But the angel told him, "Stop being afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John.

But because you did not believe my announcement, which will be fulfilled at its proper time, you will become silent and unable to speak until the day this happens."

But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them but remained unable to speak.

but his mother said, "Absolutely not! He must be named John."

and then as a widow for 84 years. She never left the Temple, but continued to worship there night and day with times of fasting and prayer.

When the days of the festival were over, they left for home. The young man Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.

But they did not understand what he told them.

John replied to all of them, "I'm baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He'll gather the grain into his barn, but he'll burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire."

Jesus answered him, "It is written, "One must not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.'"

But Jesus answered him, "It is written, "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"

But he walked right through the middle of them and went away.

But Jesus rebuked him. "Be quiet," he said, "and come out of him!" At this, the demon threw the man down in the middle of the synagogue and came out of him without hurting him.

Even demons came out of many people, screaming, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus rebuked them and ordered them not to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

But he told them, "I have to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God in other cities, because I was sent to do that also."

He saw two boats lying on the shore, but the fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets.

Simon answered, "Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I'll lower the nets."

But the news about Jesus spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.

The scribes and the Pharisees began to argue among themselves, saying, "Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

But so you'll know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"." he told the paralyzed man, "I say to you: Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!"

But Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do.

I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance."

Then they told him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do those of the Pharisees. But your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."

But Jesus told them, "You can't force the wedding guests to fast while the groom is still with them, can you?

But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and at that time they will fast."

How was it that he went into the house of God, took the Bread of the Presence and ate it, which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and then gave some of it to his companions?"

But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue." So he got up and stood there.

"But how terrible it will be for you who are rich, because you have had your comfort!

"But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.

A disciple is not better than his teacher. But everyone who is fully-trained will be like his teacher.

"Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

"Why do you keep calling me "Lord, Lord,' but don't do what I tell you?

They are like a person building a house, who dug a deep hole to lay the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the floodwaters pushed against that house but couldn't shake it, because it had been founded on the rock.

But the person who hears what I say but doesn't act on it is like someone who built a house on the ground without any foundation. When the floodwaters pushed against it, that house quickly collapsed, and the resulting destruction of that house was extensive."

That's why I didn't presume to come to you. But just say the word, and let my servant be healed,

But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law rejected God's plan for themselves by refusing to be baptized by John.

They're like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other, "A wedding song we played for you, the dance you all did scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'

Then, turning to the woman, he told Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You didn't give me any water for my feet, but this woman has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

You didn't give me a kiss, but this woman, from the moment I came in, has not stopped kissing my feet.

You didn't anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with perfume.

So I'm telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that's why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."

But Jesus told the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced 100 times as much as was planted." As he said this, he called out, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

So he said, "You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others they are given in parables, so that "they might look but not see, and they might listen but not understand.'"

The ones on the path are the people who listen, but then the Devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

The ones on the stony ground are the people who joyfully welcome the word when they hear it. But since they don't have any roots, they believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away.

The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn't mature.

But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance."

His mother and his brothers came to him, but they couldn't get near him because of the crowd.

But he answered those people, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear a message from God and heed it."

When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a man from the city met him. This man was controlled by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house but in the tombs.

Now the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

But when Jesus heard this, he told the synagogue leader, "Stop being afraid! Just believe, and she will get well."

Now everyone was crying and wailing for her. But Jesus said, "Stop crying! She's not dead. She's sleeping."

But he took her hand and called out, "Young lady, get up!"

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

Herod said, "I beheaded John. But who is this man I'm hearing so much about?" So Herod kept trying to see Jesus.

But the crowds found out about this and followed him. He welcomed them and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God and to heal those who needed healing.

But he told them, "You give them something to eat." They replied, "We have nothing more than five loaves of bread and two fish unless we go and buy food for all these people."

He asked them, "But who do you say I am?" "God's Messiah," Peter replied.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be rejected by the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he must be killed, but on the third day he will be raised."

because whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

What profit will a person have if he gains the whole world, but destroys himself or is lost?

But while he was saying this, a cloud appeared and surrounded them, and they became terrified as they were being overshadowed by the cloud.

I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn't."

Even while the boy was coming, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

But they didn't know what this meant. Indeed, the meaning was hidden from them so that they didn't understand it; and they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.

But the people would not welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.

But he turned and rebuked them,

Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest."

He told another man, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

But he told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another man said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to those at home."

So he instructed them, "The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest.

If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting of peace will remain with him. But if that's not the case, your greeting will come back to you.

But whenever you go into a town and people don't welcome you, go out into its streets and say,

"We're wiping off your town's dust that clings to our feet in protest against you! But realize this: the kingdom of God is near!'

Because I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see but didn't see them, and to hear the things you hear but didn't hear them."

But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

But as he was traveling along, a Samaritan came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion.

But Martha was worrying about all the things she had to do, so she came to him and asked, "Lord, you do care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself, don't you? Then tell her to help me."

But there's only one thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and it is not to be taken away from her."

But some of them said, "He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

But if I drive out demons by the power of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

But when a stronger man than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man strips off that man's armor in which he trusted and then divides his plunder.

"Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest but doesn't find any. So it says, "I will go back to my home that I left.'

But he said, "Instead, how blessed are those who hear God's word and obey it!"

Now as the crowds continued to throng around Jesus, he went on to say, "This people living today are an evil generation. It craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah,

The queen of the south will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, something greater than Solomon is here!

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, something greater than Jonah is here!"

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when it's evil, your body is full of darkness.

But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil.

"How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, spices, and every kind of herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.

"But I tell you, my friends, never be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can't do anything more.

"But I tell you, the Son of Man will acknowledge before God's angels everyone who acknowledges me before people.

But whoever denies me before people will be denied before God's angels.

Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit won't be forgiven.

But Jesus asked him, "Mister, who appointed me to be a judge or arbitrator over you people?"