto him, If they listen neither to Moses nor to the prophets, neither if a man from the dead rose would they believe him.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. 28And he agreed with the labourers on one penny a day for each labourer, and he sent them into his vineyard. 29And he went out in three hours, and saw others standing in the market idle. 30He said unto them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and what is right I will pay you. 31And they went. And he went out also at the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise, and sent them. 32And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said unto them, Why are ye standing the whole day idle? 33They said unto him, Because no one hath hired us. He said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and what is right ye shall receive. 34So when evening came, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the labourers, and pay them their wages; and begin with the later ones, and end with the former ones. 35And those of eleven hours¹⁰ came, and received each a penny. 36When therefore the first came, they supposed that they should receive something more; and they also received each a penny. 37And when they received it, they spake angrily against the householder, and said, 38These last worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal with us, who have suffered the heat of the day, and its burden. 39He answered and said unto one of them, My friend, I do thee no wrong: was it not for a penny that thou didst bargain with me? 40Take what is thine, and go thy way; for I wish to give this last as I have given thee. 41Or am I not entitled to do with what is mine¹¹ what I choose? 42Or is thine eye perchance evil, because I am good? Thus shall the last ones be first, and the first last. The called are many, and the chosen are few.

And when Jesus entered into the house of one of the chiefs of the Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, and they were watching him to see what he would, do, 44and there was before him a man which had the dropsy, 45Jesus answered and said unto the scribes and the Pharisees, Is it lawful on the sabbath to heal? But they were silent. 46So he took him, and healed him, and sent him away. 47And he said unto them, Which of you shall have his son or his ox fall on the sabbath day into a well, and not lift him up straightway, and draw water for him? 48And they were not able to answer him a word to that.

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