but the angel said to him, "Fear not, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard; your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you must call his name John.

But you will be silent and unable to speak till the day this happens, because you have not believed what I told you; it will be accomplished, for all that, in due time."

When he did come out he could not speak to them, so they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary; he made signs to them and remained dumb.

But the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, you have found favour with God.

There were some shepherds in the district who were out in the fields keeping guard over their flocks by night;

indeed it had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he was not to see death before he had seen the Lord messiah.

and having been a widow for eighty-four years. She was never away from the temple; night and day she worshipped, fasting and praying.

After spending the full number of days they came back, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know of this;

"Why did you look for me?" he said, "Did you not know I had to be at my Father's house?"

But they did not understand what he said.

The axe is lying all ready at the root of the trees; any tree that is not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

John said to them all, "I baptize you with water, but after me one who is mightier will come, and I am not fit to untie the string of his sandals; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.

Jesus replied to him, "It is written, Man is not to live on bread alone."

Jesus answered him, "It has been said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God."

All spoke well of him and marvelled at the gracious words that came from his lips; they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"

yet Elijah was not sent to any of these, but only to a widow woman at Zarephath in Sidon.

Simon replied, "Master, we worked all night and got nothing! However, I will lower the nets at your command."

Jesus ordered him not to say a word to anybody, but to "Go off and show yourself to the priest, and offer whatever Moses prescribed for your cleansing, to notify men."

but when they could not find any means of getting him in, on account of the crowd, they climbed to the top of the house and let him down through the tiles, mattress and all among the people in front of Jesus.

Jesus replied to them, "Healthy people have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill:

I have not come to call just men but sinners to repentance."

He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new cloak and sews it on an old cloak; otherwise he will tear the new cloak, and the new piece will not match with the old.

Some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not allowed on the sabbath?"

It was in these days that he went off to the hillside to pray. He spent the whole night in prayer to God,

If a man strikes you on the one cheek, offer him the other as well: if anyone takes your coat, do not deny him your shirt as well;

give to anyone who asks you, and do not ask your goods back from anyone who has taken them.

Also, judge not, and you will not be judged yourselves: condemn not, and you will not be condemned: pardon, and you will be pardoned yourselves:

He also told them a parabolic word: "Can one blind man lead another? will they not both fall into a pit?

A scholar is not above his teacher: but if he is perfectly trained he will be like his teacher.

Why do you note the splinter in your brother's eye and fail to see the plank in your own eye?

each tree is known by its fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, and grapes are not plucked from a bramble-bush.

Why call me, 'Lord, Lord!' and obey me not?

He is like a man engaged in building a house, who dug deep down and laid his foundation on the rock; when a flood came, the river dashed against that house but could not shake it, for it had been well built.

He who has listened and has not obeyed is like a man who built a house on the earth with no foundation; the river dashed against it and it collapsed at once, and the ruin of that house was great."

So Jesus went with them. But he was not far from the house when the captain sent some friends to tell him, "Do not trouble yourself, sir, I am not fit to have you under my roof,

and so I did not consider myself fit even to come to you. Just say the word, and let my servant be cured.

And when the Lord saw her, he felt pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep."

Like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, 'We piped to you and you would not dance, we lamented and you would not weep.'

so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that for all their seeing they may not see, and for all their hearing they may not understand.

Those 'on the road' are people who hear; but then the devil comes and carries off the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

For nothing is hidden that shall not be disclosed, nothing concealed that shall not be known and revealed.

So take care how you listen; for he who has, to him shall more be given, while as for him who has not, from him shall be taken even what he thinks he has."

As he stepped out on land he was met by a man from the town who had daemons in him; for a long while he had worn no clothing, and he stayed not in a house but among the tombs.

On catching sight of Jesus he shrieked aloud and prayed him with a loud cry, "Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? Do not torture me, I beg of you."

And they begged him not to order them off to the abyss.

So when the woman saw she had not escaped notice, she came trembling, and falling down before him she told before all the people why she had touched him and how she had been instantly cured.

He was still speaking when someone came from the house of the synagogue-president to say, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher any further."

