The words of Jesus of Nazareth continue to amaze, confound and inspire listeners as they did two thousand years ago. They resonate down the centuries, poetic in their simplicity, challenging in their meaning, uncompromising in their authority. Whether Jesus was describing the kingdom of Heaven, stripping away worn-out conventions or defining love and forgiveness, he chose direct, down-to-earth language for the new age he heralded, clothing his stories in imagery from the everyday world.

Here, retold in the words of the Revised Standard Version Bible, are some of the most memorable sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels of his disciples Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They range from frank, compassionate advice to devastating reprimands; from new interpretations of ancient law to chilling prophecies; from the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Vineyard to the two great prose poems from his Sermon on the Mount – the Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes.

Illuminating Jesus’ words are over 40 paintings by celebrated artists such as Raphael, Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, Caravaggio, Fra Angelico, Poussin and Millet. In this beautiful hardcover keepsake with a silk ribbon marker, the words and paintings combine to create a treasury that will appeal not only to Christian but to everyone searching for spiritual truth.