THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS - THE GOSPEL OF JAMES

THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES

Biographical Gospel of the Lord

- Chapter 233 -

Jonathan Fells A Mighty Tree

1
JOSEPH NOW called the four sons over and said to them,

2
'Here, take this pound of silver and go into the city to buy flour and whatever else is still needed for the kitchen,

3
and then come and prepare a good midday meal, since Cyrenius still honors me with his presence today.'

4
At this the sons promptly went and carried out their father's wishes.

5
Then Mary also came over and privately told Joseph that the supply of firewood was also so greatly depleted that it would hardly be possible to prepare a meal with the little that still remained.

6
Here Joseph called Jonathan over and told him of this difficulty.

7
And Jonathan declared, 'Brother, give me your large and strong axe, and I shall go into the forest over there by the hill;

8
and truly, in three hours you shall have wood aplenty.'

9
Here Joseph gave Jonathan a strong axe, whereupon the latter went into the woods of the nearest hill, which belonged to the villa, and there quickly chopped down a strong cedar, fastened a strong rope around the trunk and thus pulled the whole mighty tree in front of Joseph's house.

10
When he arrived there with his felled tree, all were astonished at the enormous strength of Jonathan.

11
Many servants of Cyrenius together now attempted to pull the tree farther but their efforts were in vain,

12
for they, numbering about thirty, were not able to move the tree even a hairbreadth, since it weighed about one hundred hundredweights.

13
At this Jonathan said to the servants of Cyrenius,

14
'Instead of this vain attempt, just take big and little axes in hand and help me to quickly split up the tree!

15
This effort will please the head of the house more than if you try to measure my enormous strength on this tree by your vain effort.

16
Here all the servants of Cyrenius promptly lent a hand, and with the energetic assistance of Jonathan the whole tree was cut up in half an hour.

17
Joseph was full of joy at this and asserted,

18
'Truly, that would have been three days' work for me until I could have cut up such a tree,

19
and you needed hardly three hours altogether.'

20
And Jonathan retorted, 'Oh brother, great bodily strength is no doubt a useful thing;

21
but what is it against the strength of Him who lives with you and before whose breath the whole creation trembles?'

22
Here the little Child came over to Jonathan and said to him, 'Be still, Jonathan, and do not betray Me; for I know when I must reveal Myself!

23
And if My power had not been with you now, you could neither have mastered this tree. - But be still and say nothing about it!' - Here Jonathan said no more and only now understood how he had so easily mastered this tree.

1	JOSEPH NOW called the four sons over and said to them,
2	'Here, take this pound of silver and go into the city to buy flour and whatever else is still needed for the kitchen,
3	and then come and prepare a good midday meal, since Cyrenius still honors me with his presence today.'
4	At this the sons promptly went and carried out their father's wishes.
5	Then Mary also came over and privately told Joseph that the supply of firewood was also so greatly depleted that it would hardly be possible to prepare a meal with the little that still remained.
6	Here Joseph called Jonathan over and told him of this difficulty.
7	And Jonathan declared, 'Brother, give me your large and strong axe, and I shall go into the forest over there by the hill;
8	and truly, in three hours you shall have wood aplenty.'
9	Here Joseph gave Jonathan a strong axe, whereupon the latter went into the woods of the nearest hill, which belonged to the villa, and there quickly chopped down a strong cedar, fastened a strong rope around the trunk and thus pulled the whole mighty tree in front of Joseph's house.
10	When he arrived there with his felled tree, all were astonished at the enormous strength of Jonathan.
11	Many servants of Cyrenius together now attempted to pull the tree farther but their efforts were in vain,
12	for they, numbering about thirty, were not able to move the tree even a hairbreadth, since it weighed about one hundred hundredweights.
13	At this Jonathan said to the servants of Cyrenius,
14	'Instead of this vain attempt, just take big and little axes in hand and help me to quickly split up the tree!
15	This effort will please the head of the house more than if you try to measure my enormous strength on this tree by your vain effort.
16	Here all the servants of Cyrenius promptly lent a hand, and with the energetic assistance of Jonathan the whole tree was cut up in half an hour.
17	Joseph was full of joy at this and asserted,
18	'Truly, that would have been three days' work for me until I could have cut up such a tree,
19	and you needed hardly three hours altogether.'
20	And Jonathan retorted, 'Oh brother, great bodily strength is no doubt a useful thing;
21	but what is it against the strength of Him who lives with you and before whose breath the whole creation trembles?'
22	Here the little Child came over to Jonathan and said to him, 'Be still, Jonathan, and do not betray Me; for I know when I must reveal Myself!
23	And if My power had not been with you now, you could neither have mastered this tree. - But be still and say nothing about it!' - Here Jonathan said no more and only now understood how he had so easily mastered this tree.