The Lord hath given me a learned tongue, that I should know how to uphold by word him that is weary: he wakeneth in the morning, in the morning he wakeneth my ear, that I may hear him as a master.5 The Lord God hath opened my ear, and I do not resist: I have not gone back.6 I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me.7 The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded: therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded.
For the power of His strong word, by which He always confuted the Pharisees and Scribes, and, in short, all your nation's teachers that questioned Him, had a cessation like a plentiful and strong spring, the waters of which have been turned off, when He kept silence, and chose to return no answer to any one in the presence of Pilate; as has been declared in the memoirs of His apostles, in order that what is recorded by Isaiah might have efficacious fruit, where it is written, "The Lord gives me a tongue, that I may know when I ought to speak." Again, when He said, "Thou art my God; be not far from me," He taught that all men ought to hope in God who created all things, and seek salvation and help from Him alone; and not suppose, as the rest of men do, that salvation can be obtained by birth, or wealth, or strength, or wisdom.
All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.17 For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet.18 They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me.19 They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.20 But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look towards my defence.23 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee.24 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him.
For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him. For He says, "Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We have declared [our message] in His presence: He is, as it were, a child, and like a root in thirsty ground; He has no form nor glory, yea, we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness; but His form was without eminence, yea, deficient in comparison with the [ordinary] form of men. He is a man exposed to stripes and suffering, and acquainted with the endurance of grief: for His countenance was turned away; He was despised, and not esteemed. He bears our iniquities, and is in sorrow for our sakes; yet we supposed that [on His own account] He was exposed to labour, and stripes, and affliction. But He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; [every] man has wandered in his own way; and the Lord has delivered Him up for our sins, while He in the midst of His sufferings opens not His mouth. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my people was He brought down to death. And I will give the wicked for His sepulchre, and the rich for His death, because He did no iniquity, neither was guile found in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to purify him by stripes. If you make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the Lord is pleased to relieve Him of the affliction of His soul, to show Him light, and to form Him with understanding, to justify the Just One who ministers well to many; and He Himself shall carry their sins. On this account He shall inherit many, and shall divide the spoil of the strong; because His soul was delivered to death, and He was reckoned among the transgressors, and He bare the sins of many, and for their sins was He delivered." [Isaiah 53:1-12] And again He says, "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All that see me have derided me; they have spoken with their lips; they have wagged their head, [saying] He hoped in God, let Him deliver Him, let Him save Him, since He delights in Him." [Psalm 22:6-8] You see, beloved, what is the example which has been given us; for if the Lord thus humbled Himself, what shall we do who have through Him come under the yoke of His grace?
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:7 But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.8 He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.9 For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names:10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:11 And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
Paul himself also-after that the Lord spoke to him out of heaven, and showed him that, in persecuting His disciples, he persecuted his own Lord, and sent Ananias to him that he might recover his sight, and be baptized-"preached," it is said, "Jesus in the synagogues at Damascus, with all freedom of speech, that this is the Son of God, the Christ." This is the mystery which he says was made known to him by revelation, that He who suffered under Pontius Pilate, the same is Lord of all, and King, and God, and Judge, receiving power from Him who is the God of all, because He became "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Wherefore he who had received the apostolate to the Gentiles, did labour more than those who preached the Son of God among them of the circumcision. For they were assisted by the Scriptures, which the Lord confirmed and fulfilled, in coming such as He had been announced; but here, [in the case of the Gentiles,] there was a certain foreign erudition, and a new doctrine [to be received, namely], that the gods of the nations not only were no gods at all, but even the idols of demons; and that there is one God, who is "above all principality, and dominion, and power, and every name which is named;" and that His Word, invisible by nature, was made palpable and visible among men, and did descend "to death, even the death of the cross;" also, that they who believe in Him shall be incorruptible and not subject to suffering, and shall receive the kingdom of heaven. These things, too, were preached to the Gentiles by word, without [the aid of] the Scriptures: wherefore, also, they who preached among the Gentiles underwent greater labour. But, on the other hand, the faith of the Gentiles is proved to be of a more noble description, since they followed the word of God without the instruction [derived] from the [sacred] writings.
And not by the aforesaid things alone has the Lord manifested Himself, but [He has done this] also by means of His passion. For doing away with [the effects of] that disobedience of man which had taken place at the beginning by the occasion of a tree, "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross;" rectifying that disobedience which had occurred by reason of a tree, through that obedience which was [wrought out] upon the tree [of the cross]. Now He would not have come to do away, by means of that same [image], the disobedience which had been incurred towards our Maker if He proclaimed another Father. But inasmuch as it was by these things that we disobeyed God, and did not give credit to His word, so was it also by these same that He brought in obedience and consent as respects His Word; by which things He clearly shows forth God Himself, whom indeed we had offended in the first Adam, when he did not perform His commandment. In the second Adam, however, we are reconciled, being made obedient even unto death. For we were debtors to none other but to Him whose commandment we had transgressed at the beginning.
The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father "to gather all things in one," and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, "every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess" to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send "spiritual wickednesses," and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.
