Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Matthew

Part 1

Produced by Martin Ward

Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Matthew

Third Edition 1913

R. F. Weymouth

Book 40 Matthew

001:001 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

001:002 Abraham was the father of Isaac; Isaac of Jacob; Jacob of Judah and his brothers.

001:003 Judah was the father (by Tamar) of Perez and Zerah; Perez of Hezron; Hezron of Ram;

001:004 Ram of Amminadab; Amminadab of Nahshon; Nahshon of Salmon;

001:005 Salmon (by Rahab) of Boaz; Boaz (by Ruth) of Obed; Obed of Jesse;

001:006 Jesse of David--the King. David (by Uriah's widow) was the father of Solomon;

001:007 Solomon of Rehoboam; Rehoboam of Abijah; Abijah of Asa;

001:008 Asa of Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat of Jehoram; Jehoram of Uzziah;

001:009 Uzziah of Jotham; Jotham of Ahaz; Ahaz of Hezekiah;

001:010 Hezekiah of Manasseh; Manasseh of Amon; Amon of Josiah;

001:011 Josiah of Jeconiah and his brothers at the period of the Removal to Babylon.

001:012 After the Removal to Babylon Jeconiah had a son Shealtiel; Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel;

001:013 Zerubbabel of Abiud; Abiud of Eliakim; Eliakim of Azor;

001:014 Azor of Zadok; Zadok of Achim; Achim of Eliud;

001:015 Eliud of Eleazar; Eleazar of Matthan; Matthan of Jacob;

001:016 and Jacob of Joseph the husband of Mary, who was the mother of JESUS who is called CHRIST.

001:017 There are therefore, in all, fourteen generations from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Removal to Babylon; and fourteen from the Removal to Babylon to the Christ.

001:018 The circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ were these. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they were united in marriage, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

001:019 But Joseph her husband, being a kind-hearted man and unwilling publicly to disgrace her, had determined to release her privately from the betrothal.

001:020 But while he was contemplating this step, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to bring home your wife Mary, for she is with child through the Holy Spirit.

001:021 She will give birth to a Son, and you are to call His name JESUS for He it is who will save His People from their sins."

001:022 All this took place in fulfilment of what the Lord had spoken through the Prophet,

001:023 "Mark! The maiden will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call His name Immanuel"--a word which signifies `God with us'.

Part 2

001:024 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded, and brought home his wife,

001:025 but did not live with her until she had given birth to a son. The child's name he called JESUS.

002:001 Now after the birth of Jesus, which took place at Bethlehem in Judaea in the reign of King Herod, excitement was produced in Jerusalem by the arrival of certain Magi from the east,

002:002 inquiring, "Where is the newly born king of the Jews? For we have seen his Star in the east, and have come here to do him homage."

002:003 Reports of this soon reached the king, and greatly agitated not only him but all the people of Jerusalem.

002:004 So he assembled all the High Priests and Scribes of the people, and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.

002:005 "At Bethlehem in Judaea," they replied; "for so it stands written in the words of the Prophet,

002:006 "`And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, by no means the least honorable art thou among princely places in Judah! For from thee shall come a prince--one who shall be the Shepherd of My People Israel.'"

002:007 Thereupon Herod sent privately for the Magi and ascertained from them the exact time of the star's appearing.

002:008 He then directed them to go to Bethlehem, adding, "Go and make careful inquiry about the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and do him homage."

002:009 After hearing what the king said, they went to Bethlehem, while, strange to say, the star they had seen in the east led them on until it came and stood over the place where the babe was.

002:010 When they saw the star, the sight filled them with intense joy.

002:011 So they entered the house; and when they saw the babe with His mother Mary, they prostrated themselves and did Him homage, and opening their treasure-chests offered gifts to Him-- gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

002:012 But being forbidden by God in a dream to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by a different route.

002:013 When they were gone, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise: take the babe and His mother and escape to Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod is about to make search for the child in order to destroy Him."

002:014 So Joseph roused himself and took the babe and His mother by night and departed into Egypt.

002:015 There he remained till Herod's death, that what the Lord had said through the Prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

002:016 Then Herod, finding that the Magi had trifled with him, was furious, and sent and massacred all the boys under two years of age, in Bethlehem and all its neighbourhood, according to the date he had so carefully ascertained from the Magi.

002:017 Then were these words, spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah, fulfilled,

002:018 "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter lamentation: It was Rachel bewailing her children, and she refused to be comforted because there were no more."

002:019 But after Herod's death an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said to him,

002:020 "Rise from sleep, and take the child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."

002:021 So he roused himself and took the child and His mother and came into the land of Israel.

002:022 But hearing that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod on the throne of Judaea, he was afraid to go there; and being instructed by God in a dream he withdrew into Galilee,

002:023 and went and settled in a town called Nazareth, in order that these words spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

003:001 About this time John the Baptist made his appearance, preaching in the Desert of Judaea.

003:002 "Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."

003:003 He it is who was spoken of through the Prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying aloud, `In the desert prepare ye a road for the Lord: make His highway straight.'"

Part 3

003:004 This man John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a loincloth of leather; and he lived upon locusts and wild honey.

003:005 Then large numbers of people went out to him--people from Jerusalem and from all Judaea, and from the whole of the Jordan valley--

003:006 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, making full confession of their sins.

003:007 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

003:008 Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart;

003:009 and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.

003:010 And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire.

003:011 I indeed am baptizing you in water on a profession of repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.

003:012 His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire."

003:013 Just at that time Jesus, coming from Galilee to the Jordan, presents Himself to John to be baptized by him.

003:014 John protested. "It is I," he said, "who have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

003:015 "Let it be so on this occasion," Jesus replied; "for so we ought to fulfil every religious duty." Then he consented;

003:016 and Jesus was baptized, and immediately went up from the water. At that moment the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him,

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