Now they were both upright in the sight of God, walking without reproach in all the Lord's commands and requirements.

And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both of them were far advanced in years.

But when he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. Meanwhile he kept on making signs to them, and remained dumb.

And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and so they were rejoicing with her.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they tried to name him Zechariah, after his father.

Then they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives that bears that name."

So they began to make signs to his father to find out what he might wish him to be named.

Then he asked for a writing-tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all astonished.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth,

Then an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, so that they were fearfully frightened.

So they hurried to the place and found Joseph and Mary; also the baby lying in the manger.

When they saw this, they informed them of the story that had been told about this child.

Then the shepherds went back continuing to give glory and praise to God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Now when the period of their purification ended, in accordance with the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, to do as it is written in the law of the Lord,

Now when they had completed everything that was in accordance with the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

And when He was twelve years old, they went up as usual to the feast

and stayed the usual time. When they returned, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents were not aware of it.

They supposed that He was somewhere in the caravan, and so they traveled a whole day before they began to make an anxious search for Him among His relatives and acquaintances.

As they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem in anxious search for Him.

And after three days they finally found Him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

When His parents saw Him, they were utterly amazed, and yet His mother said to Him, "My child, why did you treat us so? Just see how your father and I, in agony of mind, have been searching for you!"

But they did not understand what He said to them.

Now while the people were on tiptoe in their expectations, and they were all arguing in their hearts about John whether he was himself the Christ,

and, 'They will bear you up on their hands, so that you will never strike your foot against a stone.'"

So they all began to speak well of Him and to wonder at the gracious words that fell from His lips, and yet they continued to say, "Is He not Joseph's son?"

and they rose up and drove Him out of town and took Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to hurl Him down the cliff.

and they were completely astounded, because His message was spoken with authority.

Amazement then seized them all and they continued to talk it over among themselves, and to say, "What does this message mean? For with authority and power He gives orders to foul spirits, and they come out."

Then He rose to leave the synagogue, and He went to Simon's house. And Simon's mother-in-law was in the grip of a burning fever; so they asked Him about her.

Even demons came out of many people, shrieking and saying, "You are the Son of God!" But He reproved them and would not let them speak, because they knew that He was the Christ.

As day broke He left the house and went to a lonely spot, and the crowds continued to look for Him; they overtook Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them.

They did so and caught so vast a shoal of fish that their nets began to break.

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

For at the haul of fish that they had made, bewildering amazement had seized him and all his men,

So after they had brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

Now some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were trying to get him in and lay him before Jesus.

And as they could not find a way because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his pallet through the tiles, among the people right in front of Jesus.

Jesus saw that they were arguing, and answered them: "Why are you arguing so in your hearts?

Then an overwhelming wonder seized them all and they began to give praise to God. They were filled with awe and continued to say, "We have seen unthinkable wonders today!"

After that they said to Him, "John's disciples rigidly practice fasting and offering up prayers; so do the Pharisees, but your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."

But a time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; at that time they will fast."

But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and stand at the front." So he got up and stood there.

But they were filled with fury and began to discuss what they could do to Jesus.

Practice forgiving others, and you will be forgiven. Practice giving to others, and they will give to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, people will pour into your lap. For the measure you use with others they in turn will use with you."

Then He told them a story: "Can one blind man lead another? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

So they went to Jesus and continued to urge Him earnestly, saying, "He deserves that you do this for him,

So awe seized them all, and they began to praise God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has visited His people!"

And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, vindicated the righteous requirements of God by submitting to John's baptism,

So to what can I compare the men of this age, and what are they like?

They are like little children sitting in the market-place and calling to their fellows in the game: "'We played the wedding march for you, but you did not dance. We sang the funeral dirge, but you did not mourn.'

Since they could not pay him, he graciously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which one of them will love him more?"

Therefore, I tell you, her sins, as many as they are, are forgiven, for she has loved me so much. But the one who has little to be forgiven loves me little."

Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture.

So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand.

Those along the path illustrate those who hear it, but then the devil comes and carries off the message from their hearts, so that they may not believe it and be saved.

The portion of them on the rock illustrates those who accept the message, bubbling over with joy when they first hear it, but it takes no real root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away.

And the portion of them falling among the thorns illustrates those who hear it, but as soon as they pass on they are choked out by the worries and wealth and pleasures of life, and thus yield no mature fruit.

His mother and His brothers came to see Him, but they could not get in touch with Him, on account of the crowd.

So it was reported to Him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside; they want to see you."

One day He got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail.

Now as they were sailing along, He fell off to sleep. But a furious squall of wind rushed down upon the lake, and they were filling up and were in impending peril.

So they came to Him and woke Him up, and said, "Master, Master, we are perishing? Then He aroused Himself and reproved the wind and the surge of the water, and they stopped at once and instantly there came a calm.

Then He said to them, "Where is your faith?" But they were frightened and astounded, and continued to say to one another, "Who can He be? For He gives orders even to the winds and the water, and they obey Him."

They landed in the neighborhood of Gerasa, which is just across the lake from Galilee.

Then they continued to beg Him not to order them to go off to the bottomless pit.

Now there was a large drove of hogs feeding there on the hillside. So they begged Him to let them go into those hogs. And He let them do so.

When the men who fed them saw what had taken place, they fled and spread the news in the town and in the country around.

So the people went out to see what had taken place, and they went to Jesus and found the man out of whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, with his clothes on and in his right mind; and they were frightened.

Then they who had seen it told them how the man who had been under the power of demons was cured.

Then all the inhabitants of the country around Gerasa asked Him to go away from them, because they were terribly frightened. So He got into a boat and went back.

Now as Jesus was returning, the crowd welcomed Him, for they were all expecting Him.

Then Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" But as all were denying that they had done so, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are jamming you and jostling you."

Now they were all weeping and wailing over her. But He said, "Stop weeping! For she is not dead but asleep."

Then they began to laugh in His face, for they knew that she was dead.

And so they set out and went from village to village, telling the good news and curing people everywhere.

Now the apostles returned and told Jesus all that they had done. Then He took them and privately retired to a town called Bethsaida.

But He said to them, "Give them something to eat yourselves." Then they said, "We have only five loaves and two fish, unless we go ourselves and buy food for all these people."

And they did so, and made all the people sit down and recline.

And they all ate and had aplenty, and what they had left over was taken up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

They answered, "John the Baptist; though others say Elijah, and still others that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life."

And two men were talking with Him. They were Moses and Elijah,

Now Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but all at once they became wide awake and saw His splendor and the two men who were standing with Him.

And just as they were starting to leave Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- although he did not know what he was saying.

But as he was saying this, a cloud came and was circling over them, and they were frightened as the two visitors entered into the cloud.

When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found to be alone. And they kept silence and told no one anything that they had seen at that time.

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

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

So they all continued to be utterly astounded at the greatness of God. Now while everybody was wondering at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples,

But they remained ignorant of what this meant; indeed, it had been hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

so He sent messengers before Him. Then they went on and entered into a Samaritan town, to make preparations for Him.

But they would not receive Him, because He was facing in the direction of Jerusalem.

When the disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?"

Then they went on to a different village.

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

Stay on at the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the workman deserves his support. Do not keep moving about from house to house.

And if you go into any town and they welcome you, continue to eat what is offered you,

But if you go into any town and they do not welcome you, go out into the streets and say,

A curse on you, Chorazin! A curse on you, Bethsaida! For if the wonder-works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, long ago they would have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Then He turned to His disciples when they were alone, and said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you are seeing.

For I tell you, many prophets and kings have wished to see what you are seeing, but they did not, and to hear what you are hearing, but they did not."