just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he made signs to them and remained speechless.

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father,

They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name."

And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.

And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled.

And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which had been told them concerning this child.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And when the time of their purification according to the law of Moses was completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

And when he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.

And when the feast was over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their relatives and acquaintances.

And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."

But they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

being tempted for forty days by the devil. In those days he ate nothing, and when they had ended, he was hungry.

and, 'In their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.

And they rose up and cast him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down the cliff.

And they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.

And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"

And he arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they made request of him on her behalf.

And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;

So when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus.

When they could not find a way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.

And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen strange things today."

They said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."

But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."

The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him.

But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?

For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a bramble bush.

And when they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him,

And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us;" and "God has visited his people."

When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"

(And when they heard him, all the people, even the tax collectors, justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

"To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'

When they had nothing with which to pay him back, he freely forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?"

he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others it is given in parables, so that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

The ones along the path are those who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved.

And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

And the ones that fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they set out.

As they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in danger.

And they went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there was a calm.

He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him?"

Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

And they begged him repeatedly not to command them to go into the Abyss.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter them. So he gave them permission.

When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

Then all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."

So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

And when the apostles returned, they told him what they had done. Then he took them with him and withdrew apart to a city called Bethsaida.

But when the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fishunless we go and buy food for all these people."

And they did so, and made them all sit down.

They all ate and were satisfied, and they took up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

So they answered, "John the Baptist; but others say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."

But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.

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

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples,

But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

and they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they give, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.

Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.

But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say,

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.

And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.

So you witness that you approve of the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,'