When he reached the house he would not allow anyone to come in with him except Peter and James and John, and the child's father and mother.

Everyone was weeping and bewailing her, but he said, "Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep."

Her parents were amazed, but he charged them not to tell anyone what had happened.

And he told them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither stick nor wallet nor bread nor silver, and do not carry two shirts.

Whoever will not receive you, leave that town and shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."

I tell you plainly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death till they see the Reign of God."

When they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is a good thing we are here; let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (not knowing what he was saying).

I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."

But they did not understand this saying ??indeed it was kept a secret from them, to prevent them from fathoming it ??and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

John said to him, "Master, we saw a man casting out daemons in your name, but we stopped him because he is not a follower of ours."

Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; he who is not against you is for you."

but the people would not receive him because his face was turned in the direction of Jerusalem.

Carry no purse, no wallet, no sandals. Do not stop to salute anybody on the road.

Stay at the same house, eating and drinking what the people provide (for the workman deserves his wages); you are not to shift from one house to another.

But wherever you are not received on entering any town, go out into the streets of the town and cry,

Only, do not rejoice because the spirits obey you: rejoice because your names are enrolled in heaven."

For I tell you many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, but they have not seen it: and to hear what you hear, but they have not heard it."

Mary has chosen the best dish, and she is not to be dragged away from it."

and forgive us our sins for we do forgive everyone who has offended us; and lead us not into temptation."

I tell you, though he will not get up and give you anything because you are a friend of his, he will at least rise and give you whatever you want, because you persist.

He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

The Pharisee was astonished to see that he had not washed before the meal,

Foolish men! did not He who made the outside make the inside of things too?

He said, "And woe to you jurists! you load men with irksome burdens, and you will not put a single finger to their burdens.

Woe to you jurists! you have taken the key that unlocks the door of knowledge; you have not entered yourselves, and you have stopped those who were entering."

Nothing is hidden that shall not be revealed, or concealed that shall not be made known.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

But the very hairs on your head are all numbered; fear not, you are worth far more than sparrows.

When they bring you before synagogues and the magistrates and authorities, do not trouble yourselves about how to defend yourselves or what to say,

Then he said to them, "See and keep clear of covetousness in every shape and form, for a man's life is not part of his possessions because he has ample wealth."

But God said to him, 'Foolish man, this very night your soul is wanted; and who will get all you have prepared?'

To his disciples he said, "Therefore I tell you, do not trouble about what you are to eat in life, nor about what you are to put on your body;

Now if God so clothes grass which blooms to-day in the field and is thrown to-morrow into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you? O men, how little you trust him!

So do not seek food and drink and be worried;

pagans make food and drink their aim in life, but your Father knows quite well you need that;

Fear not, you little flock, for your Father is delighted to give you the Realm.

Whether he comes in the second or the third watch of the night and finds them thus alert, blessed are they!

Be sure that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

So be ready yourselves, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

that servant's lord and master will arrive on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know; he will cut him in two and assign him the fate of unbelievers.

The servant who knew his lord and master's orders and did not prepare for them, will receive many lashes;

And why do you not yourselves settle what is right?

Then it may bear fruit next year. If not, you can have it cut down.'"

The Lord replied to him, "You hypocrites, does not each of you untether his ox or ass from the stall on the sabbath and lead it away to drink?

And this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for all these eighteen years, was she not to be freed from her bondage on the sabbath?"

"Strive to get in through the narrow door, for I tell you many will try to get in and not be able,

once the master of the House has got up and closed the door. You may stand outside and knock at the door, crying, 'Lord, open for us,' but he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.'

'I tell you,' he will say, 'I do not know where you come from; begone everyone of you, you evildoers.'

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, slaying the prophets and stoning those who have been sent to you! How often I would fain have gathered your children as a fowl gathers her brood under her wings! But you would not have it!

so Jesus asked the jurists and Pharisees, "Is it right to heal on the sabbath or not?"

"Which of you," he said to them, "when an ass or an ox has fallen into a well, will not pull him out at once upon the sabbath day?"

This they could not dispute.

He also said to his host, "When you give a dinner or supper, do not ask your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbours, in case they invite you back again and you get repaid.