And There came unto Him Publicans and Sinners to Hear his Word. ...

The Diatessaron of Tatian — Rev. Hope W. Hogg, B.D.

[1, 2] [1807] And there came unto him publicans and sinners to hear his word. [1808] And the scribes and the Pharisees murmured, and said, This man receiveth sinners, and [3] eateth with them. [1809] And Jesus, when he beheld their murmuring, spake unto them [4] this parable: [1810] What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if one of them were lost, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go and seek the straying one [5] till he found it? [1811] Verily I say unto you, When he findeth it, he will rejoice over it [6] more than over the ninety-nine that went not astray; [1812] and bear it on his shoulders, and bring it to his house, and call his friends and neighbours, [1813] and say unto them, [7] Rejoice with me, since I have found my straying sheep. [1814] So your Father which is in heaven willeth [1815] not that one of these little ones that have strayed should perish, [8] and he seeketh for them repentance. [1816] I say unto you, Thus there shall be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-nine righteous persons that do not need repentance.

[9] [1817] And what woman having ten drachmas would lose one of them, and not light a [10] lamp, and sweep the house, and seek it with care till she found it; [1818] and when she found it, call her friends and neighbours, and say unto them, Rejoice with me, as I [11] have found my drachma that was lost? [1819] I say unto you, Thus there shall be joy [Arabic, p.101] before the angels of God over the one sinner that repenteth, more than over the ninety-nine righteous persons that do not need repentance.

[12, 13] [1820] And Jesus spake unto them also another parable: [1821] A man had two sons: and the younger son said unto him, My father, give me my portion that belongeth to [14] me of thy goods. [1822] And he divided between them his property. And after a few days the younger son gathered everything that belonged to him, and went into a [15] far country, and there squandered his property by living prodigally. [1823] And when he had exhausted everything he had, there occurred a great dearth in that country. [16] [1824] And when he was in want, he went and joined himself to one of the people of a city [17] of that country; and that man sent him into the field [1825] to feed the swine. [1826] And he used to long to fill his belly with the carob that those swine were eating: and no man [18] gave him. [1827] And when he returned unto himself, he said, How many hired servants now in my father's house have bread enough and to spare, while I here perish with [19] hunger! [1828] I will arise and go to my father's house, and say unto him, My father, [1829] I [20] have sinned in heaven and before thee, and am not worthy now to be called thy [21] son: make me as one of thy hired servants. [1830] And he arose, and came to his father. But his father saw him while he was at a distance, and was moved with compassion [22] for him, and ran, [1831] and fell on his breast, [1832] and kissed him. [1833] And his son said unto him, My father, I have sinned in heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to be [23] called thy son. [1834] His father said unto his servants, Bring forth a stately robe, and put [24] it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and put on him shoes on his feet: [1835] and bring and [25] slay a fatted ox, that we may eat and make merry: [1836] for this my son was dead, and is [26] [Arabic, p.102] alive; and was lost, and is found. [1837] And they began to be merry. [1838] Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and drew near to the house, [27] he heard the sound of many singing. [1839] [1840] And he called one of the lads, and asked him [28] what this was. [1841] He said unto him, Thy brother hath arrived; and thy father hath [29] slain a fatted ox, since he hath received him safe and sound. [1842] [1843] And he was angry, [30] and would not enter; so his father went out, and besought him to enter. [1844] And he said to his father, How many years do I serve thee in bondage, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine; and thou hast never given me a kid, that I might [31] make merry with my friends? [1845] but this thy son, when he had squandered thy [32] property with harlots, and come, thou hast slain for him a fatted ox. [1846] His father said unto him, My son, thou art at all times with me, and everything I have is [33] thine. [1847] It behoveth thee to rejoice and make merry, since this thy brother was dead, and is alive; and was lost, and is found.

[34] [1848] And he spake a parable unto his disciples: There was a rich man, and he had [35] a steward; and he was accused to him that he had squandered his property. [1849] So his lord called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear regarding thee? Give me the account of thy stewardship; for it is now impossible that thou shouldest [36] be a steward for me. [1850] The steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able; and to beg [1851] I [37] am ashamed. [1852] I know what I will do, that, when I go out of the stewardship, they [38] may receive me into their houses. [1853] And he called one after another of his lord's [39] debtors, and said to the first, How much owest thou my lord? [1854] He said unto him, An hundred portions [1855] of oil. He said unto him, Take thy writing, and sit down, and write [40] quickly fifty portions. [1856] [1857] And he said to the next, And thou, how much owest thou my lord? He said unto him, An hundred cors of wheat. He said unto him, Take [41] [Arabic, p.103] thy writing, and sit down, and write eighty cors. [1858] And our [1859] lord commended the sinful steward [1860] because he had done a wise deed; for the children [42] of this world are wiser than the children of the light in this their age. [1861] And I also say unto you, Make unto yourselves friends with the wealth of this unrighteousness; [1862] [43] so that, when it is exhausted, they may receive you into their tents for ever. [1863] He who is faithful in [1864] a little is faithful also in much: and he who is unrighteous in a [44] little is unrighteous also in much. [1865] If then in the wealth of unrighteousness ye were [45] not trustworthy, who will intrust you with the truth? [1866] [1867] If ye are not found faithful in what does not belong to you, who will give you what belongeth to you?

Footnotes:

[1807] Luke 15:1.

[1808] Luke 15:2.

[1809] Luke 15:3.

[1810] Luke 15:4.

[1811] Matthew 18:13.

[1812] Luke 15:5b.

[1813] Luke 15:6.

[1814] Matthew 18:14.

[1815] Strictly, preferreth, but used also as in the text.

[1816] Luke 15:7.

[1817] Luke 15:8.

[1818] Luke 15:9.

[1819] Luke 15:10.

[1820] Luke 15:11.

[1821] Luke 15:12.

[1822] Luke 15:13.

[1823] Luke 15:14.

[1824] Luke 15:15.

[1825] This word is regularly used throughout this work in this sense.

[1826] Luke 15:16.

[1827] Luke 15:17.

[1828] Luke 15:18.

[1829] Luke 15:19.

[1830] Luke 15:20.

[1831] See above, 24, 26, note.

[1832] Did not Ibn-at-Tayyib's Commentary (Brit. Mus. text) also read breast, we might assume it to be a clerical error for a very similar (less common) word (same as the Syriac) for neck.

[1833] Luke 15:21.

[1834] Luke 15:22.

[1835] Luke 15:23.

[1836] Luke 15:24.

[1837] Luke 15:25.

[1838] A different word.

[1839] cf. Peshitta.

[1840] Luke 15:26.

[1841] Luke 15:27.

[1842] One word.

[1843] Luke 15:28.

[1844] Luke 15:29.