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Infancy of Jesus Christ Gospel I
Chapter XVI
1 Christ miraculously widens or contracts the gates,
milk pails, sieves, or boxes, not properly made by Joseph,
4 he not being skilful at his carpenter's trade.
5 The King of Jerusalem gives Joseph an order for a throne.
6 Joseph works on it for two years in the king's palace,
and makes it two spans too short. The king being angry with him,
10 Jesus comforts him,
13 commands him to pull one side of the throne, while he
pulls the other, and brings it to its proper dimensions.
14 Whereupon the bystanders praise God.
AND Joseph, wheresoever he
went in the city, took the
Lord Jesus with him, where he
was sent for to work to make
gates, or milk-pails, or sieves, or
boxes; the Lord Jesus was with
him, wheresoever he went.
2 And as often as Joseph had
anything in his work, to make
longer, or shorter, or wider, or
narrower, the Lord Jesus would
stretch his hand towards it.
3 And presently it became as
Joseph would have it:
4 So that he had no need to
finish anything with his own hands,
for he was not very skilful at his
carpenter's trade.
5 On a certain time the King
of Jerusalem sent for him, and
said, I would have thee make me
a throne of the same dimensions
with that place in which I
commonly sit.
6 Joseph obeyed, and forthwith
began the work, and continued two
years in the king's palace before
he finished it.
7 And when he came to fix it
in its place, he found it wanted
two spans on each side of the
appointed measure.
8 Which when the king saw,
he was very angry with Joseph;
9 And Joseph afraid of the
king's anger, went to bed without
his supper, taking not any thing
to eat.
10 Then the Lord Jesus asked
him, What he was afraid of?
11 Joseph replied, Because I
have lost my labour in the work
which I have been about these two
years.
12 Jesus said to him, Fear not,
neither be cast down;
13 Do thou lay hold on one side
of the throne, and I will the other,
and we will bring it to its just
dimensions.
14 And when Joseph had done
as the Lord Jesus said, and each
of them had with strength drawn
his side, the throne obeyed, and
was brought to the proper
dimensions of the place:
15 Which miracle when they
who stood by saw, they were
astonished, and praised God.
16 The throne was made of the
same wood which was in being
in Solomon's time, namely, wood
adorned with various shapes, and
figures.
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