Kahlil Gibran - Jesus the Son of Man

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK

PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

Copyright 1928 by Kahlil Gibran

Copyright renewed 1956 by Administrators C.T.A. of Kahlil Gibran Estate and Mary G. Gibran

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

www.aaknopf.com

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

eISBN: 978-0-307-95775-7

v3.1

UPON A DAY in the spring of the year Jesus stood in the market-place of Jerusalem and He spoke to the multitudes of the kingdom of heaven.

And He accused the scribes and the Pharisees of setting snares and digging pitfalls in the path of those who long after the kingdom; and He denounced them.

Now amongst the crowd was a company of men who defended the Pharisees and the scribes, and they sought to lay hands upon Jesus and upon us also.

But He avoided them and turned aside from them, and walked towards the north gate of the city.

And He said to us, My hour has not yet come. Many are the things I have still to say unto you, and many are the deeds I shall yet perform ere I deliver myself up to the world.

Then He said, and there was joy and laughter in His voice, Let us go into the North Country and meet the spring. Come with me to the hills, for winter is past and the snows of Lebanon are descending to the valleys to sing with the brooks.

The fields and the vineyards have banished sleep and are awake to greet the sun with their green figs and tender grapes.

And He walked before us and we followed Him, that day and the next.

And upon the afternoon of the third day we reached the summit of Mount Hermon, and there He stood looking down upon the cities of the plains.

And His face shone like molten gold, and He outstretched His arms and He said to us, Behold the earth in her green raiment, and see how the streams have hemmed the edges of her garments with silver.

In truth the earth is fair and all that is upon her is fair.

But there is a kingdom beyond all that you behold, and therein I shall rule. And if it is your choice, and if it is indeed your desire, you too shall come and rule with me.