Now the feast of the pasch, and of the Azymes was after two days; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him, and kill him.2 But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people.3 And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard: and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head.4 Now there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made?5 For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.6 But Jesus said: Let her alone, why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me.7 For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good: but me you have not always.8 She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for burial.9 Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memorial of her.10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them.†11 Who hearing it were glad; and they promised him they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.12 Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the pasch?13 And he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith to them: Go ye into the city; and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him;14 And whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The master saith, Where is my refectory, where I may eat the pasch with my disciples?15 And he will shew you a large dining room furnished; and there prepare ye for us.16 And his disciples went their way, and came into the city; and they found as he had told them, and they prepared the pasch.17 And when evening was come, he cometh with the twelve.18 And when they were at table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of you that eateth with me shall betray me.19 But they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one: Is it I?20 Who saith to them: One of the twelve, who dippeth with me his hand in the dish.21 And the Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born.22 And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye. This is my body.23 And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it.24 And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many.25 Amen I say to you, that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.26 And when they had said an hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives.27 And Jesus saith to them: You will all be scandalized in my regard this night; for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed.28 But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.29 But Peter saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I.30 And Jesus saith to him: Amen I say to thee, today, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shall deny me thrice.31 But he spoke the more vehemently: Although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner also said they all.32 And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray.33 And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy.†34 And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here, and watch.†35 And when he was gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground; and he prayed, that if it might be, the hour might pass from him.36 And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt.37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour?†38 Watch ye, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.39 A going away again, he prayed, saying the same words.40 And when he returned, he found them again asleep, (for their eyes were heavy,) and they knew not what to answer him.†41 And he cometh the third time, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.†42 Rise up, let us go. Behold, he that will betray me is at hand.43 And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve: and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients.44 And he that betrayed him, had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; lay hold on him, and lead him away carefully.45 And when he was come, immediately going up to him, he saith: Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed him.46 But they laid hands on him, and held him.47 An one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear.48 And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me?49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me. But that the scriptures may be fulfilled.50 Then his disciples leaving him, all fled away.51 And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him.†52 But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked.53 And they brought Jesus to the high priest; and all the priests and the scribes and the ancients assembled together.54 And Peter followed him from afar off, even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself.†55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death, and found none.56 For many bore false witness against him, and their evidences were not agreeing.57 And some rising up, bore false witness against him, saying:58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another not made with hands.59 And their witness did not agree.60 And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men?61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said to him: Art thou the Christ the Son of the blessed God?62 And Jesus said to him: I am. And you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming with the clouds of heaven.†63 Then the high priest rending his garments, saith: What need we any further witnesses?64 You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? Who all condemned him to be guilty of death.65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him: Prophesy: and the servants struck him with the palms of their hands.66 Now when Peter was in the court below, there cometh one of the maidservants of the high priest.67 And when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.68 But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court; and the cock crew.†69 And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers by: This is one of them.70 But he denied again. And after a while they that stood by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them; for thou art also a Galilean.71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying; I know not this man of whom you speak.72 And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.†1 And straightway in the morning, the chief priests holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away, and delivered him to Pilate.2 And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, saith to him: Thou sayest it.3 And the chief priests accused him in many things.4 And Pilate again asked him, saying: Answerest thou nothing? behold in how many things they accuse thee.5 But Jesus still answered nothing; so that Pilate wondered.6 Now on the festival day he was wont to release unto them one of the prisoners, whomsoever they demanded.7 And there was one called Barabbas, who was put in prison with some seditious men, who in the sedition had committed murder.8 And when the multitude was come up, they began to desire that he would do, as he had ever done unto them.9 And Pilate answered them, and said: Will you that I release to you the king of the Jews?10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy.†11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them.12 And Pilate again answering, saith to them: What will you then that I do to the king of the Jews?13 But they again cried out: Crucify him.14 And Pilate saith to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more: Crucify him.15 And so Pilate being willing to satisfy the people, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.16 And the soldiers led him away into the court of the palace, and they called together the whole band:17 And they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him.18 And they began to salute him: Hail, king of the Jews.19 And they struck his head with a reed: and they did spit on him. And bowing their knees, they adored him.20 And after they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own garments on him, and they led him out to crucify him.21 And they forced one Simon a Cyrenian who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross.22 And they bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place of Calvary.23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but he took it not.24 And crucifying him, they divided his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.26 And the inscription of his cause was written over: THE KING OF THE JEWS.27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: And with the wicked he was reputed.29 And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days buildest it up again;30 Save thyself, coming down from the cross.31 In like manner also the chief priests mocking, said with the scribes one to another: He saved others; himself he cannot save.32 Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour.†34 And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?†35 And some of the standers by hearing, said: Behold he calleth Elias.36 And one running and filling a sponge with vinegar, and putting it upon a reed, gave him to drink, saying: Stay, let us see if Elias come to take him down.37 And Jesus having cried out with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.†38 And the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom.39 And the centurion who stood over against him, seeing that crying out in this manner he had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this man was the son of God.40 And there were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joseph, and Salome:†41 Who also when he was in Galilee followed him, and ministered to him, and many other women that came up with him to Jerusalem.†42 And when evening was now come, (because it was the Parasceve, that is, the day before the sabbath,)43 Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.44 But Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And sending for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead.45 And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.46 And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking him down, wrapped him up in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.47 And Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of Joseph, beheld where he was laid.
(in Matt. 35.) For they were grieved at the waste of the ointment, which might be sold for a large sum and given to the poor. This however ought not to have been, for it was right that it should be poured over the head of Christ, with a holy and fitting stream; wherefore it goes on, She hath wrought a good work on me. And so effectual is the praise of this good work, that it ought to excite all of us to fill the head of the Lord with sweet smelling and rich offerings, that of us it may be said that we have done a good work over the head of the Lord. For we always have with us, as long as we remain in this life, the poor who have need of the care of those who have made progress in the word, and are enriched in the wisdom of God; they are not however able always day and night to have with them the Son of God, that is, the Word and Wisdom of God. For it goes on: For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good; but me ye have not always.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)