The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 46
The Vineyard and the Woman Bent Double
Again spake Jesus, saying: 'I set before you an example. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge for it in order that it should not be trampled down of beasts. And in the midst of it he built a press for the wine, and thereupon let it out to husbandmen. Whereupon, when the time was come to collect the wine he sent his servants; whom when the husbandmen saw, they stoned some and burned some, and others they ripped open with a knife. And this they did many times. Tell me, what will the lord of the vineyard do to the husbandmen?'
Everyone answered: 'In evil wise will he make them to perish, and his vineyard will he give to other husbandmen.'
Therefore said Jesus: 'Know ye not that the vineyard is the house of Israel, and the husbandmen are the people of Judah and Jerusalem? Woe to you; for God is wroth with you, having ripped open so many prophets of God; so that at the time of Ahab there was not found one to bury the holy ones of God!'
And when he had said this the chief priests wished to seize him, but they feared the common people, which magnified him.
Then Jesus, seeing a woman who from her birth had remained with her head bent toward the ground, said: 'Raise thy head, O woman, in the name of our God, in order that these may know that I speak truth, and that he willeth that I announce it.'
Then the woman raised herself up whole, magnifying God.
The chief of the priests cried out, saying: 'This man is not sent of God, seeing he keepeth not the sabbath; for today he hath healed an infirm person.'
Jesus answered: 'Now tell me, is it not lawful to speak on the sabbath day, and to make prayer for the salvation of others? And who is there among you who, if on the sabbath his ass or his ox fell into the ditch, would not pull him out on the sabbath? Assuredly none. And shall I then have broken the sabbath day by having given health to a daughter of Israel? Of a surety, here is known thy hypocrisy! Oh, how many are there today that fear the smiting of a straw in another\'s eye, while a beam is ready to cut off their own head! Oh, how many there are that fear an ant, but reck not of an elephant!'
And having said this, he went forth from the temple. But the priests chafed with rage among themselves, because they were not able to seize him and to work their will upon him, even as their fathers have done against the holy ones of God.
Jesus spoke again, saying: 'I will set before you an example. A landowner planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it so that animals would not trample it. In the middle he built a winepress, and then leased the vineyard to tenant farmers. When the time came to collect the wine, he sent his servants. But when the tenant farmers saw them, they stoned some, burned others, and cut others open with a knife. They did this many times. Tell me, what will the owner of the vineyard do to the tenant farmers?'
Everyone answered: 'He will destroy them miserably and give his vineyard to other tenant farmers.'
Jesus therefore said: 'Do you not know that the vineyard is the house of Israel, and that the tenant farmers are the people of Judah and Jerusalem? Woe to you, for God is angry with you because you have cut open so many prophets of God—so many that in the time of Ahab no one could be found to bury God’s holy ones!'
When he had said this, the chief priests wished to seize him, but they feared the common people, who held him in high regard.
Then Jesus saw a woman who had been bent toward the ground from birth and said: 'Raise your head, O woman, in the name of our God, so that these people may know that I speak the truth and that he wills me to proclaim it.'
The woman then stood upright, fully healed, and praised God.
The chief priest cried out: 'This man is not sent by God, since he does not keep the Sabbath; for today he has healed an infirm person.'
Jesus answered: 'Tell me, is it not lawful to speak on the Sabbath and to pray for the salvation of others? Who among you, if his donkey or ox fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, would not pull it out? Certainly no one. Have I then broken the Sabbath by restoring health to a daughter of Israel? Surely your hypocrisy is evident here! How many today are alarmed by a speck in another person’s eye while a beam is ready to strike off their own head! How many fear an ant but pay no attention to an elephant!'
After saying this, he left the temple. But the priests seethed with rage among themselves because they had been unable to seize him and do to him as they wished, just as their fathers had done to God’s holy ones.
Again spake Jesus, saying: 'I set before you an example. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge for it in order that it should not be trampled down of beasts. And in the midst of it he built a press for the wine, and thereupon let it out to husbandmen. Whereupon, when the time was come to collect the wine he sent his servants; whom when the husbandmen saw, they stoned some and burned some, and others they ripped open with a knife. And this they did many times. Tell me, what will the lord of the vineyard do to the husbandmen?'
Everyone answered: 'In evil wise will he make them to perish, and his vineyard will he give to other husbandmen.'
Therefore said Jesus: 'Know ye not that the vineyard is the house of Israel, and the husbandmen are the people of Judah and Jerusalem? Woe to you; for God is wroth with you, having ripped open so many prophets of God; so that at the time of Ahab there was not found one to bury the holy ones of God!'
And when he had said this the chief priests wished to seize him, but they feared the common people, which magnified him.
Then Jesus, seeing a woman who from her birth had remained with her head bent toward the ground, said: 'Raise thy head, O woman, in the name of our God, in order that these may know that I speak truth, and that he willeth that I announce it.'
Then the woman raised herself up whole, magnifying God.
The chief of the priests cried out, saying: 'This man is not sent of God, seeing he keepeth not the sabbath; for today he hath healed an infirm person.'
Jesus answered: 'Now tell me, is it not lawful to speak on the sabbath day, and to make prayer for the salvation of others? And who is there among you who, if on the sabbath his ass or his ox fell into the ditch, would not pull him out on the sabbath? Assuredly none. And shall I then have broken the sabbath day by having given health to a daughter of Israel? Of a surety, here is known thy hypocrisy! Oh, how many are there today that fear the smiting of a straw in another\'s eye, while a beam is ready to cut off their own head! Oh, how many there are that fear an ant, but reck not of an elephant!'
And having said this, he went forth from the temple. But the priests chafed with rage among themselves, because they were not able to seize him and to work their will upon him, even as their fathers have done against the holy ones of God.