It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught [that is, the history and doctrine of the faith].

for he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, even from his mother's womb;

and he shall march before him, in the spirit and power of Elias, to reconcile parents and children together, and the unruly to the practice of justice, that the people may be duly dispos'd to receive the Lord.

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

and she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be.

And Mary said to the angel, How may this be, because I have had no knowledge of a man?

For with God, nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

And she said with a loud voice: May blessing be on you among women, and a blessing on the child of your body.

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

And they nodded to his father, what he may wish to have him called.

"May the Lord be praised, [who is] the God of the Israelites, for He has come to [the aid of] His people and bought them back [i.e., from bondage].

that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, may serve him without fear,

Yes, you [my] child [i.e., John], will be called the prophet of the Highest [i.e., God], for you will go ahead of the Lord's presence to prepare His ways.

by acquainting his people how they may be saved by the remission of their sins,

To give light to those in dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the way of peace.

"May there be glory to God in the highest [heavens], and may there be peace on earth among men who are pleasing to God."

And it came to pass, when the messengers were gone away from them to the heavens, that the men, the shepherds, said unto one another, 'We may go over indeed unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that hath come to pass, that the Lord did make known to us.'

and it hath been divinely told him by the Holy Spirit -- not to see death before he may see the Christ of the Lord.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and while the parents are bringing in the little child Jesus, that they may do according to the provisions of law concerning Him,

"Master, you may now allow your servant to be released [i.e., die] in peace, according to what you said.

For my eyes have seen Your Salvation,

(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

When they saw Him, they were smitten with amazement, and His mother said to Him, "My child, why have you behaved thus to us? Your father and I have been searching for you in anguish."

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

And the people are looking forward, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether or not he may be the Christ;

he answered the question by saying to them all, "As for me, I am baptizing you with water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose very sandal-strap I am not worthy to unfasten: He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and with fire.

His winnowing-fan is in his hand, that he may clear his threshing-floor, and store the grain in his barn, but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire."

And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

and the Devil said to him, 'If Son thou art of God, speak to this stone that it may become bread.'

And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

And, In their hands they will keep you up, so that your foot may not be crushed against a stone.

And Jesus made answer and said to him, It is said in the Writings, You may not put the Lord your God to the test.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

I'm telling you the truth there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when it didn't rain for three years and six months and there was a severe famine everywhere in the land.

saying, "Let me alone, what hast thou to do with us, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee what thou art, even the Holy of God."

and he said unto them -- 'Also to the other cities it behoveth me to proclaim good news of the reign of God, because for this I have been sent;'

Simon answered, "Master, we worked all night and caught nothing, but as you tell me to do it, I will put down the nets."

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

likewise also, both James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon - Do not fear! henceforth, shall thou be taking, men, that they may, live.

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And he put out his hand to him and said, It is my pleasure; be clean. And straight away his disease went from him.

Jesus ordered him to tell no one [that he might happen to meet], “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony (witness) to them [that this is a work of Messiah].”

and not having found by what way they may bring him in because of the multitude, having gone up on the house-top, through the tiles they let him down, with the little couch, into the midst before Jesus,

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

I have come, not to get the upright, but sinners, so that they may be turned from their sins.

but days will come, and, when the bridegroom may be taken away from them, then they shall fast in those days.'

How he went into the house of God and took for food the holy bread, which only the priests may take, and gave it to those who were with him?

the son of man, said he, may dispense even with the sabbath.

And the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him, if He will heal him on the Sabbath, in order that they may find accusation against Him.

And they were filled with want,of understanding; and they discoursed with one another What they may do to Jesus.

Blessed are ye, when the people may hate you, and when they may separate you, and cast out your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of man.

Then indeed you may be glad and dance for joy, for be sure that your reward in Heaven will be great; for that is what their ancestors did to the Prophets.

Woe unto you when all the people may speak well of you! because according to the same things their fathers were accustomed to do to the false prophets.

“But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]: Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you,

and as ye wish that men may do to you, do ye also to them in like manner;

And if you may do good to those doing good to you, what grace is there to you? for sinners also do the same.

And if ye lend to those from whom ye hope to receive, what thank is it to you? for even sinners lend to sinners that they may receive the like.

'And judge not, and ye may not be judged; condemn not, and ye may not be condemned; release, and ye shall be released.

Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

He may be compared to a man building a house, who dug, and went deep, and laid the foundation upon the rock. Then, when a flood came, the river swept down upon that house, but had no power to shake it, because it had been built well.

But the one who has [merely] heard and has not practiced [what I say], is like a [foolish] man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the torrent burst against it; and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

And hearing about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him that having come He may save his servant.

And when they came to Jesus they urged him earnestly, saying, He is worthy for whom thou may offer this,

Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Jesus continued, "To what may I compare the people living today?

And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

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."

And his disciples asked him saying, What may this parable be?

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

And those by the way side are they that have heard; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

'And those upon the rock: They who, when they may hear, with joy do receive the word, and these have no root, who for a time believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest; neither is there any thing concealed, which may not be made known and come into the light.

'See, therefore, how ye hear, for whoever may have, there shall be given to him, and whoever may not have, also what he seemeth to have, shall be taken from him.'

And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

And it came to pass, on one of the days, that he himself went into a boat with his disciples, and he said unto them, 'We may go over to the other side of the lake;' and they set forth,

And He said to them, “Where is your faith [your confidence in Me]?” They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?”

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.